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.

All you can eat at Brazilian style El Vaquero in London, grilled meat, delivered constantly, a perfect evening out

El Vaquero restaurant, Mill Hill, London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury

 El Vaquero means the cowboy. The origin of the word is the Portuguese vaca meaning cow. (Portuguese being the language spoken in Brazil in South America.) The restauran'ts two selling points are all you can eat, and meat carved off the skewer onto your plate by perambulating serving staff.

El Vaquero restaurant in Mill Hill in North West London is very popular for birthday parties. We heard Happy Birthday being sung four times when we were there on a midweek evening, Thursday. For birthdays, the restaurant will give one piece of cake free to the birthday person. If you want a big birthday cake for everybody, such as a Caterpillar cake, Marks And Spencers is just around the corner, under the railway bridge. 

Drinks

You order your drinks - I had Prosecco. 

Drinks. Angela enjoying Prosecco. And boiled eggs from the vegetable counter. 

 Photo by Sharot family.

Decide whether to have the set meal or the completely vegetarian. If you go for the third option, fish, they need 48 hours notice, because otherwise it is first come, first served and they might run out of the sea bass or whatever is available.

Vegetables, Garlic bread.  Hard boiled eggs, halved Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The vegetable choice is attractive to the eye and tasty. I had cauliflower, corn (Americans say maize), cooked fresh, tasty. Boiled eggs, cut in half, were on teeny trays with mayonnaise. My favourite vegetables were the orange sweet potato and the parsnips. 

Meat

Waiters scurry around from table to table with long vertical skewers offering to cut you a slice or two of chicken, lamb, beef, sausages. Mustard is available on request. 

Chips

You get one free bowl of chips shared between a couple. You have to pay if you order a second helping of chips (known as French Fries to your American friends.).

We were lucky to get a table for two, giving them half an hour's notice. At weekends you must book.

Any Improvements?

Drinks

The driver cautiously ordered a Sprite. 

I was so intent on eating my food whilst it was still fresh, that I didn't start on my Prosecco, nor finish it, until towards the end of my meal. By then it was tepid.

Maybe in this heatwave, we should have been offered ice in the drink, or an ice bottle for any of the bottles.

El Vaquero had three branches, one  in Mill Hill, where we saw the jolly owner, racing from table to table. Occasionally he or another member of staff asked to ask is whether everything was all right. Another branch is owned by another member of his family, in Whetstone? A third more expensive version is run by another relative. The third one charges more so can afford to buy even better cuts of meat. 

I was very happy with what I had.

Desserts

Dessert marshmallow included, with grilled pineapple strips. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

You can have sorbets or ice creams, according to the menu. But included in the price are slices, strips, of grilled pineapple - which to my mind had lost its freshness, and a marshmallow, with a dry outside and inside a stretchy sugary concoction which wrapped around the cutlery challengingly like chewing gum or the tasteless dead cheese on pizza. Hm. I was so one hundred per cent sure every single dish was perfect until I reached dessert. What was wrong? Too dry. Too sugary. My son declined the dessert. Next time I shall, too. 

Without the dessert, the meal was perfect. Fast service. Tasty meat. Vegetables cooked just right.

Price? We paid for the set meal, a couple of drinks, mine being alcoholic, and the service charge.

The restaurant is very jolly, very noisy. For a birthday. For children and families. For men who are hearty meat eaters. For everybody.

Toilets are conveniently on the ground floor. We parked around the corner in the station car park which was free after 7 pm.

Useful Websites

elvaquero.co.uk

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Tasty Turkish Food At Izgara Restaurant, Hatch End - what to order

 You can't miss Izgara with its wide frontage by day, and at night jumping flames. It evoked imperial Rome come to life, all excitement. My family already liked their branch in Edgware and were keen to try out their Turkish food in Hatch End.

Seating, Warmth, Welcome & Atmosphere 

The sign at the door said wait to be seated, but our group included a mother was not willing to wait outside in the cold with baby.  The manager in charge of seating rushed over to intercept us, to seat us and perhaps avoid crowding at the door in Covid-19 times. He was welcoming and immediately understood mother's concern about cold. He selected an indoor table far from the open sided front. The waiter who took the order was Greek and also engaging.

I loved the purple inside.

Interior at Izgara.

Five of us wanted a table late on Sunday night when it felt like Saturday, bustle and brimming with people, couples, foursomes and a jolly party at the far end. They laughed so much I wanted to rush over and ask them for ideas for my humorous speech contest. They were taking selfies and laughing at the results. Maybe that's the secret. Take selfies of yourself pulling funny faces and show the pictures to your audience - after they have had a few drinks from the cocktail list.

Cocktail Menu

The cocktail menu included cocktails but we went straight to the food. (The Sprite ordered by our table turned into Fanta, and though the Fanta was sent back it appeared on the bill as Fanta.)

The wine glasses were clearly marked with the measures. 175 ml. 250ml.

The four month old Baby on her back patiently waited for her bottle of milk, whilst being entertained by her grandad who asked her if she liked Turkish food, and did she want the fish or meat? She responded to his raised eyebrows with lovely smiles. This kept all of us amused.  

Food - Starters

The food was faultless, almost. The yogurt and bread was a great way to assuage hunger pangs of one of our members, mother. And as everybody knows from the film title, if Mother ain't happy, nobody's happy. 

The yogurt was just right for counteracting the slightly too spice red something or other.

We asked for the starters and main courses served together. We were hungry and in a hurry. (To get the baby home.) 

My chicken liver starter was perfect. The liver was slightly breaded. The ensemble was enlivened by cooked onions spiced up with some kind of herb. 

Main Courses

 Two sorts of fish, salmon and another, suited the pescatorian (who eats meat at home but keeps kosher). 

We picked and mixed. We were full and had enough food to take home.

No desserts

I never saw the coffee or dessert menu. I think that Covid-19 regulations mean they must reduce the tables and space them, and reduce staff, so the menu is limited.

Take away boxes

They spotted that we had stopped eating and I was holding a plastic lidded box  They brought up four silver foil take away boxes and a brown paper bag with handles.

The bill was 86 UK pounds sterling for four, including service. We had no coffee, nor desserts, nor alcohol.

Baskin Robbins

 However, we crossed the road to Baskin Robbins for ice cream cones. (Described in the next post.)

 I chose pistachio. A large scoop in a conical wafer, enough for two.

A day later I rediscovered the delights of the Turkish food in the take away boxes. (Americans say take out.) The liver was perfect. On a par with my other all time favourite in Hatch End, B & K. (B and K best for take away, kosher style European food and an unpretentious lunch for twosomes  and foursomes at tables for four. Izgara is ideal for a fun evening meal in a big place, more glamorous, for larger groups, at higher prices, two, four or more.)

The next day I was back to the Turkish takeaway of my leftovers and could not believe how good it tasted. Huge chunks of chicken kebab. Aubergine, yummy. Vegetables to tempt those who don't think of themselves as liking vegetables. Yummy. Yes, would I go back. Yes, yes, yes.

Given the oportunity, I might try the baklava, the mango dessert, the lattice apple tart, the figs.

Useful Websites

Izgara in Hatch End

https://www.izgarahatchend.uk/

https://www.izgarahatchend.uk/Izgara-Ala-Cart-Menu.pdf

Izgara in Edgware

http://www.izgararestaurant.co.uk/

Edgware Desserts (when available)

http://izgararestaurant.co.uk/desserts.pdf

About the Author

About the author of this travel blog

Angela Lansbury is British born and bred but has also lived in the USA, Spain and Spingapore and visited countries around the worl

She is a semi-retired teacher of English language and literature.

About the Teacher/Tutor/Trainer

She is a member of Toastmasters International and five clubs, Harrovians in the UK, three in Singapore (BHA and TCA and Senja-Cashew), a club coach for Nee Soon South, and a member of online only club, Singapore Online Dynamic.

 To find a club go to Toastmasters International Find a club or look on Facebook. 

BHA meets the first Wednesday evening each month, login 6.45 for 7 pm start Singapore time (SGT), which is noon in London UK, during British summer time, until clocks go back the last Sunday in October when the UK reverts to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Expat? New Home? What Food Can You Grow, Cook And Talk About? From Grapes to Aloe Vera

Angela Lansbury

20 hrs · 

It's amazing what pleasure you can get out of making your own food.(Or letting others in the family do it.)

In a garden you can grow grapes. On a balcony you can grow aloe vera. On a windowsill you can grow herbs.

Even in a rented flat at home or overseas with a small area, you can grow food.

The USA - problem

I remember when I first arrived in the USA. Knew nobody. Didn't grow anything. Mistake.

Solution - Windowsill
Even if you don't have a balcony, you can have a windowsill. Entertain the children with watching a plant grow every day. You can grow from seeds. If you cant' afford seeds, save pips from fruit.

You could do the same with plants. Grow your own plants. Just start. Day one. Never mind how long you will be there. We moved into a flat in Singapore. Two year contract. We stayed there ten years. Grow plants. Leave plants wherever you go.

Singapore flag.

During my first six months in Singapore I was miserable. I was homesick and had no hobby and no conversation. When I met up with other expats, we simply made each other miserable by complaining. I have the answer to that.

Conversation Starter
No job, no friends? Homesick? Stuck at home alone with a partner at work whilst you wait for your work permit? Can't stop complaining? 

Here's a solution. Find something to do and talk about. Grow herbs or fruit or vegetables on a windowsill or balcony. Even talking to shop keepers, people at the bus stop, taxi drivers, it is a conversation opener, and a neutral subject. 

Aloe Vera
In Singapore we found one friend who was growing aloe vera. I admired it and she gave me a tiny one. 

We left it alone when we jetted home. I thought it would die. Instead it grew to a monster.

Strawberry Jam Story

Growing food and making bottled or frozen items can be a lifetime passion, or a rollercoaster.I don't cook now. I eat what my husband cooks and encourage him to cook from the plants I grow. I must admit that I have fond memories of when I was a child in London, England, when my mother used to make strawberry jam from garden grown strawberries. However, after a couple of years of this she was fed up with slugs in the garden, wasps on the apples. She did not want scalding hot containers in the kitchen. Sterilising. And hours of work. 

Instead we invested in buying the more expensive brands of strawberry jam which contained whole strawberries or at least bits you could see. However,strawberry making was nice whilst it lasted.

Why Wine And Beer But Not Spirits?

What happened when I left my parents home and first married in a home with a garden. Our next ventures were home made wine. Beer has to be made in big containers. Making spirits at home is banned because of the risk of ending up with poisonous methanol. Our early attempts at home made wines from kits were not successful. However, growing our own grapes was good.

Eating Garden Grapes

Even if you don't eat the grapes the leaves are attractive. 

The first couple of years in England we grew grapes which were too small to eat. When the vines matured we made our first batch of a bottle and a half of so so wine. 

The following year we could not be bothered and just ate the grapes. Small but good. Dual purpose grapes, eating or making wine.

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on the miniature orange tree and making marmalade
Please share links to your favourite posts.

Handy Malay Words To Use In Malaysia, Indonesia or Asian Restaurants

Malay and Indonesian are very similar with slight additions to vocabulary, like British English and American English

Learn a few of these and you can order from the menu in a restaurant in Malaysia or Indonesia or an Indonesian or Malay restaurant in Singapore or London or from a kiosk in a food court. In Singapore a food court is called a hawker centre.  The itinerant hawkers were grouped in a place which the govenment build and inspected to raise standards of food and hygiene. Now in the UK and worldwide we have food festivals and pop-up restaurants. Anyway, here goes with some handy vocabulary:

English - Malay
fish - ikan (I can swim said the fish)
chicken - ayam (I am running around like a headless chicken)
lamb - domba (the b and d look like revered letters,  letter amb in both words, letter am in both words)
grilled - dipanggang (notice the doubled g in the middle, g for grill, doulbe letter like double ll in grill)
roasted - panggang (not in a pan for frying but roasted in a pan in the oven)
cooked - matang
fried - goreng (like mee goreng which is fried rice)
stir fried - aduk goreng
rice - mee (as in mee goreng)
potato - kentang (do you ken John Peel, otatoes have no tang)
pasta / noodles - pasta mie
vegetable - sayur mayur (starting with s - either salad or vegetable)
raw vegetables - sayur mentah (you must be mental to eat raw vegetables)
cooked vegetables - sayuran yang dimasak (3 words, lots of effort, you'll be here until Sunday)
salad - salad (Order simple salad and no need to learn all those other words)

Malay - Indonesian
ikan -fish
ayam - chicken
domba - lamb
dipanggang - grilled
panggang - roasted
matang - cooked
goreng - fried
aduk goreng- stir fried (fried, usually in a bsin shaped wok for easy tossing and mixing but add effort in stirring)
Nasi - rice (letter i in both, c pronounced like s as in police but the write phonetically)
kentang - potato
pasta - pasta / mie
sayur-mayur
sayur mentah
sayuran yang dimasak
salad - salad

Test yourself
Malay - English
ikan - ?
ayam
domba
dipanggang
panggang
matang
goreng
aduk goreng
Nasi
kentang
pasta / mie
sayur-mayur
sayur mentah
sayuran yang dimasak
salad - salad

Test Yourself
English - Malay
fish - ?
chicken
lamb
grilled
roasted
cooked
fried
stir fried
rice
potato
pasta / noodles
vegetable
raw vegetables
cooked vegetables
salad

NB
The Chinese for fried rice is mee goreng. The Malay is nasi goreng.

Because the Muslims don't eat pork, restaurants in Malaysia and worldwide, whether run by the Chinese, Malays or others, serving Chinese food, Malay food or a mixture, might discreetly list 'meat' which is pork, or a mixture of meats including pork.

Useful Websites for travellers and learning Malay or Indonesian
amazon - books

Duolingo - free language courses and discussion forums
https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/20796214/Malay-Basics-1
Duolingo also have tinycards. These flashcards reverse when you click and then ask you to select from three multiple choice answers.
https://tinycards.duolingo.com/decks/Seft5g/malay?lesson=1

If you don't see the exact set you want, create a set and share with others.

wikipedia - detailed language
simple wiki - I prefer this, less complicated and less technical, easier to understand, takes less time to find facts.

Travel Websites
visit-Malaysia.com
visitsingapore.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher, tutor and workshop leader for learning other languages. See my later and earlier posts on learning the Malay language. Please share links to my posts with your family and friends.

French words on menus

French - English
baguette - bread shaped like a large sausage, up to the size of a forearm, with crisp hard outside, white centre full of holes, goes dry quickly
bain marie - double boiler, water underneath not touching food or liquid above, used for melting chocolate, from the name Mary
casserole - stew or stew pot
consommé - thin soup or broth
crudité - crude or raw vegetables, often cut up
rsvp - responded s'il vous plait literally reply if you please
velouté - white sauce, stock from chicken fish or veal, thickened, sometimes with cream or butter, frothy soup, known as one of the 'mother' sauces

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and author

Vegetable and Fruit options at Brasserie Restaurant, Mercure Hotel, near Watford

I give full marks to the Brasserie Restaurant at the  Hotel Mercure near Watford for providing lots of vegetables and fruit. If you are not a health fanatic, you can opt for the fattening food and find lots of batter and and sweet desserts.

However, if you are trying to eat a healthy diet, the vegetables and fruit are there. For example, the starters include goat's cheese and beetroot. This can also be served as a main course. See the menu on the hotel website.

One of the dessert options is fruit and a marshmallow on mini wooden skewers. My group of eaters included those who had done lots of sport and had hearty appetites, and couch potato types who had been sitting and although they liked sugar knew they shouldn't eat it and should be on a sensible diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Gone are the days in the 1960s when every restaurant in shopping centres and hotels offered a fruit salad with custard or cream. Now the fashion is for made up sugary desserts. Here at the Brasserie, with a bit of nifty mixing and matching, you can have marshmallows dipped in white and brown chocolate, or entirely fruit. Of stick to what they have given you, a combination in which the acidity and freshness of the fruit counterbalances the overload of sugar.

Does anybody want to join me in a campaign for bring back fruit salads? No? We are all too busy. It's the government's job. In that case, let's just have fruit salad at home and go back to restaurants like the Brasserie which offer a proper portion of cubed fruit with the dessert.

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