Bananas, Protein and Basic Diets - where to check ingredients and what to check

 What can you take on a hike or camping trip, or bike ride? What can you buy for a snack? What can you put in your pocket when rushing off to work on a business trip or holiday, getting up early to catch a plane, too early for the hotel breakfast? What can I eat, when the family are on holiday, and I am left behind. What can I eat, which is easy as a meal for one, or use as a diet? 

I read about the advantages of bananas. They supposedly contain some vitamin c and cure constipation and enhance your mood. Bananas are easy to carry if you wake late, have no time for breakfast and rush to catch a plane or train. (They also squash more easily and make a mess at the bottom of your pocket or bag. Bananas are more messy, squashy and smelly than an apple.)

I googled banana diet and safety and asked my family. I learned that bananas lack protein, which is essential for your diet. Maybe that's why I have read about young couples who killed their babies or young children by feeding them only fruit and vegetables. The missing ingredient is protein.

What provides protein? Obviously meat, eggs, dairy, animal products. So a hard boiled egg is good, if you have time to cook it, and are not a vegan.

My husband said,  'The porters on my treks in Nepal were from poor families and their diet had two ingredients, rice and lentils. The lentils provide protein. Like the British staple of beans on toast."

So now I know what to eat to provide protein, if he goes on a trip and leaves me behind. Beans on toast, and bananas and fruit as snacks. Or rice and lentils, with fruit. 

I see advertisements for energy bars, protein bars, beef jerky. If I am not hiking, but sitting at home, blogging on my computer, writing books on good English, unwilling to waste time cooking, I would rather eat fresh fruit, seed bread, and a protein, with drinking water. 

Or maybe stick to my usual diet. And vary food at every meal in order to not miss out on any essentials. Some people take multi-vitamins. My husband says, 'If you check that your daily diet has enough calories as well as all the essentials, you should not need extra vitamins.

Pam Ayers has an amusing poem on what her husband says.

However, my husband's knowledge is backed by two essentials

1 He has degrees, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and a diploma in wine which means he has had to study viticulture. 

2 He is a statistician and reviews papers for scientific journals.

3 He has experimented with lots of foods and drinks on treks and hikes several times a year for several years.

4 He investigated healthy diets when he was diagnosed with lymphoma more than five years ago. He is now in remission.

5 He cooks, often several variations of a recipe. For example, this week Italian biscotti. So he knows the ingredients, the calorie count, how long the food is cooked, and at what temperature, the size of each portion before and after cooking, and how the cooking affects the flavour and texture. He weighs food before cooking, cutting and serving to check the amount we consume, per person, at each meal. I am smaller and exercise less so I am served smaller portions. 

He reads the ingredients before and after buying. He checks UK websites and recipes, but compares them with worldwide variations. He reads foreign language recipes. He reads studies on alcohol consumption, and articles and newspapers by putting them into translation tools. 

But don't do as he says, do as he does. Do your own research, applying it to your own situation.

Meanwhile, our basic breakfast includes yogurt, fruit (5 kinds), nuts and seeds,  and either oats, sometimes soaked in milk the night before and left in the fridge overnight and heated up in the morning, or half a Weatabix each person.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_banana_diet#:~:text=Users%20can%20have%20one%20or,(17%20kg)%20in%20weight.

Tanglin Club Treats At The Tavern, Restaurant - British Pub decor in Singapore - and an edible flower?

If you are a member of the Tanglin Club or have a chance to visit - are doing business with people in Singapore or belong to a Toastmasters club, or belong to any club worldwide, you may have a chance to visit the Tanglin Club. If not, read on anyway to learn about the new dish I tried.

I spend a day at the Tanglin Club with a long-term friend whose mother is a club member. I love the Tavern Club's decor. And the private booths.

We met for lunch and we went to the Tavern for privacy in one of the two booths.

 Overall, both the food and service were good.

I started by ordering a pint sized watermelon juice. I can't get that in the UK. Pink, Refrehsing. Pure fruit juice. 

Watermelon juice. The Tavern. Tanglin Club. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

We started with drinks and both of us selected watermelon juice, the larger size, one pint.

The Salad Bar

I chose the salad bar. Not as good as it used to be. The soup was prawns and I am allergic to shellfish. 

So I took just the bread roll. Only white bread. I seem to remember a variety of breads including brown or black or seed. Still, never mind. I had plenty more to choose from. I moved on to the two main counters. 

The far right has a mixture of desserts and main course or snack meats. 

The meat was chicken, thinly sliced beef and pork/ham. The latter seemed to me, a clearly processed meat, minced up and mixed and pressed meat, which I ignored.

 No smoked salmon. The far right counter's far left plate holder was empty. Time to move on and reconsider the main course options. So far so good.

Tanglin Club, Tavern restaurant, beef with almond. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The little white flower looked cute. I presumed you could eat it. I had asked once before at the Tanglin Club in the Churchill room restaurant. (But in a restaurant in London I was served food with a flower which was only decorative.)

I did not detect any flavour from the flower. You would have to eat it separately to be sure. I thought it was merely decoration. Slight disapointed. Never mind. Very cute.

Service

The service was very good. We were asked if we wanted warm or cold tap water. Usually the British like cold water, and iced water. Singaporeans and Indians like warm water. They think that cold water chills you, shocks the system. And warm water makes you perspire which cools you down.

Later the woman who was serving came to our table to tell me that the chef had put out another dish to replace the empty one. Beef with almonds.  I smiled. But I was sitting on the inside of the table against the wall and would have to shift my guest, make her stand up to let me out, and again when I returned. Also we were in mid conversation.

The server could see from my expression that I was interested, as I glanced over at the food and smiled. But then looked around my table and frowned.

She offered to fetch me the food. Beef and almonds. Minced beef. With flakes of almonds. It has crunch. The beef rather drowns out the almond flavour. Full marks to the chef for introducing a new food to me.

At the end of the lunch time she warned me that the food was being cleared away, if I wanted any more. She offered to bring me another beef and almonds.

What about value?

You get soup, vegetables, chopped potato in what looks like mayonnaise or couscous, and for protein, nut at the back, or three types of meat.  Also boiled egg. On the left. By the time we arrived at 12.30 pm the stocks were running low. I grabbed the last boiled egg.

Dessert?

 If you were smart you would have selected the chopped fruit and nuts for dessert. Put them on one side of the plate. That saves going back. It prevents you from taking a second plate and filling it.

Besides, I had other plans for dessert. Crepes Suzette. 

Unfortunately, the Tavern is not open all day. By the time I was ready to order dessert and coffee they had laid the tables for dinner, presented the bill for me to sign and suggested, "You can move on the tea lounge." 

Later we did just that. You will be able to read about the lounge food and drink in my later post.

You can check out reciprocal clubs worldwide, opening hours of each restaurant, last order times, and dress code, on the Tanglin Club website pages.

After my day at the Tanglin, eating at three different outlets, My weight went up!

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/images/Content/Dining/Dining/The_Tavern_Fireplace/Tavern-Menu.pdf

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/dining/terrace-bistro-bar.html

How to cook an egg in a kettle in a hotel or holiday home

 

Boiled egg with a home made brown bread soldier. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Boiled egg cooked in a kettle. Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Student Breakfast And Student Supper

My husband first discovered how to cook a boiled egg in a kettle when he was a student. He was at Aberdeen University and was staying in digs, just one room, in his landlady's house in Scotland. No hob as he was not allowed to use the landlady's kitchen. He might also have wanted to cook the egg first thing in the morning before getting dressed and washed and ready to go out.

Later, in a hotel for two weeks, during the Covid isolation in Singapore, we were not allowed out of the room. We looked inside the kettle to see what was possible. 

Now enforced hotel stays are over. But holidays are possible again.

Hotels and Holidays

When might you need to do the same in hotel room cooking? In a hotel when the kitchen is closed or out of action, such as late at night. If you want a plain boiled egg just before checking out of your room at noon. In a hotel where you do not speak the language. When you do not like the hotel food. If you have run out of money. When your diet means you don't want to use the hotel food. For a baby or toddler who you want to feed in the room rather than in a fancy restaurant. When flooding or fire or other emergency has put the hotel kitchen out of action.

At Home - Unexpected Emergency

This week he had to do the same again. The hob (Americans say stove) was not working. The date was a bank holiday so the workers were off work. 

If you have not done it before, or are using a strange kettle, this is what you do. 

What To Do

Modern kettles usually don't have a filament which might burn the eggs, but a flat base.

Should you start with hot or cold water? Either is possible. I would start with cold water to be sure of not burning hands or face in steam. He likes to start with hot water, for speed and ease of timing.

I prefer hard boiled eggs anyway, as I hate runny egg white. So I would not be worried about over cooking, so long as I was not wasting electricity or risking burning something.

Lids

What if your kettle is so designed that you cannot lift the lid or cannot get the egg inside? Then you would have to boil the water, pour it into a cup (or mug), and put the egg into the cup and cover the cup to keep in the heat.

Lifting The Hot Egg

After the egg is cooked, the egg is hot and the water is steaming. You could wait. 

Or lift the egg with a device. My husband uses a pasta spoon with curved prongs to lower and retrieve the egg. You might also have a ladle. A ladle with holes allows the water to flow out. 

Time Taken For Cooking

The amount of time taken depends on the size of the egg, and whether it is at room temperature or from a fridge.

Soft Boiled Eggs and Dipping Bread finger soldiers

You need a soft boiled egg if you want to dip 'soldiers' or fingers of bread in your runny-centred egg. 

You should be able to cut neatly shaped bread fingers, especially if you usually buy sliced bread. Our bread is home-baked brown bread which is rather crumbly.

Kettles

Americans at home tend not to have kettles. They boil water in a saucepan. Why? Because the voltage is low and the electric kettle takes longer to boil than the saucepan. The English and Australians are shocked because this looks so old-fashioned, and less safe than an enclosed kettle with a spout. 

American homes sometimes have whistling kettles which go on stove tops.

Hotels are not keen on cooking in bedrooms by guests. Mainly because of the mess. Stored food and leftovers attract insects. They want to sell hotel food to guests. 

However, as they say, needs must.

Useful websites

https://www.wikihow.com/Boil-an-Egg-in-an-Electric-Kettle#

Hard Boiled Eggs Flavoured With Soy Sauce

I saw the eggs, with dark brown shells, and was a bit dubious, and curious. Try anything once.

I peeled off the shell. At first bite I was smitten. Delicious.

If you find hard boiled eggs dull, try these.

Certainly a novelty if you are not from Asia.

I went onto the internet to find a recipe. Some of the recipes require large numbers of ingredients which are hard to find. Then I happened on a soy sauce recipe. Surely, everybody has eggs and soy sauce in their kitchen, or can easily get these two basic ingredients on their next trip to the supermarket. I do.

I'll add photos later.

As far as I can make out, you hard boil the eggs first. Then marinade them in a strongly flavoured liquid. The inside and shell should come out a different colour.

In mine the shell was dark brown. The egg white was a creamy brown, pale coffee colour.

I ate mine in Singapore. Other places to try them include Thailand and Taiwan.

Useful Websites
You tube video on had boiled eggs with soy sauce.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqSmgXM8E1I

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Must Visit The Michelin Starred Harrow at Little Bedwyn Restaurant

Savoury dish at the Harrow at Little Bedwyn restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
Who can afford to eat at the top Michelin starred restaurants? Not as many people as would like to visit them.

Answer
Get on the mailing list and wait for a special offer.

Everything about this place is wonderful. The collection of carafes from Reidel Glass, which are for sale, look stunning. You can buy a carafe or glass. Maybe for a birthday or wedding anniversary.

We had a six-course meal with four matching wines for £60.

We began with olives. The starter was a tasty mulligatawny soup, mustard yellow. Cod was enhanced by January greens and truffle. The lamb was wonderful.

Surprise 'egg'. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Then came the surprise. Egg with soldiers. Looks like a boiled egg, served in an egg cup.  White meringue on top, hiding orange mango.

Rhubarb dessert. Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Finally rhubarb. A delight for the eye. The one which looks like a sandwich contains teeny pieces of ginger.

Definitely a place for a celebration.

The Harrow at little Bedwyn
Marlborough
Wiltshire
SN8 3JP
Tel: +44 (0) 1672 870 871
Email: office@theharrowatlittlebedwyn.com
Useful Websites
http://www.theharrowatlittlebedwyn.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my next post on nearby Cobbs Farm shop.

Easter Eggs, Travel and Springtime - Eggs-actly!

England's contribution to Easter festivities is an abundance of chocolate Easter eggs. They are in the shops already.

Let's look at the history of Easter eggs. The Russian royalty had Faberge eggs encrusted with jewels. Peasants would paint ordinary eggs in pretty colourful patterns. The eggs is a symbol of life worldwide.

Chinese eggs
The Chinese celebrate with eggs. The so-called hundred year old eggs are just eggs which look a hundred years old.

Jewish eggs
A boiled egg features in the Jewish Seder night.

The symbols of eggs are pagan, pre-dating Christianity and our Common Era. Nowadays you can buy chocolate eggs and chocolate rabbits in supermarkets. Speciality chocolate shops offer other varieties.

English Eggs
The Cadbury's chocolate egg with a creamy centre of white with a yellow imitation yolk is still a UK  favourite for children and adults alike. Highly calorific. Wrapped in silver foil.

A German contribution is the Kinder surprise with a small gift inside.

Last year, 2014, in London, England, we indulged in Blumenthal's chocolate egg from Waitrose supermarket, set in edible mock straw, some kind of rice paper.

This year, 2015, in England I see white chocolate bunnies in Tesco Express, and chocolate chicks, neatly alliterative, filled with Smarties.

That's a quick pick me up when travelling. What about my teeth? Fortunately, the supermarkets also sell fruit, pears are a good price, and you can also buy yourself a toothbrush. You are supposed to renew your toothbrush every three months. Better to get a new toothbrush than new teeth.

Travel and Diet - Fruit or Brownies?

Travel and diet - that's tricky. You know what you ought to eat. You et fruit at home, then pile on the pounds every time you eat out. Do you lose weight at home but put on weight when out at a buffet or travelling?
   When I'm travelling or just out at a conference or meeting, I sometimes deliberately grab the sugary chocolates and biscuits. That's because I need energy to run for a train, talk to an audience, stay awake to catch plane, or get off the train at the right stop.
   If you want to avoid the temptation of a buffet, what can you carry in your pocket or bag? A piece of chocolate or biscuit can turn up in your bag or pocket a week later with no problem. But a bag of fruit or vegetables has turned into a nasty mush.
   However, I am mulling over my choices when travelling after reading what psychologists in Dijon, France, have discovered, that smelling fruit in advance of choosing food. The University of Bourgogne's researchers showed that having smelled fruit in the waiting room, the subjects chose fruit rather than brownies for dessert. 

This is what we eat for breakfast at home. (If we need sustaining, followed by a boiled egg, if in a hurry. Plus lots of water.)