http://www.jpost.com/FoodIndex/Article.aspx?id=200911

The Jews are “big” on Chinese Food in England and New York – there are plenty of kosher Chinese Restaurants in Queens and North London. However, I was not aware that Israeli Jews “do” Chinese food.

Did you know that a significant number of “non Han” Chinese in Northern China are Muslims. So cooking without pork has been established for years.

By the way, Chop Suey was invented in USA to feed the Chinese Railway Workers – it literally means mixture of bits.

E

Dec 2010

http://blog.japancentre.com/2010/12/22/osechi-traditional-japanese-new-year-meal/

Want to try something different for the New Year?

E

Dec 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/8194423/Time-to-pop-the-cork.html

To compare, I am drinking

Bollinger Grand Anee 1995

Corton-Charlemangne 1998 and 2001 (Domaine Charles Thomas)

Ch Lescombes 1990

Tignanello 1999

Pensees de Lafleur 2000

Ornelleia 2000

Dow’s 85

and a polypin of Loddon’s Ferryman Gold

Food wise, I have a side of smoked wild salmon from Foreman and Field, Bronze Turkey from Peach Croft Farm and a leg of Shropshire Black Ham from Dukeshill. The turkey I shall brine (even Heston said so in Waitrose Magazine Dec 2010)  and pot roast – yes, I found this turkey pot in the USA. The Black Ham will be cooked a la Delia. The Christmas pud is Waitrose’s The Carved Angel Pud (suposed to be based on Burton-Race’s recipe) and the cheeses are from Lightwood (Elgar) and Colston Basset (Stilton).  By the way, this is over 2 days – Christmas days and Boxing Day. There will be 6 on Christmas day and 12 on Boxing day.

Have a great Xmas.

E

PS  May be that bottle of 2001 Petrus next year or the year after – on my own.

Eddie and Damian would like to wish all our readers a Merry Xmas and a very prosperous 2011 – the year of the rabbit.

Damian is in Austin, Texas over Xmas and he will report back on the dining scene in the New Year.

Eddie is off to Australia (Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart) in the New Year. He will test out “different” restaurants to those that Paul Plant reported on a few months ago.

We are unlikely to post any new articles until the New Year!

Address: Lands End Lane, Twyford, RG10 0UE

Telephone number: 0118 934 0700

Website: http://www.thelandsend.co.uk/

Date of visit: 23 Dec 2010

Approximate cost per head: Around £15 for 2 courses.

Comments on wine list/beer: Brakspear on tap (£3), simple wine list by the bottle or glass – except champagne at £w37.50 a bottle

 Cuisine: traditional pub grub

Summary:

On another freezing day, I visited an “old haunt” of mine.

I used to amuse my friends by declaring that I’ll take them for a drink at The Lands End – I meant Berkshire not Cornwall.

I have never forgotten that at whilst at University , one day we decided to have a long session (after finals) and the landlord sold us two casks of bitter and set it up in the garden for us.

The Lands End has changed hands several times since then.

Upon entry, I noticed that the pub has changed little – we still have the leaded windows and the wood panelled walls. The “stuffed” trophies of various huge fishes are still being displayed on the wall.

There are two rooms with an additional dining/function areas attached at the back. On a Thursday lunch time, the place was almost full – white collar workers from nearby business and people of pensionable age with or without young kids – I assume the children are grandchildren and it has nothing to do with the local water that keeps couples going.

There are 3 menus – a lunch time bake potatoes/ baguettes quickie, a proper menu and a specials board.

I was feeling a bit greedy so I had the whitebait (£5.75) as starters and the plaice (£9.25) and chips for main course. I also notice that they also offered haddock (main menu) and hake (specials).

As it is near Christmas, I went for the seasonal ale (£3.40), my first mistake. The ale tasted of cinnamon – I hate mulled wine never mind “spicy” beer!

The second mistake was the plaice. I choose plaice as this fish has almost become extinct in fish and chips shops – nobody is serving this any more. It turned out to be a piece of  Iceland frozen breadc crumbed fish. I could taste it for the rest of the day despite only eating half of it. The whitebait was very nice. The portion was so huge that on its own it would have been enough. Ok the white bait was probably frozen as well. However these breadcrumbed frozen fish seals in the frozen watery taste when deep fried.

I wish I had the pies – they looked home made upper crust pies. In fact all the “pensioners” were eating pies – is this what keeps the bloodline going?

 E

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/executive-lifestyle/the-12-books-of-christmas-for-a-feast-of-good-ideas/story-e6frg8jo-1225971798177

Something different.  No Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Nigel Slater or Gordon Ramsey.

E

Dec 2010

No turkey in this festive menu and recipe from The Australian

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/divinely-decadent/story-e6frg8io-1225964308875

or interesting spreads /dips from The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/specials/holidayguide/

and The New York Times is recommending lamb

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/12/17/dining/20101217-holiday-mains.html?ref=dining

E

Dec 2010

http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.1d923702d0f3d4b2b5326b10cba0a0a0/?vgnextoid=cb411680c718b210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=mag&issue=20101014&ss=Good+Eating&s=Magazines

Pretty good article.

E

Dec 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/interactive/2010/nov/30/christmas-hamper-food-festive

E

Dec 2010

Address: 2 Bedford Road, Reading RG1 7HS

Telephone number: 0118 9597482

Website: http://www.gospoda.biz/

Date of visit: 20 Dec 2010

Approximate cost per head: Less than £10 for a main course

Cuisine: Polish

Comments on wine list/beer: Couldn’t see a wine list, Zywiec and Staropramen  on tap (£3 a pint), cocktails and Eastern European spirits are also available.

Summary:

This is the first ever Polish pub and restaurant in Reading. Although the address is Bedford Row, one of the entrances is on Oxford Road.

This place has been around for a couple of years. On a day when the roads are a bit icy, I decided to pay this place a visit as it takes about 15 minutes to walk to this place from the station.

Oxford Road in Reading is fast becoming a Little Poland. I counted 4 Polish Delicatessens within 50 meters of this Pub.  Ok, one of them is Indian that stocks Polish Goods. Reading has always attracted Poles since the Second World War. The original Reading delicatessen (County Delicatessen) used to be operated by two Polish Brothers. It was then taken over by Chris (son of one of the brothers). I had a good relationship with Chris for 20 years. Chris sold the business nearly 5 years ago and it didn’t survive  - I was short changed several times by the new establishment and stopped going. Sadly, Chris passed away last year. .

Once you are inside Gospoda, it felt like a cross between a night club and a cafeteria – sofa and small round tables. There are two large flat screens, both belting out the Polish equivalent of MTV. I noticed that certain carols and pop songs were sung in English.

The menu is very interesting and offers several cold and hot appetisers (around £4) as well as 2 type of soup (from £3.50). There are about 10 main courses (£7.50 – £9.00) to choose from and 2 desserts (£4) – apple tart and pancake. I am sure that you can get Polish Wine but I didn’t see any.

The food on offer was: herring, pork and chicken. There were no lamb or beef dishes.

I had the Highlander pork which was like a schnitzel with a cheese filling. It came with two types of slaws: carrot & celeriac and cabbage & dill. Both were sweet pickled. I also had chips – proper french fries – and a green sauce that I can’t work out. The server behind spoke good and limited English so I wasn’t able to get the ingredient (sauce) out of her.

It was a pretty good meal – think German Food in terms of presentation and volume – for under £10. The other positive point is that they clean the table once it has been in use – even if you just had a drink. How many pubs do that?

E