Who’d Want To Live In Chelsea?
I wanted to go to a shop called Mr.Resistor in Parson’s Green. Hopefully, they’d be able to provide me with lights that solved my lighting problems. Sadly the light that might have solved the problem was out of stock, so I decided to come home. I had gone by taking a bus to Liverpool Street station, then the Central line to Notting Hill station for the District line to my destination, which was close to Parson’s Green station. The problem had been the bus, as all of the traffic in the City was gridlocked. Possibly because of the Crossrail works.
So instead of retracing my steps, I thought about getting a bus to perhaps South Kensington, where I could get some lunch at Carluccio’s. I really don’t like taking pot luck in an area I don’t know, as getting glutened isn’t fun! I did find a bus stop, with a choice of just one bus; a 22 to Piccadilly Circus. At least it was going in the right direction, but then it got stuck in traffic, due to all the tractors and white vans. Kingsland High Street may not have the glamour of the King’s Road, but at least the traffic keeps moving. In the end, I dived into the Piccadilly line at Knightsbridge station and took a train to Holborn, where I got a friendly 38 bus to the Angel. I just had time to grab my supper and some sandwiches from Marks and Spencer before I had to come home to catch an appointment.
Chelsea may have advantages, but I certainly didn’t see any today. Get past Piccadilly Circus and the traffic frees up, you’ve got the Underground and lots more bus routes. But then I suppose those in Chelsea and the surrounding areas of London don’t believe in public transport and clog up the roads with their tractors. It’s significant to me, that Kensington and Chelsea is one of the London boroughs in greatest opposition to the new London sewer. Could it be that the councillors are getting so many complaints about where to park during the construction?
On the other hand, this trip showed how Crossrail 2 or the Chelsea to Hackney line is badly needed. But do the residents of Chelsea want it constructed given the problems Crossrail is causing in the City. Parson’s Green station is incidentally pencilled in, as a station on the new line.
Next time, I go that way, I’ll take the Overground to West Brompton station and then change to the District line.
Why Can’t I Shop In One Store?
Sainsburys and Waitrose are side-by-side at the Angel, but as the picture shows, I have to shop in both.
Why Can’t I Shop In One Store?
This Waitrose doesn’t sell any decent gluten-free bread, whereas their store a mile or so at Highbury Corner does. So before going to Waitrose, I had to get the bread from Sainsburys.
A Problem For A Jewish Coeliac
Now I’m not Jewish, although I’m suspicious that my coeliac disease comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish line from my great-great-great-grandfather who came over to work in the fur-trade at the start of the nineteenth century.
I do like to have eggs for breakfast and if I cook them at home, I will generally have them with beans and bacon. Today, though, I was on the way to IKEA via the Angel, so I popped into Carluccio’s. Usually, in such a situation, I have eggs florentine with a portion of pancetta. The pancetta is a great way to mop up the sauce and the yolk from the poached eggs.
I suppose if you are Jewish, you could accept the offer of Scottish gluten-free oatcakes. The oatcakes are fine, but they are a bit hearty for breakfast.
A Superb Gluten Free Meal At Kings Cross
I popped into Kings Cross station and had a superb gluten-free meal at Leon.
As you can see the surroundings weren’t bad either for the sit down part of a fast food restaurant. It made your average burger joint look exceedingly plastic, tacky and in the worst possible taste from across the pond.
To cap it all, the Catalan Salad and White Bean Stew with a Fresh Lemonade was just £8.55.
Cracking The Code
This story from the BBC’s web site shows how rapid DNA sequencing has been used to crack an MRSA outbreak.
It also shows how fast it will be in future to sequence DNA. This could lead to all sorts of new treatments for illnesses like cancer.
We should be hailing the scientists who did this! But others will say it’s wrong to mess with DNA.
As someone with a minor genetic disease, I hope we see more successes in the next few years.
On the other hand, if someone said to me, we could cure your coeliac disease, by giving you a gene change, I’d say no!
Poached Smoked Haddock With Poached Eggs
After my experience at the Hope Street Hotel in Liverpool, I thought I’d try to do this myself. I asked an honourable friend how to poach the fish and she suggested using the microwave. I then found this method on Yahoo.
If you don’t want to spend ages with the other recipes just put it in a shallow dish with a little milk and water (equal amounts) and a knob of butter on top then whack it into the microwave for three/mins full power.
Here’s what it looked like before it went in the microwave.
Smoked Haddock Before Cooking
And here it is after the cooking.
Smoked Haddock After Cooking
To poach the eggs, I used these mini-poachers from John Lewis.
Mini-Poachers From John Lewis
Here they are sitting in the pan.
Two Eggs Poaching
They can either sit or hang on the side. The eggs didn’t turn out of the poachers too well.
Poached Smoked Haddock and Poached Eggs
But they tasted alright and I suspect I’ll get them better next time.
By the way it looks like John Lewis is out of the mini egg poachers. Perhaps a lot of mothers are going to get them for Christmas. After all they only cost four pounds each.
A Disappointing Starbucks
After Pudding Mill Lane I went to Eastfield to do a bit of shopping in the Marks and Spencer there. I successfully bought the jumper I wanted and some food for tonight.
However, I was not able to buy any coffee.
A Disappointing Starbucks
Because of my stroke and a slightly wonky mouth, I do not drink coffee from cardboard or plastic cups. And that’s all you now get in this branch in Eastfield! They used to have proper mugs before the Olympics.
So I came home thirsty!
But then Eastfield is one of those gluten-free deserts. Now it seems I can’t get a coffee there in Starbucks. I usually drink in one of their stores, as I can have something to eat if I want.
The Curry’s Still Working!
Last night’s curry seems to be still working. I feel quite refreshed this morning, despite getting up at three to put some posts on this blog. In fact that is a good thing, as I always used to work through the night before I had the stroke.
Wikipedia says this on the health benefits of curry.
Some studies have shown that ingredients in curry may help to prevent certain diseases, including colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. A number of studies have claimed that the reaction of pain receptors to the hotter ingredients in curries leads to the body’s release of endorphins, curry is claimed to be one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs.With the complex sensory reaction to the variety of spices and flavours, a natural high is achieved that causes subsequent cravings, often followed by a desire to move on to hotter curries. Some refer to this as addiction, but other researchers contest the use of the word “addiction” in this instance.
I don’t go along with wanting stronger curries. But here are a few observations on my life.
- I was born a day after modern India and I’ve always had a psychological connection to the sub-Continent. I’ve also enjoyed my visits there.
- C and myself regularly ate curries.
- I do get a craving for going for a curry at times. Last night was one of those days.
- When I moved here I seemed to ask several people, where there was a good Indian restaurant. I was finally sorted in Boots by a combnation of an Asian pharmacist and a customer.
- I was very disappointed when Waitrose stopped making curry and rice for one. Does anybody still do them?
- The day C died, I went for a meal in one of the Indian restaurants we used.
I should say that when I have a curry out, it’s usually in a proper restaurant, where they have tablecloths and use gram flour.
Perhaps it’s just down to releasing endorphins, as is stated in the extract from Wikipedia. After all, I feel better when Ipswich win.
Two Gluten-Free Eateries
I went to the Brunswick Centre Waitrose to see if I could find some Musks sausages. Unfortunately, they’ve stopped selling them.
But I did find this food stall outside.
Gluten-Free Gallettes
As I’d just had a big breakfast, I passed the stall. as I walked back to get the bus up Lamb’s Conduit Street, I saw this cafe called Danny’s.
Danny’s – Home Of The Gourmet Wrap
They have quite a lot of gluten-free items and on enquiring inside, the owner could have been coeliac.
I shall return, when my stomach is less full.
European Union Creates An Awful Smell
Apparently, the EU is proposing to ban certain ingredients used in perfumes. It’s all here in the Mail.
If the allergy police were to ban anything, how about stopping gluten in food?
No wonder the EU is so popular with the citizens of Europe.
The Anonymous Widower 