Berkshires, Berlin and books
Length: 3 mins I’m a little brain dead. A little under the weather. A little out of sorts. A little tired. Of so many things in this hellish time. With 1 in every 200 Palestinians having been slaughtered by the Zionist war-machine, ably… Read More »Berkshires, Berlin and books
A centipede of pork chops
Length: < 1 min An apposite quote via the rather talented Chris Cosentino (I mean he’s a Chris, come on, what do you expect?): His attraction to offal is well documented and as you, gentle, bright, smart reader will have already worked out, he’s… Read More »A centipede of pork chops
Something w̶i̶c̶k̶e̶d̶, this way comes
Length: < 1 min Or, soon come, perhaps? Marley and Pete Tosh sang this one, back in 1971. This is solo-Tosh — being Tosh, in his own, inimitable, fashion. He embraces the themes of hope and patience, alongside the Rasta belief that everything will… Read More »Something w̶i̶c̶k̶e̶d̶, this way comes
Bathed in bridge-adjacent binchōtan beauties
Length: 5 mins I spent 2 days last weekend in the old spa town of Bath; the ostensible reason for this occasion was a short — 1/2 day — course on ramen making, run by Chef Tim Anderson — ’tis him on the… Read More »Bathed in bridge-adjacent binchōtan beauties
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”
Length: < 1 min Read the New Socialist piece which encapsulates all my feelings. If after that, you still want to come at me, fine. You’re on the side of the oppressors, the colonialists, on the side of apartheid and repression. And definitely on… Read More »“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”
Salt me some meat, mate.
Length: 4 mins Is there any culture, ethnic group or country that doesn’t have some sort of salted pork or beef dish; one that often sits front and centre? Religious dietary strictures aside, of course. And yes, I know the same process isn’t… Read More »Salt me some meat, mate.
Ham or bacon? “Rock is dead they say, long live rock”.
Length: < 1 min “I need it every night”… If push came to shove I’d have to say that the Rhodochrosite is my all time favourite rock because — depending on how it’s cut and polished — it can look EXACTLY like a cooked… Read More »Ham or bacon? “Rock is dead they say, long live rock”.
Armenia City in the Sky; or simply any place that doesn’t try to kill us, maybe?
Length: 2 mins A less-played Who track, “Armenia City in the Sky” was an acid-trip paen (allegedly)… …but catching a news report this morning brought it to mind, especially the very first line “If you’re troubled and you can’t relax”, which effortlessly and… Read More »Armenia City in the Sky; or simply any place that doesn’t try to kill us, maybe?
Who are you calling a glutton?
Length: < 1 min This description may have — once or twice in the course of 50+ years of, conscious, eating — been aimed in my general direction. But I’m no match for the appetite (or range of food-stuffs eaten) of the protagonist, Tarare,… Read More »Who are you calling a glutton?
Jellied stock…
Length: 2 mins Don’t those words make “you shiver with antici–Pation” (a hat tip there, for Tim Curry’s “Rocky Horror” tour-de-force)? Known as Pi dong, in Shanghai where it’s frequently used to ‘stuff’ soup dumplings. It’s a rich stock, sliceable when chilled but… Read More »Jellied stock…
On “Taking Taiwan (By Taste)”.
Length: 2 mins The second solo LP by — post-Roxy Music — Brian Eno dates from 1974 (and is still a real banger by the way) and has been described thus “… inspired by a series of postcards depicting a Chinese revolutionary opera titled Taking… Read More »On “Taking Taiwan (By Taste)”.
Am I bitter? Nope.
Length: 2 mins Eating bitter. 吃苦 (chīkǔ) A Hakka concept. There’s an element of “pain first, then pleasure” (or maybe better, say “sweetness” rather than “pleasure”, so that you don’t think I’m simply straying into S&M territory) or “no pain, no gain” implicit… Read More »Am I bitter? Nope.
Kimchi Kojin kilned
Length: < 1 min The hand-built kimchi jar has gone into the kiln overnight, for its first firing to biscuit. We suitably propitiated the kiln god and rang the kiln bell. It’ll have cooled enough be able to be handled around 8pm tomorrow I… Read More »Kimchi Kojin kilned
Love the cull yaw buns, but golly, the brolly?
Length: < 1 min At £140 for a ‘bespoke’ one, naaaah, I think I’ll pass, thanks BAO London…
A pork clock; or a time-zone BLT?
Length: 2 mins Thanks to historian and writer Gareth Harney, for bringing to my notice this piece of (expensive) Roman whimsy. The bronze item was found whilst excavating in the ruins of the (buried by the eruption of Vesuvius) Villa dei Papiri, a… Read More »A pork clock; or a time-zone BLT?
Caesium-soaked truffles along with some radioactive boar meat
Length: < 1 min An old friend suggested this was redolent of one of the more extreme-end-of-the-scale Heston Blumenthal dishes; one I agreed I wouldn’t be trying at home. The caesium has accumulated in the atmosphere, soil and ground water from years of bomb… Read More »Caesium-soaked truffles along with some radioactive boar meat
The stuff of waking nightmares
Length: < 1 min What sort of sick, sick, pervert hid this horror at the allotment, found lurking in the grass, bringing terror to adults and children alike. Those cold, dead, staring eyes… It should be smashed to smithereens, the earth surrounding the powdered… Read More »The stuff of waking nightmares
Let’s EAT BITTER or Lydia’s Lunch…
Length: 4 mins You may recall Lydia Lunch, who came out of the 1970s’ New York City “no wave” scene as the singer and guitarist of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks? This piece isn’t about her as it happens (altho’ it is about… Read More »Let’s EAT BITTER or Lydia’s Lunch…
Visiting Vauxhall whilst eating The Victoria Line, 3 of 16
Length: 10 mins I found this piece on the Museum Of London website whilst researching my stations’ route. Despite their disavowal, it seems to me to be actually much closer to the reality of today’s London than maybe anyone is prepared to admit.… Read More »Visiting Vauxhall whilst eating The Victoria Line, 3 of 16