OK, so this is not a food blog, but after shoes and travelling, food and cooking is probably my next biggest 'thing' and can definately be described as a foodie, no doubt! Found this list on a cool foodie blog called Very Good Taste. The list was compiled by the blog's author as his idea of good (and bad) food everyone should try at least once. Thought it worth spreading the idea since its quite a lot of fun.
The instructions and my own personalised list is below (linked items as per VGT to Wikipedia):
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten. (doesn't seem to work so well on here so just putting (Y))
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (I've gone italic as I don't know how to do the cross out bit)
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison (Y)
2. Nettle tea (but have had Nettle cheese)
3. Huevos rancheros (Y)
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (Y)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue (Y)
8. Carp (Y)
9. Borscht (Y)
10. Baba ghanoush (Y)
11. Calamari (Y)
12. Pho (Y)
13. PB&J sandwich (Y)
14. Aloo gobi (Y)
15. Hot dog from a street cart (Y)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle (Y)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (Y)
19. Steamed pork buns (Y)
20. Pistachio ice cream (Y)
21. Heirloom tomatoes (Y)
22. Fresh wild berries (Y)
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans (Y)
25. Brawn, or head cheese (Y)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (Y)
27. Dulce de leche (Y)
28. Oysters (Y)
29. Baklava (Y)
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas (Y)
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (Y)
33. Salted lassi (Y)
34. Sauerkraut (Y)
35. Root beer float (Y)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (Y)
37. Clotted cream tea (Y)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (Y)
39. Gumbo (Y)
40. Oxtail (Y)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk (Y)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (Y)
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala (Y)
48. Eel (Y)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear (Y)
52. Umeboshi (Y)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (Y)
56. Spaetzle (Y)
57. Dirty gin martini (Y)
58. Beer above 8% ABV (Y)
59. Poutine (Y)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst (Y)
65. Durian (Y)
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (Y)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain (Y)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho (Y)
72. Caviar and blini (Y)
73. Louche absinthe (Y)
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu (Y)
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (Y)
78. Snail (Y)
79. Lapsang souchong (Y)
80. Bellini (Y)
81. Tom yum (Y)
82. Eggs Benedict (Y)
83. Pocky (Y)
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash (Y)
88. Flowers (Y)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab (Y)
93. Rose harissa (Y)
94. Catfish (Y)
95. Mole poblano (Y)
96. Bagel and lox (Y)
97. Lobster Thermidor (Y)
98. Polenta (Y)
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee (Y)
100. Snake
80/100 for me - not bad, of course, not meant to be the be all and end all of lists, but interesting nonetheless!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Weekends away
Highly highly highly recommended. Do at least one weekend away every two months (or every month if you can swing it). Take a drive, an hour, two or three away from where you live into open country and allow your mind to take in and adjust to the shift that occurs when suddenly your eyes can see further than just your PC screen. It really is worth it.
I have been pretty good at the regular weekend away - self-catering so that I can indulge in my other form of therapy, cooking (and more recently baking but more about that another time). Just a few notes for the weekend self-catering packing list:
1) Make breakfast easy and healthy, bacon and eggs may be weekend breakfast food, but you're like to indulge all day, so rather opt for meusli, yohurt and fruit. a) much healthier and you're likely to have more energy to enjoy the rest of your day and b) much less cutlery and crockery which means you'll only need to wash up once a day.
2) Pack pinic type food for luch: salads, cold meats, cheese, crisps, fruit, cupcakes, etc. Pack this into the car (in a cooler bag/box) when you leave to go exploring in the morning, if you decide to stop in a little town and have lunch there, fine, but if you happen to find a magnificant vista you have everything there ready for an impromtu picnic with a priceless view. Don't forget to pack water and a blanket.
3) Dinner is your call, if like me, making food is therapeutic for you, indulge at dinner (keeping in mind that you have limited equipment at your disposal) or opt for a dinner at an interesting restaurant you saw during the day.
The bf and I just got back from a magical weekend, despite the disappointment in the accommodation we booked (also won't go into that now since the booking agent still has a chance to make up for it), the sights around the area in Mpumalanga (a province in northern South Africa) were just breathtaking. Perhaps because of the disappointing accommodation, we made sure we were out early and back after sunset, which resulted in ensuring that we enjoyed the full magnificance of the views on offer. We were in an area referred to as the Panorama route which truly lives up to its name. I knew we were on track when we passed by a giant shoe proclaming 'Shoe caves' close to the Echo caves in the area! Towns in the area include Graskop, Sabie, Pilgrim's Rest and Hazyview if you're looking for something to Google. The Kruger National Park (SA's biggest - or at least one of the biggest - nature reserve and a home for the big 5, no, not Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Versace!) is also quite close by although you will need more than a weekend to explore everything the area has to offer.
I have been pretty good at the regular weekend away - self-catering so that I can indulge in my other form of therapy, cooking (and more recently baking but more about that another time). Just a few notes for the weekend self-catering packing list:
1) Make breakfast easy and healthy, bacon and eggs may be weekend breakfast food, but you're like to indulge all day, so rather opt for meusli, yohurt and fruit. a) much healthier and you're likely to have more energy to enjoy the rest of your day and b) much less cutlery and crockery which means you'll only need to wash up once a day.
2) Pack pinic type food for luch: salads, cold meats, cheese, crisps, fruit, cupcakes, etc. Pack this into the car (in a cooler bag/box) when you leave to go exploring in the morning, if you decide to stop in a little town and have lunch there, fine, but if you happen to find a magnificant vista you have everything there ready for an impromtu picnic with a priceless view. Don't forget to pack water and a blanket.
3) Dinner is your call, if like me, making food is therapeutic for you, indulge at dinner (keeping in mind that you have limited equipment at your disposal) or opt for a dinner at an interesting restaurant you saw during the day.
The bf and I just got back from a magical weekend, despite the disappointment in the accommodation we booked (also won't go into that now since the booking agent still has a chance to make up for it), the sights around the area in Mpumalanga (a province in northern South Africa) were just breathtaking. Perhaps because of the disappointing accommodation, we made sure we were out early and back after sunset, which resulted in ensuring that we enjoyed the full magnificance of the views on offer. We were in an area referred to as the Panorama route which truly lives up to its name. I knew we were on track when we passed by a giant shoe proclaming 'Shoe caves' close to the Echo caves in the area! Towns in the area include Graskop, Sabie, Pilgrim's Rest and Hazyview if you're looking for something to Google. The Kruger National Park (SA's biggest - or at least one of the biggest - nature reserve and a home for the big 5, no, not Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Versace!) is also quite close by although you will need more than a weekend to explore everything the area has to offer.
We stayed close to the Blyde River Canyon, a huge nature reserve that stretches as far as the eye can see and then some. I'm including links to some random websites for those interested but will leave you with a pic of this place so you don't miss out...
The area also has a number of very pretty waterfalls on view as well as picnic areas where you can indulge in the views of the hills, rivers and water pools around. Despite opting for a restful, relaxing weekend, we managed to hike up a couple of pretty steep rocks just to soak up more of the green and blue spectacles but eventually got smart and opted for a horse ride to access some of the more remote areas which cannot be reached by car.
Having had a stress immunising shot of nature, for good measure we visited the Sudwala caves on the drive back home, apparently the oldest known caves in the world and pretty impressive with massive stalagtites and -mites still growing patiently through the ages. What perspective this gives! Do wear shoes that can stand up to a hike and good at clinging to rocks etc. as this is one type of holiday where a pretty pair of pumps will not only make you look a little silly but keep you from taking priceless mental pictures.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Re-inventing the heel
I have been bad. Radio silence for too long, but I have been revelling in shoe zen. Having found myself stressed and burnt out after too much hassle and too little me-time, I rediscovered the beauty that can be found in the switching-off-of-mind fashion magazines that abound. What wonderful mental popcorn, these colourful images containing trappings of luxury that I could never hope to afford (on the kind of regular basis that I covet). (but isn't that what knock-offs are for?)[who said that?! knock-offs ruin the stability of the industry! What are you saying??]
Perhaps my mental state is slightly more fragile than I had anticipated. (erm....anyway)
In the autumn/winter collections of the masters of the art of fashion (yes, I know the season's pretty much over, but the shoes are still pretty), this year's shoes had the most wonderfully inventive designs ever. Now I don't know if this has all been done before (only having consciously lived in this century), but suddenly everyone is re-inventing the heel, yes, actually. Why have they never thought of this before? I have no idea! It all started during the winter of last year when Prada (at least I think it was Prada) brought to market the lovely spray painted type colouring and slightly more chunky heel than we had seen before. You will now see this gentle shading effect on everything, from blouses to handbags and yes, knock-off shoes. But something was awakened and this season was a feast of architectural wonders. Feast your eyes...
Charlotte Olympia
Jil Sander
Louis Vuitton
Mui Mui
Stella McCartney
Another Stella
YSL
aaaah....
Perhaps my mental state is slightly more fragile than I had anticipated. (erm....anyway)
In the autumn/winter collections of the masters of the art of fashion (yes, I know the season's pretty much over, but the shoes are still pretty), this year's shoes had the most wonderfully inventive designs ever. Now I don't know if this has all been done before (only having consciously lived in this century), but suddenly everyone is re-inventing the heel, yes, actually. Why have they never thought of this before? I have no idea! It all started during the winter of last year when Prada (at least I think it was Prada) brought to market the lovely spray painted type colouring and slightly more chunky heel than we had seen before. You will now see this gentle shading effect on everything, from blouses to handbags and yes, knock-off shoes. But something was awakened and this season was a feast of architectural wonders. Feast your eyes...
Charlotte Olympia
Jil Sander
Louis Vuitton
Mui Mui
Stella McCartney
Another Stella
YSL
aaaah....
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