Bad, like a Virgin Airline meal

Some things are too good to pass up. When I came across this – just this morning – I had to share it as I am sure it will put a smile on your face.

Bad airline food is one thing- documenting it and having a 1,000 word rant on it is somethig else. This food looks bad.   Hell, I would have told them that they were serving the food  from the previous flight’s garbage bin – (but that’s just me).

Airline food is one of the things you have to deal with when travelling. When I wrote Air Fare some time ago I was being a little tongue in cheek. Sure it is better to bring your own food on board but in an ever increasingly secure world it is becoming less practical.

The guy wrote the letter, sent to Sir Richard Branson and then onto the Daily Telegraph. The mediaa will cover anything these days so, in all its glory – here it is.

Hugh Giraffe Gaffe

It seems British food personalities like getting ’stuck innit’, as they are wont to say.  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has proclaimed publicly that he is very fond of  steaks.  This in itself is not a problem, but when it is Giraffe steak -  well, then the gloves really come off.  See, it seems that the nanny state of Britain have seen fit to criticize HF-W for saying it was good eats.  But because the Giraffe is on the protected list of animals it is very dangerous to say things like that, even if the steak in question was culled, prepared and eaten in another foreign and sovereign country where it is perfectly legal to consume such animals -  it’s not the country who has to suffer -  it is the food evangelist who gets the boots taken to him.

Sad, but there it is.

Obama Lunchen Menu revealed

As part of the inauguration ceremonies next week, the Presidential Inauguration Committee posts the courses for the first meal of the President of the United States once sworn in.

President Elect Obama’s choices for his luncheon? Not only has the Times Online have the menu, but the recipes as well.

Bon appetite.

Knights of the ol’ rib shack – fight back

I’ve said in the past that there is nothing so beautiful than a verbal evisceration by food critic.  The beauty by which layers of bad service, equally poor food and rotten ambiance are sliced away with surgical precision makes me swoon.

Well, in  London, one of the eviscerated has struck back.  A rib shack in Knightsbridge of all places has tried to even -  with funny results.

Enjoy.

Cooking (more than) in the Kitchen

The restaurant industry is, as many writers and industry professionals will attest, filled with the fringe element.  You have to be a bit bonkers in the beginning to even want to step into the hounds-tooth pants and white jacket.

While most of the rest of the world is busy having fun -  the kitchen is at its busiest.  Like now, coming into what can only be described as the silly season for the culinary world.

As a case in point, when i was in industry I “worked the line” at a private dining club. That being said I spent many, many hours preparing, plating, cleaning and shouting over others in the brigade.  I remember a brunch – hell for anyone – where I peeled and de-veined several thousand shrimp in the middle of service because the restaurant manager “got a deal” on them and wanted to make a quick buck. Bent over a sink I was arm deep in shrimp innards for hours -  but such is the life.  This was the same place where I had a chef walk out on Christmas day service with no notice, a sous chef who listened to death metal music at ear splitting levels (for an accurate demonstration of this type of music place a large pot over your head and and practice primal screaming and you get the idea), and walked into the kitchen for an early breakfast service to find the owner’s son making hash brownies in our kitchen because of the industrial venting it provided – all in one place.

Then it comes to no surprise that Chefs and Sex is a no brainer. Enjoy.

Gourmet Ice???

So, the new hottest craze sweeping the nation of the USA, besides the impending election is something a little more frosty.

Chewable Ice – believe it or not, in the US right now there is a new food trend of ice munching , literally crunching ice in its various forms. Ice is judged by, texture and taste (as much as it has). The interesting thing is that there is a growing market for chewable ice, and there is a growing trend that is simply unbelievable – people eating, crunching and munching up to 8lbs of ice a day. This habit seems weird but weirder still is that there is a whole sub-culture growing around this phenomenon – more notably the on-line fora, where munchers can talk shop about the best places to purchase pre made ice and the best methods of making it.

What astounds me is that there is a growing market for pre-made chewable ice, my other thing is that the people who vociferously discuss this topic with the passion of ice munching addicts. For some people it is an all consuming passion with their teeth bearing the brunt of abuse and heavy water retention being the only real drawback. Cool.

Drinker Beware: redux

When  I posted imbibo caveo -  drinker beware  last year -  I wasn’t sure of the respnse.  However, it seems that information on how to cure a good hangover is one of the most searhed things on the interenet -  why?  Well, with the holiday season comes excess and with excess comes the requisite hanghover the next day.  But don’t take my word for it -  just today CNN and Newswek posted this same topic.  Read all about it here.

Bourdain’s “Ewok” takes takes his final bows

Tony Bourdain always called him “The Ewok” – I always thought of him as a Howler Monkey.  Be that what it may, Emeril Lagasse and his show Emeril Live” will have its final show this December.

Hey, ten years is a great run for any show and for a live studio cooking show -  it will be a long time before anyone breaks that record.  It is quite an extraordinary feat. That being said, maybe it is time for Food Network to develop a new show -  with someone else as a live cooking host.

Not so much BAM!! as…well….applause.

Read all about it here 

Garbage in, garbage…. turkey?

There must be something in the air when it comes to the largest holiday in America -  Thanksgiving.  Everywhere turn -  every page I read I see new and weird and wonderful ways of preparing the roast ornithod.  Over the last little while I’ve seen the deep fried version, the beer can version and now for your enjoyment and future health problems comes  -  the garbage can turkey.  Now I didn’t make it up -  read it all here -  enjoy.

Brown bagging it

With the recent news – well not so recent for some, that Jamie Oliver’s much lauded School Lunch Program in the UK has been called “the dog’s dinner”, it is sad to see that his efforts have gone on in vain.

I know people have a strange idea about him and his ideas – his Restaurant 15 – for underprivileged students has met a similar criticism. His attempts are noble, and the intentions are there, it is sad to say that the response from the public has not embraced it totally and have instead chosen to ostracize him. I don’t necessarily like him as a celebrity chef – but I like the ideas behind what he is trying to achieve and that is much more important.

Anyway – for busy people needing some tips on healthy lunch choices – prepare to brown bag it. Enjoy.

“The longer I work in nutrition, the more convinced I become that for the healthy person, all foods should be delicious.” Adelle Aavis – pioneer of the American health movement

The stores are full of the smells of the end of summer – filled with the plasticated aroma of binders, reams of paper, coloured pencils and nylon back packs; in short – the smells of another school year about to begin.

The beginning of a new school year is a time to change the eating habits of those heading back to school and to try and blend good eating with tasty food. Nowadays, schools have full canteens ready to serve a whole host of foods to the students – albeit not much better
than your local fast food chain.

My food experiences when I was at school were a little different than most – I had a mom who was perfect at choosing what I should have for lunch every day.

I was a bit of a fussy one – I didn’t like to have a drink with lunch, so tetra-pack boxes were out, but I loved a good sandwich (still do), and there had to be an apple to finish.

Simple healthy food is the keystone to a healthy body and mind. While carbohydrates (found in chips, fries and other “beige” foods) are a good boost of energy for while, they have no staying power. This is why in the middle of the afternoon students who eat this kind of food become slow and lethargic – they have used up what little energy came from the boost and their body is slowly trying to finish converting the complex carbohydrates into energy.

One of the keys to successful learning is being able to fuel the body with the right foods to stave off that mid afternoon energy crash.

Here are some good ideas:

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best way to get the nutrients needed for the day. Don’t stop there – add a small yoghurt as a dip for chopped fruit or a honey mustard dip (1tbs honey, 1tbs mustard mixed until combined). They add flavour without all the heavy fats.

I was a fan of a thermos of soup and a small sandwich for lunch during school. Not only did it feel like a substantial lunch but it kept me warm on the inside during winter months. Most manufacturers have styles of thermoses made just for soups including folding spoon and a wide mouth for pouring into the attached cup.

When I was in my first year of university, my mom was worried that I wasn’t eating right and she came up with a sort of trail mix for the “guy on the go”. In a little square of plastic wrap was an assortment of dried fruit, nuts, cereals and other fibre and protein laden foods – a one bite energy snack. The key was having it small enough to eat in a couple of bites. Perfect for running between classes and not getting caught while eating it! I found it to be the perfect brain food to keep me going. Try almonds, dried papaya, dried pineapple,
Vector cereal and raisins.

The last thing to consider is the bag all this healthy food goes in.
While some might poo-poo the modest brown bag, there are plenty of lunchboxes which have thermal linings to keep hot food hot and cold food cold as well as being made in stylish shapes and colours. Like any change of food choice, the key to success is finding out what
your children like to eat – and then modifying it. Giving them the same foods day after day will only encourage stagnant eating habits.

Get your children involved in making their lunches – then they are helping with the new food change, rather than having it imposed upon them.
For busy days, make lunches the night before – keeping foods that might go off in the fridge until morning. Mix up sandwiches with wraps, baguette or even toasted bagels.

Finally, why not add a dash of encouragement – in the form of a note.
Saying have a good day or good luck with that test can make a difference to their mental well being.

The challenge for school is not just getting good grades, but feeling good while doing it. Healthy food is an important first step.

Copyright 2007 Unlawful dissemination of this or any other work will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.