Archive for December, 2009

Any sites that give info on animal free products, or shops/restaurants in perth where these are available?

I watched a rather disturbing video on the beef industry and now feel sick even thinking about eating beef, I don’t know if this will be long term or not… I already have had quiet serious food poisoning from eating poorly prepared chicken so I dont touch that now, and the only seafood I eat is the stuff my dad catches and gives to me and I prepare myself, I wont eat it from take aways…(you just dont know how they prepare it).. But living in Perth Australia, I went shopping for some products that do not contain beef or chicken I also try to not eat sugar, salt or overly processed foods and had a hard time finding stuff, obviously apart from Fresh fruit and vege’s.. and reading all the labels is very time consuming.. Is there any good sites that can guide me towards certain brands, or is there any good shops in perth that only sell organic foods?? and if anyone knows of good restaurants or take away places that apply these policies I be most greatfull if you could tell me! Thanks!

For a list of vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Australia, visit VegDining.com.

Vegetarian Restaurants in
Perth, Australia

Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant V *
1/220 James St. (08) 9228 2882

Annalakshmi Restaurant Perth V
The Esplanade, 2nd Floor 618 9221 3003

Formosa Vegetarian Eating House V
91 Aberdeen Street 08 9227 0238

This website also links to AllVeggieLinks.com, which lists businesses offering animal-free products.

http://allveggielinks.com/

Congratulations for being on your way to a healthier and more compassionate lifestyle! Good luck!

Recipes using seafood stock?

I have a couple pounds of crawfish heads in my freezer, I want to use it to make seafood stock.

But after I make the stock, I’m not sure what to use it in. All I’m finding on the internet are recipes for the stock itself, not just recipes using the stock as in ingredient. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Throw some tofu cubes and spinach in it, heat it up, and enjoy an Americanized version of miso soup.

I am looking for fish and seafood recipes from around the world!?

Do you have any special ones that you would share? They can be easy or difficult. Thank you!

this is indian recipe
=================
Machhili Jaisamandi

Ingredients
fish
4 tsp – oil
For Green chutney:
fresh mint leaves
fresh coriander leaves
garlic
ginger
For Batter:
2 – eggs
250 gm – clarified flour
water
salt to taste
For Sauce:
2 tsp – oil
½ tsp – cumin seeds
10 tsp – fresh cream
2 tsp – green chutney
salt to taste

Method
For Green Chutney:
1. Grind mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
2. Green chutney is ready.
For the Fish :
1. Cut the fish into small pieces and slit open from the centre.
2. Then fill the fish with green chutney and keep it aside.
For the Batter:
1. Add egg, clarified flour, salt and water in a bowl to make paste.
2. The batter is also ready. Now heat oil in pan.
3. Dip the fish in the batter.
4. Then semi fry the fish in the pan and keep it aside.
For Main Preparation:
1. Heat oil in pan. Add cumin seeds and cook them till they start crackling.
2. Then add fresh cream, green chutney, semi cooked fish and salt.
3. Cook the fish for few minutes.
4. Machhli Jaisamandi is ready.
5. Garnish with ginger juliennes and fried mint leaves.
6. Serve hot with rice.
=========================
hope this helps

If I buy fast food seafood and do this, is it still safe to eat?

If I buy fast food seafood (fish, shrimp, crab cakes, etc.) and drive an hour home before eating it, is it still safe to eat?

an hour is fine. I wouldn’t eat it the following day though!!

Is it safe to eat seafood if once at home I noticed there was water leaking?

I bought some seafood, the packaging seemed intact but once home it seemed like there might have been some hole somewhere and all water was dripping out. The fish was not frozen, just refrigerated.

It is dissipation, most likely, from the temperature change between the store bins and the car ride home/

When in doubt, throw it out.

A Comprehensive List of Food Safety Tips

Whether you have a career in food preparation, entertain privately, or just cook for your family, food handling has some science to it that you should know. What with hearing a story in the news every other day about yet another Salmonella or E. Coli outbreak, we could all stand to hear a refresher course in the sanitary preparing of food.

Handling food
Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling food. Always use clean kitchen utensils for handling foods. Keep raw and cooked food apart at all times. Apply this especially to raw meat, fish, and poultry. Keep these away from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods. Wash and dry hands, utensils, cutting boards, knives, and flat surfaces thoroughly after preparing raw meat, fish, poultry and other raw foods and before contact with other food. Ideally you should use separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods. Never put cooked food onto a plate which has previously held these raw foods until it has been washed. Do not use the same utensil to stir or serve a cooked meal that was used to prepare the raw ingredients.

Vegetables of the root family such as potatoes, leeks and carrots often have traces of soil on them which can contain harmful bacteria, so wash them thoroughly before use. As a rule you should wash other fruit and vegetables too, especially if they are going to be eaten raw. Avoid preparing food for yourself or others if you are sick.

Defrosting
When cooking packaged frozen foods always follow instructions provided for defrosting or cooking directly from frozen. If cooking from frozen allow sufficient time for food to be thoroughly cooked and check it before serving; an extra minute in the fryer won’t hurt it. When defrosting foods make sure they are fully defrosted before cooking; being sure to allow food enough time to thaw. Never re-freeze food once it has started to thaw.

Thaw food by placing it on the bottom shelf of the fridge in a container to catch any juices, or in a bin or rack over a sink. These juices will often be contaminated so wash dishes and hands thoroughly after use. Only thaw food in a microwave oven if it is to be cooked immediately. To thaw very large meat items like turkeys, leg of lamb, etc. more quickly, let them defrost outside of the fridge. Put them in a cool place and make sure they are completely thawed before cooking.

Cooking and heating
Follow recipes and label instructions on cooking times and temperatures.
Remember to preheat the oven properly – the instructions for preheating take into account that the cooking time should be at the full temperature. Cook all foods until they are piping hot. Remember that sausages, burgers, pork and poultry are cooked all the way through and they should not be rare or pink in the middle. As a test, pierce it with a knife; any juices that run out of the meat should be clear, not bloody. Lamb and beef (except when minced or rolled) can be eaten rare, but you should make sure the outer surface is thoroughly cooked to kill any germs on the surface of the meat.

Elderly or sick people, babies, young children and pregnant women should only eat eggs cooked until both yolk and white are solid and should never eat raw or partially cooked seafood. Don’t cook foods too far in advance. Once cooked, foods should be kept covered and piping hot (above 145F) until it’s time to serve them. Keep prepared cold foods in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.

When using a microwave, stir foods and drinks and allow them to stand for a couple of minutes to avoid hot or cold spots. Check that food is hot throughout before serving. Foods that are not thoroughly cooked should be re-heated for another few minutes, but when it comes to microwaves food should not be reheated more than twice.

Cooling
Never put hot food directly into the fridge or freezer, let it cool sufficiently first. Cooling should be completed within one or two hours after cooking. To speed cooling you can divide foods into smaller portions, place in a wide dish and stand this in a shallow tray of cold water.

Extra care for babies
Because babies’ immune systems are less developed than those of an adult, they are at a greater risk of illness. To take extra care for young babies, wash bottles and utensils in hot soapy water and sterilize them using a sterilizing solution or a steam sterilizer. When adding water to baby foods, milks and other drinks always use bottled water and never water straight from the sink tap. Cook foods thoroughly until piping hot and cool them rapidly until they are comfortable to eat.

Extra care with barbecues and grills
Cooking food outdoors, particularly for large groups, can increase the risk of food poisoning. It’s harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and to keep everything clean. But with a little extra care barbecues and outdoor grills can be used safely.

Light the barbecue well in advance, making sure that you use enough charcoal and wait until it is glowing red with a powdery gray surface before starting to cook. Keep meats, salads and other perishable food in the fridge, or in an ice-packed portable cooler box, until just before you are ready to cook them. Serve salads at the last minute. Ideally use separate cooler boxes for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. Cooler boxes can only keep food cool for a limited period so cook sooner rather than later. Better still,
if possible, fully pre-cook all poultry and sausages in an indoor kitchen and then take them straight to the barbecue to add the final barbecue flavor.

During cooking, turn food often. If it starts to burn on the outside raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal. You reduce charcoal’s heat by dampening the coals slightly or partially closing the air vents. As always, cook poultry, burgers, pork and sausages throughout with no pink bits in the middle. Keep raw and cooked foods apart at all times.

Don’t handle cooked foods with utensils that have touched raw meats and don’t put cooked or ready-to-eat foods such as salad and bread on plates that have held raw meats.

Josh Stone
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/a-comprehensive-list-of-food-safety-tips-70421.html

Enjoy Exotic Tastes In Your Everyday Cooking With The Power Of Aromatherapy

Anyone who is at least a beginner when it comes to cooking in the kitchen has more then likely already incorporated many of the elements of aromatherapy into some the dishes they have created. Making use of various ingredients such as infused oils and flavored butters can add a incredible amount of depth in flavor to the meals you cook. When you use these types of ingredients you cause your smell receptors to burst with activity and come alive from a flood of tantalizing aromatic sensations.

Many of us have a tendency to overlook the obvious fact that part of enjoying the meals we eat involves using more than just our sense of taste. Living a fast paced lifestyle is becoming the norm for many people, it is becoming more and more common that many of us never have enough time to fully appreciate the meals we do eat. The sad side effect of this constant eating on the go is we end up never giving our brains the time it needs to fully process and appreciate our dining experiences. If we would allow ourselves to slow down a bit, we could give our selves a much fuller experience incorporating more then just our sense of taste. Not only will we enjoy our food more but something many people do not realize is that giving our brains a more sensory rich experience in general helps to create new neural networks. There are many positive health and psychological benefits from expanding our neural pathways.

A majority of what we taste is greatly influenced by it’s associated smells. The reason for this is simple, if we would only taste the flavors our tongues were designed to process, we would end up only able to distinguish a very small pallette of flavors. Sweetness, sourness, saltiness and bitterness. You can easily test this the next time you walk into any home or restaurant while food is being prepared. You will notice that even before we see food we can easily smell it. Not only that, but many times we are able to pick out the different aromas and we end up instantly hungry as our taste buds begin to water.

Here are a couple of easy ways to incorporate aromatherapy into your own cooking.

First any good chef will tell you, do not be afraid to experiment with your food! playing with the many different varieties of herbs, spices and edible flowers can help breathe a wonderful new life into many dishes which may have became tiered with time. Using these types of powerful taste enhancing ingredients will almost surely turn the most boring of simple foods such as plain vegetables into meals you truly look forward to eating.

One of the many benefits of incorporating aromatherapy into your home cooking is its ability to help you lose weight. A common reason why many people are drawn toward foods high in fat is the simple fact that many of these foods just taste so good. While it is true that cheese, creams, gravies and butter can help add a lot of flavor to many dishes, they also have the side affect of adding quite a bit of extra calories. Try using more vegetables, fruits and lean meats in your recipes while flavoring them with a powerful aromatic herb or flavored oil. By doing this you will not only provide your self with many additional vitamins and nutrients but also give your self a healthy alternate way to enhance flavors without using high fat ingredients.

In order to add aroma and flavor to food with mother natures treasure trove, you have got to first release the powerful oils from the various plant material. Using heat to extract a plants aromatics is a common and effective method, however if you use to much heat you will burn the plants and end up spoiling your meal. To get the ideal results, it is always best to heat the herbs very slowly under a low heat.

The different ways you can use aromatherapy in your cooking.

Infusions

One great way to incorporate aromatherapy into your cooking is through the use of infusions. An infusion can add a tremendous variety of different flavors to your meals and as bonus they are very easy to make. An infusion is just a combination of an oil or water base that has been steeped with some sort of herb or flower for a period of time.

Herbed butter

Many herbed butters can be a fantastic addition to your dishes. They can add a lot of flavor as well as an incredible aroma to just about any meal. But due to the butter base you want to use herbed butters sparingly and in moderation. As with infusions, making herbed butters is quite easy.

Fresh herbs

If you use fresh herbs in your cooking, you will get much more pronounced flavors when compared to the use of dried herbs.

Here are some quick ideas you can easily use to incorporate aromatherapy into your cooking.

A Healthy alternative for pasta instead of the standard cheese and meat combination is to try tossing in some vegetables that have been sauteed in an infused oils.

Also the next time you are cooking poultry, vegetables or seafood, try brushing them with an herbed butter, then just wrap in aluminum tin foil and grill or bake. The trapped steam inside the wrapped aluminum foil will help the flavors of the herbed butters seep throughout whatever it is you are cooking.

There are many additional ways to use aromatherapy in cooking, as was said before don’t be afraid to experiment and let your creativity run wild!

Stacy Richford
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/enjoy-exotic-tastes-in-your-everyday-cooking-with-the-power-of-aromatherapy-50914.html

Some Simple Advices About Diet to Fight Rheumatism and Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is a major component in most rheumatic pain conditions or rheumatic diseases, therefore it is advisable to eat a good amount of food that reduces inflammation and reduce the consumption of food that contains inflammatory agents. Here are some simple dietary advices that may help reduce rheumatic conditions:

THINGS YOU SHOULD EAT TO REDUCE RHEUMATISM

The fat types called omega-3-poly-unsaturated fat and mono-unsaturated fat reduce inflammation and thereby ameliorate rheumatic conditions.

Good sources of omega-3-fatty acids are: fat fish, seafood, flax seeds, perilla, seal meat and oils made from these sources. Seal oil has shown to have an especially beneficial effect by rheumatic conditions. You should eat fat fish at least 2 times a week, and have a meal made of fish or seafood at least every second day. You should use some oils from this group in your dishes in order to get enough omega-6, or take a couple of tablespoons of such oils each day as a medication.

These oils should not be used for frying or warm cooking, they should also be stored cool, and locked. They easily oxidize and react chemically in many ways by exposure to heat and oxygen, and thereby convert to harmful substances.

Good sources of mono-unsaturated fat are: olive, canola, rape, almonds, peanuts, cashew pecan, hickory, hazel nuts, pistachio, macadamia, filbert, avocado and oils made from these sources. These oils can be used for gentle frying and hot cooking, since they are more robust for chemical alternations than omega-3-oils. You should also use some of these oil types in your cooking, and especially olive oil of extra virgin quality.

However, when you add these types of oils to your diet, you should reduce the intake of other types of fat, so that you do not get too much fat.

You should also eat many vegetables, since also these make a body chemistry that reduces inflammation.

THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT EAT TOO MUCH OF

Have only a small consume of oils containing much omega-6 poly-unsaturated acids, like soy oil, corn oil, or oils made from these sources: sunflower, safflower, grape seed, cotton seed, walnut, sesame and wheat germ. The fat in these types of oil increases inflammation.

You should however not stop eating food containing, omega-6-fat, since you need some of this fat type.

Most food you buy that is ready to eat from a factory or restaurant, contain much omega-6-fat. You should therefore reduce the consumption of food you do not cook yourself.

Bread, cereals and products made of corn or cereals also increase the inflammation response, especially if they contain wheat. Wheat causes a special type of inflammation in the intestines called celiac disease in some individuals, but may also trigger inflammation of non-celiac type. However, full-corn cereals and full-corn bread are valuable types of food, so you should not stop eating them. But if you eat bread or corn products at every meal, you should reduce your intake of these and eat more potatoes, beans and peas.

THINGS YOU SHOULD IDEALLY NOT EAT AT ALL

You should absolutely not consume fat that has been chemically altered to give it another consistence. This type of fat has a very negative effect on the health and may be very potent inflammatory agents. Margarine, snacks, fast food and ready made cakes or cookies often contain this kind of fat. Unfortunately this type of fat is also often added to bread. A good idea could be to bake your bread yourself.

Knut Holt
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/some-simple-advices-about-diet-to-fight-rheumatism-and-chronic-inflammation-267506.html

Contamination and Coeliacs

Even if you are following a gluten-free diet sometimes, unknowingly, you can be eating gluten. This is what we call “contamination”.

Contamination is a real threat to Coeliac sufferers and it can happen in many different ways. In our years of experience at FG Roberts, we have noticed some common mistakes and we’ve been working hard to raise awareness and improve the quality of life of Australia’s Coeliacs.

Avoiding Contamination is simple but it requires discipline, rigourous attention to detail and vigilance. Always read the labels and when or if you are in doubt, do not be afraid to ask if you are uncertain. Eventually, avoiding gluten becomes second nature.

Below are some further points to be considered:

1 – Never reuse oil which may have previously deep fried foods containing wheat or flour containing gluten, to prepare gluten free food.

2 – It is always advisable to use separate utensils, baking trays, bread and cake tins, cutlery, crockery, toasters, bread slicers, dough rollers, rolling pins etc. for preparing and serving gluten free foods. Thoroughly clean all benchtops and work areas when changing to gluten free food preparation.

No shortcuts or compromises are acceptable as even minute quantities of gluten can cause severe and immediate reactions in some individuals. Even when the impact is not so blatantly obvious with a Coeliac there is nearly always damage associated with the unintentional or accidental ingestion of gluten.

3 – Try to avoid chips in cafeterias and restaurants where they also serve other deep fried foods containing gluten, as these foods are usually prepared in a common grill or deep fryer and may contain traces of gluten.

4 – Never bake / roast food with and without gluten at same time. For example, baking lasagna and roasting a chicken in the same oven could potentially cause gluten contamination of the chicken.

5 – Do not toast / heat bread for a Coeliac in the same toaster used for normal bread as gluten containing crumbs may contaminate the gluten-free bread.

6 -Thoroughly wash any container where you will store gluten free foods in case you previously have stored gluten containing foods in them.

7 – Avoid drinking coffee from unknown places or brands. Poor quality coffee may be mixed with products containing barley and hence gluten.

8 – Pay attention to the lollies you choose. Some (e.g. glucose lollies) may have been dusted using wheat starch, which contains 100 p.p.m of gluten, to prevent them sticking together. Read the labels of such products carefully.

9 – When eating in restaurants you should err on the side of caution, selecting the simpler options. As a general rule you should avoid food with gravies, sauces, salad dressings and grilled or fried meats or seafood.

If unsure, talk to the waiter or chef to explain and make sure they understand your requirements. Keep in mind that:
- Gravies, sauces and dressings are often thickened using wheat flour or starch.
- The grilled and fried meats may have traces of gluten residues from prior meal preparations or after being seasoned or battered or crumbed with product containing gluten. Most batters and crumbings are wheat based. However there are gluten free alternatives.

10 – Japanese and Chinese food restaurants serve food with soy sauce. Soy, miso and tamari sauces may contain gluten.

11 – If you have Coeliac kids and they are going to a party, talk to the host in advance regarding the food being served or about your child taking their own food. If you can, suggest a menu with gelatin or popcorn. If unsure, feed the child before the party so that he or she can have fun without being hungry.

12 – When you try any new food you should be aware of any possible impacts on your body. You may be sensitive to ingredients other than gluten. e.g. lactose, fructose, nuts, eggs, sesame, salicylates, flavourings, preservatives, colourings and other potential allergens.

13 – Prescriptions drugs in the form of tablets or capsules may have wheat and hence gluten in their composition. Read the instructions, contact the manufacturer if in doubt, and if necessary talk to your doctor to find a replacement.

14 – Don’t fall for traps such as eating just the “burger” from a cheeseburger, or just the cheese from a pizza, or the meat and vegetables from a soup made with pasta/noodles. The contamination has already happened.

15 – Always contact the Customer Services department at the companies where you have questions or when you want to introduce new products into the diet of a Coeliac and have questions.

16 – Do not use malt vinegars or anything containing malt as these are made using barley and wheat and therefore contain gluten. Be wary of rice malt as this is often made on the same equipment as ordinary malt.

17 – Always check on colourings as some of these may be wheat based and may contain gluten e.g. some caramels.

18 – Always ask about hamburgers, sausages and other small-goods as they often contain wheat flour (and therefore gluten) as a filler and or binder. Sometimes gluten is used for the chewy texture it imparts. Fortunately many sausages etc. are now made gluten free.

19 – Watch for crumb contamination in butter and other spread containers where Coeliacs and non-Coeliacs are sharing the same spread containers. It is probably best if Coeliacs have their own spread containers.

We have heard of a couple where they each had their own pantry, toaster, butter dish and spreads etc. to protect the wife from any accidental gluten contamination. This is extreme but was effective as she was hyper-sensitive to the merest presence of gluten.

20 – Try to find manufacturers who are exclusively gluten free as this is your best guarantee of a safe and uncontaminated product: stick with and support reliable suppliers. Let them know you appreciate their efforts.

Remember: When in doubt, don’t take the risk!

You can access our blog and articles to learn more about Coeliac Disease and gluten free diets.

Paul Smith
www.glutenfreehealth.net

Paul F G Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/contamination-and-coeliacs-605164.html

London’s More Unusual Dining Out

what is it with the summer and eating out? When the sun is shining, any and every place with even the most cursory outside seating, be it on pavement, traffic island or cliff-top precipice, will be packed from 6 o’clock onwards, and you have to sweat it out in the almost certainly non-air-conditioned, gloomy interior. But hey, it’s autumn and we can retreat indoors and grab back some elbow room. We’ve listed a selection of places so cool, so weird, so out there, that the inside is now back in.

So it’s cold, it’s raining (again), and all you feel like doing is curling up in front of a roaring fire with some yummy food. But you have central heating (so not the same). Luckily, there’s always Firevault, where there are more roaring fires than you can shake a poker at. It’s a fireplace showroom with handy restaurant attached — although we are curious as to the numbers of people who, having dined, walk out with a fireplace under their arm — serving a standard, but well-executed menu. Seared beef and rocket salad; wild mushroom pappardelle with truffle oil; lamb shanks with ratatouille and polenta chips all feature. The surprise is the wine list, which verges on the eclectic – it’s grouped by grape, so you have to have a little bit of knowledge, but a well-chosen mix of Old and New World at some nice prices. It’s a set price menu – £22.95/£27.95 for 2 or 3 courses respectively, which isn’t bad for Oxford Street. If you don’t fancy a full on meal, but you still want to dry off, there is a cocktail bar with a bar menu featuring antipasti and sushi options for a quick bite.

On the other hand, you may be relishing the chilly nip outside, and long for those days when you can layer up, sling on a hat and scarf and take brisk walks through the park. Well, get out your thermals, because Absolut Icebar and accompanying restaurant Below Zero (pictured on home page) are right up your street. The bar is London’s first permanent icebar, constructed entirely from imported Swedish ice, newly reconstructed every 6 months, and with an internal temperature of around about –5°C. Cold enough for you? There are maximum time slots of 40 minutes, and you will need the thermal cape provided at the entrance. After you’ve frozen your noddle off at the bar, make your way to the next door restaurant and lounge to discover the use of your hands again. The food is classed as Modern European, but with a range of dishes served on ice (but of course), tasting plates to share, an à la carte menu featuring steamed mussels with chorizo, or baby wild mushrooms in filo pastry with honeyed onions; a seafood grill and great platters of cured meats and smoked fish, continuing the Scandinavian theme. The prices can reach infamous Scandinavian heights too, with starters beginning at the £7 mark, so don’t get too carried away with the vodka.

Alternatively, you may be of a more nautical frame of mind, in which case, we have a couple of suggestions. The Lobster Pot in Kennington is the most oddly situated (Kennington – why?), yet quirkily charming places to eat seafood in the whole of London. Chef-proprietor Hervé Regent, cheerily gallic in his striped shirt, has created a cool two-storey restaurant, accurately replicating the insides of a lurching galleon. Eat downstairs for the full effect, including sloping floors (do not, on any account, overdo the Muscadet, although one could argue, would you notice if you did?), and little portholes through which, disarmingly, fish swim by. The stunning fish and shellfish are all purchased fresh each day, and so the menu depends on what Hervé could bring home. The wine is mostly French but stick with the aforementioned Muscadet for the best match. Prices depend on what fish was caught, so they are market-driven.

Ok, so there’s one place left in London which takes originality to new heights; whose very purpose in life is to push boundaries, confuse and delight people; and then, just when you’re thinking you’ve got it sussed, change it all again just for the heck of it. We’re talking the granddaddy of them all – Sketch. It’s worth devoting a bit of time to this place, as there are a myriad of restaurants within restaurants, all doing different things at different times, and who knows what’s in there? To sum up quickly, it’s all contained, like the mother of all Russian dolls, in an 18th-century townhouse in central London, and run by Mourad Mazouz in consultation with Pierre Gagnaire. Let’s begin with the Parlour. This was refurbished quite soon after first opening, so now it’s a slightly dark, deeply eccentric, um, parlour – all bronzed walls and animal heads, made out of Perspex, and plush, individually upholstered furniture. It is open from breakfast to afternoon tea, and in the evenings becomes a private bar. The food is a modern take on the classics, so you might have coconut and tomato marmalade with your eggs and bacon. Afternoon tea is a smashing selection of glorious cakes and pastries, fabulously decadent, and rivalling anything from the grand old-school hotels. The Gallery is a huge space, so full of things to distract your attention that it might be worth going on your own. Think brilliant white walls with constantly changing video animations projected onto them; incredibly funky stylish furniture to hold onto while your head swivels; and a dinner menu to then rivet your attention firmly on your plate. Open only in the evenings, this buzzy, modern, vibrant place is full of the new bright young things, so book early. The French-oriented food is extravagant, as you would expect, with prices to match, but it’s worth it. Options worth splashing out on include lamb with beetroot cake, prunes and hazelnuts; or gnocchi with scents of Costa Rica and dried ceps.

The Glade is a glimpse of the pastoral in central London, a respite from the giddy whirl, if you will. Kind of woodland-inspired with a great tree-shaped chandelier and grass carpets, it’s a daytime-only venue. The menu isn’t any more traditional than the surroundings: divided into ingredient sections like eggs, meat, fish, cheese, etc, and the poetic sounding portions are more along the lines of a grazing menu, so you can opt for (and pay for) as much as you want, without feeling restricted by normal menu constraints. ‘Hommage à M. L’Ambassadeur, 33 Faubourg St Honoré’ – basmati rice pilaff with green peas, salmon, fried duck egg, salmon roe, hazelnut, grape, and sansho pepper is a case in point.

shailendra
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/londons-more-unusual-dining-out-92286.html