News
McDonald's to launch premium burger range to avert competition
Oh dear. Is someone a little bit worried about the competition and far superior street food burgers? Nothing more to add.
Guinness goes vegan: Stout agrees to stop using animal bladders in brewing process for first time in 256 years
Who knew Guinness used fish bladders to make their drink?!
How one of the most obese countries on earth took on the soda giants
Some points in this article made me laugh out loud at the audacity of the fizzy drinks companies; they have their sticky, sugary fingers in every pie in Mexico. Unbelievable. Very informative piece, worth a read.
What really goes into chicken nuggets? New book reveals additives in popular foods and their alternative uses
Yes, this is diss McDonald's week. Their chicken nuggets were found to contain 40 different ingredients. Nice. But also, WTF is that sodium benzoate in Dr Pepper - it looks like mini pieces of chalk. Tasty.
Local News
Haddie & Trilby's Pizza Nights
The best bakery in Leamington also put on regular pizza nights every Thursday. It's a slightly disorganised affair with lots of people milling around in the shop and on the street waiting for the pizzas to appear but don't let that put you off. Just do as the Italians do and wade in, it's definitely worth it. Don't expect Domino's style, it's rustic thin pizzas you'll find here with a variety of, often local, toppings. If you haven't already explored their amazing treasure trove of a shop, please do as you'll find real bread (no fast proving supermarket action which means it's kinder for wheat intolerants), croissants, cakes, quiches, the best focaccia and more. The queue on Saturdays says it all.
Recipes
Coconut and peanut aubergine curry
Loved a bit of this on Tuesday - double nut curry, oh yes. The aubergines give this meal a lovely silky texture and that coupled with the crunch of peanuts make this curry delicious. I added a bit more peanut butter than it said because I'm a slight fan, also put in a dash of sugar and salt to pep it up.
Pancetta-wrapped trout
No picture for this one as it was one of those nights when we were rushing out of the house to meet people and I didn't have the foresight (again) to start cooking earlier or pick a dish that takes less time. Not that this is a lengthy one, it was just a bit hurried for that particular night. Let's talk whole fish - a little daunting perhaps with all the eyes and skeleton and stuff but actually dead simple to prepare. Obvs get your fishmonger/supermarche/fisherman person to take the guts out but then all you need to do is season, add some lemon slices, garlic and herbs and that's pretty much it. The skeleton should lift off in one piece once it's cooked so not too many bones to worry about.
Food for Thought
What’s your favourite food aroma?
A fun, interesting article on food smells. I have so many favourites I couldn't pick one - buttery onions, basil, chocolate, crushed garlic, roast chicken, cinnamon, Nutella, limes...
This week's newsletter is brief. And has a slight air of the Daily Mail about it with sensationalist articles on fish bladders and additive-tastic chicken nuggets. Soz for that, it's been a slow week in the wonderful world of food.