Food & drink
Local food isn’t always fabulous
Other country’s dishes, irrespective of what they involve, are invariably presented in travel articles as though they’re all exceptionally tasty just because they are authentic. […]
Food & drink
Food & drink
The problem with vegetarian food
I know a lot of people who balk at the idea of vegetarian food, as if the very mention of might be contagious. Maybe they’re worried the next time they bite into a meaty fillet their taste-buds will have become infected and the flavours will disgust rather than delight? […]
Equipment & Accessories
The Hiker’s Picnic
It doesn’t matter whether hiking in Spain or Portugal, Italy or Austria, the filling you’ll find in the picnic made by the hotel is likely to be the same … […]
Food & drink
Creative cuisine is working class art
My favourite part of the hotel was the kitchen, a volatile place where big personalities added expletives and threats to an air filled with the aroma of uninventive dishes destined for the unadventurous palates of coach excursionists from England. […]
Europe
The case against Spanish desserts
The issue is not one of whether these Spanish desserts are good or bad in their own right. It’s only by comparison with the desserts of other nationalities that you can really judge just how good a dish is… […]
Food & drink
The problem with recommending restaurants
In the words of the great Jim Morrison, people are strange… or they can be when it comes to food. As well as having very contrasting likes and dislikes, folk have very personal foibles, all of which makes recommending restaurants somewhat of a lottery. […]
Food & drink
Meat and two veg, a concept past its sell by date
I saw the phrase ‘meat and two veg’ the other day, coincidentally as I was uploading photos of our lockdown meals which most definitely were not of the meat and two veg variety. For some reason it jumped out at me, and for the first time I realised what a curious thing it is. […]
Food & drink
Cooking with travel memories
Perhaps, as we can’t travel, memories of tasting similar creations in various destinations has added extra oomph to flavours, but we’re relishing reliving travel moments thanks to these lock-down menus. […]
Austria
Europe’s just desserts, ten standout puddings
My least favourite part of a meal is dessert… unless there is something which awakens the sweet-toothed child that slumbers within. And there regularly is, no matter where we travel around Europe. […]
Food & drink
Bacon, an essential travel item
During the course of a neverending monologue from Marcia, with an “aye, that’s right” thrown in by Preston every now and again, she mentioned their suitcase was half-filled with tins of Spam. It snapped me out of the self-induced coma I’d retreated into. What sort of strange person would pack Spam in their suitcase? […]
Europe
Chinese swans to Thai tapas, 10 favourite meals in 2019
I couldn’t tell you how many times we’ve eaten in restaurants, cafes, bars etc. in various destinations this year. Basically, a hell of a lot. But there are some dishes which stand out above others for numerous reasons. These aren’t always solely to do with the food on the plate in front of us […]
Europe
Traditional vegetarian options in European walking destinations
When travelling we occasionally get tired of traditional cuisine in some destinations. This happens when restaurant menus vary little from one to another and mostly involve meat, meat, or meat. When this happens, we are on alert for any local dishes which don’t involve a slab of dead animal. […]
Chile
Dinner at the fire station in Coyhaique
“The fire station is the best restaurant in town?” We checked we heard right. We had. The fire station is the place to eat in Coyhaique, in Chile’s Aysen region. […]
Europe
Is food in Britain boring?
Food in Britain is boring. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard a variation of this statement in online travel discussions. When I hear the evidence generally provided to back it up, I tend to wonder about the travel habits of those who make it. […]
Food & drink
Going local with gastronomy or doing a Mumford
What’s available locally has a strong bearing on gastronomic specialities in an area. And what those local specialities are tends to be what restaurants do best. In the hills and mountains these dishes are usually meat based; at the coast they’re whatever salty gifts the sea offers. […]