Dukeofyork

Is the Hibiscus 'tea' they drink in Africa made from the flowers? You can buy that 'tea' fairly easily, I think, and it might be cheaper to bust open the bags than what you're doing. I think you could get it at any Middle Eastern, Caribbean or African grocer. EDIT: I think they call it Sorrel in Jamaican/Caribbean shops

Well, I'm back. I must admit first of all that I was rather lazy. I didn't feel up to walking all the way to Lou Mitchell's in the mornings, as I tend to be rather grumpy before I get my breakfast. I did venture down to Lou Malnati's, where I sat at the bar and generally enjoyed the long wait for the pizza. I had attempted once to make 'deep dish' pizza at home, but this failure bore no resemblance to what I received at Lou's. Very nice, crisp crust, lots of filling. My only complaint was the illogical sizing: I was told that the individual size would be too small, the small too large, ... hence I erred on the side of frugality and ended up with too little pizza! I did go to Al's for an Italian Beef sandwich. Got it with hot peppers, but I gave no other special instructions. It was wonderful - juicy, chewy, spicy. Why has this sandwich not spread beyond Chicago? Then again, I hate to think what I would get if I asked for one in London. I popped into Fox & Obel: very nice, though it seemed rather empty - how do they make money? Finally, I found a non-descript Chicago hotdog at some point, which was okay, in fact nice, but $4+ is a lot for what I thought to be rather a small hotdog! I hope to go back some day, as I really enjoyed myself in Chicago. The city had a much more interesting vibe than either Toronto or London (both places I've lived).

Many thanks all! I'll be sure to report my findings.

I'm going to be in Chicago in early May, staying at the Hilton (at 198 East Delaware Place). Never been before but really looking forward to the experience. I know these questions have been asked a million times before, but I thought I might get some new and location-specific advice: 1. Where's the best place near the Mile to get Chicago pizza? Hot dogs? Italian beef? I know these are stereotypical but I don't think I could leave without sampling them. 2. What's the weather going to be like? Roasting hot already? 3. What's the/a typical Chicago breakfast item? E.g. in Montreal, a bagel. If there is such an item, where would I procure it? If not, what's a good place to visit? Hotel breakfasts are uniformly boring. 4. Likewise for my morning coffee. (Are there lunch counter type places still in Chicago, like in Toronto? If so, one with good coffee would be a bonus, as I love the long counter and the stools...) I think that's it. Feel free to add useful advice or suggestions which, in my ignorance or negligence, I have failed to ask about!

The Schweppes Tonic Water in the UK also has Saccharin in it (even in non-diet versions) alongside the glucose/fructose, which may make it seem sweeter. To me, this is an affront, as saccharin is not even legal as a food additive in Canada.

Liquorice Allsorts (especially the Bassett's brand). Open the bag, and before you know it, they're all gone, except for the awful chocolate ones. I find dried figs to act the same way. I no longer buy either, needless to say!

I've tried a form of this, though only with Vegemite and NZ Marmite. It's ... hmm ... interesting. I think a Canadian upbringing has made me feel that peanut butter only pairs well with sweet things, like jam or honey. Admittedly, I've only done the marmite-pb combo with the unsweetened pb they have here though - I wonder what it would be like with good ol' Kraft?

Used to hate a lot of things: cheese (all kinds), butter, eggs, squash, bananas, mushrooms, asparagus, any fish (beside fried), olives ... I realised later that I disliked many of these for their 'slimy/soft' texture: bananas, squash, etc. I like some of them now, others I still haven't worked my way up to yet. I've grown to love strong flavoured things, so olives and cheese (especially blue) have actually become some of my favourites. I find it hard to imagine a time when I would have picked olives and mushrooms out of anything I ate. I still can't get over two of the strongest aversions: butter and eggs. I hate these. The only time they're acceptable is in baking. I'm a vegetarian now and this makes my life more difficult than you might expect. When people hear they're having a 'vegetarian' as one of their guests, I always get quiche! I end up picking the vegetables out and eating the crust, and pushing the eggy bits around my plate...

Long story short, I was washing dishes in the kitchen I share with my floormates when I noted that one of them was cooking rice like pasta. That is, boiling it in lots of water. I shortly had to make way so that he could drain it. I commented on how this was an unusual way to cook rice and he went on a long tirade, implying that I was an idiot and a fool to do it any other way (he's a bit of an a__hole, but we'll leave that aside for the moment). He said that it was faster, never burned the rice, and produced superior results. And yet all my life I've been using the absorption method to great satisfaction, and all my Asian friends seem to do the same. Is the boil-and-drain method really superior? I was so dumbfounded by this fellow's forcefulness that I couldn't think of a single thing to say in response.

And yet this is the way of many, but certainly not all, manufactured items. Clothes come to mind. The construction of suits from the 20s and 30s is much better than what you will get today, because they were meant to be owned and repaired over many years, rather than tossed when they went out of fashion or frayed slightly. Shaving is another thing - I've not used any modern cartridge razor that even touch the closeness and smoothness (i.e. lack of irritation) of a double-edged safety razor designed over 100 years ago. I think it's just a question of manufacturers realising that they can cheapen products, make them work less well, and people will still buy them. It's certainly better business to sell items that are cheaper and won't last as long, as long as people don't associate their failing with poor craftsmanship. And, apparently, most people don't.

My favourite as a child and through my teens was a canned salmon sandwich on white fluff bread, spread thickly with French's mustard. No other ingredients. The salmon was usually Atlantic red (not the cheap pink stuff) and for some reason my mother never seems to have gotten upset at this seemingly horrendous waste of expensive fish. I've had one a few times since. It's still good. The sour bite of the mustard goes perfectly with the salmon; other, fancier mustards don't seem to work as well. Try it!

I don't really resent the ridiculous English that I see on many restaurant menus, especially those mistakes made by non-native speakers. I also find a similar variety of errors in 'English' language websites, brochures, etc., for hotels and restaurants in France, Italy, etc... one can hardly expect everyone to speak my language perfectly. But I've often wondered whether I could get a few free meals (etc.) by offering to correct the menus or brochures for foreign, or foreign-language speaking, restaurant and hotel proprietors. Do you think a restaurant, especially a mid-high end place, would simply resent the suggestion that the language on their menu/brochure makes them look a little goofy?

Thanks all! I ended up going to Noura Central, on Jermyn. Exactly what I wanted - we ordered mezzes to suit our varying palettes, and some Lebanese wine that was on offer. Had a wonderful time, good service, very nice surroundings...

Heya all, My father is coming for a visit next weekend and we'd like to go out to dinner. I'd like to bring my girlfriend along. London is not Paris, however, so I'm wary of just finding a spot and crossing my fingers. I'd like: 1. Somewhere quietish where we can have a conversation 2. Somewhere not too far from Zone 1 (easier for all involved) 3. Somewhere where there are a few vegetarian options 4. Somewhere with good service 5. Not too expensive! £20-30 without drinks per person. No restrictions on cuisine type... I live in Cambridge so I don't get around London restaurants that often. Any suggestions would be welcome and appreciated!

No.1 choice: Frank Cooper's Oxford Vintage Coarse-Cut Marmalade No. 2 : Peanut-butter and jam/honey No. 3 : NZ Marmite (I'm Canadian, by the way) Frank Cooper's was a bit hard to come by in North America, but now that I live in England things have improved (though not as much as I had expected!).