Nespresso Is The Apple Of Coffee
Not my statement, but something that was hinted at in an article in The Times.
I don’t drink much coffee and I always wondered about Nespresso, with its expensive advertising. If it was that good, why don’t I see more machines in peoples’ houses.
It looks like they’ve got a marketing philosophy based on a cheap machine and expensively-packaged coffee.
I tend to avoid machines in the kitchen, as you have to wash them up and except for my cooker, microwave and fridge, I only use three pieces of electrical equipment; a kettle, a toaster and a Kenwood chopper, which was heavily promoted by Delia. I do have a dishwasher, but I don’t use it, as it was wrecked by the tenants, who lived here before I bought the house. It just doesn’t get anything clean, whereas my Mark One hand and a gammy one, perform the task well.
So when I see that Nespresso, a subsidiary of Nestle are involved in a legal spat with Mondelez, who in my book are still called Kraft, as I do here on Reuters, I know that there can only be one winner, the lawyers. And the poor old consumer will pay for it all in higher prices. So Nespresso is a product to avoid!
Incidentally, both companies are on my avoid lists, as they don’t in my book publish full and detailed information on gluten about their products. I also don’t like Nestle’s stand on powdered milk for babies and who would buy anything from the company that made its name with sliced cheese. Other companies in my avoid group are Mars and in fact any company, where you can’t find the gluten-free information easily on their web site, or if you’re in the shop, on the packaging.
Will It Be Kangaroo Or Lamb Pie Tonight?
With Australia and New Zealand playing today in the cricket, the question has to be asked!
With Australia at two for twelve, it looks like it’s veering t0wards kangaroo.
But because I have one in the fridge, it will actually be shepherd’s made from beef.
How To Celebrate Australian Defeat By England
Last night, I made a couple of my shepherd’s pies.
Last Night’s Shepherd’s Pie
One was for last night and the other was to be saved for later. Although, as I have had a slight problem with the fridge, I suspect it’ll go in the freezer. I dropped a knife yesterday and it slid under the fridge. In getting it out of its hole under the work-top, I must have pulled the cable out, so of course it stopped working. As all my milk went solid, I’m not in the best mood today, having had to drink black tea.
I had a thought yesterday, as I was making the pies. Would one work with kangaroo mince, to celebrate a victory over the old enemy?
My rudimentary cooking skills say it would and from time in Australia, I know that kangaroos are good eating. So I used that great cooking utensil, Google, to look for a supplier.
The first I found was Macken Brothers in Chiswick. They have a selection of exotic meats and confirmed they can do kangaroo mince.
I also searched further and found Kezie Foods in Scotland, which has a wide selection of kangaroo meat. According to that page, kangaroo meat is very good for your heart.
I’ll definitely cook something in the next month or so.
A Restaurant I Won’t Visit
As they seem to encourage smoking dollies to parade outside, I don’t think I’ll visit this restaurant.
A Restaurant I Won’t Visit
She put me off so much, I didn’t even look at the menu, but just walked by out of the smoke.
A Gluten-Free Beer Created Accidentally
I went to the Allergy Show at Olympia today and came across a beer called Crop Circle from the Hop Back Brewery. They say this on the web site about the beer.
Crop Circle is a very clean flaxen coloured beer with wonderful thirst quenching properties. The Subtle blend of aroma and bittering hops gives a crispness on the tongue which is delicately fruity, giving way to some dryness
Crop Circle has always been Gluten Free – we have however only recently had it tested and certified and believe it is the first main stream beer to be awarded the Cross Grain accreditation.
It is a real beer and not a lager, but it was really to my taste and I shall be buying at least a few bottles. For scientific and research purposes of course!
The interesting thing, is that I once spoke to the head brewer of a famous real ale brewery. He thought that although his beers were not gluten-free, because of the method of production, they might be very low in gluten. I’ve drunk the odd bottle of his brewery’s beer and I didn’t have any reactions. But then I’m not a serious coeliac!
Can Food Help Us Cope With Grief?
This article on the BBC web site, asks the question, posed in the title of this post.
Cooking and food has certainly helped me, in that when my late wife died, it was either learn to cook, eat out every night or starve.
So as I already had the basic skills from my mother’s training, I chose the first and now find that I can cook pretty well. Or at least those who have eaten one of my meals, haven’t complained! Or gone to A & E!
The article also has some links to some nice meals, I might try, like this cottage pie.
The Northgate Is Now The De Beauvoir Arms
One of my local pubs, that I use occasionally is the Northgate on Southgate Road on the Islington/Hackney border.
It reopened yesterday after a change of ownership and a refit as the De Beauvoir Arms.
I have just returned from having a drink there.
As a coeliac, I don’t drink beer, but the Stowfold Press cider on offer was excellent. I do prefer Aspall, but then you can take the man out of Suffolk, but you can’t take Suffolk out of the man.
I shall go and have a meal there soon, to check out the food.
Zoo Lates At London Zoo
These Friday evening, adults-only visits to London Zoo are one of the highlights of the summer. I went with my son and his partner and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
It wasn’t as crowded as when I went two years ago, but the event was sold out.
One of the highlights of the evening is the food and London Zoo showed how to do mass catering at an event. There were food stalls for every possible taste and I had a Pimms and a very nice and very authentic curry, from a stall, manned by probably a Bangladeshi family.
I have never understood, why outside say football grounds and other events, you don’t see stalls selling proper curries. All you seem to get is tired gluten-rich food, based on burgers and soggy chips. Mother, who was serving the curry, assured me that their food was gluten-free and I haven’t had any adverse reaction.
The Dubai Vodka Set
I bet the sheikhs in Dubai like this story.
It shows what a liberal bunch they are to allow such excess and drinking of vodka.
The writer, Paul Moss, didn’t describe those that invited him to dinner, but various obvious images come to mind.
I went to Dubai once, and there was little of the historic Dubai to visit. The best bit was the ferries or abras across Dubai Creek.
Wetherspoons To Open A Pub On The M40
It looks like Wetherspoons will be opening a pub on the M40 according to reports like this one from the BBC.
I have no view on whether it would increase drink-driving, but surely it would be just as easy to drink in a pub just off the motorway, than one in a service area.
But what I would like to see is better rail interchanges on motorways! Very few railway stations are close to motorways with large amounts of parking. Personally, I’m not too badly affected, as I don’t drive, but sometimes when I want to meet someone driving along the motorway, finding a suitable station is difficult.
The Anonymous Widower 