Tagget av Snirkelsnorkel - matprat kun på norsk

Jeg har blitt tagget to ganger i løpet av desember. Den andre gangen av Snirkelsnorkel

Utfordringen er/var følgende:

1. Du må linke til den bloggen som tagget deg. Lenken finner du her da min bloggroll til høyre tar for seg kun matblogger.
2. Lag en liste med seks (u)interessante ting om deg selv. Mitt andre forsøk på det finner man nedenfor.
3. Tagg fem andre blogger, la dem vite det ved å kommentere på deres blogg. Jeg har ikke flere venner igjen og tør ikke tagge ukjente :P

Listen min:
1. Jeg kan ikke fordra tørket fiken. Årsaken er muligens forbundet med fikensyltetøy fra husker-ikke-hvor-i-Midtøsten som utrolig nok var å få kjøpt i Polen på tidlig åttitall.

2. Jeg pleier å si t man kan kjøpe meg for en kilo nougat.

3. Alternativt kan man prøve med en kilo fersk hellefisk.

4. Jeg har drukket kaffe siden jeg var ti – på legens anbefaling.

5. Jeg har førti kokebøker på kjøkkenet (for ordens skyld: felleseie i huset). De fleste brukt.

6. Jeg er oppfostret på amerikansk pulvermelk. Nammenam!

American Goodness on French Toast / Amerykańskie przysmaki na francuskim toście

One of my breakfasts in London deserved a separate entry. On Monday morning it was time to try The Breakfast Club at Angel. The place opened at 9 am and so we were quite hungry by that time. Their filter coffee wasn't good but the menu was promising. I went for Banana and Bacon French Toast. Which for me was very American. Served with maple sirup. Yummy. Not very healthy perhaps but oh so good.


Just see for yourself:


Bacon is actually one of the food things I remember best from the trip to New England. The smell of bacon in the enchanted house out in Cambridge the first morning after arrival, and then bacon served with maple sirup at the even more enchanted apartment of my friend in Vermont. And then the thought that you really have to try hard to find bad food in America.

What do you associate with American food? Do you like it? Why? Or why not?

There and back again

Of course I regret now not taking more pictures but the last few days were spent in the pleasurable company of friends and acquaintances in the overwhelming city of London. The wheather was generally good, and the food - of course - was generally even better.

Right after our arrival at the hotel in the Islington area we had lunch for which I have chosen toasted English muffins with Portabello mushrooms and poached eggs. Sweet and slightly sour and good.

Later in the evening, before visiting the Francis Bacon exhibition, I had the opportunity to taste some excellent Indian cuisine at Guffa at 39 Upper Street/Islington. The menu was extensive and rather different from what you would normally get in Oslo. Their chutneys were delicious and did not taste sugar and the spinach was not canned and there were many good and interesting tastes.

The next morning was started with a solid English breakfast. The coffee was rather thin but the food was good and a plenty. I walked through Victoria&Albert Museum and Postman's Park without really getting hungry.

Appearances may deceive and they did this time when our cosy Italian place chosen for dinner turned out to be rather dodgy and managed to serve an avocado sandwhich consisting of dry toast and avocado only, with a side dish of salad leftovers of the day (hopefully not the week). But my consolation prize was en evening of great music in good company along with a choice of beverages.

Accidentally the cider I liked best during my stay in London this time was Blackthorn which I preferred to both Strongbow and Magners. Well, well, at least I cannot consider myself a real snob ;-)

The following day begun with a cappucino and sandwiches at Tinderbox - a nice alternative to Starbucks - before heading to the tacky house of Sherlock Holmes, The Beatles shop that didn't really sell music and finally Bunhill Fields drowned in unbelivable amounts of rain. All this was seen before lunch. Foodwise the peak of this trip.

I have long wanted to try out St. John Restaurant in London. My expectations were high and I have to say they were satisfied during this lunch/dinner.

Here is why and how...


Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad - which was the initial reason for taking up an interest in this place.


Funny grouse with herbs stuffed behind.


Delicious hare with aromatic spices served with mashed potatoes.


Roast beef with grilled carrot.

And then came the desserts that invited lots of censored humour.
Try for yourself and identify the dish to the left I had the pleasure of sharing with Felizia:



Afterwards there was more to see at The Imperial War Museum, namely James Bond exhibition and more good people to meet with and more cider and general fun.

Enjoy your week!

Edit: I think I know where we are eating next time in London. Here! Thanks to our patient native speaker guide to British food - Mr T.

My favorite, your favorite

In order to generate a bit more activity in here I want each and every of you to post the name (and recipe if you'd like) of your favorite food thing: spice, ingredient, dish.

We begin with me: green curry. That's right, it is the dish of my life. The recipe to be posted soon, sice I will be preparing it this evening.

Now it's Your turn. Come on, I know you are there reading :)

September

The sun shines high above
The sounds of laughter
The birds swoop down upon
The crosses of old grey churches
We say that we're in love
While secretly wishing for rain
Sipping port and playing games

September's here again
September's here again

I have been rather uninspired lately - mostly foodwise. This does not mean, however, that this month has been totally uneventful in terms of food and beverages. I have tasted Pineau des Charentes (a French fortified wine) for the first time and liked it. I have made ruccola pesto twice and it turned out good at least the second time. I have eaten a delicious Tom Kha Gai with my colleagues, and then made it myself at home - the recipe and pictures will be posted this evening.






The lyrics above come form David Sylvian's opening song of "Secrets of the Beehive." album

Tommorow

I will be publishing part 2 of Fast food, not so fast and launching the next series of posts These are a few of my favorite things...

But today I have to rest my eyes.

Przy okazji, do moich polskich czytelniczek i czytelników: wszystkie przepisy mogę na życzenie przetłumaczyć na polski. Wystarczy zostawić wiadomość w komentarzach. Miłego gotowania!

A few words of introduction

I enjoy cooking and have been enjoying it for a few years now. The general rule of my kitchen is "you take what you have" (this sounds so much better in Norwegian). Sometimes "you take what you have to" because not everything can be stored forever. Apart from modern cucumbers - these stay the same for weeks, somehow.

Most of my recipes are based on recipes from books, and nearly everything has been researched on the web. Google is a handy tool there.

I use little salt and a lot of freshly crushed black pepper. Not out of snobbishness - it simply tastes better.

I will be glad for comments, so that I know my posts are being read. I write in English in case my Polish friends would like to read this. This also explains why my language is a little bit awkward. I might switch to Norwegian, if none of you Poles bothers to read.

Bon Appétit! Vel bekomme! Smacznego!