Nose to Tail Rudeness
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(11/09/2006) by ()

You would think that if you were asked to a luncheon where the guest of honour was a well known restaurant identity that you would bring your manners. Not so at the recent Melbourne lunch where guest of honour was the inimitable Fergus Henderson, chef and author of Nose to Tail Eating. Noticed a little Melbourne cheffette sidle up to poor Fergus (who was pinned to his chair by adoring fans) asking could she do work experience with him. Tut tut ….there is a time and place for such things. Fergus's business manager Trevor Gulliver was watching warily from afar and was heard muttering that these things happen but rarely do they really happen. And rightly so. Poor form Melbourne. What happened to discretion?

Frivolous Food Guides
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(12/09/2005) by ()

The Age Good (?) Food Guide is seriously flawed by admissions and
ommissions.
What are the credentials of reviewers? And should a responsible guide have well-known faces reporting on well-known restaurants? Should friends of restaurant owners be allowed to record their (biased?) opinion? What about the rule of 'arms length'? To remove a hat from Abla, Fenix and others demonstrates not only meaness but something more serious - a lack of knowledge, appreciation of contribution and consistency by one cook over 30 years in one case (and what a joke that on the day the Guide was launched, the Age ran a long review of Abla's saying it's the best it has ever been!! Where was the editor? ) and to demolish the creative energies of Raymond Capaldi and team with the stroke of a pen (or bad taste in the mouth) - doesn't give credibility to such a publication.

Don't ever get a dodgy tummy in Iceland - there are no trees!
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(12/09/2005) by (Kristin from London)

The only tour I pre-booked on my trip to Iceland was the Lobster Feast and Northern Lights because it sounded so great we didn't want to miss it.
It was a typical Icelandic experience and lots of fun. The small sweet lobsters, caught locally, came in a huge pot which we dug into and then pulled apart with glee.
After dinner we were driven in our 'superjeep' along the black sand beach in moonlight before going on our hunt for the Northern Lights. No luck unfortunately but a lovely evening nonetheless.
Next day in the middle of our 10 day trip, again in a super jeep, suddenly felt very unwell and - was very unwell. I cannot be sure it was the lobsters but they are the main suspects.
Miraculously I then managed to time every need for pirvacy with the
occasional visitor centre or petrol station which was a huge relief as
there are absolutely NO trees or large rocks in Iceland!

London Pub Sunday Roast Lunches
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(12/09/2005) by (Kristin from London)

A traditonal Sunday roast in a London pub is something everyone should do at least once when they visit the city. Not only are they cheap (well, by London standards) but you can also step back in time in one of London's many famous old pubs at the same time.
Two of my favourites are the Pospect of Whitby in Wapping and the White Cross in Richmond. Both have great views over the river in very different parts of the city and each offer a good basic sunday roast and range of delicious comfort foods such as rhubarb or apple crumbl

Putrefied Shark - a delicacy
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(12/09/2005) by (Kristin from London)

Well, apparently it is in Iceland, though I didn't meet a single Icelander who had a good thing to say about it!
My close encounter with putrefied shark happened after crossing a huge lava field, famous for the Berserker brothers who went mad there, hence the word Berserk. We drove off the main track down a tiny trail and found ourselves at a fisherman's hut where the smell truly had to be smelt to be believed. it was the most rotten ghastly fishy smell imaginable. The fisherman and his 2 assistants came out to say hello to our driver, but we didn't hang around, even the smell, some 50 yards from the hut, was too much to take. That was the closest we came!
What I don't understand is why it is considered a delicacy when I couldn't find a single person who liked it or ate it. Who eats the stuff??? Who decided it was a delicacy???