Tag: Gluttony

Food Palaces

Food & Drink, Travels

Finally, a list in the Daily Mail that I can more or less agree with, because food.  The markets (ranked by the DM;  * means I’ve been there):

1. Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia, USA*
No argument.  Best frigging food choices on the planet.  I’d like to mention my favorites, but we’d be here all day.  It’s actually worth going to Philly just to visit the place;  then get the hell out.  One of my buddies used to fly to Europe via PHL and used to break his trip there, just to get road food from Reading.  I might do the same, if ever…

2. Borough Market, London, UK
Missed this one, somehow (makes note).

3. Adelaide Central Market, Adelaide, Australia
Strylia, ergo no chance.

4. (tie) Mercado Central, Valencia, Spain / South Melbourne Market, Melbourne, Australia
See above;  but I wouldn’t mind going to Valencia.

6. Torvehallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark
I’m not a huge fan of Scandi food, generally speaking, but if I ever get there, sure (because Copenhagen).

7. Marché Bastille, Paris, France*
Been there and it’s lovely (because Paris);  but I’ve been to two or three others in the city that are just as good.

8. Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver, Canada*(?)
I’ve been to a foodmarket in Vancouver, but it’s been so long that it might have been another one.  Still, if this is the same one, it’s excellent.

9. Chelsea Market, New York City, USA*
Went there at least a dozen times when I lived in Joyzee.  Great but overpriced (#NYfC).

10. Ferry Building Marketplace, San Francisco, USA*
Excellent with amazing choices of seafood, but parking (back when I went) was nosebleed, even for SF.  Easier to take a cab.

11. Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee, USA*
Best foodmarket in the Central Midwest, by a country mile.  Nothing Chicago does can compare.

12. La Boqueria, Barcelona, Spain
Never been to Barcelona, but if I do, I’ll definitely give this one a shot.

13. Marché Atwater, Montreal, Canada*
Disagree.  Jean Talon is far better than Atwater, although it’s a fur piece outside downtown (but reachable by the metro).  I want to get back there SO badly, because saucisson.

14. Pike Place Market, Seattle, USA*
Nice, but I was unimpressed with the bread offerings (not everyone likes sourdough).

15. Viktualienmarkt, Munich, Germany*
Should be much higher on the list.  Best Bavarian foods ever.  Just the sausage selections alone are worth the trip.  I and the kids must have tried four or five different kinds of wurst, and all were wonderful.  And we won’t talk about the pastries and cheeses… oh and the upstairs doughnut shop sells the best berliners in the world.

16. (tie) Or Tor Kor Market, Bangkok, Thailand / Mathallen Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Never been, unlikely to go to either.

18. Municipal Market of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
See above.  Brazil has never been high on my list.

19. St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Canada
Anything Toronto has, Montreal usually has better, and cheaper.

20. Foodhallen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands*
Another one that should be higher up the list.  From breads to pannekoek to fries to (duh) cheeses, it’s tops.  If I lived nearby, I’d weigh 600lbs.

That’s my 2 cents.  And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the kitchen.

My Favorite Foods Are Gonna Kill Me

Food & Drink, Science!

According to !SCIENCE!, two of my favorite foods are dangerous:

Croissants, baguettes and even breakfast cereals could be exposing millions to a cancer-linked toxic metal, French health chiefs have warned.

A major report has raised alarm over levels of cadmium in everyday foods, with experts saying nearly half of the French population may be consuming ‘concerning’ amounts through their diet alone.

The heavy metal, which is found in fertilizers used in modern farming, can build up in soil and enter staple foods eaten daily by millions.

Scientists say products ranging from bread and pastries to pasta, rice and potatoes are among the biggest sources of exposure, with diet accounting for up to 98 per cent of intake in non-smokers.

The findings, published by France’s food safety agency ANSES, have been described as ‘worrying’, with warnings the risks could grow if no action is taken.

Cadmium has been linked to a range of cancers, including those affecting the pancreas, bladder, prostate and breast. It has also been associated with brittle bones, kidney damage and cardiovascular disease.

Géraldine Carne, an expertise coordinator at the agency, warned that long-term health impacts are likely to increase if exposure is not reduced.

Okay, so it’s not just croissants and baguettes that could be dangerous because of this cadmium stuff, but just about every agricultural product we eat.

So in essence, we’re all gonna DIIIIEEEEE from eating because #CadmiumBadShit.

Phew… for a moment I thought I was going to have to cut down on baguettes and croissants.

Just for the record:  French baguette — as made by my local grocery store, Market Street — is the only bread I eat, except when I’m eating croissants (usually from Kroger or Dunkin Donuts) for Saturday/Sunday brekkie.  I seldom put any other breads in my mouth, unless I’m feeling rich and happen to be close to a Central Market store, in which case I get a Batard loaf.  (I wrote about my love of bread back in 2019, in case anyone’s interested, and very little has changed since then. #SetInMyWays #SurpriseSurprise)

Anyway, that reminds me:  I’m running low on baguette, so if you’ll excuse me…

…I’m going to get some on my way back from the range.

Not Much For The Grunts

Budgets, Military

I read this post at Insty’s place, wherein some people are complaining that the Pentagon is spending money on things like steak, ice cream, donuts and… lobster tails?  Go ahead and read it, because there are some telling points made.

However.

I have no way of checking on this, let alone quantifying it, but I think I’d sell my AK-47 if much (or any) lobster was being served in the enlisted men’s mess halls around the world.  In other words, I’m betting that those pricey lobster tails are being consumed by generals, military contractors and other REMFs, and not by the troops on the ground or at the sharp end.

Just so we’re all clear on my position on this:  I want the boys doing the hard work to eat whatever they want and whatever we can get to them. If that includes steak, ice cream, donuts or fucking lobster tails, then so be it.  But my concern for the diets of the aforementioned brass, leeches and REMFs drops off a cliff when it comes to said items.

To paraphrase some French* queen, let them eat Spam.

*I know, Marie Antoinette was Austrian.  Shuddup.

Roasted Taties

Food & Drink

I know, I know:  “A recipe?  On this website?  Kim, WTF?”

Bear with me.

As always, this year I’m hosting our family Boxing Day dinner, only this time without New Wife to help with the cooking.

This would not be a problem, because I know how to make the meal of roast beef:

However, the one thing I’ve never been able to master is the quintessential companion to rozzbiff:  roast potatoes.

And without New Wife — did I already mention that she’s gone AWOL to some family reunion thing in Cape Town? — I was going to be in trouble because I won’t say my kids are traditionalists, but any substitution of other potato formats (mash etc.) would likely cause taunting, ugly facial expressions and perhaps even a hanging.

So these past few days I’ve been experimenting, bigly, trying out various suggestions and different methodologies until finally, I figured it out.  Here, then, is Uncle Kim’s Roast Potato Recipe:

Use Yukon Gold potatoes only;  just note that large ones will require longer cooking time — I prefer to use the baby ones, myself.

Skin the things, and parboil them for about 15 minutes.  I’ve found that it works better if you drop them in cold water and bring to boil rather than dropping them into already-boiling water.

Now, about that water:  drop a half- to full teaspoon of baking soda into the water first and stir until the stuff has completely mixed in (beware clumps), and then add a teaspoonful of iodized salt.  (There’s a whole thing about alkali water being better for the potatoes to cook in than acidic water, but I don’t want to bore you to tears with the chemistry explanation.)

Remove the potatoes from the boiling water, and allow to cool for just a bit.  Pat dry with a paper towel — this is important, because they need to be completely dry at this point —  then use a fork to lightly scrape the outsides.

Spray the potatoes with some avocado oil, and sprinkle with just a little coarse kosher salt.  Stick the whole lot in a baggie and shake gently.  The salt “roughs up” the surface of the potatoes, which will make them crispy on the outside when cooked.

To cook:  Set the air fryer to 400, or pre-heat the oven to 450.  Cook for no less than 15 minutes — longer if you’re using the large potatoes or doing a large batch of the small ones.

Do not let the potatoes touch each other in the oven:  keep them separated.

Take out of the oven, and allow to sit for a just a few minutes.  Cut them lengthways in half — if for any reason they’re still undercooked in the middle, just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes more. Then serve.

Do not be surprised if these roast potatoes take the place of French fries in your future meals.  You have been warned.

Culinary Discovery

Food & Drink

The Englishman sent me this merry little picture:

Of course, I had no idea what he meant (quite a common feature in our conversations, btw), so when I sought clarification (“WTF are you talking about?”), I got this:

Badger hams, I think they were a regular on the sideboard at Tuckers Grave. Badger are at their best from October to November, being fat and succulent by then.

The flesh can be treated as young pig meat in every respect, it being just as rich and having the flavor of a young pig. It can be cured by salting, the hams being exceptionally good fare. Badger pies are even better than pork pies, hot or cold.

Badger Ham, To Bake
A badger ham will weigh 7 to 8 pounds and needs cooking very carefully. Soak the ham for at least 6 hours in cold water. Wash it after soaking in lukewarm water. Cover it with a rough paste made with 3 pounds of flour and 3 pounds of water; make sure to wrap it well. Bake in a moderate oven, pre-heat to 350 F for 2½ to 3 hours.

Remove the paste and cover with bread raspings whilst still hot, if to be served cold. If to be served hot, serve with broad beans and fresh parsley sauce or cider sauce.

I had no idea that badgers were edible.

Also, I have no idea what he means by “Tuckers Grave” or “bread raspings”.

Two nations divided by a common language, we are.

Okay:  Tucker’s Grave Inn is a pub just outside Bath:

Of course, The Englishman assumes that I would be familiar with all the pubs around his farm — admittedly, not an altogether incorrect assumption — but in fact, I take it as a shortcoming of his hospitality that he’s never taken me there. [making note]

Bread raspings are the equivalent of panko crumbs.