June Pickering

For what it's worth.. London-Eating.co.uk advertises a £21 lunch here throughout the summer.. 3 courses.

I lived near NYC most of my long life. None of the Indian food there can compare to what we have in England - that's just my opinion. For something theatrical and a bit different, I've enjoyed The Cinnamon Club and others favor Amaya or Bombay Brasserie (they do a good buffet lunch). Very good fish and chips at The Golden Hind... if you're at the Tate Modern which you should see, the dining room there for lunch is very nice. Another very traditional pub lunch.. The Grenadier on Wilton Row near Harrod's. Explore the food halls at Harrod's and Harvey Nichols - you'll find some fun things to take back home. Could you bring me something from Zabar's? :-)

It's been awhile since my last trip to Florence, but I think Il Bronzini is in that area. I'm not even sure they're open for lunch, but the food was very good.

Not a food reply, but since you asked... Go see the Banqueting Hall and The Cabinet War Rooms. A lot of Americans seem to miss these two, and they're well worth a look. There are lots of free museums in London if that's of interest.

I've used honey in lots of different recipes over the years but recently have started to use it in marinades for fish. Mixed with crushed fennel seeds and garlic and a few other ingredients, it makes for a really good tasting cod or any white fish. There seems to be more honey varieties on the UK shelves than I've seen in the U.S. It must be versatile and a good seller.

Bapi - thanks so much for going to the trouble of posting websites. That was really very nice of you. I don't work for the Norfolk Department of Tourism but am glad you'll be returning there since you seem to enjoy the area a lot as will we. I thought that website was a bit muddled but not all that terrible. :-)

Many thanks, Bapi. I've printed out your suggestions but can easily see we'll have to return to this area another time to really do it justice. Unfortunately, our time is very limited this trip - bad planning but a busy time of year. I'll let you know where we wandered.

Thanks to all that responded. It looks like we have quite a few good choices!

As a reality show per se, this one isn't the worst around. I've begun thinking if the insistence on using high price, local produce (agreeably of high quality) doesn't also increase prices to the clientele of a restaurant. With prices already being so inflated in the UK, I wonder how many want to pay extra for the pleasure of eating rooftop honey or eels from the Thames. I guess the answer is many people. Maybe with the Eurostar terminal shifting up his way, this chef will be in the centre of the action soon!

Of all the cookery programmes I've watched in my two years of living here, this is definitely the worst. That guy putting his finger in the honey container was just too much to bear. Will I get my own show if I write in with a quirky idea for a kitchen? The premise is interesting but so unrealistic. Why can't he use produce from Surrey which is very close to London and of great quality? We even have a vineyard of note. He should use the train not the Tube. I suppose he'll triumph by the last episodes and I wish him well if he got that new place up and going.

Thanks.... I think we'll be near Wroxham... 8 miles from Norwich or there about? I'm laughing about the Blakiston comment. He was my fiance's least favorite personality on the recent Cook for the Queen programme. I don't want him in the dining room!

Any suggestions for a special dinner - the best Norfolk has to offer??

That's a wonderful story. It reminds me of The Emperor's New Clothes!

If the producers of this programme had not thought 'Indian food' was worthy to serve HRH, then why did they even include a chef who does that cuisine? I'll be interested to see if the British public votes for what they enjoy eating often... or will they go for the beautiful lamb? And did anyone notice that the phone numbers did not correspond to the order placement by the judges of the chefs? I bet that made for a few faulty votes.

Try to get to Whitby on the coast... good fish and chips at the Magpie Cafe. We had a delicious dinner at The White Swan in Middleham. We spent the night in their B&B were really impressed with the quality of both dinner and breakfast.

I am really curious to know how the timing of all the competition was taped. And do the judges really eat all that's on the plate.. seven times as in last night?? At least they changed their clothes for this week. And did all seven chefs take a week off from work to do their four courses day by day? It seems so unlikely. I grew up eating soft shell crabs, and I'm sorry the Queen won't have that joy although I understand the reasoning. They are truly delicious and that plate of food was beautiful, although the winner was worthy.

I see that the review included the omnipresent sentence about loud Americans at the next table. I wonder if we, the soft spoken, will ever live down this awful generalization.

This site is pretty informative... Edible Flowers

Thanks for all the good ideas. I better go harvest the rhubarb! The Amish Pudding is appropriate as I grew up not far from where they live in Pennsylvania.

Now you tell me, Tim. I believed and that's how I ended up in the UK! Perhaps I'll give Roast a go and decide for myself one day. And why do we read the critics so often... is it to spend wisely, waste less time? What happened to just being brave and/or foolhardy?

Thanks for the jelly idea, Ernesto. We Yanks are pretty skilled when it comes to gelatin, and this sounds like a good approach. Rhubarb is probably the only flavour that Jello doesn't sell. :-) And rhubarb pie - very American and makes me homesick. Thanks for the ideas!

Such disparate views! Whom do we believe???

If you want to read some reviews.. here's a link.. http://www.london-eating.co.uk/6515.htm

It's rhubarb season here in the UK, but it's something I never cooked living in the States. Does anyone have a great recipe... not necessarily a crumble or fool?

I'll have to give this some thought. I lived for many years not far from the CIA (the main campus in Hyde Park, NY). For fun, we'd often drive up there, especially when the leaves were changing, to sample one of the 4 or 5 restaurants run by the students. There was a wide choice from 'healthy' cuisine to Italian to plain out high calorie, huge meals. The price was modest and the food always delicious and served by other students learning their profession. I know there is also a satellite branch based in the Napa Valley. Cooking schools are quite numerous in the States. My hometown, Philadelphia, has had a very good one for many years. It changed the restaurant scene there so dramatically that I can't even begin to describe the process. The city went from having a very mediocre (except for seafood) scene to being a highly touted and wonderful foodie heaven. I haven't been in the UK long enough to understand the process here or why London is no longer someplace people still often come to expecting poor meals. I can't but help think a CIUK would be of great help in manning all the pubs that abound in this country. At the same time, one wouldn't want to overpopulate the UK with so many chefs that there would be an overabundance with no jobs available.. but I think that would highly unlikely. Perhaps this is what Jaime Oliver is or was attempting at his place?