Things that interest me...
... are plentiful, but over the years I have come to realise that a true passion of mine is food.
Now for those who know me, you may wrinkle your nose and point out that this has always been the case. However, I now realise that I am more discerning and picky with my food, and its now definitely more a case of quality rather than quantity, although sometimes I wouldn't say no to the quantity.
Having been in Switzerland for nearly 5 months now (and plenty of trips into France), I miss Asian and Oriental food. Given that the UN is a feature of this city with good representations from all countries, I am surprised at the generally piss poor execution of the food at Chinese and Japanese establishments here. Okay, I'm not asking for Nobu or Hakkasan quality food in every outlet, but for a decent price I would seriously give an arm and perhaps even a leg for some proper fried rice and a good bit of roast duck that is still moist and juicy, and not roasted until dry as jerky before attempting to rehydrate it in oyster and ginger flavoured sauce a la confit. Even sushi: I'd give up part of my Japanese heritage and maybe even the entire drinks cabinet for a good bit of chicken katsu and some well made sushi. All for a decent price. Its not even for want for lack of ingredients since it is all available; it is not that I crave the Anglosized versions of these cuisines; it is just bad execution at very high prices (a portion of crap fried rice is about $20, or £10, and the portions are 3/5 of a normal takeaway box).
The problem is probably down to have been spoilt. While London is not a fun place should one find that their budget is enough to cover 2 rolls of toilet paper and a packet of fags until the end of the month, it is by no means a difficult place to find some decently priced, fantastic cuisine, albeit attainable with a bit of patience and some travel. For example, the good value dim sum in Chinatown, the gaggle of Vietnamese places out of Shoreditch, the place at the end of Brick Lane next to the Royal London Hospital, the Royal Oak pub in Borough, the slap up breakfast outside the Porchester Baths, the fantastic kebab in Little Iraq on the Edgware Road. These are things that make me miss London when Other Half and I contemplate another pizza or pasta dish when we are late home and too tired to cook.
Anyway, back to the point about my interest in food.
Since the selections for cuisine here are somewhat limited, I have decided to experiment more at home with various cooking techniques and cuisines. While I've always been reasonably good at executing dishes, they've always been rather same-y. Roasts, pasta sauces, stir fries and curries are my main forte. While the ingredients change and the flavours vary, its pretty much the same thing on rotation.
That decision has mainly been influenced by the fact that OH and I now have our own place and not a lot else to do in the evenings. While not huge in its layout, the kitchen has the virtue of being a more-or-less separate unit from the rest of the apartment. Coupled with the fact that its just the both of us, I have commandeered the spatula and the sink, and love wielding my chopping knives without fear of decapitating OH (he can be found on the sofa on the laptop or watching current affairs) or someone barging in demanding to know when I'd be done using the oven. It is a wonderful feeling, being the Head Chef in your own kitchen, even if it is only in churning out experimental dishes which OH acts as guinea pig and makes suitable noises of appreciation or otherwise. Also, I'm starting to collect bits of kitchen paraphernalia which I've always thought quite bourgoise in having, but now I own it I tend to use it lots (although so far its only the coctail shaker and the walnut citrus juicer).
So, as soon as I find my camera cable which seems to have disappeared in the move, I shall start posting random pictures of meals I have prepared. I might even take a leaf out of Parshan Warsi's book (she who owns the Indian takeaway empire in the UK and supplies supermarkets with their own brand ready meals) and start a sideline in making spring rolls to sell through the local supermarket.
As soon as I finish up on this economics section on supply and demand...
Now for those who know me, you may wrinkle your nose and point out that this has always been the case. However, I now realise that I am more discerning and picky with my food, and its now definitely more a case of quality rather than quantity, although sometimes I wouldn't say no to the quantity.
Having been in Switzerland for nearly 5 months now (and plenty of trips into France), I miss Asian and Oriental food. Given that the UN is a feature of this city with good representations from all countries, I am surprised at the generally piss poor execution of the food at Chinese and Japanese establishments here. Okay, I'm not asking for Nobu or Hakkasan quality food in every outlet, but for a decent price I would seriously give an arm and perhaps even a leg for some proper fried rice and a good bit of roast duck that is still moist and juicy, and not roasted until dry as jerky before attempting to rehydrate it in oyster and ginger flavoured sauce a la confit. Even sushi: I'd give up part of my Japanese heritage and maybe even the entire drinks cabinet for a good bit of chicken katsu and some well made sushi. All for a decent price. Its not even for want for lack of ingredients since it is all available; it is not that I crave the Anglosized versions of these cuisines; it is just bad execution at very high prices (a portion of crap fried rice is about $20, or £10, and the portions are 3/5 of a normal takeaway box).
The problem is probably down to have been spoilt. While London is not a fun place should one find that their budget is enough to cover 2 rolls of toilet paper and a packet of fags until the end of the month, it is by no means a difficult place to find some decently priced, fantastic cuisine, albeit attainable with a bit of patience and some travel. For example, the good value dim sum in Chinatown, the gaggle of Vietnamese places out of Shoreditch, the place at the end of Brick Lane next to the Royal London Hospital, the Royal Oak pub in Borough, the slap up breakfast outside the Porchester Baths, the fantastic kebab in Little Iraq on the Edgware Road. These are things that make me miss London when Other Half and I contemplate another pizza or pasta dish when we are late home and too tired to cook.
Anyway, back to the point about my interest in food.
Since the selections for cuisine here are somewhat limited, I have decided to experiment more at home with various cooking techniques and cuisines. While I've always been reasonably good at executing dishes, they've always been rather same-y. Roasts, pasta sauces, stir fries and curries are my main forte. While the ingredients change and the flavours vary, its pretty much the same thing on rotation.
That decision has mainly been influenced by the fact that OH and I now have our own place and not a lot else to do in the evenings. While not huge in its layout, the kitchen has the virtue of being a more-or-less separate unit from the rest of the apartment. Coupled with the fact that its just the both of us, I have commandeered the spatula and the sink, and love wielding my chopping knives without fear of decapitating OH (he can be found on the sofa on the laptop or watching current affairs) or someone barging in demanding to know when I'd be done using the oven. It is a wonderful feeling, being the Head Chef in your own kitchen, even if it is only in churning out experimental dishes which OH acts as guinea pig and makes suitable noises of appreciation or otherwise. Also, I'm starting to collect bits of kitchen paraphernalia which I've always thought quite bourgoise in having, but now I own it I tend to use it lots (although so far its only the coctail shaker and the walnut citrus juicer).
So, as soon as I find my camera cable which seems to have disappeared in the move, I shall start posting random pictures of meals I have prepared. I might even take a leaf out of Parshan Warsi's book (she who owns the Indian takeaway empire in the UK and supplies supermarkets with their own brand ready meals) and start a sideline in making spring rolls to sell through the local supermarket.
As soon as I finish up on this economics section on supply and demand...
posted by Marmoset at
3:54 pm
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