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Posted on Oct 24, 2011 by 
Masala is something that a lot of Londoners crave for. Though it is not really British in origin, it is now associated with the food from the city. And when we talk British cuisine, who comes to mind first? Different people would have different answers but I am sure that the name Nigella Lawson would come up a lot. Here is a different twist to masala, according to Nigella.
Ingredients
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 chilli, red or green
1 garlic clove, microplaned or finely chopped
0.25 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp umami seasoning **
2 egg, beaten
1 pinch Coriander, chopped for sprinkling overMethod
1. Preheat the grill.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan 20-27cm in diameter and fry the spring onion, chilli and turmeric until soft. Add the other spices and fry for another minute stirring occasionally.
3. Add the beaten eggs, swirling the pan to help the eggs set underneath.
4. When the omelette is nearly set, flash it under a hot grill to finish it off, and serve with fresh coriander and chapattis.
Nigella has some notes:
I should say that when I cook this for myself, on a weekday at least, I usually dispense with most of the ingredients: I chop two peppers, turn them around in a hot pan with a little bit of oil for a while, then beat them into a couple of eggs, adding some roughly chopped coriander and Maldon salt at the same time. I then pour everything back into the frying pan and cook for a few minutes before sitting the pan under the grill for a top-setting minute or so.
And feel free to add as well as subtract ingredients: grated ginger is good, as is chopped fresh mint and, indeed, dried. You can eat this, flat on the plate, with a knife and fork, or roll it up inside a chapati that you’ve just warmed through in the microwave.
** We also should note here that Umami (or MSG) has been declared safe by countless medical and scientific food regulators. It is in fact much healthier (and more tasty!) than normal table salt.
If you’re planning a trip to Great Britain, with kids in tow, you will be pleased to find that there is a wide array of awe-inspiring sites and attractions that will please everyone in your travel party – no matter what age. For activities that will no doubt have the kids squealing with delight and sharing their travel stories with friends, be sure to check out these five awesome sites for kids in Great Britain. Continue reading »
The London Underground, also called “the tube,” is an underground railway network that is touted as the fasted way to travel through London. Comprised of twelve rail tube lines, an interconnected local train network, and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), the London Underground is responsible for people-moving seven days a week. If you plan on visiting London, then it is a must that you learn how to get around using the tube. Here is a guide to exploring London via the London Underground.
Hours of operation. Tube lines are open between Monday and Saturday, from 5 AM to midnight, and operate on a limited schedule on Sundays. Continue reading »
Motor insurance is mandatory. Anyone who drives must have an insurance policy otherwise you can simply just get behind the wheels. Accidents happens during times when you least expect it. If you are going through some tight financial situation, you are not excused to not have insurance coverage, but there are a lot of available ways on how to save money on auto insurance policy. Here are some tips that you can use to save lots of cash at the same time have a quality motor insurance coverage.
• Shop around
There is no harm in shopping around for auto insurance. People tend to focus on the top two insurance companies. These people might have been the oldest and the smartest of all but with their price tag, you are simply paying for their name and not for the service that you are getting or will be getting just in case. It’s a good thing that there are more than thousands of websites that provides online research and compare tools. With these smart tools, you would be able to compare premium rates and the features and benefits of your insurance.
• Pay upfront
One of the best tricks to save money on insurance is to pay your policy upfront. This will not just earn you some plus point in your credit rating but you are also getting loads of discounts as compared to monthly payment schemes.
• Clean up your credit rating
This is one of the most discriminatory acts that insurance providers do but there is nothing anyone can do about it. Did you know that insurance providers consider your credit rating when calculating the risk? Yes that’s, “technically” if you are responsible enough to pay for your dues, that means you are a responsible driver. If you want to save money on auto insurance, please your insurer to get more discounts.
To those who are engaged in rental business, a way to protect you against abusive tenants is to obtain Landlord Insurance from Allianz to ensure that your properties are guarded and protected. It is a common scenario that there are only few tenants that you can trust these days when it comes to trusting their accountability and stewardship of your property without destroying it or damaging it. Of course, you have to maintain the insurance to ensure that future tenants would have a contract with you and your business will continue.
To many, the red telephone box is something rather unique on England’s streets. In a modern England where everyone is well equipped with mobile phones, there really isn’t much need to visit a little cubicle and search the pocket for 30p. However, in its heyday the fast disappearing red telephone box was a real beacon of comfort provided you didn’t have to queue for too long.
In the past, it was a true life-saver for people who had no home telephone, and it also offered not only privacy but also shelter for users. Many old English people I know often say it was a kind of public amenity in which you didn’t mind waiting for the rain to stop. Some people also claim to have had their very first kiss in one, much to the entertainment of curious passers-by of course.
There is no doubt that these red boxes are well recognised and appreciated by all countries and they reflect England’s historic development in both architectural achievements and communications. As far as many are concerned, the famous red phone box does play a vital role in English culture and heritage, and has done so for many past decades.
Fortunately enough, the charming red boxes can be found all over England. They have also appeared in countless films and while they are disappearing fast due to new communication technology, an increasing number of people are still preserving them.
As a foreigner, the red telephone box well represents England in many respects to me. I used to live in England and even though I hardly used the phone boxes at all, I spent so much time admiring and appreciating them from a creative point of view. For me, it all started with a red phone box on the beach in Brighton during my half-term visit. The brilliant contrast of the shiny red colour against the beautiful seaside of the Southern English town made a fantastic photo opportunity.
Now back home in Bangkok I’ve still got loads and loads of red telephone box photos on my computer, in the beautiful snow, among green trees, taken from many different angles, mostly with mates crammed inside. To be fair, it’s such a good reminder of my time spent in England as I still remember precisely where and with whom I was, when each picture was taken.
The red phone box is definitely not only a gorgeous piece of English street furniture, globally recognised, it was and till these days still is a priceless life-saver for many people. I reckon that British Telecom should be praised for maintaining all these gorgeous red boxes. I’m certain everyone still remembers the tragedy of the London bombings back in 2005 when all the mobile phones technically went down but good old red phone box worked perfectly fine and helped put many people’s minds at rest.
Most people would see different wedding traditions, but if there is one that can be traced from the English style, that is of spreading flowers on the pathway towards the altar before the bride walks towards it. Such a practice stems from the belief that the bride will live through her life happily and lovely.
This practice is usually done by a small girl who dons the same design or dress of the bride herself. This is to avoid being singled out by any jealous evil wishers who might envy her life of happiness in the duration of the ceremonies.
Also, brides are also advised to carry a silver horseshoe to the hem of their wedding dresses. In the olden days, brides were even asked to carry actual horseshoes for good luck. The former is what most brides apply now since good luck is what any newlyweds will always be after.
Every nation in this world would certainly want something to be called their core culture. Some countries (especially in Asia) label their cultures as hospitable and welcoming. Others label their cultures as hard working. Still others prefer the label easy going and fun loving. What is the core culture of the Britain of today? If someone were to ask you this question, what would you answer off the top of your head?
I was quite saddened when I read something about this over at Time.com. Here are some excerpts from the feature article:
What are the key components of Britishness? The bulldog spirit? A stiff upper lip? Or a penchant for Sex on the Beach? With Britain locked in an identity crisis (the English feel English, the Welsh, Welsh and some Scots are so eager to assert their Scottishness that they want to disunite the United Kingdom), these questions are troubling Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Oddly, Brown overlooked another fundament of Britishness: alcohol-fueled misbehavior. Booze culture unites Britons from Land’s End in southwestern England to John O’Groats at the northeastern tip of Scotland, and it’s also one of the U.K.’s best-known exports. In sun spots such as Ibiza, Mallorca, the Canary Islands, Spain and Greece, English, Welsh and Scottish holidaymakers raucously intermingle, indistinguishable from each other in their bright leisure wear and brighter sunburns, downing alcoholic concoctions such as Sex on the Beach, sometimes as a prelude to the act itself.
The feature is longer than these two paragraphs and I felt disturbed after I read it. Is this how people of other nations perceive the British people? Do they really think that the British is a nation of boozers?
Photo courtesy of mike harper
“I’ve got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You’d be surprised
There’s so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh…”
Those are some of the words of the song “Return to Pooh Corner” by Kenny Loggins. I still remember hearing this song for the first time way back and feeling wistful about my childhood – and Pooh stories, of course. From toddlers to adults, this character created by A.A. Milne is forever imprinted in many people’s hearts.
But did you know that there really is a Pooh Corner? Did you know that the forest where Christopher Robin, Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet played in really exists? Yes, they do – in Hartfield, Sussex. If you grew up on Pooh, then a visit to where it all happened should be at the top of your list.
Hartfield can be found at the south of London, easily accessible on a day’s trip. Once you get there, you can visit the print room, where all original artwork by E.H. Shepard is available for viewing. If you want to see all of it, you would have to allot several hours.
If you prefer the great outdoors, then you should visit Poohsticks Bridge – where you can play Poohsticks – and then head on to the Pooh Corner, which used to be the candy store where Christopher Robin got his Bullseye candy.
No, I am not talking about the parties that high school students look forward to each year in the United States and other parts of the world. This “prom” is a bit more, let’s say, cultured. I am talking about The BBC Proms or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. Does that suit your taste better?
The Proms is an age old tradition in the UK. It started way back in 1895 and lasts for 8 weeks during the summer period. Today, one can look forward to over 70 concerts throughout the whole season. The concerts are held at the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, London – well, at least most of them.
This year, The Proms started on July 15. As it is every year, the world’s greatest musical performances will be attended by countless people.
A little more information on The Proms from Wikipedia:
Proms is short for promenade concerts, a term which arose from the original practice of audience members promenading, or strolling, in some areas of the concert hall during the concert. Promming now refers to the use of the standing areas inside the hall (the arena and gallery) for which ticket prices are much lower than for the reserved seating. Single concert promming tickets can be purchased, with few exceptions, only on the day of the concert, which can give rise to long queues for well-known artists or works. Prommers can purchase full or half season tickets instead for guaranteed entry, although not guaranteed standing position. A number of Prommers are particularly keen in their attendance, and see it as a badge of honour to achieve the grand slam of attending every concert of the season.
Photo courtesy of wallyg
