1. I was once, foolishly, trying to squeeze too many things into the cupboard and the precariously balanced cheese grater at the far end was being steadily pushed closer to the surface. Eventually, I put one too many mugs in the cupboard and the grater fell. On instinct, I just reached out my hand and caught it.... And grated my little finger on the side that you zest things on. It was torn apart and in tatters for weeks afterward.
2. I sometimes store things on the very top of the cupboards because I have run out of space inside the cupboards. I had put some flour up there and was trying to get it down. Being the LazyLauraMaisey that I am, I couldn't be bothered to get the chair or a step ladder. Or anything in fact. I just kept jumping up trying to grab it. Eventually I had tugged it to the very edge of the cupboard by jumping and grabbing it a little each time. When I had run out of energy, I just looked up and thought I'd probably have to give in and get a chair to climb. It was at this moment, standing underneath it and looking up, that it eventually tipped and fell. On to my face. My nose and top lip to be exact. About a third of the bag of flour also broke free at this point so my head was left in a cloud of flour and my nose felt broken as the bag fell to the floor and tipped almost the rest of the flour out in a nice little pile at my feet.
3. Left the tea box on a hob which was still turned on and burned through most of the tea bags inside the box. As a ps, burnt tea bags smell Dis. Gus. Ting.
4. (This one wasn't me.) A friend once dropped her phone in a pan of oil then panicked and ran it under the tap to wash the oil off...!
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Monday, 11 February 2013
Again? O ok. Let's do it. Another award....
I had a plan for today's blog. A plan which promised greatness and fabulousness and all the things you all love best about my blog.... I was going to get a copy of Chat and do a write up for you. But something insane happened. I couldn't find one anywhere! So I'll have to go to some different shops tomorrow. Sorry to disappoint you all.
In the meantime, I was nominated for an award so I'll get on with that.
The rules:
-State 10 random facts about yourself.
-Answer the questions given to you by the blogger who has tagged you for the award.
-Tag more people.
-Give them 11 questions to answer.
Ok, 10 random facts, here goes...
1. I once had an odd fixation on blueberry flavour Nutri Grain bars
2. I love cereal/fruity/nutty bars. Love them.
3. I was so totally in love with Jesse from the film Free Willy when I was younger.
4. I once asked for a monkey for my birthday and was super annoyed when I was told no.
5. I have read everything Enid Blyton has ever written.
6. I did my undergraduate degree at the university where Enid Blyton studied.
7. I've never seen the film, Fame.
8. I don't really like the film Bugsy Malone. I'm sorry.
9. I have degraded myself by starting to drink decaf coffee, after spending so long attempting to develop a proper coffee habit. I'm ashamed and sorry.
10. If you spell my surname backwards, it says Yes I Am.... Maisey.... Yes I Am.... Maisey.... See?
Here are the questions asked me by Momina, the fabulous blogger who nominated me (thanks loads, by the way).
1- Who is the last person you usually think about before going to sleep?
Danda
2- Something you do alone, but wouldn't do in front of others.
Throw my head around a bit dramatically when playing piano.
3- Do you have any strange phobias?
I'm not keen on tin foil. I used to get terribly embarrassed if I opened my lunchbox at school and my sandwiches were wrapped in tin foil.
4- One Favorite Novel that you'd like to recommend people to read and why.
Definitely F. Scott Fitzgerald. But which one? Tender Is The Night. Or The Beautiful And Damned. Actually let's go with Tender Is The Night. Fitzgerald's ability to write characters is amazing. The minute details of how relationships work, how interactions and people become complicated and intertwined. Everything about life gains a beautifully tragic edge when I am reading Fitzgerald. Reading him makes me want to write, makes me want to be grand, makes me want to have fantastic unachievable dreams.
5- Do you take the shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? :P
Yup. Still got everything from the room in the Savoy. The headed paper. The sugar packs. The soap. The shower cap. Everything.
6- Do you use Post-Its?
No.
7-If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Right here in my house. On my road. On this lovely hill near my favourite park. With my lovely friends and neighbours.
8-What inspires you?
Life. Nature. Richmond Park. People. Silly things we do and say.
9- Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
Done both. Bungee jumping more scary.
10- Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
When I was trekking the Great Wall in China and I was trying to learn some Mandarin, I counted my steps aloud from one to ten over and over to learn. That was eight years ago and I still can count to ten in Mandarin now!
11- Have you ever danced without music?
All the time. Honestly. All. The. Time.
Ok, now to tag some more people. As opposed to tagging them actually, I'm just going to highlight some new bloggers on the scene that I'd like some attention to go to because they are fab.
Lovefoodlovefashion
Marktedlord
Eatmovelove
It's up to you guys if you want to answer the questions or not. No pressure.
1. Why do you blog?
2. How do you feel about chilli chocolate?
3. Tea or coffee?
4. Next holiday destination....?
5. Am I invited?
6. Delia Smith or Nigella Lawson?
7. Do you mind that Nigella Lawson is essentially soft porn?
8. What are you getting me for my birthday?
9. My computer has stopped letting me print things. Why is this?
10. How do you feel about Starbucks?
11. I don't really like orange juice. Do you think this could create a problem for our friendship?
In the meantime, I was nominated for an award so I'll get on with that.
The rules:
-State 10 random facts about yourself.
-Answer the questions given to you by the blogger who has tagged you for the award.
-Tag more people.
-Give them 11 questions to answer.
Ok, 10 random facts, here goes...
1. I once had an odd fixation on blueberry flavour Nutri Grain bars
2. I love cereal/fruity/nutty bars. Love them.
3. I was so totally in love with Jesse from the film Free Willy when I was younger.
4. I once asked for a monkey for my birthday and was super annoyed when I was told no.
5. I have read everything Enid Blyton has ever written.
6. I did my undergraduate degree at the university where Enid Blyton studied.
7. I've never seen the film, Fame.
8. I don't really like the film Bugsy Malone. I'm sorry.
9. I have degraded myself by starting to drink decaf coffee, after spending so long attempting to develop a proper coffee habit. I'm ashamed and sorry.
10. If you spell my surname backwards, it says Yes I Am.... Maisey.... Yes I Am.... Maisey.... See?
Here are the questions asked me by Momina, the fabulous blogger who nominated me (thanks loads, by the way).
1- Who is the last person you usually think about before going to sleep?
Danda
2- Something you do alone, but wouldn't do in front of others.
Throw my head around a bit dramatically when playing piano.
3- Do you have any strange phobias?
I'm not keen on tin foil. I used to get terribly embarrassed if I opened my lunchbox at school and my sandwiches were wrapped in tin foil.
4- One Favorite Novel that you'd like to recommend people to read and why.
Definitely F. Scott Fitzgerald. But which one? Tender Is The Night. Or The Beautiful And Damned. Actually let's go with Tender Is The Night. Fitzgerald's ability to write characters is amazing. The minute details of how relationships work, how interactions and people become complicated and intertwined. Everything about life gains a beautifully tragic edge when I am reading Fitzgerald. Reading him makes me want to write, makes me want to be grand, makes me want to have fantastic unachievable dreams.
5- Do you take the shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? :P
Yup. Still got everything from the room in the Savoy. The headed paper. The sugar packs. The soap. The shower cap. Everything.
6- Do you use Post-Its?
No.
7-If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Right here in my house. On my road. On this lovely hill near my favourite park. With my lovely friends and neighbours.
8-What inspires you?
Life. Nature. Richmond Park. People. Silly things we do and say.
9- Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
Done both. Bungee jumping more scary.
10- Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
When I was trekking the Great Wall in China and I was trying to learn some Mandarin, I counted my steps aloud from one to ten over and over to learn. That was eight years ago and I still can count to ten in Mandarin now!
11- Have you ever danced without music?
All the time. Honestly. All. The. Time.
Ok, now to tag some more people. As opposed to tagging them actually, I'm just going to highlight some new bloggers on the scene that I'd like some attention to go to because they are fab.
Lovefoodlovefashion
Marktedlord
Eatmovelove
It's up to you guys if you want to answer the questions or not. No pressure.
1. Why do you blog?
2. How do you feel about chilli chocolate?
3. Tea or coffee?
4. Next holiday destination....?
5. Am I invited?
6. Delia Smith or Nigella Lawson?
7. Do you mind that Nigella Lawson is essentially soft porn?
8. What are you getting me for my birthday?
9. My computer has stopped letting me print things. Why is this?
10. How do you feel about Starbucks?
11. I don't really like orange juice. Do you think this could create a problem for our friendship?
Sunday, 10 February 2013
The wisdom of children
Molly on rabbits:
"I like wibbits. I want a wibbit. And I tarry it. And tuddle it. And tiss it."
Molly on hippos:
"I don't like hippos."
Molly on frogs:
"I don't like froggies. I like wibbits."
Molly on midday cuddles:
"It's not tuddles time. It's playing time."
Molly on planes:
"A lane, a lane! I've got a lane at home"
Molly on swimming:
"I got doddles!" (goggles)
Ella on blackbirds:
"O, a blackbird! I've always wanted to see a blackbird!"
Ella on the lovely new book she was given as a present:
"O no. I don't think there's room on my bookshelf for this."
Ella on her punishment after being naughty one day:
"Daddy, I think I should only have one book before bed, not two. Cause I've been very naughty today."
Ella on the stars:
"O, look! A constellation. Look, the archer!" (She's five, by the way.)
Ella on her best attributes:
"I'm the funniest girl in the class."
Ella's first joke:
"What sheep eats a flower? A strawberry!" (Don't ask.)
Ella on history:
"Before the dinosaurs, there were cavemen and caveladies."
Ella on her romantic prospects:
"When I grow up, I'm going to marry Adam. When I'm 13."
"I like wibbits. I want a wibbit. And I tarry it. And tuddle it. And tiss it."
Molly on hippos:
"I don't like hippos."
Molly on frogs:
"I don't like froggies. I like wibbits."
Molly on midday cuddles:
"It's not tuddles time. It's playing time."
Molly on planes:
"A lane, a lane! I've got a lane at home"
Molly on swimming:
"I got doddles!" (goggles)
Ella on blackbirds:
"O, a blackbird! I've always wanted to see a blackbird!"
Ella on the lovely new book she was given as a present:
"O no. I don't think there's room on my bookshelf for this."
Ella on her punishment after being naughty one day:
"Daddy, I think I should only have one book before bed, not two. Cause I've been very naughty today."
Ella on the stars:
"O, look! A constellation. Look, the archer!" (She's five, by the way.)
Ella on her best attributes:
"I'm the funniest girl in the class."
Ella's first joke:
"What sheep eats a flower? A strawberry!" (Don't ask.)
Ella on history:
"Before the dinosaurs, there were cavemen and caveladies."
Ella on her romantic prospects:
"When I grow up, I'm going to marry Adam. When I'm 13."
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Danda and the little policeman jumper
I've just got a little story to tell you because there are children visiting and it is difficult to do anything of any length without them needing me to join in playing hide and seek or assist them upstairs to look under beds for dragons etc etc.
This story is about way back when Danda and I didn't know each other very well. We had chatted a little, made polite conversation and he had asked me to dinner. We went to Wagamama's, a Japanese chain restaurant with lovely food and great atmosphere. I often went for an hour before work and sat drinking green tea, nibbling on some noodles and reading a book.
We had been sitting in the far corner chatting, conversation was flowing and we found we had a similar sense of humour. All was well. I had dressed up a little for the occasion, in a batwing black jumper (bring back the 80s!), wraparoundy scarf thing that I had got in the Philippines, and grey trousers. I'd like to think I was channelling the shabby-chic look. Danda was wearing black trousers, a black V-neck jumper and a white shirt. He looked very smart.
At some point during the meal, Danda went off to the toilet and came back looking dismayed.
"Is everything ok?" I asked.
"No. I just caught sight of myself in the full length mirror. It's this jumper. I look like a small off-duty policeman!"
And that was it. Our fate was sealed. Who doesn't love a small off-duty policeman?
This story is about way back when Danda and I didn't know each other very well. We had chatted a little, made polite conversation and he had asked me to dinner. We went to Wagamama's, a Japanese chain restaurant with lovely food and great atmosphere. I often went for an hour before work and sat drinking green tea, nibbling on some noodles and reading a book.
We had been sitting in the far corner chatting, conversation was flowing and we found we had a similar sense of humour. All was well. I had dressed up a little for the occasion, in a batwing black jumper (bring back the 80s!), wraparoundy scarf thing that I had got in the Philippines, and grey trousers. I'd like to think I was channelling the shabby-chic look. Danda was wearing black trousers, a black V-neck jumper and a white shirt. He looked very smart.
At some point during the meal, Danda went off to the toilet and came back looking dismayed.
"Is everything ok?" I asked.
"No. I just caught sight of myself in the full length mirror. It's this jumper. I look like a small off-duty policeman!"
And that was it. Our fate was sealed. Who doesn't love a small off-duty policeman?
Friday, 8 February 2013
The time I surprised my Dad
Last year, for my Dad's birthday, I decided I would go to Liverpool to see him but I didn't tell him. I thought it would be more fun to surprise him. For the train journey, I had some food and study books with me as I had a huge peice of work due a week later. One of them I guarded with my life. It was the Blackstone's guide to the corporate homicide and corporate manslaughter act. Blackstone's guides are like the be-all and end-all in the world of academic law. Everything you want to know about a law will be in one of their guides. It was a thin 170 pages and had cost me £48. But there was no way around getting one. So I had it and it was my most prized possession.
When I got to the main station in Liverpool, I clutched my Blackstone's guide and went to buy a ticket to the stop nearest to my Dad's house. With my ticket, I then boarded the train, went the six or so stops, then got off. As I headed out of the station, I realised my hands were empty! Where was my Blackstone's guide?! My very expensive Blackstone's guide? The one that I wouldn't be able to get another copy of in time for my essay deadline.
Panicked, I raced to the ticket office and explained that it had either been left on the desk when I bought my ticket in town or on the train. Panic, PANIC! Where was it? The railway man, thankfully, dealt very efficiently with this madwoman having a panic attack in from of him.
He located it in the station in town and I asked them to keep hold of it, I would go back. The next train was in 20 minutes so I quickly ran to the house, didn't see my dad's car, so assumed he was at work and threw my bag down before racing back to the station. I put a pack of ham in the fridge that I hadn't eaten on the journey. I had also made my Dad a hamper of baked goodies so put it on the sofa, in the seat behind the door where he usually sits so he would see it when he got home.
Picking the book up was fine and on the way back, I called the house to check if my Dad was home. He wasn't so I headed straight for a friends house. I spent the evening there and got home later but my Dad still wasn't home. Eventually I just wrote him a note and left it in the hallway and went to bed.
And here is my Dad's version of events:
"I was upstairs on the computer when I heard a sound like the door being opened then closed. I went downstairs to see what the sound was but didn't see anything. I popped my head into the front room but didn't see anyone. I went to the fridge to get my sandwiches to take to work and saw a pack of ham in there which hadn't been there before. Confused, I just got my sandwiches and went out to work, figuring there must be an explanation for it. When I got home late from work, there was a note on the floor saying Laura was home!"
That's right. He'd been there the whole time. But because he wasn't expecting me, he just thought he was hearing things when he heard the door open. So the whole first day I was in Liverpool, we spent missing each other, like ships passing the night. Well done, Laura!
When I got to the main station in Liverpool, I clutched my Blackstone's guide and went to buy a ticket to the stop nearest to my Dad's house. With my ticket, I then boarded the train, went the six or so stops, then got off. As I headed out of the station, I realised my hands were empty! Where was my Blackstone's guide?! My very expensive Blackstone's guide? The one that I wouldn't be able to get another copy of in time for my essay deadline.
Panicked, I raced to the ticket office and explained that it had either been left on the desk when I bought my ticket in town or on the train. Panic, PANIC! Where was it? The railway man, thankfully, dealt very efficiently with this madwoman having a panic attack in from of him.
He located it in the station in town and I asked them to keep hold of it, I would go back. The next train was in 20 minutes so I quickly ran to the house, didn't see my dad's car, so assumed he was at work and threw my bag down before racing back to the station. I put a pack of ham in the fridge that I hadn't eaten on the journey. I had also made my Dad a hamper of baked goodies so put it on the sofa, in the seat behind the door where he usually sits so he would see it when he got home.
Picking the book up was fine and on the way back, I called the house to check if my Dad was home. He wasn't so I headed straight for a friends house. I spent the evening there and got home later but my Dad still wasn't home. Eventually I just wrote him a note and left it in the hallway and went to bed.
And here is my Dad's version of events:
"I was upstairs on the computer when I heard a sound like the door being opened then closed. I went downstairs to see what the sound was but didn't see anything. I popped my head into the front room but didn't see anyone. I went to the fridge to get my sandwiches to take to work and saw a pack of ham in there which hadn't been there before. Confused, I just got my sandwiches and went out to work, figuring there must be an explanation for it. When I got home late from work, there was a note on the floor saying Laura was home!"
That's right. He'd been there the whole time. But because he wasn't expecting me, he just thought he was hearing things when he heard the door open. So the whole first day I was in Liverpool, we spent missing each other, like ships passing the night. Well done, Laura!
Thursday, 7 February 2013
An evening in Venice
Well, not exactly. But it sounded good, didn't it? Did you think I was about to tell you that I'd gone all the way to Venice just for the evening?.... Ah, if only.
What actually happened was that I went to Covent Garden, to a restaurant called Polpo. Now, the more astute amongst you will be thinking, I've heard that name before, didn't she mention that a while ago?
Well, yes I did. To celebrate having done 200 posts, I cooked a big Italian feast with all the recipes taken from Polpo's cookbook which, by the way, is the most beautiful cookbook I have ever seen and the recipes are so simple, only about four ingredients in most things, but so delicious. Since having the cookbook, I have been meaning to go to the restaurant. Finally, last night, my friend and I decided it was time to go.
After a bit of faffing around in Hammersmith station trying to get onto the same platform and figure out which train to get and then walking an extremely long way around, we made it to the restaurant. It was long and thin and in the middle, there was a bar where people perched, with plates of different cicheti (which, I think, means starters) nibbling and chitchatting on tall stools. Behind this, was an area with lots of small tables. We were seated against the back wall by a lady who's smile remained in place all night, despite my requests for recipes from the kitchen, which must have been a bit annoying and slowed her down.
The menu was a paper place mat and I recognised so much of it from the cookbook that I already felt like I was in a familiar place. The Smiths and Goldfrapp played somewhere in the distance and gave me a good feeling about the evening.
We ordered four small plates of food to share for our starters and mains and, unfortunately, my photographs came out either too dark to see or lurid yellowy from my flash. So just bear with the bad lighting on these photos please.
An aubergine and parmesan wrap
Spicy pork and fennel meatballs (these were really good)
Flank steak with rocket and white truffle cream (this was the recipe I requested from the waitress, it was lovely)
We also had a bruscetta with ricotta, proscuitto and artichoke which we stuffed in our faces so fast that I forgot to photograph it. It was really really good though. Maybe my favourite thing, along with the steak and truffle cream.
For desert, I had a panna cotta with rhubarb and pistachio...
... and my friend had a tiramisu.
Both were tasty and served in a small glass, so just the right size after all the other bits had filled us up. My only sticking point with my panna cotta was that I had a small teaspoon when I really wanted a huge soup spoon, to be able to eat it faster. I also had an alfogato di caffe (I think I've spelt that wrong), which is an espresso with a ball of vanilla ice cream in it. It's a very Venetian thing, apparently. So I got one, in my ongoing attempt to become an Italian coffee-lover. I was unsure whether I was supposed to drink the espresso then eat the ice cream afterward or wait for the ice cream to melt, therefore sweetening the coffee then eat the whole thing with a spoon. I went for a bit of both but I've definitely got quite a way to go before mastering the technique. When I go to Venice (one day) I will make sure I have it sorted.
Afterward, we got something called chocolate salami, which I have made before at home. It was tasty when I made it so we ordered some of that as well as all the other things we were having for desert.
It is essentially a fridge set chocolate biscuit, with lots of things crushed up and mixed into it. It was quite a bit saltier than mine, so was slightly at odds with where we were in our meal. We were on sweet and we were happy there. Then suddenly salty came along. It was nice but probably needed something else with it. It would have been nice dipped in coffee, to warm it slightly and make the chocolate a bit melty and added a little edge to it with the coffee taste. Well, anyway, I know for next time.
All in all, we were very happy with this trip. It also wasn't that expensive, given how many different things we ate. I was pleased to see that the fame from the book hadn't turned them into an expensive once-a-year type of place.
The people at the next table started chatting to us at one point about what the chocolate salami was and what we had eaten and what we recommended for deserts. It's nice that way. It has an informal feel to it. The waitress checked in on us regularly, was happy to get into conversation about the truffle cream and how great the cookbook was. And the high seats at the bar, where people ate small plates of antipasti with glasses of wine or vin santo, were constantly full. I imagine it's an ideal place to perch if you're dining alone or just looking for something small and tasty after a long day at work. Very nice indeed.
Thumbs up for Polpo, just how I wanted it to be after loving the cookbook so much.
What actually happened was that I went to Covent Garden, to a restaurant called Polpo. Now, the more astute amongst you will be thinking, I've heard that name before, didn't she mention that a while ago?
Well, yes I did. To celebrate having done 200 posts, I cooked a big Italian feast with all the recipes taken from Polpo's cookbook which, by the way, is the most beautiful cookbook I have ever seen and the recipes are so simple, only about four ingredients in most things, but so delicious. Since having the cookbook, I have been meaning to go to the restaurant. Finally, last night, my friend and I decided it was time to go.
After a bit of faffing around in Hammersmith station trying to get onto the same platform and figure out which train to get and then walking an extremely long way around, we made it to the restaurant. It was long and thin and in the middle, there was a bar where people perched, with plates of different cicheti (which, I think, means starters) nibbling and chitchatting on tall stools. Behind this, was an area with lots of small tables. We were seated against the back wall by a lady who's smile remained in place all night, despite my requests for recipes from the kitchen, which must have been a bit annoying and slowed her down.
The menu was a paper place mat and I recognised so much of it from the cookbook that I already felt like I was in a familiar place. The Smiths and Goldfrapp played somewhere in the distance and gave me a good feeling about the evening.
We ordered four small plates of food to share for our starters and mains and, unfortunately, my photographs came out either too dark to see or lurid yellowy from my flash. So just bear with the bad lighting on these photos please.
An aubergine and parmesan wrap
Spicy pork and fennel meatballs (these were really good)
Flank steak with rocket and white truffle cream (this was the recipe I requested from the waitress, it was lovely)
We also had a bruscetta with ricotta, proscuitto and artichoke which we stuffed in our faces so fast that I forgot to photograph it. It was really really good though. Maybe my favourite thing, along with the steak and truffle cream.
For desert, I had a panna cotta with rhubarb and pistachio...
... and my friend had a tiramisu.
Both were tasty and served in a small glass, so just the right size after all the other bits had filled us up. My only sticking point with my panna cotta was that I had a small teaspoon when I really wanted a huge soup spoon, to be able to eat it faster. I also had an alfogato di caffe (I think I've spelt that wrong), which is an espresso with a ball of vanilla ice cream in it. It's a very Venetian thing, apparently. So I got one, in my ongoing attempt to become an Italian coffee-lover. I was unsure whether I was supposed to drink the espresso then eat the ice cream afterward or wait for the ice cream to melt, therefore sweetening the coffee then eat the whole thing with a spoon. I went for a bit of both but I've definitely got quite a way to go before mastering the technique. When I go to Venice (one day) I will make sure I have it sorted.
Afterward, we got something called chocolate salami, which I have made before at home. It was tasty when I made it so we ordered some of that as well as all the other things we were having for desert.
It is essentially a fridge set chocolate biscuit, with lots of things crushed up and mixed into it. It was quite a bit saltier than mine, so was slightly at odds with where we were in our meal. We were on sweet and we were happy there. Then suddenly salty came along. It was nice but probably needed something else with it. It would have been nice dipped in coffee, to warm it slightly and make the chocolate a bit melty and added a little edge to it with the coffee taste. Well, anyway, I know for next time.
All in all, we were very happy with this trip. It also wasn't that expensive, given how many different things we ate. I was pleased to see that the fame from the book hadn't turned them into an expensive once-a-year type of place.
The people at the next table started chatting to us at one point about what the chocolate salami was and what we had eaten and what we recommended for deserts. It's nice that way. It has an informal feel to it. The waitress checked in on us regularly, was happy to get into conversation about the truffle cream and how great the cookbook was. And the high seats at the bar, where people ate small plates of antipasti with glasses of wine or vin santo, were constantly full. I imagine it's an ideal place to perch if you're dining alone or just looking for something small and tasty after a long day at work. Very nice indeed.
Thumbs up for Polpo, just how I wanted it to be after loving the cookbook so much.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Yes, I have some bananas
Hi all, it's the guest blogger again today. Enjoy!
Just before getting into this week’s topic I thought I’d ask if, after last week’s post, any of you decided to do some three-word daily diary stuff. Here’s mine for the last few days:
Thu 31.1.13 Hospital blood test
Fri 1.2.13 Virus check done
Sat 2.2.13 Weekly shop done
Sun 3.2.13 Projector malfunction again
Mon 4.2.13 Projector fault found
Tue 5.2.13 Sun after snow
(A note from lazylauramaisey, mine for today is "loving new piano!")
Ok so on to this week’s subject.
YES, I HAVE SOME BANANAS
I wonder if you know the derivation of the word BANANA? Etymologies differ and one suggests it is from a West African language spoken in Senegal & the Gambia and introduced by the Spanish & Portuguese who it’s believed first discovered the word; the other suggests an Arabic root from their word banan meaning finger. Both sound feasible; take your pick I suppose.
Banana facts: they are a good source of vitamin B6 (25% of our RDA), vitamin C (about 15% RDA for a non-smoker) & potassium (25% RDA). The fruit releases into the body dopanine and serotonin which are good for the brain. Bananas are picked green and start to ripen straight away. What actually happens to turn them from green to the yellow we’re familiar with when we eat them? After they are picked, the hormones in the fruit convert certain amino acids into ethylene gas. This gas then causes the production of enzymes that change the colour and also the texture and flavour of the banana. The reason they can arrive here still green is because they are carried in a temperature controlled environment with a certain amount of ethylene in it so that the ripening process is slowed down.
Check out the label here on the bananas I bought this week at my local supermarket.
I wonder if you ever look at the labels on the food you buy. You may check a sell by date, best before date etc. How many of us look at the ingredients? Certainly those with allergies have no choice but anyone else is probably just rushing round as quickly as possible to get out of the supermarket or wherever the goods are on sale. I was intrigued last week to note the label on my bananas said they were a product of Ecuador; this week, as you can see in my picture, it was Cameroun. Ecuador apparently produces one third of all the bananas grown for export “in the world”. In 2004 there were 130 countries producing bananas; bear in mind the UN has 192 countries and the world has 195/6 depending on who is defining which land areas actually count as countries. That means basically two thirds of all the countries in the world produce bananas.
It got me thinking about the product. Where are the world’s bananas grown? How much? Here is a table showing production levels of the top 10 in the year 2011. However these figures are for both the main types of banana produced: plantains & dessert. Plantains are for cooking; dessert are the sweeter, and for eating raw out of the skin. You can see that Ecuador, supplier of last week’s bananas, is the 5th largest producer; Cameroon is 9th.
# 1 India: 29,700,000 metric tonnes
# 2 Uganda: 11,100,000 metric tonnes
# 3 China: 10,700,000 metric tonnes
# 4 Philippines: 9,200,000 metric tonnes
# 5 Ecuador: 8,000,000 metric tonnes
# 6 Brazil: 7,300,000 metric tonnes
# 7 Indonesia: 6,100,000 metric tonnes
# 8 Colombia: 5,100,000 metric tonnes
# 9 Cameroon: 850,000 metric tonnes
# 10 Tanzania: 3,900,000 metric tonnes
In terms of exports the order is 1.Ecuador 2.Costa Rica 3.Colombia 4.Philippines 5.Guatemala
However as we go about our weekly shopping do we think about how the supermarkets are able to bring us this fruit at such a cheap price. My bunch of 5 bananas weighed almost spot on 1kg so about 200g each; they cost me £0.79 ($1.25). They’re very good value. But how is this possible?
Think about this - the journey time by sea, on one of the largest shipping lines in the world, is about 28/29 days from the port of Douala (Cameroon) to Felixstowe (UK). Bananas require a temperature-controlled container for transport to keep them fresh (13.5-15⁰C). They then have to have an artificial ripening process, as they’re shipped very green, followed by delivery across the UK to warehouses and stores that need the supplies. There are a lot of links in the chain from producer to consumer.
Today’s world production of bananas is controlled by 4 companies nicknamed “The Wild Bunch”: Chiquita, Dole, Del Monte, Noboa
On the website freshplaza.com/news there is a headline “UK Supermarket blamed” & “Documentary exposes exploitation of banana workers in Cameroon”. You can read about a Scottish film maker, Jan Nimmo who got access to some of the plantations in Cameroon. She reported on the adverse conditions that employees are having to work in. Perhaps this is why my bananas are cheap. The difficulty is in knowing whether it is the supermarkets that drive down the price they’re willing to pay to their suppliers or whether it is unscrupulous bosses at the supply end who force workers to accept low wages to maximise their own profits; or maybe it’s a bit of both.
Perhaps next time I go I’ll look for the ones with the Fairtrade stickers on. I read that Sainsbury’s switched to getting their bananas from only Fairtrade producers over 5 years ago. The benefits to the local communities where these agreements are in place really do make a difference and in some cases mean that producers no longer have to take risks crossing borders to get better prices for their goods. Fairtrade purchases by the supermarket, in the Windward Islands (Dominica, St Lucia, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Grenada), have resulted in local communities being able to buy computers for schools, fund scholarships, sponsor a school bus and bus shelters as well as enabling local farmers to invest back into their own businesses. It is reckoned that about 10 million Fairtrade bananas, from the Windward Islands and South America were consumed at the London Olympics.
Anyone fancy some Banana Trivia?
Here we go then:
1- Canadians eat approximately 3 billion bananas a year.
2- Bananas do not grow on trees. They grow on the largest grass in the world.
3- 90% of the world’s bananas are NOT grown for export
4. 99% of bananas grown for export are of the Cavendish variety.
5. Four million 40lb boxes of bananas are imported into North America every year.
6. In 1998, the entire banana crop of Honduras was wiped out by Hurricane Mitch.
7. Bananas are the fourth most important staple food crop in the world.
8. Bananas were first imported to the UK in 1878 from the Canary Islands by Fyffe, Hudson & Co
What about bananas in songs?
If you fancy watching this check it out. It’s the video for the song Juanita Banana. If you don’t think you can make it through the whole 2.5 minutes just go to the point where the lady starts wailing. It’s worth it just for that bit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbe_DIv_Ja0
The song tells the story of a Mexican banana farmer's daughter who has operatic ambitions and with a chorus which is an adaptation of Caro Nome from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto. Just the sort of subject for a song you’d think of writing – right?
You’ve got to have a watch of this one as it gives you the deep meaning lyrics. It’s the Banana Boat Song. I’m sure you’ll recognise it as soon as you hear the opening lines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVUcz6wPrCs
You think this is a joke song? Just wait till you see who’s covered it: Shirley Bassey, Harry Belafonte, a group called A Bunch Of Coconuts & Stan Freberg. It’s even been used in the film Beetlejuice.(Check out that version on Youtube if you’re interested.)
Also remember that 1967 album by the Velvet Underground & Nico with this cover:
And finally - how about banana art? Check this one out:
http://www.jungilpark.com/banana-art.html
Then ask yourself – how long will this stuff last once the skin starts to age. It’s clever but it’s not going to last. I guess that’s why he’s got the pictures.
And all that from a tiny oval sticker on my bunch of bananas. Food for thought anyway!
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