How To Cut Strokes
I like to think, I’m more or less following what is said in this story. Here’s an extract.
Increasing potassium in our diets as well as cutting down on salt will reduce blood pressure levels and the risk of stroke, research in the British Medical Journal suggests.
One study review found that eating an extra two to three servings of fruit or vegetables per day – which are high in potassium – was beneficial.
Funnily enough though, I’ve never really liked salt on my food. Perhaps, it was because my late mother-in-law used it so liberally, but I think the preference goes back further than that.
In some ways though, the older I get, the more I believe that a gluten-free diet is good for you. I suppose Novak Djokovitch would agree!
The Awareness Of Coeliac Disease
According to the Restaurant Manager, there were twenty-four people on a gluten-free diet out of a total of 1,800 passengers.
But what surprised me was the number of passengers, who on seeing my bread or asking, why I declined a roll and hearing the answer, said that they knew of a coeliac or had one in the family.
Without doubt, the awareness of coeliac disease is increasing and this can only be a good thing!
Lisbon’s Metro
Lisbon’s Metro is modern, fairly extensive and impressive.
I used it several times and especially after I found there was a station by the Cruise Terminal.
One thing to note is that there is a very large El Cortes Ingles built on top of the São Sebastião Metro station, which is on the line that goes to the Cruise Terminal. The shop had a massive food department, so I suspect, it had a selection of gluten-free food.
Chocolates On Oriana
I’m always wary of the chocolates, that hotels and indeed cruise ships, put on your bed at night.
Chocolates On Oriana
This one was from Whittakers Chocolates and the excellent Restaurant Manager certified they were gluten-free. I had no trouble with them, although there was another sort, I didn’t sample.
My caution stems from a night a few years ago, in a five star hotel in Spain, where the chocolate had a biscuit inside. Luckily my late wife, C, was acting as food taster and after eating her chocolate, quickly ate mine as well.
Gluten Free Food On The Oriana
I had been a bit worried about getting gluten-free food on the cruise. But to be fair, the food was generally good to excellent and I certainly didn’t have any problems.
I should say that although, I’m a properly diagnosed coeliac, I think that if I was to eat a couple of slices of regular bread, it wouldn’t do me that much harm. Not that I’m going to try. But I’m definitely not supersensitive!
According to the restaurant manager of the 1,800 or so on the ship, twenty-four were on a gluten-free diet. This number probably gave us all a bit of safety, as if it was typical for a cruise, they would be getting quite a bit of practice in dealing with those needing a gluten-free diet. And as they say, practice makes perfect.
Initially, at dinner, they wanted me to choose my meal the day before. I wasn’t having any of that, as I like to stick to a balanced diet and how would I know, what I would eat at breakfast and lunch, so that I could properly choose the dinner.
I had seen the menu and noted that there were three starters, two soups and six or more main courses. So I felt that there must be something I could eat, perhaps by removing one element if required. The only day I was in trouble, was when most of the main courses had a small problem or I didn’t like them and I was left with just Norfolk turkey. As an Ipswich Town supporter, you don’t eat oversized budgies from our Northern neighbours.
So I swallowed my prejudices and had a very nice turkey and vegetables without the stuffing.
One thing that surprised me about the food at dinner was the variety. As an example, I was surprised to see tuna steak on the menu.
Tuna Steak For Dinner
And very nice it was too!
I should also note these points about the dinner.
1. The staff were very knowledgeable and one told me, that they used flour in the cream soups, so he said stick to the clear ones, of which there was usually one.
2. Many of the main courses were meat and vegetables and you could generally have them plain.
3. I didn’t really look at the vegetarian options, as they weren’t for me.
4. I had gluten free bread every night and it was served separately.
5. I didn’t have puddings, except for ice cream, which was delicious and someone thought it was made on the ship. In one instance the ice cream came with a biscuit and the waiter took it back immediately he put it down and then got me another. And it was another and not just the original with the biscuit removed! We’ve all had that in restaurants, haven’t we?
The real problem about dinner was the company on the first night, who were a couple who didn’t speak to me or each other for that matter! After that experience, I was moved.
Breakfast wasn’t a problem at all, with many things I could eat. There was gluten free toast, which was quite nice and as it was very similar in taste to that in the Hope Street Hotel, I suspect they made it themselves from some sort of standard mix or recipe.
A Typical Breakfast
Towards the end of the cruise, I’d settled down to a breakfast like the one shown, which I ate in the buffet restaurant, with good views of the sea. The toast hadn’t arrived, if you’re wondering, why I have marmalade and no toast.
The bacon wasn’t the usual mass catering rubbish, with a lot of fat, but lean and tasty. I sometimes had an egg, but I find that too many are not good for me, so I usually limit myself to three a week. The beans incidentally were Heinz, as I heard someone ask!
If I have a small problem in the buffet restaurant, it’s that the labelling could be better. For instance, the beans could have been labelled Heinz, which many and not just those on a gluten-free diet would find comforting. With better labelling, staff wouldn’t probably have to answer the same questions over and over again.
I usually had salad for lunch, if I actually needed to eat and they were very acceptable. Again, in some instances the labelling could have been better, as sometimes they mixed up a few vegetables and ham to create special salads.
If there was a problem, it was in the lack of gluten free cakes and biscuits. There were some, but they weren’t to my taste, as they had coconut in them and that’s something I can’t abide. So I would recommend that you take a few of your own. I did! But I didn’t take enough!
Another problem, was that I think I might have put on a kilo or so!
Cod Fish And Raisin Pie
Our excellemt guide in Corunna mentioned that this was a meal she liked.
It sounded good to me, so I just had to look it up. I found a non-gluten-free version here.
This recipe isn’t gluten-free, but I suspect it could easily be made so.
The Oldest Parador In Spain
The parador by the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela is the oldest parador in Spain.
Part of our tour included coffee, tea and cakes in the hotel. Our tour guide even rustled up a delicious gluten-free muffin for myself. It was labelled sin gluten, with a crossed grain symbol, so coeliacs won’t have difficulty with the language. In fact my Italian pronunciation of celiachai worked well enough in Spain, as the words are similar sounding.
Before we had our snack, I had actually retreated into the hotel to get a coffee because of the cold, which cost me the princely sum of €2.50.
Local Food At Santiago de Compostela
There was a cafe by the bus station and they did give us tastes of the local food.
The almond biscuits, which are from that area of Spain were delicious and gluten-free. I’ve never seen them before, but why are they not in gluten-free selections in shops and on-line?
Gluten Free Drinks At Waitrose In Canary Wharf
I was surprised that there was no gluten-free beer at Waitrose in Canary Wharf, but there was a new variety of Aspall’s cyder, I’d not seen before called Lady Jennifer
Have The Sale Of Eggs Benedict Declined With The Change Of Pope?
I often have Eggs Benedict for brunch on Sunday, as I did today. Hence my question!
Wikipedia gives a couple of explanations for the name of the dish. I like this one.
In the early eighteenth century Pope Benedict XIII was so fond of a particular egg dish, that he requested it very often. It is also believed that Benedict XIII had an illness which contributed to his desire for the egg dish.
I seem to be a bit addicted to eggs and always have been.
The Anonymous Widower 