Saturday, January 25, 2014

This week's compost





1.      Caffeine strips: just what are the risks and the rewards?



‘Clearly, ingesting one strip will give you less caffeine than drinking a cup of average tea, let alone a decent espresso. And it won’t taste anywhere near as nice.’



We are about to be swamped by this pernicious product. Baristas of Sydney unite!






2.      Chinese restaurant owner told to pull down two gigantic 50ft naked Buddhas from establishment's roof


‘The statues were a reference to a old Chinese wives' tale involving Buddhist monks, which features one of them scrambling over a wall to try some soup.

Buddhist followers, known for their peaceful ways, were so angered by their religions leader being used as an advert that they began protesting outside the eatery, demanding the figures be taken down.’



I, on the other hand, find them delightful and I reckon the Buddha would have ROTFL.




3.      Migrant stories given new life by visiting their cafe culture



‘The white china was monogrammed, the teapots solid silver and the mirrors and lighting art deco, but this was no posh city home. It was a typical Greek cafe in country Australia, fitted out in the 1930s and serving generations of hungry patrons for the rest of the century. The Busy Bee cafe in Gunnedah was a prime example, run by the Zantiotis family and open daily between 7am and 11.30pm.’




From Ross and Marie Kelly:

Here is an SMH publication of 20 photos of Maria’s family cafe. I love #4 for its street view (prior to her Uncle backing his FJ Holden through it!)  Number 4 shows Maria’s mum behind the counter as a 13 year old ice cream jockey, together with Grand Mum and  Uncle Peter (Panayoti?) and a fair haired local employee. Also # 7 gives a great view of the Busy Bee’s interior.






4.      Britain’s best fish and chips shops



‘With 2,000 of Britain's 10,500 chippies entering this year's awards (that number has increased by 10% each year for the past three years), there is clearly a growing emphasis on quality. Once-pioneering new-wave chippies, such as the Fish Shed in Topsham or the Tailend in Edinburgh, are no longer rarities. In 2011, the awards organisers Seafish introduced a "best newcomer" gong to acknowledge this growing network of new independents, who – often young fryers, many new to the industry – are bringing a foodist rigour to your cod'n'chips.’



Who knew that Britain has a National Federation of Fish Friers with its own training school!






5.      Burgers with beetroot: a great Australian tradition



‘it wasn’t until the 1940s that beetroot began regularly appearing alongside tomato, lettuce and onion on burgers. That was thanks largely to the openings of the Edgell and Golden Circle canneries in 1926 and 1947 respectively – but one of the more interesting theories, however, suggests the trend has its origins in pranking US troops ashore on R&R.’



You’d be surprised how many people I know find the idea of beetroot on a burger risible. They are even more aghast when I assert that it must be canned beetroot of a particular sweetness. The question is why do I continue to know them! I only take exception in this article to the disparagement of the soggy red stained bun. If I was to go all symbolic about it, why the absence of that bleed would deny us the thrill of imagining we were chomping on the raw flesh of a great Aussie beeve.



http://bit.ly/1mVhngO



6.      Vale Perc McGuigan



Few people other than Perc McGuigan were witness to and a key participant in the past century of Australian winemaking, although he will probably be best remembered for his 26 years as the Branxton cellarmaster-manager of Penfolds' prized Dalwood operation.’




http://bit.ly/KTZ8ZR

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