Juliet's Food Diary - banging her head off a brick wall
I didn’t take advantage of the Eat Out To Help out scheme for various reasons. Firstly, I like to go out at the weekends, being a Saturday night kind of gal. Also there's the rub that it’s not really a government funded scheme but a taxpayer one.
At the time of writing £180 million has so far been spent on feeding the masses. The usual money-down-the-drain comparison would be how many nurses would such a pile of dosh pay for?
My well researched answer is lots.
To be fair, many restaurants and eateries are very grateful for the cash boost. My waiter chum tells me he’s seen tips go up because of the customer savings. Faith in humanity has been temporarily restored.
Yet other establishments complain about rude diners. A discount scheme sometimes attracts entitled types who will never be back to pay full price, and for some businesses a busy midweek makes for a quieter weekend. Will a fruitful August result in a bleak September? We shall soon know.
I recently overheard someone bleating about restaurants not passing on their discounted VAT savings onto customers.
I might have interrupted and explained how the low profit margins of the food trade, combined with massively reduced capacity and an upcoming recession might be a reason for "greedy" restaurant owners to use their paltry savings to keep employing their staff and stay in business. Instead I did the more decent thing - located the nearest brick wall and banged my head against it.
On a more positive note, a chum of mine is retraining to become a Home Economics teacher and she has the drive and sunny disposition to make a great success of it too.
Apparently there is such a demand for Home Ec teachers that some schools can’t currently offer it as a subject. If you ever ponder the question as to why there's an obesity crisis and reliance on fast and nutritionless food, there’s your answer.
So I send my best wishes to all those embarking on such a wonderful new career. You will change many people’s lives for the better.
If you’d like to put your offspring off sugar then may I point you in the direction of M&S's newly launched Colin the Caterpillar sweets. They look like the sort of creature one might have nightmares about axing you to death in the middle of the night.
Congratulations to Bross Bagels on their new outlet at Waverley
Mall, Brossties and Frickles, which translates as bagel toasties and fried pickles, in case you were wondering.
Located at the top of the mall next to the Waverley Station steps, I can guarantee their offerings are a tasty treat.
I’ve recently made a foray into chutney making, so if you’d like something tangy to go with ham or a strong cheese, here’s my latest recipe.
Rhubarb, nectarine and ginger chutney
1.5 kg rhubarb
500g nectarines
500g onions
3 heaped tbps finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 litre vinegar
2tbs mixed spice
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
20g salt
1kg sugar
Chop the rhubarb, nectarine and onions and place in a pan with the fresh ginger and half the vinegar.
Cook over a low heat until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until all are combined and the sugar dissolved. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally to stop any chutney sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour into sterilised jars, seal and store for a few weeks before enjoying.