Delicious Christmas Lunch...!

...fruit punch, mince pie, full Christmas dinner, cheesecake and fruit...(oh and a cracker) - still wearing my hat, it's not coming off for the meetings this afternoon... ;)

Oh and that view in the background I have got so used to that I didn't even bother to frame?  All the way down the Thames to Canary Wharf... ;)

It's got me to thinking about December 25th and what time I need to be out of bed!

I'm the Yum Yum criminal!

Never thought I would say such a thing, but I was a little bit naughty, I must admit - I didn't have enough money for a proper lunch, so I ate 4 soft iced Yum Yums in desperation, which has deprived some (obviously equally hungry) team-mates of their afternoon snack...I must pay back this mistake tomorrow (thankfully it's payday)... ;)

Not sure if it's cooler to be the Yum Yum Criminal or the Yum Yum Gangster...still thinking it over... ;)

Ahem - "I am the hip-hop-a-potamus, my lyrics are bottomless... ;0" :)

Thomas made his own lunchtime snack...

...on Saturday, a warm tortilla wrap face, composed of Cheddar hair, Camembert eyebrows, Chorizo eyes (with BBQ sauce pupils), cherry tomato ears, a pickled gherkin nose, crispy bacon mouth and a Halloumi tongue...!

Very artistic -and- tasty... ;)

Last day in the office!

Loving the *free* Christmas (either Pork or Turkey) dinner with all the trimmings...if you had the time you could eat it in the canteen on a proper plate with drinks and crackers etc. but I took it back to my desk in a takeaway box (still fantastic) as it's my last day in the office this year (bar a tiny bit of working from home) so I had a few things to finish off... ;)

I feel a bit guilty talking about the *huge* giveaway in reception happening at the same time that I stumbled into...it was like a free black-friday scrum for staff...*astonishing*...Not sure how I'm going to get everything home!

In summary - *This* is how you do the week before Christmas - I've never seen anything even remotely like it anywhere else I have worked in all my long years!  So God Bless you current employer...and here's to many, many more years to come! <:0

Oh and it was Chicken Chettinad today...

...in the staff canteen (absolutely delicious spicy curry from Southern India) served with Saag aloo, steamed cardomom pilau rice, mango chutney and raitta...£3.57...going to need to top up my payment card again soon at this rate, lunch is normally a bit cheaper than that... ;)

Off to Brighton tomorrow for the company conference/awards ceremony (they have laid on a bunch of coaches to get everyone there) at the Grand Hotel (and then some water-based -out at sea- activities in the afternoon - hope my wetsuit still fits after all this fine grub!), plus they have paid for *everyone* to have a free hotel room for the night afterwards! Amazing!  What a pleasant way to segue into the weekend... :)

Back to work...

...after a lovely few days off, got Flyingpops holiday book ordered, exchanged some Pounds for Euros ready for hols...and just been offered free Burger King at lunchtime (no idea why, but)...yum yum! ;)

Meh - mouth a *bit* better...

Woo ha! Managed to eat lovely roast dinner on Sunday and even "normal" lunch yesterday, but it still sort of *hurt* instead of being really enjoyable (although I could at least taste most of it), my boss is convinced I "just took it one step too far and burnt your(my) mouth off", but I quickly countered with the *irrefutable* arguement "How can 1.15 billion Indian people be wrong"? Besides, it's a whole load better - I can now sneeze without feeling like I have just burst open my tonsils (in screaming agony), my tongue isn't all swolen up any longer and my taste buds are slowly returning to "normal" (although some people may disagree with quite what "normal" is... ;) The only thing I need to get rid of now is this crippling disability to deal with *extremely* spicy food, without which, quite a lot of life (the eating food bits) wouldn't be worth living... ;)

Om.....nom nom bah... :(

STOP THE PRESSES!!!

...(just *knew* I would have a picture *somewhere* in the archives)...

Anyway, (sorry), STOP THE PRESSES!!!

Ready? I know you will find this hard to believe *but* -

WE HAVE DISCOVERED SOMETHING THOMAS WILL NOT GREEDILY SHOVE INTO HIS MOUTH AND NOM WITH WIDE EYED ENTHUSIASM!

I know...I know...but I kid you not...Thomas absolutely hates - Brussel Sprouts...what a fussy little boy! ;)

Titanium Spork!

Thank you Flyingpops (albeit slightly belatedly)! After moaning (probably a little too much) in the evenings, as a lovely surprise - I'm now saved from having to struggle eating my chicken lunches with the tiny children's sized, wobbly plastic Tesco sporks (which they have often run out of - but only because people like me grab a handful when they *are* available, I would imagine)...

Now I have a beautiful, super light and super strong stainless titanium camping spork, complete with full spoon and spork sporting a neat bevelled cutting blade on the other end! Woot... ;)

Dave's Gourmet Insanity Sauce

Ouch... :(

...and I love hot food...I licked a generous dose (about a teaspoon full) off my hand as a sampler at the end of lunchtime (thanks to Alan from the Maths department) and WHOAH...my nose (which was congested) is now completely clear and my throat feels like I had sandpaper for my dinner (I also sweated about a pint and got told by a colleage "you look like you have had a stroke")...checked it out on the internets and this sauce is 180,000 on the scoville scale (the common benchmark here, for reference, is Tabasco sauce - which most people think is spicy) which is about 2500) and was the only sauce ever banned from the American "National Fiery Foods Show" for being too hot...So no blooming wonder my head 'asploded! That was like chewing up and swallowing a couple of raw Scotch Bonnets... :0

*pant*

Giant Tabasco sauce bottle

Wow, what a surprise! Came in this morning to find a giant bottle of Tabasco pepper sauce had been deposited on my desk! Just over the last few weeks I've been cooking up a roast free range chicken on a Sunday lunchtime, disecting it into handy portions and bringing it in as cold cuts to enjoy for my lunch, everyone around me has been heartily amused at the amount of Tabasco I get through while I eat it (roughly a small 57ml bottle per week, which I suppose is actually quite a lot when you stop to think about it)...

So Alan from the maths bit of the display advertising department, while he was in Costco over the weekend, spotted this giant one, got one for himself (for home) and one for me (as an early birthday present - he *says* - although rumour has it he has been spotted helping himself to nips from my little bottle from time to time, so I suspect it's as much a present for him as it is for me, and I can share)... ;)

Looking on the back of the box, it's quite clear that bottles of this size are aimed at a completely different audience to the little ones, quoting, as it does, how many teaspoons of the stuff you should add to 30-egg scrambles or gallons of thick soup, or in substitution of a heaped teaspoon of black pepper for the required level of heat...so just for reference, one teaspoon of Tabasco is roughly equal to half a teaspoon of fresh cayenne pepper...so now you know... ;)

Thanks Alan! :)

Grease the Musical, Piccadilly Theatre - review

So in a final salute to Flyingpops' birthday, Saturday saw us taking (an extremely rare) weekend trip up into town (it's hard to do the commute when you don't *have* to), starting with a bus journey (as Flyingpops wasn't sure how much cash she had on her Oyster card, the queue to top it up was about 300 people long, and buses take small change) which seemed to take about 40 minutes to cover the same distance as the 10 minute tube journey (thanks to the huge amounts of traffic) -

- we got off the bus by Foyles (just opposite Denmark Street on Charing Cross Road) and worked our way through the alleys to Frith Street where our (pre-planned) venue for lunch was located - The Gourmet Burger Kitchen -

- we got a seat quite easily (it being out of the way a little bit) but considering that - it did fill up rather quickly thereafter (which was lucky!)-

- Flyingpops went for the Butternut Squash burger, her mum (Nanjan) opted for the BBQ Burger (well done) and I really couldn't decide between the Blue Cheese and the BBQ (so I had both!) cooked medium rare -

- and to quote Samuel L Jackson "Mmmmmmm! This is a tasty burger"! After a brief pause to consider options - Flyingpops took hers to bits to reduce it's height, Nanjan used her knife and fork, and I got Blue cheese and BBQ relish all over my face...delicious! ;)

That done, we started walking towards the Theatre, first through Chinatown -

- all decked out with (festival) lanterns for the Chinese New Year celebrations (which is actually today! Happy Year of the Ox everyone!) -

- (which makes the people hugging guys in cow costumes seem a lot more sensible)
<
- we struggled through the crowds across Picadilly Circus, stopping only briefly to goggle at the new flagship Barclays store opening where Wimpy/Burger King used to be -

- where I waited outside (staring at the guys squirming with embarrasment dressed in blue Grenadier Guard uniforms)-

- while Flyingpops and Nanjan fought (successfully) to grab a few free goodie bags they were giving away (containing flyers and a pocket-sized London street atlas (quite useful)...!

And then (many pedestrian collisions later) we made it to our destination, the Piccadilly Theatre-

- we had pre-ordered tickets (just to make sure I had enough leg room - Chicago had been so bad I had to move seats!) - had a quick drink in the pub opposite (as we were there about half an hour early) watching others arrive - this lot were part of a Hen do, all dressed up as Pink Ladies (really good idea by the bridemaid there!) -

- and then in!

It was a really good show (as I said to Flyingpops, it was never going to be able to compete with the Beauty and the Beasts or Josephs of the Musical world, but) the cast was great (the winners of the related ITV talent show were playing the leads) and *Jimmy Osmond* was playing the Teen Angel (he got the loudest applause of all)! If I were to have booked it up again I probably would have sat a bit further back - a lot of the characters smoke herbal cigarettes on stage (and they honk!), when the pyrotechnics going off it was a bit like being Ross Kemp in Afganistan and the smoke machine made it a bit hard to see at times but overall it did what it said on the tin, and Flyingpops loved it (and that's all that matters)... ;)

I want to go and see Oliver (with Rowan Atkinson) next, Flyingpops is voting for Billy Elliot (which I will point-blank refuse to go to), so we'll just have to see what happens... ;)

A hour and a half for lunch

As a result of a recent desk move (into a new department) for the team I work in, my hours in the office have just been modified...instead of formally working 0930-1730hrs we have all now signed forms saying we are happy to work 0900-1730, not actually much of a change for me, as I am usually to be found slumped at my desk from 0845 onwards, but what it does mean is that we now get an hour and a half for lunch...so actually a really good deal for me as I was putting in the hours anyway, it's just a nice bit of recognition (and that can be a somewhat rare thing in this day and age)...

This would all be great, apart from two things - firstly, public transport (since the change) has completely conspired against me, Monday morning the tube was closed so I had to run to the river and wait ten minutes for a boat to turn up (which made me 10 minutes late and earned me a worried phone call from the office while I was in the lift on the way up to the 20th floor - just had to happen on the first day I guess), and today it was reduced gate entry at London Bridge (and when I eventually got down there) the platform was rammed - had to watch two trains leave before I finally squeezed, breathless, into a small, sweaty space on one...just managed to get to my desk on time by pushing my way through the crowds and hurrying through the rain before the clock chimed the start of work...don't really want to be getting on an even earlier train into town (to be on the safe side) as that would mean getting up about half an hour earlier (and we get up quite early enough as it is) just going to have to hope things get back to normal pretty quickly...the second thing (and this isn't really a moan) is that an hour and a half is a *hell* of a long time to fill...I mean, I could now watch an entire (average length) film...or two TV episodes...also it's a bit odd - if I go up and sit in the restaurant everyone else vanishes at 2pm and I'm left sat on my own, same if I pop out to the shops (as I did yesterday to browse the new Waterstones for opening bargains), the place goes from "Bluewater at Christmas" style-chaos to "Dawn of the Dead" tumbleweed-strewn desolation in the space of five minutes...

It's just going to take a bit of getting used to I guess, after an entire lifetime of hour-long lunches...*shrug*...(still, it makes the afternoon go pretty quick)! ;)

Our scary office microwave

Yes, it's an 1800w catering oven, capable of reducing your dinner to a small pile of cinders in the time it takes you to fill up your water bottle, accidentally follow the cooking instructions on your dinner, or just stick something on for 3 minutes and you are in a world of (terribly overcooked) pain...the chart on it doesn't even show the true power (it being for a measly 1700w microwave)...

Want to warm up some lunch here, you got to be on your toes... ;)

Muslims, Halal and Benebene

Saw an amazing thing the other day while I was standing in Benebene (waiting for my Chicken Satay Ciabatta to be griddled)...four young Muslim girls came walking into the store (dressed in Chadors and all wearing slightly tired/resigned looking expressions on their faces) cautiously nosing around the various goodies and exchanging quiet words with one another when suddenly the guy behind the counter spotted them and shouted over the ambient chatter "It's all Halal ladies, the chicken - everything" (as he tucked someone's baked potato and cheese into a flimsy plastic carrier bag and flung it towards them over the counter with a practised hand)...they stopped what they were doing and looked over at him (packets of nearly chosen cold vegetable couscous in shiny plastic containers limply dangling from hands), one of them finally managing an incredulous "Everything?" with a frown of disbelief on her face..."Yes, everything is Halal"...

The transformation was staggering, they practically jumped for joy(!), eyes suddenly lit up, they clutched at each others hands (couscous falling back into 'fridge forgotten) and pulled themselves as a wide-eyed, knee-trembling assembly around the store, pointing and shrieking - the pedestrian process of finding something (anything) they were allowed to eat for lunch had been transformed into the mental equivalent of a free trolley dash in Tiffany and Co!

I couldn't help but laugh as I watched them literally behave like (and I apologise in advance for the Americanism) "kids in a candy store"... :)

Canary Wharf Motorexpo 2008

It was a bit of a suprise getting into the office yesterday morning and finding my way from the stairs largely blocked by lots of Aston Martins -

- but peering out the window when I got upstairs to the 20th floor, I discovered this was just the tip of the iceberg -

- "Motorexpo 2008" has come to town, it runs until Sunday (before being shipped off (nut, bolt and flyer) to New York)...it's sort of like a mini-"Motor show", but instead of lurking in the Excel centre, it invades every piece of empty land available around "The Wharf" - people are coming back from lunch with stories of almost getting to the front of the queue to drive a 4x4 before they ran out of time, or asking if they could sit in (insert posh car name here) and being told that there was a reservation system in place and they might just be fitted in for five minutes at half-three on Thursday...desks are groaning under (never in a million years affordable) car brochures (etc. etc.)...so it's pretty lively out there (as I imagine a completely free car show is a bit of a pull to the rest of London (and further afield) also, not just to us who are fortunate enough to work here)...

Oh and combine that with a new Sushi place (Wasabi) opening in Cabot Place (and offering two for the price of one on all their food, this has almost caused more fuss - people have been chatting excitedly about it since a quarter to nine this morning!) and you have the recipe for a rather busy environment...come back half-term, all is forgiven!

Sally Lunn's Bath Buns

Lunchtime in Bath, only one place to go and eat (and thank goodness we were there firmly out of season as apparently the queues can stretch all the way along the road and round the corner!), we were lucky enough only to have a wait of about 3 minutes (behind one other couple) while they cleaned bun-crumbs off the recently vacated tables, and then we were left to examine the menu...they do all sorts of imaginative things with the simple bun, from standard cream teas, right through to hollowing them out, toasting them (to turn them into a mini-edible plate known historically as a "trencher") and filling them up with boeuf bourguignon -

- I went for the Welsh Rarebit (trencher-style) with a very spicy sweet chutney (which was fantastic), and after dabbing our mouth-corners with napkins, we went down to explore the "kitchen museum" (me only banging my head 3 times in the process) -



- which is quite interesting, but really just a vehicle to sell you more buns...but hey, that's fine as they are jolly nice (we came away with 4)... ;)

The Parador, Reigate - Tapas Restaurant

Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter break, I spent a bit of mine worrying about the Wedding (yes, I know it'll be fine *whatever*, but doesn't stop my mind giving me worst-case-scenario dreams), and the weather wasn't exactly inspiring - I think we can probably do without all the snow on the day (as Flyingpops keeps wondering out loud if she'll be able to cope with the cold), plus (largely) finishing my wedding speech has managed to bring the whole thing rather sharply into focus...the weather also swept us off for a rather surreal meal, eating (as we were) Tapas in "The Parador" in Reigate to celebrate Mum's 60th...(Happy Birthday again Mum!)...and watching the wind blasting snow flurries past the window outside as we tucked into our distinctly summery food -

- Now, Flyingpops and I have been here to eat about once a month since we discovered it (just wandering around town as we would do when on holiday seeing if anything took our fancy), so I have tried a number of the things on the menu before, the first time I just had to try the mixed Tapas platter (pictured at the top of the next photo) which gives you a taste of about 8 different kinds of "main" tapas dish (all of which are excellent), so this time, having had my curiosity sated by previous experience, I opted to try some of the other things on the menu, the "pimentos a padron", which are griddled spicy green peppers with rock salt (and are zingy and fresh and excellent), and you might just be able to make out the Carpaccio of Beef with lemon, parmesan and rocket salad on the bottom left, I've eaten this at the Black Duck in New York City, and frankly The Parador do it much better...even though New York was amazingly good-

- pretty much everyone else seemed to go for the paella (which again is absolutely superb) and obviously adapted according to what is seasonally available, as the collection of vegetables were vastly different to our last visit (as Flyingpops can never be tempted to eat anything other than that, she is now becoming quite an authority on it)...

- anyway, great place, great company and a great meal...We'll keep coming back... ;)

Views of Canary Wharf

Brought the good camera into town the other day, took these when we went out for our office Christmas lunch...rather a step up from last year...heh...even though we only went to one of the local pubs (a 'spoon, but not a run of the mill one, obviously, considering the location), situated in the amazing (listed) "Ledger Building"...

...even the toilet was spectacular ;) -

Benebene review

Mmmm - have I found a nice place to get lunch - "Benebene" (although the logo on the actual shop makes it look a bit more like "Bonobono" with it's Dreamcast-style swirl), it's really just a sort of "Pret" clone but my *goodness* the treats on offer...at the moment I'm cycling between chilli topside of beef (satisfyingly sweet and suprisingly spicy) and "Roast Chicken Breast with BBQ sauce, Jalapeno peppers and salad"...absolutely excellent, and each sub is only £2.50! Bargain! ;)