Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

It's good having a decent Italian deli/coffeeshop/restaurant just at the end of the road, somewhere to sit with a pastry or pasta and a well made espresso - and with free wifi.

It took a long time for the restaurant slot in the faux art deco SW15H to fill, and we were worried that being hidden down by the Tube station embankment meant that it would remain empty. But then came Valentina, and we were pleasantly surprised. Great food, great ingredients and nice folk. What had been an empty storefront in a residential building was suddenly bustling and welcoming, and a place to sit on a Saturday lunchtime with a book and a coffee...



Putney, London
July 2010

A rather interesting meme, which shows just how many different things I have eaten over the years. One thing about my job, I get to go to interesting places and have interesting meals with interesting places.



So, to the dining room we go...

1. Venison - A regular on the grill pan.
2. Nettle tea - Not on its own, but as part of spring soup made with cleavers...
3. Huevos rancheros - You can't go wrong ordering this in Cora's Coffee Shop in Santa Monica.
4. Steak tartare - To be honest I wasn't impressed.
5. Crocodile - There's a South African restaurant just around the corner that does crocodile appetisers. Alligator tastes better.
6. Black pudding - The hear of a full Irish (along with white pudding). And I was in Dublin this week...
7. Cheese fondue - Surprisingly part of the canapes selection at a Sony press event yesterday!
8. Carp - As part of a mediaeval banquet in a inn near Seattle.
9. Borscht - Cold, with a dash of sour cream...
10. Baba ghanoush - Ah, the delights of the aubergine...
11. Calamari - When in Spain, you have to have this as part of a tapas spread!
12. Pho - From the San Francisco Mission District.
13. PB&J sandwich - Tried it with the J, prefer the PB...
14. Aloo gobi - That reminds me, I haven't had Indian for a couple of weeks.
15. Hot dog from a street cart - At the end of an evening on George St in St John, Newfoundland. Don't forget the cheese sauce!
16. Epoisses - What's not to like about a good soft French cheese?
17. Black truffle - My favourite take on this had it grated onto steak and eggs at Todd English's Olives in the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Lurgasahall Winery FTW! Their rose and silver birch wines are lovely...
19. Steamed pork buns - A Chinatown regular.
20. Pistachio ice cream - Fine enough on its own, but best as part of cassata. It's the synergy (and the candied fruit peel!).
21. Heirloom tomatoes - Wonderful in the tasting menu at The Green Goddess in New Orleans.
22. Fresh wild berries - An end of summer tradition back on Jersey was the blackberrying trip up to Jardin d'Olivet or Portlet Common.
23. Foie gras - Goose and duck. Goose is smoother, duck more flavourful. For a molecular gastronomy approach, Baume in Palo Alto does a liquid nitrogen foie gras ice cream that's really quite out of this world.
24. Rice and beans - I prefer the Caribbean approach to this over the US southern...
25. Brawn, or head cheese - Arbutus in London does a really good brawn starter.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - I'm not really a chilli pepper fan!
27. Dulce de leche - Oh yes. Oh yes. Even the Hagen Daazs ice cream...
28. Oysters - I prefer them baked to raw.
29. Baklava - Lots of good middle eastern restaurants in London!
30. Bagna cauda - We have a pair of great Italian restaurants here in Putney. And hey, it's Mr Garibaldi's favourite dish...
31. Wasabi peas - Good, but wasabi tempura seaweed is so much better!
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - In San Francisco and on a plane!
33. Salted lassi - Nice enough, but I prefer sweet.
34. Sauerkraut - In Germany... and in many other places.
35. Root beer float - Worth trying at BLT in the Mirage in Las Vegas.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - Cognac and armangac yes, cigar no...
37. Clotted cream tea - There's clotted cream and jam in the fridge right now...
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - A waste of good vodka. And of mediocre jelly...
39. Gumbo - Conference food in New Orleans...
40. Oxtail - My grandmother always served this as part of her cold cut selection.
41. Curried goat - It's a pity that our local Caribbean restaurant closed a few years back. It did a great goat curry as part of its buffet.
42. Whole insects covered in chocolate - I had a chocolate ant once.
43. Phaal - Too hot for me.
44. Goat's milk - Nice in cereal...
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more - I have friends with good taste.
46. Fugu - Sadly illegal in the UK, and I've yet to make it to Japan...
47. Chicken tikka masala - In its home, the Leeds/Bradford conurbation.
48. Eel - One of my favourite bits of sushi! Jellied isn't too bad though...
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - There's a hot light on New Malden!
50. Sea urchin - Tried as sushi once, not really to my taste.
51. Prickly pear - Refreshing on a hot summer's day.
52. Umeboshi - Pickled Japanese plums!
53. Abalone - Both Pacific and Atlantic. I know that I'm biased being vrai Jerri, but I do think the ormer (the Atlantic variant) tastes the best.
54. Paneer - More reminders that I need to order an Indian takeout soon!
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal - You have to slum it every now and then.
56. Spaetzle - In Stuttgart, and in San Jose.
57. Dirty gin martini - Not really a martini man...
58. Beer above 8% ABV - That ale needs to be real.
59. Poutine - Or as they call it in Newfoundland, chips and gravy!
60. Carob chips - I'll stick with real chocolate!
61. S'mores - Disassembled as part of a tasting menu!
62. Sweetbreads - Rocky Mountain Oysters at The Fort in Denver.
63. Kaolin - This is the trick question. Yes, I've eaten apples!
64. Currywurst - Try it in the converted S-bahn carriage at Berlin Tempelhof airport...
65. Durian - From a street market in Hong Kong...
66. Frogs' Legs - In a Parisian bistro near Notre Dame.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - Cafe du Monde in New Orleans for beignets, though you can't really beat a bag of Des Mervelles...
68. Haggis - But not tinned!
69. Fried plantain - Lovely as part of a Brazilian churrascaria de rodízio
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette - in jambalya and in the fondue at Artisan in Paso Robles,
71. Gazpacho - We keep a tin of cherry tomatoes in the fridge ready to make gazpacho at a moment's notice. Still, the white almond Gazpacho at The Green Goddess is the best I've had yet.
72. Caviar and blini – Ah, the high-end press conference canape of choice.
73. Louche absinthe - sadly yet to have this.
74. Gjetost, or brunost - Hasn't everyone been to a Norwegian room party at a SF convention?
75. Roadkill - You've not had roadkill until you've eaten one of tanais's Frankenstein pheasants. Four legs, three wings and six breasts...
76. Baijiu - I've managed to avoid this so far...
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - You have to be joking! This isn't food...
78. Snail - The best were the basil fed snails at The Green Goddess. Have I mentioned eating there enough yet?
79. Lapsang souchong - Oh that smoky tea.
80. Bellini - Both peach and pear. Though it's really only peach. Still, when it comes to champagen cocktails I prefer Kir Royale.
81. Tom yum - Not a big fan, but there you go, we can't like everything. Also my local Thai has gone...
82. Eggs Benedict - Mmm. Cafe Kevah on the Big Sur does a really nice lump crab eggs benedict.
83. Pocky - It's chocolate on a stick!
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - Ah well, can only aim for this one. Two stars is the best I've managed so far.
85. Kobe beef - The kobe hot rock sampler at Sushi Samba in the Plazzo in Las Vegas is really rather good....
86. Hare - A very tasty meat. Had it at Locanda Locatelli in London.
87. Goulash - Mmmm...
88. Flowers - Nasturtiums in salad, rose in tea, and fried courgette flowers. Oh, and of course artichoke.
89. Horse - Pony kebabs while working in Switzerland.
90. Criollo chocolate - Surprisingly good!
91. Spam - I have a mounted tin in the office, from an IT security conference!
92. Soft shell crab - Spider rolls and in ginger sauce from Hong Kong street restaurants
93. Rose harissa - A little on my tagine.
94. Catfish - Another southern favourite, breaded or blackened.
95. Mole poblano - A favourite.
96. Bagel and lox - But I prefer cream cheese...
97. Lobster Thermidor - I've even cooked it.
98. Polenta - In so many different ways.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - Good, but not as good as single estate organic Kona.
100. Snake - Rattlesnake in the US, and soup in Hong Kong.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you've eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

While we were in New Orleans for TechEd, we took a little foodie pilgrimage to The Green Goddess. I've been reading chef Chris DeBarr's blog for several years now (he's chefcdb), where he talks about his philosophy of food, his plans for the restaurant, and what he's currently cooking. Everything I'd read made it seem just the sort of restaurant I'd like: small, informal, with wicked crazy food that celebrates the small producer and the idea of local cuisines.

It had been a hot, humid day in the Crescent City, punctuated by lunch at the famous Mother's canteen and iced coffee and beignets at the Café du Monde when we finally arrived at Exchange Alley. A pedestrian walkway through the heart of the French Quarter, the alley was a cool dark place after the loud brash bustle of Bourbon Street. Tables surrounded by greenery marked the restaurant, and we went in to see if we could get a sitting. We didn't have to wait too long before we were at a table, with the menu and the wine list in front of us, and the only real problem was just what to order - that and to avoid the distraction of the amazingly psychedelic wallpaper on the ceiling!

We decided to have the tasting menu (starting with a strawberry bellini to cool off), and as the establishment's small and intimate, we were walked through each course (and the wine we chose) by the chef himself.



What can I say about the menu that the dish descriptions don't?

The gazpacho was the perfect cooling start, mixing the crunch of the nuts with smooth tomato soup. The bruschetta brought in a taste of summer evenings in a bustling port city, with just a hint of decadence in the aubergine paste - very New Orleans in its Spanish roots. The Creole tang of the pasta was matched by the raw power of the olive oil and the sea tang of the micro-planed lemon zest and fish roe - an awesome dish with a complexity of flavours that belied its simplicity. The fennel campari granita was the perfect palette cleanser, with its mint chocolate syrup adding sweet to the bitters. Then came the snails, tails and tasso - wonderful, delicate escargot with a flavour defined by the snails' basil diet, fresh crawfish and the local ham, all laid on a pile of soft grits. Finally the foie gras stuffed dates, soused in sweet vanilla (marypcb had the absinthe shrimp BLT as an alternate).

We couldn't just finish there, not with the remarkable bar and its stock of excellent liquors looking across the room at us. I let the barman play, and was presented with what he called a "Blindside", a mix of fruit and flower flavours that smoothed out the end of the evening wonderfully...

A fine end to an excellent meal.

The Green Goddess is a place well worth returning to next time we make it to New Orleans. It's eclectic, clever, and above all, wonderfully tasty. As I said to marypcb, after a week of Microsoft it was very hard to keep using that standard piece of Redmond hyperbole with each dish: "Awesome". Well, dear reader, it was.

Lunch today was at Red N Hot, a Szechuan restaurant on the Charing Cross Road. As there were four of us, we decided to go for the buffet style hot pot.

Szechuan hot pots are a cook-at-the-table style meal, where a huge bubbling bowl of soup (in our case two soups in a yin-yang divided bowl, one mild, one hot), is used to cook a tray full of meats and vegetables. Ours came with a huge pile of food: fish, tofu, beef, pork, ham, tripe, various cabbages, prawns, and, yes, spam. Throw them into the soup, and you have an amazing stew that you can modify as you go.

It's a meal that demands good friends, as you discuss what to do next, while you reach over each other, fishing out morsels of food. There's no rush - the table's hot plate keeps the soup roiling, and the staff come by with kettles of stock to make sure you have plenty of liquid for that next piece of food from the waiting tray - and they'll bring more of what ever you ant, if you find you want more than the original generous servings.

We spent a good two or three hours there, just slowly working our way through the various combinations - a friendly feast that really was rather cheap for central London. Not bad at all.

Recommended for anyone who like spicy food...

(We rounded things off with coffee and cakes at Milk Bar, a Kiwi coffee shop around the corner in Soho.)

I had a run through that list of foods that's going around, and there's very little on it that I haven't eaten (and only one thing I wouldn't eat at all - if smoking counts as eating!).

( That Simon, he'll eat most things... )

No natto on the list, though...

Madrid has its very own Museum of Ham.



I knew the Spanish liked their ham, but the Museo del Jamon approaches the Japan's noodly goodness that is the Ramen Museum for sheer foodie obsessiveness. Of course I was left with only one thought: "I wonder if there's a Museum of Bacon somewhere..."

(Spotted from a coach, hence the glare.)

They say Yountville has more Michelin stars per head than any other town in the world. That may be because it's small, but it may also be because Thomas Keller has at least three restaurants in the tiny main street.

The best known is probably The French Laundry, with its 6-month waiting list. Most people will have also heard of Bouchon, his French-style restaurant and bakery. Then there's Ad Hoc. It's a simple place, serving family-style comfort food with a single fixed-price menu. There's one starter, one main course, one cheese, and one dessert. There's also no waiting list, and a good chance you'll get in if you phone for a reservation on the day. It was marypcb's birthday yesterday, and as we were driving towards Napa from the redwoods in the north, we decided to give it a try.

Wow.

It was fried-chicken night, and the menu was built around buttermilk-fried chicken pieces. The meal began with some excellent bread and a walnut, ham, green bean and potato salad, here we savoured every bite. Next came a mound of chicken pieces, covered in a delicious herb batter, and accompanied by macaroni cheese and some of the tastiest spinach I've ever had. We couldn't finish the chicken we had (like most of the people in the restaurant), but boxed up it made a delicious lunch today! The cheese was Promontory, a rather tasty little number served with almonds and strawberry preserve. Finally we rounded off the meal with a warm chocolate brownie with caramel sauce and vanilla cream.

The verdict?

Well worth it! It's not often you get to eat food this good for this little.

Shishito peppers are the ideal dish for Las Vegas. You're presented with a bowl of sweet peppers, sprinkled with writhing bonito flakes. Then the fun begins.

Who gets the hot one?

Most are mild, but every now and then there's one that bites back. It's a burst of several scovilles that shocks the mouth and stirs the tastebuds into action.

It's a gamble with every bite.

Mmmmm...

From BBC News:

Tesco, the UK's dominant supermarket chain, has withdrawn a crisp range after the producer complained that it did not want to be stocked there.

Tyrrells, the Herefordshire-based maker of upmarket crisps, had threatened to sue Tesco for stocking the snacks against its wishes.

I think I know what crisps I'll be buying in the future.