Finger food

Short entry today and it's a bit of a story with illustrative examples rather than pics.

After Saturday's blog on artichokes, I've been wondering why I like them so much.
Apart from the obvious liver cleansing benefits that they provide, I've worked out that I like getting involved in food and the more messy and complicated, the better.

With a globe artichoke you get the opportunity to pull it apart leaf by leaf and suck it dry of all its proverbial meat. By the time you've scraped out the heart, you're left with a highly satisfactory pile of chewed up leaves and other related paraphernalia. You've accomplished something and made sure there's no waste whatsoever (a brownie point for any eco-warrior)

Similar experiences may be found with a whole crab. One of the most entertaining dinners I have ever had involved ordering a whole crab with a very good friend. When the aforementioned article appeared, a look of terror appeared over her face as she admitted she didn't know what to do. I didn't really know what to do either but having seen others in the same predicament, we decided that we should attack it with the nutcrackers provided (yes I know they're not really nutcrackers) and tear out every morsel of crabmeat possible. Despite creating a pool of debris approximately three foot in radius around us and possibly over us too, as the poor crab was finally declared well and truly scoured, my friend announced that it had been one of the most enjoyable food experiences ever. So I know I'm not on my own in being a food annihilist.

I also love filleting fish. The more the fish bones look like something a cat has sucked dry in a cartoon strip, the better. It gives me a massive sense of achievement. Parma ham prepping is also good for the soul.

A final comment on finger food. NEVER look down on people who eat with their fingers. Once upon a time, I was somewhere in France as part of an international meeting eating some kind of very large prawn, maybe a langoustine but I can't remember exactly, What I do remember is that the Brits got stuck in with their fingers, wrenching off heads and tails and shells with glee whilst a particularly snooty French mademoiselle delicately and (to be fair) expertly used her knife and fork to complete the same action.

At a certain point, mademoiselle looked up and declared that if she had used her fingers, her mother would have kicked her off the table for such bad manners. Needless to say, the Brits paused to look at each other momentarily, raised their eyes skywards, went up for second helpings and continued to enjoy finger food as it should be enjoyed!

Chok full of goodness!

Apparently, there is a campaign to have a meat free Monday to encourage general carnivores to abstain from meat once a week as it is assumed non-veggies consume animals seven days a week, thereby using up the world's resources. 

I'd rather eat whatever we fancied on the basis it's produced locally (preferably the UK) using locally produced fertilisers/feeds and in season. This alone would significantly reduce energy consumption and support the local economy. No more green beans from Kenya!

Comments welcome!

Anyway, in support of my veggie friends, a meat-free Monday and my own momentary foray into the world of vegetarianism during a particularly dark period, this week's food of the week is a vegetable, of the most interesting kind!

Food of the Week: Artichoke

The common or garden artichoke is really quite special as it's actually a member of the thistle family. Here are a few facts and a few old wives tales...

No one knows from where the artichoke hails although it's generally believed to somewhere in North Africa.

Why the weird name?
The various European names of the artichoke all ultimately come from Arabic al-kharshuf but names have evolved from kaktos (Ancient Greeks) to carduus (Romans) to carchofas (SW France - from Italian carciofo - pronounced carchofo). The english word 'artichoke' seems to come from a Northern Italian dialect of articiocco (pronounced artichocko). I met some people from Ferrara once who endorsed this last fact.

Where did it come from?

Cultivation passed from Naples to Florence in 1466, to Venice in 1480 and then to Avignon and environs from 1532. Somehow the Dutch got in on the game and brought them to Henry VIII's garden in England in 1530. But the Americans weren't sure about eating thistles until the 19th century. Now they are mainly grown in the Mediterranean basin (although we have a few here in Blighty too!)

Things you should know!

According to the Turks you should eat an artichoke a week to keep your liver healthy. According to other nutritionists, it's good for liver, gallbladder and bladder functionality so we should eat more of them.

The artichoke genus is Cynara cardunculus. That's where the Italian artichoke liqueur gets its name

The 'choke' is the fuzzy bit that's inedible - I don't know what the arti bit is.

The Jerusalem Artichoke is an imposter - nothing to do with the artichoke at all.

How to eat

Whole, boiled and served with hollandaise, butter or aioli
Just the hearts, chopped up on a 4 seasons pizza, in pasta or pan fried with lemon and pepper

Where to eat

The Anchor & Hope in Waterloo has amazing globe artichokes when they are season. Union Market in Fulham has beautiful stuffed artichokes in their deli. Otherwise experiment with your own!


Perfect for a Meat Free Monday in July!

A return ticket to the classroom

Hot news! I'm succumbed to pressure and am now on Twitter so if you follow me, I can let you know as soon as I've written a new post. Just click on the Twitter button at the top left.

Not only that but after a June of football and tennis, I've been out to a couple of very cool new places - one of which is open for a limited period only - so the blog takes a slightly different format this week.

1) Penny University, Redchurch Street, Shoreditch (nearest tube Liverpool Street

Apparently Penny University is a term originating from the eighteenth century coffeehouses in London, England. Instead of paying for drinks, people were charged a penny to enter a coffee house. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of others, various discussions, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and the latest news and gossip. So everyone frequented them and had intellectual conversation.

Spending a penny at Penny University in Shoreditch doesn't get you very far (don't try it!) and it's not a big place either which makes it very special. No sugar, no milk, no espresso, no latte - just pure filter coffee and just three varieties (matched to William Curley chocolates if you prefer).

If you're lucky, Gwillym Davies (2009 World Barista Champion) will impart some of his extensive and fascinating coffee knowledge to you whilst he prepares the best coffee ever from something that you would normally expect to find in a chemistry lab.

If you're really lucky, you might get James Hoffmann (2010 World Barista Champion and the man behind Square Mile Coffee).

Things you should know!

- Three beautiful single estate coffees on the menu originating from Kenya, Ethiopia and Colombia costing from £3 to £4 per cup.
- Beans ground to order using a very special grinder that varies the grind quality (apparently one of the most important variables in coffee).
- A state of the art water boiler and three very cool preparation vessels.

Yes it sounds very nerdy but actually it's not - it's an enlightening and enjoyable way to drink coffee that everyone should try. It's only open until 31 July so hurry up and go!

2) Union Market, Fulham Broadway (Fulham Broadway tube)

Someone has done a stunning job of converting the old Fulham Broadway ticket hall into a food market. A beautiful space that has maintained some of the quirkiness of the old station with ticket desks and signage clearly visible. Even the old ticket office has been converted into a kitchen.

It's all about traceability, sustainability, seasonal and local. A farmers market that's open daily from 8am until 8pm (but you can get an early morning tea or coffee from 7am). From fruit and veg to wine and cider to cheese, charcuterie, bakery and general provisions, you can get everything here, even organic cola bottle gums. In addition, there's a [very] small tapas area and a few tables for something more substantial.

It's a warm and welcoming place to shop and the staff were very helpful and friendly. It's not cheap but the Fulham mummies will love it and I wish it all the best.