Ideal British weather: a sprinkling of rain early this morning and a cloudy day thereafter. Lunch with an old colleague from Parliament I hadn’t seen for ages.
A number of other ZANE supporters cheered us on our way.
Eat, Drink and Be Wary
A few thoughts on food and eating out (thanks to Jay Rayner)…
There is nothing you can eat that will detoxify you. That’s what your kidneys and liver are for. Don’t bother with “wellness” because no one is interested in “illness”.
Fat is where the flavour is, and salt is the difference between eating in black and white and eating in technicolour – even if your cardiologist would disagree.
Most dishes can be improved with the addition of bacon.
Kitchen knives in holiday rentals are always terrible – take your own.
Avoid cookbooks that tell readers cooking good food is simple and quick. It takes time and experience.
Hyper-expensive food is all about status and never about deliciousness. Don’t bother with it.
Tipping should be abolished. It’s wrong that restaurant staff should be dependent on the mood of the customers for the size of their wages. They should be paid properly. This works in Japan, France and Australia, and it should work here too.
All new restaurants should employ someone over 40 to check that the print on the menu is large enough for oldies to read, the lighting bright enough to read by and the seats comfortable enough for a lengthy meal. If the waiter has to explain the concept behind the menu, there is something wrong with it.
Waiters should always write down orders.
Eating alone in a restaurant with someone you love (yourself) is always a pleasure and an opportunity to watch people.
Expensive restaurants are always wasted on the people who can afford them.
Food should always be served on plates, not on garden trowels, planks or slates. On plates.
Trust Your Gut
Follow these golden rules for choosing a restaurant:
Buffets are where good taste goes to die.
Picnics are a nightmare.
Never go into a restaurant that has shiny photographic menus displayed in four languages, particularly if one is Russian.
Never enter a restaurant if there’s a waiter outside trying to entice you in.
Never go into a restaurant if more than half the customers are waiting for food and only a few are eating. Go somewhere else, the service has to be terrible!
Bon appétit!
Ministry of Love
Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
I know why my friend Henry Brooks was born.
Henry has Down syndrome. On the face of it, he’s a victim of one of life’s cruellest hazards. But when he enters a room and sees someone, he breaks into a broad smile, yells “Hello” and rushes over to hug them.
English people take a little time getting used to Henry’s “style”, but it’s impossible not to be charmed by his innocence, warmth and over-the-top exuberance.
Henry was born to spread love. I can’t think of a rarer and more valuable quality.