Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I entirely agree with you.

My Guardian comment was in response to an article about the horrified reaction to Starbucks arrival in Italy. I was objecting to the idea that Italian espresso is the purest expression of coffee: it's actually the purest expression of the high pressure steam process, the gadgetry used etc. You can taste the difference in beans from different places in a "long" coffee made by a simple French press much more than from a Gaggia. And really, Ethiopia is worth visiting just for the coffee (and an awful lot more besides) where they make it in a way that would horrify Italian coffee snobs.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Fair enuff ;)

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I smoke alongside my 2 sachets of sugar in italian espresso (in Italy). 2 each morning is enough to raise my pulse for the rest of the day, an added shot of sambuca in the winter aids the digestion.
Tea is only for when I feel ill which is perhaps once every 3 years.
Nothing could persuade me to visit Ethiopia for their coffee- it's not that important.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Italians are frightfully arrogant about their food and drink. And they really don't like it when you point out that tomatoes, pasta and coffee are all relatively recent imports. :lol:

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Two sachets of sugar in espresso plus nicotine? The coffee is (barely) just the solvent then. Why not have a red bull instead?

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

The majority of Italian food is bang average. I don't mind spending money on decent food where the ingredients are expensive, rare, exotic or whatever but when you can put the whole dish together for less than a quid and are charging 30 you can do one.

The problem is that as people buy into the bollocks they spout and so they continue the facade.....

It's the same with the majority of French food.

While in France the other week we stopped off in this small local restaurant in this quaint little French village. It had been recommended to us. We sat outside on the terrace in the sun and all was initially good with the world. The chef's claim to fame was that Jamie 'Twatface' Oliver had eaten there and had put one of her recipes in his book. As such, I had high hopes. I settled on this duck based hot pot thing..... it was OK but nothing special and the shards of bone throughout it made it less than special. We were with my mums friend who lives nearby and she explained it away as 'rustic French food'. Bollocks, its just lazy cooking.

If I am honest we didn't have one decent meal when we were there. I've often thought that to get a decent French meal you have to go to a decent spendy restaurant, which makes it no different from most places in the world. In one place we paid something like 90 euros for 5 stale filled baguettes and 6 soft drinks. They are right royal piss takers.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Not sure it's just the Italians.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Who said it was just the Italians?

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I go to France almost every year including this past Christmas. We ate very well, both out and at home. But it does help to do your research in advance. One can't just walk into any place, even places verbally recommended, and assume you'll get a great meal. Even though I am indifferent to cooking and eating at home, when I dine out I can be very fussy and do a lot of advance research via tripadvisor and zomato and food blogs. I also take word of mouth recommendations with a large grain of salt as people have wildly varying reactions and expectations.

After doing this for too many years I have a pretty good intuitive instinct for what's going to be good and what will be a disappointment just by looking at the restaurant menu and a few reviews (you can often judge more about the reviewer than the restaurant and in an inverse way it can tell you something about the food in a way the reviewer didn't mean to).

I will say that it's easier to find good food randomly in Italy than in France or anywhere else in Europe. Not saying all places will be great, but only that it's easier. Last year while waiting for a train transfer at a tiny village in the Italian Alps, we grabbed a quick meal in a grotty looking restaurant across from the station. Waitress was surly, inside was rundown and walls still covered with 50+ years of smoke fug, so we ate in the outdoor garden. No real expectations. The pasta was amazing. While I agree with you that much of Italian cooking consists of ingredients that can seem to be simple (tomato sauce), at a good Italian place it's a question of achieving the right balance of ingredients and finesse, which is much more difficult than one might think, and that's where the value comes from (although I'll also admit that given how much the culinary scene has improved in the UK since the 1980s Italian food isn't quite as impressive as it was to us back in those days).

Anyway, for my upcoming trip to China (leaving tonight via Qatar Business whoo hoo!) I've booked a highly recommended food tour, researched and made reservations at a few restaurants, and downloaded a food guide by a reputable source. Will every place be what I hope it to be? Most likely not, but I'll still eat a lot better than randomly walking off the street. Hopefully!

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I have a lot of experience in the Horn of Africa and I agree that Ethiopia has a lot to offer. I believe that for those without African experience, Addis is a much safer and more manageable entry point to the Continent than Nairobi and/or Johannesburg.

I disagree with those who think Italian food isn't consistently excellent. It is but one of the issues is that there are a huge number of tourist traps that serve meh food but charge a fortune for it. Non-Italians don't often know how to avoid those. I just let my wife and in-laws point the way.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Agreed - and in addition to that, the freshness of the ingredients and simplicity. I can definitely taste the difference when it comes to seafood when I eat my favourite, Vongole (clams, white wine and garlic)

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I'm always underwhelmed by Italian food. Cipriani, DIFC being a prime example.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

coffee.

used to drink anything but the older i get the worse i get.

home made hipster ultra fresh annoying as **** artisanal or whatever you want to call it.

im a coffee snob, sorry but life is too short for shit coffee.

i dont have a funny beard or talk about coffee endlessly but i really do prefer good coffee and can tell the difference.

i hate myself but damn do i drink good coffee

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

good italian is my favorite food, bad italian is just an insult to everyone.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Red bull is for adolescents, I'm an adult

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I don't know what you mean by DIFC .... but.... I agree that Italian food can be underwhelming and predictable. It depends how hungry you are. I find food generally boring and eating it just a reason to stay alive.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

You've shattered an illusion I had of you :(

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Sorry! I love cooking new things & taste as I go but Him is who gets to eat it.
Tonight is tagliatelle in pistachio pesto with prawns (proper fat ones) and chicken

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

It refers to a well known place in Dubai; what with this being the Middle East forum.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

As expected. Pissing contest over coffee.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Starbucks switched to using UHT instead of fresh milk here a few years ago. Can't stand UHT milk.

There is an amazing little coffee shop called Stomping Grounds near the Zoo in Jumeirah - try it out if you can. It has a mini roastery inside and a very knowledgable team. Always packed. Quite a few little independent coffee shops springing up.

Roseleaf Cafe in the garden centre is good (they switched from RAW to Coffee Planet - both roast locally in Dubai).

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

You like your women reeking?

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I did mention it on page one, and would have thought someone might have responded....but what does Civet Shit coffee taste like to be soooo expensive?? (and i do realise it is not literally Civet shit put beans passed through the animal undigested)

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Your one and only comment and you go with that!

Good work! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

It seemed right ;)

And I knew you had a sense of humour, so no fear of being flamed!

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I used to always enjoy my morning coffee / burner combo and the inevitable goosebumps / about to shit your pants combo that came with it.

But if I did what you did, with two espressos, sugar and a smoke. I'd have shite coming out my nostrils before I could say 'loo roll'.

I tip my hat.

Meh. I rarely eat Italian out because the portion sizes are always offensive. Here, have 5 layers of pasta we're calling lasagna, but really it's called; Find the Meat. :(

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Ha ha. :rofl::rofl:

I remember the first cig of the day clench and run very well.

Thats a thing of the past though. 6 moths cigless as of today.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Congrats!

Cold turkey? Patches? Cutting down?

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

Thanks.

Vape wanker. ;)

TBH tho, I do think that my reliance on nicotine has decreased significantly since I moved over. I don't vape anywhere near as much as I used to smoke. When boozing yes but a lot of that is due to habit (having / doing something with your hand when boozing and chatting). Other times though not at all, even though its much easier as I can lay on my sofa and vape away without any negative consequences. All this BS with them changing the law (obviously driven by big tabacco) will drive people back onto the cigs which is a shame after the huge numbers who have moved away from the cancer sticks. It's several million in the UK alone.

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

My 'issue' with vaping is more that I think I'd do it more, almost constantly, rather than smoking less.
I must be 6 or 9 months with no smokes at work, which is a big step in the right direction....but this weekend drinking showed me that when it comes to boozing, smoking is the eggs to beer's bacon. :zzz:

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I thought the same too..... and it was probably true at the beginning until the novelty wears off.

Boozing and cigs are a terrible combo. The amount (over your standard norm) that you smoke in a single brunch session is astounding and cigs are what massively ramp up your hangover.

Good work on the not smoking at work chat. I managed that for a while, only taking 2 cigs with me each day, one for the drive in and one for the way home. Found I nailed more when I got home though.