Egocentric publications

Letter of the day(aug 16): London Riots

One must wonder if it is sheer egocentric cognition that perpetuates letters such as these. No doubt, the said letter comes from a Midwestern state across the pond, but surely the disregard for the people in London is startling.

It is admirable that a letter such as this one, can find avenue to be published. The first amendment right of the States, is a respectable virtue, if it isn’t one that I fully endorse. (often it fails as a shining beacon, for the intellectual immaturity of its users) However, for a newspaper of the magnitude of the StarTribune, to select and publish a letter which begs the appropriateness of title, ‘London Riots’” and comes off insensitive to the mileu of events,-to publish it as a featured letter for the day, surely a disgrace of journalistic standards?

In the ensuing chaos, there are lots to be asked. The largest civil disobediance in Britain in a long while, questions must be asked. The social subtext must be examined, the political balance must be looked upon. The morality of society must be discoursed. 

These are ideas and trains which span humanity the world over. Thoughts that transcend nationality, it could happen to any civilisation, sometime in the future, now, or perhaps even has happened.

How then, is it, that this letter chooses to ignore these turn of events and dive into the murky plunge pools of the crashed economy. To return once more to the themepark of banker blame.

I can only imagine that a society, engulfed in its self and its own perceptions tinted by deepseated prejudices  for blame, regarding its own failings, would embrace a letter such as this.  Self serving in a time when contructive support and sympathy should be lent towards a civilsation which was once grand and now is splintering.

If ever, one had indignation at the intellectual maturity of a letter, it should be directed at this one.

Clarity

When explaining something, as nobodies, students we’re told to write clearly. To explain ourselves, and basically we bend over backwards, drawing arrows on a pedestrian crossing, to ensure people know how to cross.

But when you’re imminent, you get to write or speak in any manner you wish, and people attribute this to profundity of thought. It falls on the spectator to engage his mental faculties and piece together what is being explained. I’m not advocating that we should not bother with clarity, but is it not annoying at times, having to rewrite or break down a beautifully written piece to inform those who aren’t interested in working it out?

Perhaps the rule is, or should be, whoever benefits puts in the effort. So if I’m explaining to you, you work it out. If i’m the one who benefits from the grades, i’d write clearly.

 

 

 

CUT by Wolfgang Puck:its all in the name

It was a pre-theater dinner, I was going to see the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

It was however the dinner that I was looking forward too. Wolfgang Puck the Austrian, wrinkled but supposed meat genius. Streotypical in a sense, but what do we expect from the germanic areas? Meat surely.

Since it was a quick meal, done within an hour and fifteen…this just might not be too accurate.

The table started with “cheese bites”. Tiny balls of choux pastry tasting of a salty cheddar. A very forgettable dish in my view. It seemed reminescent of Ritz cheese crackers. The bite size ones witht he cheese cream.

I had an earthy olive and mushroom bread. This was pretty divine. A very earthy taste with the slight salted taste of brined olives but with the slight waxy taste of an olive. Very light, soft and crusty on the outside. The butter was rather dissappointing. Average butter with flakes of pink salt. The bread dominated the palate and would have done better with balsamic vinegar as opposed to the butter.

I had a shrimp cocktail served on a wasabi “skin” which acted as a base, served with avacado mousse and sauce which tasted very much like thai chilli sauce. You can’t fault the execution. Shrimp was fresh, wasabi base had the right consistency and potency, mousse creamy and sauce prettily painted on the plate. The taste however I didn’t think did amazing things for the palate. It was not bad, but the wasabi and chilli competed, and the mousse was tasteless next to the the 2 other sauces. Much more sophisticated sounding then tasting. I find its a rather thoughtless dish. More vogue then culinary.

The main of course was a meat. (They almost only do beef, with a couple of other meat options). I had a US style wagyu fillet mignion. The portions are very generous, hitting 300-400g per piece. The Mignion however was just under 200. And is probably the only option for people who just haven’t the spare room or are need a quick dinner.

It was done medium rare, and it was done medium rare. Moist inside and very easy to knife through. The outside was charred and the char with the moisture, and melting fats were very good. However, the char wasn’t even, with some bits charring nicely and others being browned but giving nothing of a smoky flavour. The meat however was good. But it must be said that end of the day it is but a steak and I think the cut does more for the flavour then the actual execution by the chef.

I didn’t have dessert, nor had a look at the dessert menu.

While the food isn’t bad, it isn’t inspiring. At the prices being charged, I doubt I’d return for a second more conclusive tasting.

It was mentioned at dinner by the host, that truth be told, its the name that they are selling not the food. I find myself having to agree. Adding that, the kitchen isn’t headed by Mr.Puck himself, but whoever he could get here. So perhaps the crazy expectations are unfair. But then again when you headline a restaurant with his name, there is a certain expectation and this expectation validated, when one needs to mortage ones house for a table at the restaurant.

Incidentally the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, like CUT is all in the name.

England no more: I know i’m home

I walked into the clinic, do the routine check, immediately. Waited enough to read 3 pages of a Brave New World then saw my doctor. 10 minutes later, having been given the all clear I had my bill processed. Then I’m walked out of the clinic to the lift by the rather pleasant nurse who wants to know how my past 6 months have been.

It took me a shade under 40 minutes. I think we call this, in Singapore, efficiency. With the NHS in england, they’d call me a liar. They call it a miracle. It just doesn’t happen.

Well, it left me tremendous amounts of time, to wait for my sister’s pottery lesson to end.

I found myself, meandering amongst the new shops of an old place, docking into an old haunt of mine.

Piped in jazz, the croon of sinatra, the sex (music not carnal)and the smell of brewing coffee. conforming to the contours of an easy chair, sipping from a cup of English breakfast tea (the irony doesn’t slip me) I pass on scones because the irony would have soured the dough. Instead, sausages, eggs-sunny side up, sauted mushrooms, toast, bacon and a grilled tomato. An american breakfast.

I look out of the giant glass panels, misted lightly, for the air conditioning is turned up to preserve customers. And, the majesty of cascading rainfall,(not an insipid drizzle that passes for rain) zooming cars, blue taxis and the occassional straggler poor on his luck, to be caught in the fury of the rain.

The certain pensiveness I am afforded and the luxury of creature comforts and familiarity tells me: I’m home.

Eccentricity-equal pay

 ”The council would fail in their duty if..they..allowed themselves to be guided by some eccentric principles of socialistic philantrophy, or by a feminist ambition to secure the equality of the sexes in the matter of wages in the world of labour”-Lord Atkinson, Roberts v Hopwood [1925] AC 578

Classic quote from his judgment in the judicial review case against the Metropolitan borough council’s decision to pay men and women equal amounts.

A little wanderlust

Because the exams are coming…the mind wanders. Or at least mine does. While people migrate to the library to meditate on the law, I find myself looking for the next distraction. Well, my unconducive study habits isn’t the subject of this entry.

An interesting article I found on Language.

English: it’s a neologism thang, innit?

I find quite clever how it is observed that the enthusiasm or want of, when new words are added to the language is more a “class” thing than a “puritan” thing.

Also, I really intended to review this amazing seafood place in Brighton…but alas! So many other ways to distract oneself.

Incidentally, the weather is beautiful these days.

a little removed

I’ve been whiling away the time, getting so little study done.

This evening, I find myself not in the yellow walled, black trimmed travesty of a dormitory room. I am perched in a posture worthy of reprimand by my orthopedician, in a fabric tub chair, by an open double window. I have a view of black skies and a plain stone building-flats I believe.

As I read Tomkins, the occassional breeze licks at my feet, chilling but not uncomfortable. Occassionally my mind wanders. As it does now, Damien rice is playing, the night seems a perfect still apart from the pages I turn and tune he carries.

The restful nature of the city, this city of ancient beauty and culture, Prague seems to be embodied in the air. I breathe it, I feel calmer, I feel my mind racing less. I ponder what I read, I am not distracted by the ambulance, the police siren, the train’s whistle, the drunkards’ clamourings, the screech of the disoriented flight of pigeons, the rustling of restless trees rooted for eternity, the noise and rumble of the London air. Even when my mind wanders, it meanders with no aggression, it is a placid stream, flowing not a faucet pouring furiously trying to fill a tub.

It is this serenity, that I missed. Its amazing just how much easier it is to think and read in this environment than it was in the beauty of St James’s park, pretty but infested with tourist.

I am thinking of the old corner cafe just before Charles bridge. This antiquainted old dame, cake and tea, china and oak panels. The sleepy, the romantic the easy way to live. Tomorrow, I shall take my books there.

L’autre Pied

The sister restaurant of L’autre Terre, I was expecting quite a bit of the 1 star. The restaurant was comfortable enough,  and I must say the phoneline is very well operated. Answered immediately both time I called, and immediately knew who I was and all. Pretty top notch on that front.

It was a fairly simple lunch

Starter:

Ragout in cream cheese sauce with white beans

This was a really amazing dish. Very interesting use of texture and taste. The sauce was soup like, creamy but not over bearingly cheesy, the ragout with its meat flavours balanced the sauce really well, and the beans were an excellent touch, bringing in a bit of a crunch to the otherwise soupy dish. I enjoyed this very much.

Beef Pie

This was a let down. Excellently plated. A nice portion of pie, with spinach and cheese plated with it. The pie however was just much too rich. The pastry alone, would have been lovely, but the beef overtly buttered, and with the buttered pastry it was just really too much. The spinach did help balance this, but was just not enough. My stomach was left feeling slightly unsettled. Considering, I generally only feel that way after things like KFC…it was a bit of a let down.

Dark Valrhona heated and served with mandarin orange ice-cream

The chocolate was interesting, I had expected a sauce of cake. It was instead chocolate foam, and it had a lump of ice cream bedded in the middle. The foam was light, intense in flavour, the rich chocolatey goodness of Valrhona. However, the ice-cream killed it for me. It was too sweet and cloying, the orange tasted jam like, overtly sweet preserve, as opposed to a citrus clean palate. Once again, over done, with too much sweet notes. Rather dissappointing for a pretty promising dish.

I wasn’t particularly thrilled, but the starter was amazing, one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. The presentation was pretty all around, but the main and dessert was just much too overdone in flavour. It lacked the control of flavours.

 

Mario Bibatelli

For all who want a laugh, especially for United Fans

Mario Bibatelli

Odette’s

It was mostly by chance. Watched Norwegian Wood, the movie does no justice to the book. It’s amazing that a movie that has so much sex in it, actually can bore one so much…

Intending to have Chinese, but the store was closed, walked towards Primrose Hill. Mistaking a set menu to being applicable, we ventured in. Severely underdressed…

Well, let’s get to the food.

Amuse Brioche was Potato foam.

This was really amazing. Smooth and creamy potato, like curd but contrasted very well with the saltish porcine taste of bacon and finished with the very refreshing flavour of basil. Extremely well thought out dish.

I skipped the starter, so had mains straight after, Saddle of Rabbit.

Prettily represented, with the chunks of meat placed vertically, the dish looked very linear,as if lining up to enter your mouth. It went “seared scallop, mushroom, carrot tip, Rabbit meat attached to the bone, mushroom, carrot tip, chunk of rabbit, scallop…” Very cohesive taste, the meat was very firm, yet tender and the sauce went with it very well. Not gamey at all, neutral tasting, only the flavours of the ingredients come through, in this dish. But very fresh, very well executed.

Pre-dessert, chocolate ice cream.

Served on a slate slab, an oval of dark chocolate ice cream with mint leaf, and a cube of white chocolate with kumquat. The dark chocolate, was very typical, rich smooth, the mint adds a nice finish, to the rather cloying dark chocolate. The white was intriguing, it wasn’t cold! It was room temperature, and almost fudge like. I’m not quite sure how this was achieved, but the tart-sweetness of the kumquat went rather well with it.

Dessert, Blackberry Souffle.

Very well executed. Light yet structured. It was amazing how intense it tasted although it was really light. I didn’t particularly like how the blackberry was blended into the whole souffle, I didn’t appreciate the choice of flavour very much. The souffle other then that, was very well done.

Post Dessert, Green tea/ salt chocolate/ blackcurrant jelly

Green tea was of a good quality. (I was trying to combat my sore throat)

Salt chocolate was nice, rather standard fair, salty against the chocolaty taste.

Blackcurrant jelly seemed like a Ribena pastel.

It was a really enjoyable dinner, good company and rather exciting food.