macrosan

I'm not convinced that the food/culture linkage is a valid reason for European resistance to GM food. Certainly not so in Britain, I suspect. I would guess that there's a degree of natural conservatism at work here. Most people I discuss this with simply say there's no convincing reason to buy GM food, while there are a lot of hypothetical risks. On the latter point, it is of course true that the BSE scandal, where the British public were assured time after time by eminent scientists and politicians that British beef was safe, has not encopuraged us to believe that science knows what it is doing. That scepticism has been reinforced by the recent foot and mouth scandal. On the former point, the public are probably waiting for the price of GM foods to fall significantly below comparable non-GM foods as some evidence that they can believe the hype of the GM lobby that GM is cheaper. We should not hold our breaths.

But I understood you had a loo for them to wait in. Not that I tried it when I was there ... I feel I missed out

The whole piece is nothing but a press release. They even manage to recite a menu without a single comment on the food. I'll bet next month's wages the writer didn't even eat there (probably had to ask the price). What the heck is Bonjour Paris, an advertising leaflet ? Anyone heard of it ? Every time this thread pops up to the top, I dash in to see which of our members has finally had a meal there. Disappointed again I can really do without reading any more of these puff pieces.

I think this is a tricky judgement call, Glenn. You often won't know if the restaurant can replace your reservation. But also, the period you held the (eventually cancelled) reservation may have prevented me, for example, from getting mine. I agree with Lizzie. People should make a reservation after they make their mind up. What's the big deal ? If it's a group, the same applies. You can't all meet on the night and discuss where you want to go. The group needs to make the decision before reserving, then stick with the decision. I have made a reservation for a restaurant for February 15, and I am also trying to get into another (hard to get) restaurant for that night. If I don't get the second place by tomorrow, I'll tell the guy who's trying to get it not to bother. If he does get that reservation for me, I'll call the place where I have the reservation and ask them if cancelling is a problem. It's unlikely to be a problem for them, because it's a highly popular restaurant, with a big walk-in following, but if on the phone they say they're even slightly unhappy, then I'll keep the reservation and cancel the new one. That's the first time ever that I've tried a double reservation, and it's for a very special reason. I'm comfortable with the procedure I'm following.

My local Italian restaurant, where I have lunch twice a week, now does this for me. Of course, I'm a regular and they know me very well. They know I normally have two glasses of wine with a meal. So after a while, the boss asked me if I'd like to have the bottle left on the table, and clearly stated that they'd charge me according to how much I drank. Incidentally, they effectively charge me by the inch so it's not a two glass charge if I've only had one and a half glasses Of course that's quite different from your experience, Biscotti. You're right to be aggrieved. In fairness to them, of course, you don't have to be tempted Incidentally, isn't this the basis on which sushi restaurants operate ? You take what you want off the conveyor, and then they charge you by the number of empty bowls ?

Soup is good, but a TV show would be definitely off topic .... unless, of course, we were talking very large royalties and a speaking part for Adam Balic

OK, now how do we get a sandwich named after us ? Could we persuade Marco Pierre White to design it ?

I agree with the JAZ method. Most "preferred rare" dishes can be cooked both ways; I do exactly the same as JAZ with eggs (fried, scrambled or omelette) which my wife prefers cooked more than I do. One pan, two different times to put into or take out of the pan, two happy diners I do exactly the same with chops or steaks on the BBQ. I can't see why grilled tuna would be a problem. As far as the principle goes, I'm with the group that says you should try some gentle persuasion on people to at least try the rare option. But if they insist on charred food, then so be it.

Tell you what, J, I thought exactly the same thing, and indeed my mind went straight to Blue Hill with their "signature" poached duck dish and a poached fish dish someone else had tried. Having now re-read Andy's post with the amended spelling, I have to say I preferred the original It had more ... je ne sais quoi[/] ... perhaps a hint of exotic mystery ? Thanks for the post Andy

Just to be clear that I do not believe this is an issue of principle, it's an issue of pure pragmatism, which is that if Zimbabwe accepts GM grain (for planting) then they will have destroyed their European market, and will remain in thrall to the Monsanto's for ever. So accepting that grain might well lead to more hunger and death than will be caused by their famine today. I am sure your charitable gesture is well-intentioned, but I truly do not need your advice on my own charitable giving, nor do I believe that proper and conclusive debate is any less impoprtant to hungry people around the world than the giving of food.

It was something called a Flaming Orange Gully .... with extra Glenlivet and Slivivitz. Was that a mistake ?

Rail Paul, we've had this debate before It's not an issue of morality, it's an issue of science. You can't simply say that expediency justifies anything. I'm no supporter of the Zimbabwean regime, but everyone knows they won't accept GM grain, because they will then lose their European market. Everyone also knows that the US government could easily, if it so chose, offer the "starving Zimbabweans" non-GM grain, but the US government, driven by the GM (Monsanto) Lobby, refuses to do that. So the US government, acting on behalf of Monsanto et al, is not being remotely altruistic. It is callously using hunger in Africa to drive GM food into their crop chain. Once the Africans do that, there is no way back for them. African agriculture will have been effectively colonised by American commercial interests as they once were by commercial European interests 100 plus years ago. So where is the morality in all this ? It seems to me that you're effectively saying that it is proper for me to have sreious doubts about the safety of GM and irradiated food, but poor Africans are not allowed the luxury of doubt.

Why is that interesting ? It's pretty self-evident that the same consumers will be interested in both issues, the same untrustworthy corporate PR people will be employed to argue with them. The "battle lines" therefore are bound to be virtually identical. That's interesting ? I don't know the science well enough. My instinct says that the companies selling the product doesn't know the science well enough. Just as with GM food, my solution is not to use the product on the basis that "natural" (wherever I can find that) is more likely to be safer. Incidentally, if anything ever proved the presence of PR people running these campaigns, it lies in that Walt Disney image creation of the irradiated food logo, designed to suggest "goodness" and "naturalness" with its green color and "homely" shapes. Surely no-one will deny that this is a deliberate attempt to deceive, and demonstrates the serious lack of self-confidence and ethics of the organizations promoting the product.

I am sujre this paragraph was created by computer It seems to consist of four entirely unconnected sentences, each of which is about as non sequiturious to the previous one as could be imagined Jinnysan, please disclose what you were drinking when you wrote this --- I want some of it Margaret, have you any view as to why this might be ? What was the concept behind the tradition ?

I hadn't intended to start a political discussion on taxation What I found interesting in the report were two things. Firstly the different application of two such hugely disparate rates of VAT (5.5% and 19.6%) on food in a country where eating out is such an established part of the social fabric. And secondly, the idea that a tax reduction might be "spent" by restaurateurs principally on increasing the wages of their low-paid staff.

I'm not convinced a straw poll moves the debate forward The question is surely "Does bread taste 'better' when warmed ?" and not "Is it 'correct' to serve warm bread ?". N'est ce pas ?

I am denying this. In my opinion, warming bread tends to make it lose its flavor. That may be an excellent idea for crappy tasting bread but if the bread is good, leave the taste alone !!! ... on the other hand, in relation to your comment on support, if Warm Bread is running for election or something, then I'm willing to support it on the basis that it's a clear underdog, and has no hope of winning votes from a sophisticated electorate, but I believe in democracy and would wish to ensure that it gets a fair hearing hahaha

The Economist this week tells me that the VAT rate on restaurant food is 19.6% whilst only 5.5% on take-away food. For a country that is allege to be the world leader in restaurant gastronomy, that seems at the very least inequitable But help is at hand,. Jacques Chirac has promised to lower the VAT rate on restaurants. Well, half- promised, according to The Economist, but that's about as much as anyone could expect of Chirac, I suppose "A lobby group of big restaurant owners", according to The Economist, has pledged they will cut their prices by 5% "and raise the salaries of their waiters and washers-up by 10%" if the VAT rate is cut. That strikes me as a superb way to allocate the saving, perhaps creating a precedent for proper wage levels for restaurant staff around the world.

You know, in the back of my mind was the thought that I was wrong about this. A nagging doubt inside my head kept saying "There is one chef who broke this particular mould". And of course, it was indeed Big Nick, who created such a huge international furore when he dropped his famous Big Nick's Refried Bean Burger with Ketchup and Mock White Truffle Shavings" from the menu at his new place on 2nd and 26th. I withdraw my previous totally unsubstantiable claim. Thank you.

The fact is that you are all the same, you subcontinental pedant The current national borders are a weak attempt to suggest otherwise Anyway, until he corrects me, I'm satisfied that David's use of the word "Indian" is the general one in culinary usage, which is to say Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi and maybe even Bengali too

Stop being coy, Tony Tell David about the New Tayyab -- it really is a place not to be missed by someone looking for exceptional Indian food, and I am telling all my friends about it. If you want a high-class, fairly pricey, but well recommended place in the SW3 (sort of) area, David, Bombay Barsserie is excellent. But not as good food, nor anywhere near as good value, as New Tayyab

I know nothing about the baking process, but that description of the "soft, collapsible crumb" resonates perfectly for me with my experience of much French bread. Thanks, Robert, for explaining the reason. I suppose I still prefer a soft, collapsible crumb to the non-existent crumb in Wonderloaf. I don't know what you call something that instantly transforms to Playdoh when you squeeze it, but it sure can't be "crumb"

My own preference is for cold bread, for three reasons. First, I dislike the butter melting when it's spread. )A fine restaurant will not serve rock-hard butter, they will serve it at proper spreading temperature). Second, I have never thought of bread as a warm item of food I'll eat toast warm, but somehow I've always thought of bread as something to be served cold. I love the smell of hot bread straight from the baker's oven, but that's for the nose, not for the taste-buds Third, I find I prefer the taste of good bread when it's cold. I think the practise of warming bread in restaurants was to help overcome the likelihood of it being stale, but I think it makes bread taste more bland. As a matter of interest, now I think about it, I feel that most good restaurants seem to serve bread (and rolls) cold.

Actually, I'd have said the reverse.

Craig, I think you're altogether too nice a guy Jaybee was reacting to Pumkino's ludicrous and badly-intentioned assertion about Americans' lack of knowledge of "real" Italian food. Sadly, this has become a standard feature of Pumkino's posts. When a four-year-old has read a nursery rhyme book so often he knows it by heart, but that's all the language he has learned so far, he speaks the words on all occasions without any understanding of what he is saying, and without any relevance to what he wants to talk about. In a four-year-old, it's quite amusing and often endearing. With Pumkino it's just an irritation to which the mildest of us is finally bound to respond.