WTBD's Profile
Cupcakes in London?
My lovely husband had a box of cupcakes delivered to my office in SW London today from crumbsanddoilies.co.uk - flavour of the month: vanilla rose. Sooo decadent! Pretty and delicious! (Bookmark this site and pass subtle hints to your loved ones before your birthday... I highly recommend it.)
Have you ever been injured in a restaurant?
Yes and no... I fully agree that I fell on my own, wearing sensible flats and taking my time going down the stairs. It was a complete fluke that my foot slipped and I fell.
On the other hand, you say that 'ALL accidents are preventable' - there's not much more that either the restaurant or I could have done to prevent my foot from slipping. If memory serves, I was even using the handrail.
Was the restaurant negligent? I don't think so - unless you count having a narrow stairwell as a preventable hazard, which is, at best, a stretch. So no negligence on their part.
But I do still have a permanent reminder of the event. Should the restaurant have done something about it? Probably not... but then:
How is my experience different from danhole's (see below), except that I didn't get special treatment since no one saw me fall? I'm not complaining - the last thing I wanted was a free meal and I fully recognised that it was my fault. I still wonder, though, what would have happened if I had been seriously injured. I would hope they would do what danhole's resto did, and call an ambulance at the very least...
As for Kate, I hope she feels better and gets the compensation she's seeking.
Have you ever been injured in a restaurant?
Sorry to hear about your injury. I fell down a narrow flight of stairs in a restaurant on my way to the restroom over 2 years ago and still have the lump on my bum to prove it. My foot just slipped and I went down about 4-6 steps in the middle of the stairwell. It completely winded me and I was in so much pain I didn't really know what to do. Eventually I made it to the loo, took a few deep breaths, and rejoined my husband upstairs. If I hadn't told him about it, no one would have known.
It never occurred to me to tell the restaurant - I just figured it was bad luck. Practically every restaurant in London has a restroom at the bottom of a perilously narrow stairwell. I iced it for several days until it became apparent that the lump wasn't going anywhere. I never went to the doctor because I doubted they could do anything. Long story short, I was just glad I hadn't hit myself one inch to the left, or I could very well have had a major spinal injury (in which case, thinking about it, I probably would have involved the restaurant.)
I guess it depends on the severity of the injury. Mine was insignificant enough that I didn't think it needed to be mentioned. But significant enough to have deformed my bum! Hope you get over yours soon...
the 12.5% service charge
'as a "non-tipping aussie" I always forget the price you see on the menu is not the price you pay'
***
Ha ha... As a 'tipping American' I think the 12.5% is a bargain!
Actually, I am famously bad at tipping. I know many people prefer to opt out of the service charge and instead leave a cash tip for their server. I'm almost happier to pay the service charge just to avoid any complicated math or dividing among friends. I still grumble about the tipping culture - I never get tipped at work and the places where a tip is expected seem so arbitrary to me. But before I get flamed, I know the reasons behind tipping and do my best to reward good service. I just kinda hate rewarding average service to make up for cheapskate bosses who refuse to pay servers well. I do it, but I can't say I enjoy it. Common - and divisive - theme on these boards...
At restaurants alone with bags/packages/belongings: bathroom trip?
Obviously the 'go before you order' strategy only works in certain situations and can be open to abuse - if that's how you intend to use it.
I only do it when I actually want to eat/drink somewhere. Having a tiny bladder, I have become quite good at finding public restrooms. Helpful tip: in London, most museums are free and they all have toilets... (Marcel DuChamp jokes aside!) Department stores are another good option.
But back to the OP's question, if I'm hungry/thirsty and don't have a friend to hold the table, I usually go before I order. I think a lot depends on where you choose (McD's - not so great, Starbucks - usually OK, proper resto - never had a problem). In principle, I agree with asking before you go, but be prepared to be told no. If I'm that desperate, I know I won't be able to face rejection :)
At restaurants alone with bags/packages/belongings: bathroom trip?
My solution: go before you order. At a busy cafe (think Starbucks), no one usually notices if you walk in and head straight to the restroom. If anyone questions you, just start dancing and promise to buy a drink after - always works for me and I can enjoy my grande frappuccino that much more. At a proper restaurant, when being seated, I ask if it's OK if I just pop to the loo before I get too settled. I have never had a problem with that approach. A few times, I even found that it helped break the ice and I had a more pleasant time joking around with the server.
when did you start to become interested in food?
My sister and I were very picky eaters during childhood, and my parents were busy shop owners, so my mom mainly stuck to several boring but accepted meals. The first time I ate 'grown up' food was during a homestay in France when I was 14, and again when I was 16. In college, I lived happily enough on dorm food and pizza. Having said that, I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so we were exposed to all sorts of good things from an early age - just didn't appreciate it enough.
I guess I became more interested in food when I moved to Japan after college. Not only were many flavours new, I also had to cook for myself for the first time. I got proficient enough not to starve (and was lucky to have hot meals served for lunch at the school where I taught English.)
But I only started to enjoy food, plan meals and seek recipes properly in the last few years - getting married somehow made me feel compelled to do better. Also started working at a food company, so my general knowledge and interest soared.
As for the rest of my family, once my sister and I moved out of the house and my parents' careers took different directions, my mom started making amazing meals! Turns out she had been suffering for years with bland food and prescribed dinner times just to please all of us, poor thing. My sister married a trained chef and has become a foodie extraordinaire. Food is now a big part of all of our lives. Guess it's never too late to appreciate good things!
I finally set off the smoke detector!
Mmmm...roast dinner. So good.
We never ate much roasted meat or veg growing up so I didn't appreciate this fine art until I moved to England. Now I'm daydreaming about a Sunday roast...maybe lamb. Thanks for the inspiration!
Watch out, smoke alarm....
I finally set off the smoke detector!
By the way, Caralien...
How did you set off your smoke detector? Hope it was worth it!
I finally set off the smoke detector!
Our smoke detector goes off all the time, although less now that we have a new oven. Bagels in the toaster still set it off - we usually have something handy to fan smoking sesame seeds.
As for when the kitchen became mine? I moved in with my husband and hated the kitchen at first. The kitchen itself was bad enough, but his dishes were the worst: BEIGE. They can make the prettiest meal look boring and unappetising. After about a year, I went to IKEA and bought some bright green and blue glass dishes. They're not my favourites but they marked my spot and gave me some domain over the kitchen. Now that we have remodeled, we still have both sets of dishes but the new kitchen is definitely mine!
Kitchen renovation on the smart budget
Well done, DGresh, for keeping your project on time! We actually had a similar strategy - went with a big, reputable company who assured us they would take care of the subcontractors and stay on top of timing & budget. We figured it was worth a bit extra for the long-term savings. In general we were right and we're happy we subbed the work out instead of trying to do complicated things ourselves. The only problem was the tiles and we're still trying to figure out how that happened. Everything else was completed with only minor delays (like 2-3 days).
Judith: my husband was just like you - he didn't want to say anything to question or offend the builders. I was, ahem, not quite so restrained. I monitored everything!
lifespan: what ideas are you currently considering?
Kitchen renovation on the smart budget
Having just finished our kitchen remodel, I absolutely agree with Judith: 'no matter what you do, figure it'll take longer and cost more than your original plan.'
In our case, our kitchen planner assured us that we would not need to re-tile the backsplash, despite our doubts. We learned how wrong he was on demolition day - predictably, half the plaster came off with the tiles. Why would he think otherwise? It added £400 and 2 months for us to cover up his goof - our goof for trusting him.
Inconvenient corners? We solved our problem with an under-counter cantilevered shelving system. See here:
http://flickr.com/photos/68899982@N00/2964039235/in/set-72157608256398626/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rq5soEQcBA
We love it! It was the most expensive unit in the kitchen - more than the combi oven! - but we still think it was worth every penny. Also love love love the combination convection/conventional oven, especially in a small kitchen.
Our last step is adding some racks and magnetic strips for things like utensils and spice tins.
The only thing I would have done differently is planning the colour scheme better. We started off with the cabinets, handles, countertops and floor. However, we ended up with a different floor that was a different colour. And the tiles were a complete after-thought. In the end, we like how it all looks and managed to keep it somewhat coordinated. But if I had planned everything together from the start, I might have chosen different colours. I'll definitely have a complete colour scheme when we do the bathroom someday!
Good luck... Have fun!
Sunday Lunch near National Theatre - London
Oh blast! *Hides under sofa*
greedygirl: you're absolutely right. Here's how the conversation went last night.
Me: What was the name of that pub we went to for your bday in December - The Anchor & Hope, right?
Husband, distracted: Yeah
And just now....
Me: It was the Anchor & Hope, wasn't it?
Husband: No, just The Anchor.
http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub83.html
OH NO. I'm sorry.
I'll shut up now.
Does a glass cutting board = dull knives
Oh, was I happy to stumble upon this thread! My husband has had a glass cutting board since before I met him. And rather dull knives - imagine :) But we manage.
For xmas, we received several new knives and a 'chop n scoop' plastic cutting board. Vive la difference! Even he had to admit that we should have made a change sooner.
We're both still faithful to the glass cutting board and old knives...for now...but we're increasingly using the new stuff. At least he doesn't blame me for breaking a paring knife on a cube of butternut squash anymore (story for another day). I can say it was the glass' fault.
Sunday Lunch near National Theatre - London
PhilD,
I know that an empty-yet-booked restaurant is, for all intents and purposes, full. Sorry if my tongue-in-cheek annoyance didn't translate online? It's not like it ruined my day or my feeling for the place. I just always find it bizarre to be turned away when a place is empty - even though it's perfectly justified. Am sure the invisible people turned up later and enjoyed their meal.
As it is, we went downstairs where we lucky to find a table. Like I said, the service was laughably bad. 'Pubs don't have queuing systems' - fair enough. And yet, when you finally manage to fight your way to the front, have made eye contact multiple times with the bartender, are standing directly in front of them, and then watch them move down the bar to serve someone who has just walked in, that, to me, signifies a definite lack of something!
Or maybe by that point, I had become invisible myself :)
zuriga1: Reading back, I think you're right about Jenny's post. Either way, the only reason I weighed in with our experience at the Anchor & Hope was to say that I wouldn't make a special trip there again...certainly not for the food...but maybe the booked lunches are better? I see you're not able to go there this time. Maybe next time.
Sunday Lunch near National Theatre - London
I hope the booked lunches at the Anchor & Hope are better than their offerings on the ground floor... We went there for Sunday lunch to celebrate my husband's bday in December. We hadn't booked a table. (Had one of those annoying moments where the restaurant was completely empty but we were assured that all the tables were booked by invisible people. Sigh. I hate that.) Food from the bar on the ground floor was meh - and service was laughably bad. We enjoyed ourselves, partly because we were not expecting great things and our low expectations were definitely met and exceeded. The best we could say for the pub was that it was a convenient meeting spot for friends coming from all different parts of London. I'd take Jenny's advice and avoid... OK for drinks if you don't mind the lack of queueing system, but don't bother with the food.
To get back on topic, we have eaten at the Globe Theatre a few times, even when we weren't there for plays. Surprisingly decent with lovely river views.
Help!~ Melted plastic on my stovetop!
The scraper is what I meant by suggesting a razorblade - sorry for not being more specific! I used the one that came with our stovetop on the glass coffee table to get off some gunk and it worked there, too. Who knew?
Why do some foods taste better when made by someone else?
It's definitely the love/appreciation factor in my case. My husband and I share dinner duties and often make the exact same meals. I think it tastes better when he makes it. Funnily enough, he says the same about the meals I make :)
Help!~ Melted plastic on my stovetop!
Ouch! I'm glad our stovetop tells us which burners are still hot or we'd have that kind of problem daily.
Try a razorblade - gently! - and some glass stovetop cleaner. Not sure what they call it in the US; here in the UK I use Hob Brite. There must be something similar where you live. Hope it works...
best chocolates in the world to order via internet
How about Pierre Marcolini?
http://pierremarcolini-na.com/
Not the most user-friendly website, but I could drool over the photos for hours while pining for the box I got for xmas last year. I managed to savor it until after Easter, one tiny, amazing morsel at a time.
sooo, what does miso taste like?
Sounds like instant miso soup to me, probably in powdered form. Miso soup from scratch doesn't take long to prepare and the results are well worth the (minimal) added effort.
tsukemono guilt
Ha ha, no worries. I'm an American-Brit, so my English has become increasingly bilingual... Sometimes remember the 'u' in colour, sometimes leave it out as a deliberate act of defiance.
Hope you're enjoying Japan. I lived in Nagano for 4 yrs and loved every minute of it, fluorescent tsukemono and all!
tsukemono guilt
I think E122 is the only color I haven't seen in any of the products - tsukemono included - that my company imports. Many of the products we carry have E102, E104, E110, E124 and/or E129, as well as other colors (caramel, paprika, beta-carotene, etc) and additives. If we go along with the voluntary ban, we'll lose a lot of our key items! But like you said, you'd have to eat bucket-loads before you turned into a chemical mutant. Avoid 'nasties' if you want to, but the amounts in tsukemono probably won't hurt you much.
I agree with you about being dubious regarding some of these reports. If nothing else, look at your toothpaste. It probably has E110 in it. (By the way, apologies for only posting the European names of these colors... E102 = FD&C Yellow #5 in the USA, E110 = FD&C Yellow #6. I'll let you look up the rest on the interwebs.)
Ah, ubiquitous HFCS. Yes, some tsukemono has it, too! Have you started reading the labels on your food yet? I try not to read labels outside of my professional life. I don't wanna know :)
tsukemono guilt
OK, fair question.
MSG - pro and con - has been covered on these boards, so I'll leave that part of the discussion aside.
Re: salt
Yes, tsukemono can have a high salt content that would be a worry for some people.
Re: 'nasties'
Some people consider artificial colors/flavors/preservatives to be unhealthy and try to avoid them. There have been studies in different countries to see if they contribute to health problems - Europe has spent the last few years looking for evidence that certain artificial colors and preservatives contribute to hyperactivity in children, for example. The UK is currently recommending a 'voluntary ban' on certain colors and preservatives, particularly in food marketed at children.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2008/nov/colours
Here in the UK, artificial colors and preservatives are often referred to as 'nasties' - as in 'our natural yogurt contains no nasties!'
In my post, I was trying to let tatamagouche know that the 'fluorescent' colors in some tsukemono are due to these 'nasties.' Some people would be put off by that. Some people don't care. Some people know about it, but consider it a low enough risk not to avoid foods with 'nasties' altogether. I'm in the 3rd group.
My job entails relabelling Japanese products for the British market, so I have become increasingly aware of the 'nasties' in the food we sell. Obviously, I like promoting Japanese food, but I think that people should be aware of what they're eating. Like I said, I didn't want to add to anyone's guilt... just share information. If tatamagouche had been avoiding artificial colors, eating fluorescent tsukemono could negate all that hard work.
Beans On Toast...?
I can't stand baked beans - just the smell makes me nauseous - but my husband loves them. As others have mentioned, they are standard fare for students. He tells me he lived off baked beans in uni - not the 'posh' Heinz ones, but the cheap 2p (two pence!) tins that he could buy at the local discount shop. Now that he can 'afford' Heinz, he usually keeps some in the cupboard just in case neither of us can be bothered to cook. He eats beans... I make eggs... and we tease each other about who has the better lunch. I know who I think is winning!
Is there such a thing as a bad Oxo product?
I used to have all OXO/Xyliss in my kitchen and I loved everything. I helped my sister and her husband move apartments at one point, and was confused to find that none of their OXO utensils had the grips on! Turns out, her husband hated the grips and ripped or peeled them all off, leaving a whole bunch of ugly, useless utensils taking up space in their drawer. He didn't seem to miss them when they got to their new apt and discovered that I had thrown it all out.
I gave up my OXO/Xyliss when I moved to England and have found perfectly fine replacements, but really miss the can opener and tongs...
What would you consider as the best Country for eating?
You mentioned the Middle East, so I'll add that Jordan really surprised me. Lovely, lovely food at every meal! Mainly mezze and grilled meat with flat bread. The veg was surprisingly fresh and OK to eat. I tried to recreate it at home but it just doesn't taste as good without the surroundings.
Egypt was a bit harder, mainly because the water is not safe to drink - so no fresh veg there. We still enjoyed our meals, but missed the nice Jordanian salads.
And who can argue with Japan, Italy, France, Belgium (oh! the chocolate! and the beer! and the mussels! more, please!) Thailand, US, UK.....
paint can opener tip
My husband and I bought a can of paint last weekend and I said we should get one of those.
'Why? We have things at home like screwdrivers and knives.'
We haven't opened the paint yet. Maybe it's not too late for me to save our cutlery!
How/Why did you pick your screen name?
Venus Flytrap! The coolest DJ, ever! I thought Bailey was definitely a better role model than Jennifer, as beautifully blonde as Loni Anderson may be. But my real crush was on Andy. That feathered hair - ah! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
And one more reason to visit Delhi now!
Thanks, alkapal!
What's the big deal? I'm just WTBD.....
