meemalee

I do not approve Tsukiji ! We made it! On our first two trips to Japan, hubby and I totally failed to visit Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market , partly due to sheer laziness (come on, you had to get there for 5 am for chrissakes) and partly due to contrariness because everyone said we ABSO. LUTELY. HAD. TO. GO. But when folk we knew began to make out like we were some kind of losers who didn't really like food, something finally snapped inside me and we went. At half-six that is - a girl needs her beauty sleep. Soooo we missed the famous tuna auctions , but I didn't care to watch anyway (and no, Greta Scacchi did not influence me in anyway ), and there was still plenty to see. Mainly six foot tall gaijin with big hair and freaking enormous SLRs . I jest, there was also a lot of fish. I want to drive one of these things I guess it was kind of cool looking at all the different creatures, and it was really cool that my cousin acted as a guide for us (he speaks fluent Japanese and u...

The Summer Market at the South Bank Centre is meant to promote Slow Food . It's held every so often as part of the Summer Series of Slow Food Markets at Southbank, including this weekend - next one in July. The weather had definitely turned, but this wasn't going to stop me from dutifully pootling along after work on Friday. I did a quick circuit first, eyeing up the various goodies to calculate the order I should buy things in (heaviest and perishables last) and then went round again at leisure. The first thing I saw was a little marquee by Rocket Gardens with lectures on how to "grow your own". They also had their own stand selling baby plants for you to rehouse in your own gardens run by a very nice lady. Talking of which, not everyone running the stalls was quite so nice. Something that's been bothering me for a while now is that a lot of people who sell at farmers' markets won't offer me any samples or even look at me, but they'll readily force...

Last year, one of the best foodie events I went to was the Real Food Festival held at Earls Court in London. Unlike many other such events, the Real Food Festival seeks to showcase smaller or more obscure food producers and bring them to the masses, with an emphasis on quality and sustainability. I had a fab time, meeting loads of lovely people, learning about new products and trying oodles of delicious samples and I even took in a sheep-shearing show. I even bumped into Toby Young although I've never really been sure about him since Eating With the Enemy . The Real Food Festival 2009 is being held over the weekend of 8-10 May at Earls Court . As well as lots to eat, drink and buy, there'll be another Sheep Show and a Chef's Theatre and Cookery School starring Thomasina Miers (Masterchef Winner 2005), Raymond Blanc, Tom Parker-Bowles , Ollie Rowe and Geeti Singh . Real Food Festival Tickets cost £14.90, but you can get 25% off if you use any of these discount codes he...

They were selling this down Leather Lane , eight months out of date. Seriously though, wtf ?