The Food Monologues

Today I decided to make some chinese egg tarts - with mixed sucess. I got a couple of recipes off the internet for them, but they didn't work that well - one recipe, the temperature was too high and following that recipe led to a burnt first batch. The second batch was a little better, with a lower oven temperature, but this led to a poorer pastry. The reason why they didn't turn out as well as expected was because the cake tins we were using were too small so there wasn't enough egg mixture. So finally, I tried using a much bigger cake tin and made a giant egg tart. At the moment, it is still baking in the oven, but fingers crossed, it will work.

Have you ever tried wasabi mixed with salad cream? Its suprisingly nice - mind you, you have to be careful not to over do the wasabi or it does funny things to your sinuses. Timmy came up with the idea when we were eating fish and chips on Monday and looking around for a different sauce to dip the chips into.

Bakewell Pudding from Bloomers in Bakewell in the Peak District - very tasty dessert that tastes like strawberry jam, egg pancake and croissant. Very yummy!

Today the boys in the office decided to go to Cadbury World. Paul, D and Mark P have never been so it would be a good place to go - seeing that its only a few miles down the road. Only problem was that they didn't make any reservations and the next tour wasn't for another couple of hours - so instead we all went to the factory shop instead and stocked up on loads of chocolate (which was my sole intention for going to Cadbury world - seeing I have been on the tour several times before). Timmy requested a chocolate sausage - like the one he got in the Cadbury's Cocoa House in Bath, but they don't sell them here, so I bought him a bar of apricot and almond chocolate instead and I got a bar of lime chocolate -which was rather nice and then we all left Cadbury World half an hour after we got there and to overdose on chocolate in the car.

Orange, Lemon and Carrot Sorbet - Very Nice!

Today Tim and I went to spa town Bath which is a little out of the way from Birmingham, but a nice day out. The sun was shining and it was one of the hottest days of the year and we were out to see the sights. So we saw the Pump House and Assembly Rooms where people used go to 'take the waters' and still do - it costs 50p for a glass if you care to try, which we didn't - Maybe another time.

Bath is a really touristy place, and suprisingly for such a touristy place there were very few of the fast food chains we are used to seeing in Birmingham. I mean Timmy and I looked everywhere for a fast food chain for some quick and cheap food and found none. In fact most of the places we saw were sit down and be served places - all very well if you are going on a leisurely visit - but we were on the move - wanting to visit as many places as possible (we have had too many experiences of slow service in restaurants - The Conservatory in Worcester springs to mind as being exceptionally slow - 45 minutes to cook an omlette!)

So what fast food places are there in Bath? We looked around and were suprised not to find any McDonalds or Burger Kings. There were lots of places that sold paninis (not the sticker type, but the bready cheesy type), though I do think that £4.95 is a lot to pay for take out toasted sandwiches - ah the joys of going into a tourist area. There are a couple of places that sell hot pasties and sausage rolls. Greggs in Bath have a pastie they don't sell in Birmingham yet - the sausage and bean melt - which I hope they will start selling in Brum soon as it would make a change from the vegetable and chicken varieties I tend to buy.

D returned from India the other day and he brough us back some of his favourite Indian snacks which are truely spicy. The masala chips were fiery hot and red - that even opening the bag would make your eyes water. The bag is double sealed, so you can imagine the chilli in there is pretty potent. What goes well with spicy nuts and chips? Why beer of course, and there is some left in the frige from Ant's birthday.