Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the tag “fruit”

Dragonfruit Yoghurt. But How Many Know What Dragonfruit Looks Like?


Muller light yoghurts are fantastic and they keep on experimenting with new and different fruit flavours and combinations.

But the cover of the yogurt pot gives little clue really as to what dragonfruit fruit looks like.

In reality until I saw Dragonfruit on a Maldives breakfast buffet I neither could have guessed what they look like. Taste wise they are quite mellow and separating the dragonfruit from the pineapple might be a little tricky, or interpret that as impossible.

Looking at them unpeeled and ready to eat, but prepared by an excellent chef, they look not unlike dominos.  So a few photos to show maybe more what they look like in the Maldives with an excellent chef, than in reality how they might look if I prepared them .

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Just Nice Food Photos From Europe


Chicken and leek pie

Chicken and Leek Pie. Northumberland UK

Coffee

Coffee Zurich Airport

Croissant

Massive Croissant London UK

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Massive Croissant London UK

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Ice Cream Northumberland UK

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Bread and butter Seahouses UK

Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart Zug Switzerland

Pizza

Pizza London UK

Plum and Almond Tart

Plum and Almond Tart Northumberland UK

Prosecco

Prosecco London UK

Sticky Toffee Pudding 2

Sticky Toffee Pudding London UK

Treacle Tart

Treacle Tart Northumberland UK

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding London UK

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Chickpea and Chorizo Warm Salad London UK

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Omelette Hamburg Germany

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Waffle with golden syrup Merton UK

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Fruit Breakfast Hamburg Germany

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Chocolate Cheesecake Gothenburg Sweden

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Chocolate Muffin Gothenburg Sweden

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Burger and Chips Gothenburg Sweden

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Waffle Merton UK

Eat Blueberries to live for 1000 years ? Maybe


Blueberries are one of the few fruits that are native to North America and In terms of U.S. fruit consumption, blueberries rank only second to strawberries in popularity of berries. The US cultivates around half of all global consumption of blueberries with another 30% from Canada. Maine produces around 25% of all US cultivation of blueberries.

Cultivation of blueberries was widespread among the Native American tribes throughout North America. European colonists learned about blueberries thanks to these Native American traditions and brought blueberry species back to Europe. Yet commercial cultivation of blueberries in Europe has been a relatively recent phenomenon limited to the 20th and 21st centuries. Thanks to increasing cultivation in the Southern Hemisphere — including South American countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay as well South Africa, New Zealand and Australia — fresh blueberries are now enjoyed throughout the year on many of the world’s continents.

One interesting current trend in history of blueberries has been their dramatically increased consumption within the U.S. In 1997, the average U.S. adult consumed about 13 ounces of blueberries per year. Ten years later, in 2007, that amount nearly doubled and reached an average level of 22 ounces.

There are plenty of myths about eating blueberries but there is little doubt of one fact that simply they are good for you. They have one of the  highest antioxidant capacities amongst all fruit.   Blueberries are a good source of vitamin K. They also contain vitamin C, fibre, manganese and other antioxidants (notably anthocyanins). Valued for its high levels of antioxidants, some nutritionists believe that if you make only one change to your diet, it should be to add blueberries.A number of clinical studies have tried to prove that eating blueberries reduces cancer rates, heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular disorders. Also helpful is that we can freeze blueberries without doing damage to their delicate anthocyanin antioxidants|.

To prove a huge health benefit such a reduction in deaths or longer life expectancy might be difficult in a trial situation as all these illnesses have multiple causes. But will you live longer if you eat blueberries? Probably yes you will.

Blueberries

Blueberries

The Modern English Breakfast in Photographs


English Breakfast

English Breakfast

English Breakfast

English Breakfast

Reflections on Barcelona and Catalan Food. A nice surprise


A visit to Barcelona is never without surprises. And in many ways this time it was the food. There are some basic facts about eating out in Spain in general that need understanding. Mainly that food is never served as hot as it is for example in UK. Lets run through my three meals. Breakfast is the same as anywhere, but the fruit quality is the best. fresh Kiwi tasting like it had been picked a few minutes ago and Oranges that tasted like …Oranges.

Lunch was an interesting affair too. The lunch kitchens do not open until 1pm. So realistically eating till 1.30 pm is fairly complex. The Catalan specials include great meats of course but also Catalan sausage served with white beans. For dinner curiously I had a Spanish omelette which was served with bread covered in a thin layer of tomato, not tomato sauce. The story is something like this that the Catalan dishes are basically the food for the poor from 100 years ago when vegetables like tomatoes were cheap. dishes are also renowned for mixing sweet and savoury foods.

Catalan dishes rely heavily on ingredients popular along the Mediterranean coast, including fresh vegetables (especially tomato, garlic, eggplant (aubergine), capsicum, and artichoke), wheat products (bread, pasta), Arbequina olive oils, wines, legumes (beans, chickpeas).

The traditional Catalan cuisine is quite diverse, ranging from pork dishes cooked in the inland part of the region to fish recipes along the coast.

The cuisine includes many preparations that mix sweet and savoury pbbhotophodto 3 photo 1 photoc 2 photod 5 phoxxto 4

The Last Strawberry 2013


The few little things that we have grown in the garden this year have actually tasted great, although not exactly kilograms of them. We have a Strawberry plant that has lived outside through snow and whatever weather is thrown at us, and produces happily each year. Today I found a last strawberry hidden away on the plant.

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The Farmer provides local homegrown produce


It is all rather silly really but we do try and grow a few things in the garden and are spectacularly pleased when this proves successful. We have a Strawberry plant which gives fruit each year and we do battle with the squirrels to get the fruit before they do, a Redcurrant tree/bush which for some bizarre reason has provided one string of reducrrants this year and some potato sacks. Today we picked our potatoes and there was a nice crop. Furthermore they tasted delicious. So although there is no chance of us going into competition with Tesco, it is a little bit of fun and we can eat the rewards! The real problem we have comes from the squirrels but also I suspect the urban foxes of which we have many culprits.

Potato Crop 2012

50% of the potato and farming fraternity

 

Get me out of here I am a Doctor


 

I  am not so sure that I would describe this week as interesting but a learning experience it has been. I am not an ill sort of person and indeed do not recall the last time the GP would have had me in his notes for an acute illness. In fact the only reason that I went today was because of this ludicrous strike that is being wrongly perpetrated by Doctors tomorrow. I began feeling unwell a week ago but suddently found myself so tired that I was essentially unable even to stand up for more than a short time. Viral chest symptoms ensued, followed by ear pain, throat pain and no appetite. A real glut of viral symptoms, which I suspect is some type of viral pneumonia. It has taken 4 full days to get even up to 10% of wellness but today now am starting to feel a bit better. I went to the GP to have a second opinion and also in case I needed at some stage to have some illness letter for whatever.  This is what I learnt

  1. No chance of getting an appointment on the day one phones. Fully booked. Stage 2 is then demanding to be seen and there is a triage service whereby a doctor rings you back, questions you in the format of Paxman and then allocates or not a slot. Being a medic I am aware of the right things to say. Others may not be
  2. On arrivial at the practice one speaks not a single word before being seen. the check in is via a screen. The receptionists sit around speechless to the patients,  busy around doing whatever, but not speaking, doing anything but communicating to patients waiting.
  3. I spent 2 minutes in the surgery room. The examiniation was a perfunctory version of perfunctory. I could not believe how inadequate it was. Despite having never having had a chest infection before, my chest was not examined other than superficially.
  4. The aim was to get me out of there quickly. A prescription was what was needed, even though by their own admission it was not needed ( antibiotics do not treat viral infections).

I came away quite sad that professional service levels have sunk so far since I qualified in medicine in 1981. Little/no professional eqitquette, little/no skill and little/no attempt to hide this shambolic state of affairs. Finally, having not done what should have been done, my blood pressure was checked, am I being too cynical to even think that this was done to meet some NHS metric?

Cake and other Food things


One good thing about having an 11 year old is that they constantly surprise you. For example I would never have surmised that baking would become an integral hobby for her and certainly not so young. Monday night we were treated to cheese and onion pasties of a decent standard and yesterday a large Caramel Cake was born. It is now half eaten and delicious. Another strange happening is that our strawberry plant , about 3 years old, and producing fruit until nov 25th , is still growing leaves. This is despite frost and cold temperatures. Curious. I dont know much about these plants but growth in December and January must be a little unusual.

A tasty Caramel Cake

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