Dave and I went down to Piccadilly Circus yesterday for dinner at a restaurant called Fallow, which apparently specializes in using ingredients from the food chain that would otherwise be discarded -- cod heads, for example, or beef from older dairy cows. Dave is fascinated by innovative cooking like this and he's been looking forward to it for a while. The place was hopping and we were not disappointed. Dave got the beef and he enjoyed it -- we even brought some back to share with Olga. I got a fairly pedestrian mushroom burger, because I wasn't quite ready to tackle a fish head, but maybe I should have been more daring.
Anyway, on the way out I noticed these lights above the street wishing everyone a Happy Ramadan. I didn't realize we had Ramadan lights up in Westminster; turns out this is the second year they've been lit. I think they're quite beautiful, but predictably they've provoked outrage in the right-wing media, especially because they're seen to be overshadowing Easter. It does seem reasonable to expect some recognition for Easter and Lent too, but I wish everyone would set aside the holiday one-upmanship and just enjoy the lights. (Christmas certainly gets its due in this part of town -- though admittedly there's a commercial component to that.)
Otherwise, I stayed indoors most of the day. It was more cloudy than sunny and thus somewhat chilly and damp outside. I read "In Ascension," a very interesting and challenging novel set in the near future, about the discovery of a deep-water trench in the Atlantic Ocean and its impact on a scientist and her participation in a program of interplanetary space travel. It was long-listed for the Booker Prize, which is what first brought it to my attention. I thought from the title it would take place on Ascension Island, a tiny speck in the central Atlantic that I've always been a bit curious about -- given my fascination with remote places -- but so far, no.
Above you can see a couple of our foxgloves out in the garden. Some of them, like these two (in the pot and on the ground by the stake) seem healthy.
But we've also got several that look like this -- just barely hanging on. Every year when I grow foxgloves I get a couple of plants that do this -- basically dwindle away and sometimes die. I don't know why. I'd suspect bad soil but this plant is right next to two that grew naturally and are flourishing. Foxgloves love moisture so I wouldn't think the rain would be a problem. Maybe it's because I grew them from the seeds of a hybrid variety, and they're not as strong as native foxgloves? But as I said, many of those plants are doing fine. It's a mystery.
As long as we get some flowers this spring I'll be happy.
Shame you didn't go for the cod heads as their little brains are divine and as for their eyeballs - it's best to roll them around in your mouth before crunching down and experiencing the thrill of two mini-explosions of delicious vitreous fluid - hopefully fresh!
ReplyDeleteCod heads sound delicious...well, not really and nor does old beef.
ReplyDeleteThis tosser from the linked article: Another said: "We are a Christian country. Easter is one of the main feasts in the Christian calendar. It should not be overshadowed by other religious events." Maybe he or she lives in a tiny English village and needs to get out more to see what the real England is. However, while it would be my choice to not have religious light decorations, if you do it for one, you do it for the rest. So yes, there should have been Easter lights...and wasn't it Passover around the same time? Of course there are special day for Hindus, Sikhs abd Buddhists. I can only conclude it impossible to cover all religions and so there should not be lights for any religious occasion beyond Christmas, which nowadays is more cultural than religious.
That restaurant sounds like my cup of tea!
ReplyDeleteI suspect it isn't the soil but a bug infestation. I did a google search and found that mealy bugs will do that to foxglove. You might want to see how to treat for them.
I’m ashamed to say that restaurant doesn’t sound appealing to me. Fish heads and old cows…. hmmm. I suppose that’s better than cow heads and old fish.
ReplyDeleteAs a longtime customer of misfits market, who specialize in rescued food, all wonderful, I like the idea of the restaurant you went to. Food is so cultural -- fish eye is a fabulous source of vitamin E, so beloved of indigenous people -- and it's good to adventure. Funny that you're an adventurous traveler but not diner! I guess you're not a candidate for stargazy pie..
ReplyDeleteI would have passed on fish heads.
ReplyDeleteI am so over these rightwingnuts being butthurt at anything, and everything, they don't like or agree with or understand.
They didn't put Ramadan ABOVE Easter on that street, just like the White House didn't put Trans people lover Easter in America.
I shake my head.
Cod cheeks are really common in Newfoundland, my husband ate them but I passed.
ReplyDeleteOf course some wanker had to complain about another religion. Ramadan is a time of fasting, doing good, donating more to the poor and prayer. One of the tenets of the Muslim faith is zakat, we would call it a tithe, but the practice of donating a fixed percentage of your income to the poor. I had a patient this week, explaining it to me.
I think the lights are beautiful.
"Fish heads, fish heads, yummy, yummy fish heads..."
ReplyDeleteI would definitely eat a soup or a chowder made with fish heads and I believe I have. But a fish head just on a plate? Well, maybe not although I have definitely eaten fish with their heads still attached.
Enough about fish heads I have known!
Why do all the religions feel the need to claim that their god is the one and only, the high and the mighty? Probably because they know if they're wrong about that, they sure have wasted a lot of time, effort, and most likely money. I like what Pixie said. And decorative lights of any sort are generally lovely.
I know nothing about foxgloves but yeah, that looks like something's eating your poor plant up.
whenever we traveled and ate out in an unfamiliar restaurant I would try something on the menu but my husband always got a hamburger. his reasoning was he knew what he was getting with a hamburger so no, he is not an adventurous eater either. but really discarded food items? fish heads? yeah, no. but perhaps not so different from eating in Japan where my brother says best not to ask what's in the dish they are serving, just eat it.
ReplyDeleteof course right wing christians are screaming about a different religion's holiday being recognised during one of theirs. they hate sharing.
Why can't religious denominations have room for different views. In other words accept and respect what other religions practice .
ReplyDeleteI couldn't eat fish heads and I would worry about old beef. I am not an adventurous eater.
ReplyDeleteI like those lights! As far as the complainers, "haters gonna hate" and the rest of us just need to ignore them as they are ridiculous.
I love the lights! I'll take your word for the restaurant. I wouldn't try the fish heads either.
ReplyDeleteThe mention of scientists in the book you are reading reminded me of the Netflix series I'm deep into right now. It's called "The 3 Body Problem". Scientists play a huge part in it. It's fascinating. I think I have 2 or 3 episodes to go.
That book sounds fascinating. I'm not brave enough to try very much at a restaurant like that, although I admire their mission.
ReplyDeleteThe street lights are quite lovely. Isn't someone always ready to object? Their noise is tiring. Fish heads has no appeal to me. I am known for not eating anything on a plate that has a head attached. The majority of your Foxgloves are doing well. Foxgloves are a big favorite. I've seen them grow naturally on roadsides in the UK. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteThat restaurant has a good plan! I would the flesh from fish heads in stew or other dish. I would not eat the eyeballs, though.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note - have you read any othe Rivers of London series of books by Ben Aaronovitch? I adore them. I haven't read any of the graphic novels as I prefer standard text novels, but I need to try them too(if I would eat fish heads, surely I can read a graphic novel!). I think of his work every time you mention foxgloves or take any of your walks around London.
Who is the author of the book you're reading? I saw several SF-ish books by that title at Amazon. I had a couple of SF in my wrap-up from last month. You might enjoy them if you've not already read them. (Mockingbird by Walter Tevis and Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro)
ReplyDeleteI love learning about other faiths and traditions. A blogger I follow always has wonderfully informative posts about Ramadan.
I don't believe I could have eaten the cod head either. When we went to Hawaii, they had a small shrimp farming industry. We carefully peeled our shrimps before eating. As we were finishing up, I noticed the Japanese tourist eating the shrimp like us. But they were obviously relishing the head which we discarded. I know in the States, people crayfish much the same way as the Japanese tourist.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a keen meat eater anyway. If the world needed me to keep the burger or steak market open, it would have been closed 50 years ago.
I'm visiting from A to Z. Home
Your garden looks so full and lush, I am sure you can handle some plants going the insect way.
ReplyDeleteI would love to discover Ascension and also St. Helena but I think it'll remain a dream.
We have a family member who works as a marine biologist and his work involves spending several months every year on a research vessel in the south Atlantic. He gets flown there with stopovers on Ascension and we are all extremely jealous but he says it's really a boring place, "like the Falklands" whatever that means.
Funny, one of the restaurants I ate at in Raleigh this past weekend was a sushi/burger fusion place, and I ended up with a mushroom burger, too. It was delicious, but the draft beer I ordered to drink with it was piss warm. That was disappointing!
ReplyDeleteI've never grown foxgloves but I like them. Yesterday I planted borage for the first time. I can't wait to see how it does! We got lots of good rain today so hopefully they'll sprout soon.
When we lived in Mexico there was a restaurant close to our home that specialized in fish broiled over an open flame. They were always served whole and I remember the fish cheeks were the tastiest part of the fish. We had them many times. Didn't eat the eyeballs though.
ReplyDeleteThat foxglove looks like something is eating it and maybe you should be glad they are all on that one plant and leaving the others alone?
ReplyDeleteI agree, "set aside the holiday one-upmanship", let everyone celebrate their own way with their own decorsations and foods and perhaps join in and learn more about each other? We ARE all just people.
YP: I have actually done that. It's not that good.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: Westminster Council pointed out that they actually DO recognize many other religious festivals in one way or another, including Easter, though maybe not all with overhead lights.
Ed: I don't see any bugs, though. Mealybugs would normally be visible. I think slugs eat the plants when they become otherwise weakened.
Mitchell: Old fish is NEVER a good idea!
Boud: I actually am an adventurous eater, I think, but I just wasn't in the mood!
Bob: Exactly! Why is everything a contest? One said something like, "A muslim country would never allow Easter decorations." Which may be true, but don't we want to exemplify a more open society? Isn't that the whole point of our western democracies?
Pixie: I always thought of Ramadan as more a time of penance, perhaps because of the fasting -- so it's interesting that "Happy Ramadan" is apparently an appropriate sentiment.
Ms Moon: I figure, whoever puts the lights up first wins! If the Christians wanted Easter lights I imagine they could have made that a tradition ages ago.
Ellen: They especially hate sharing with the Transgender Day of Visibility!
Red: I know! Why can't they look up at the Ramadan lights and say, "Oh, cool, the Muslims are celebrating Ramadan." It's not a zero-sum game.
Ellen D: I agree! Ignoring the ridiculous is often a good policy, unless it becomes threatening. (Which it sometimes does.)
Sharon: We watched the first episode of that but I fell asleep! Maybe I need to try it again?
Margaret: There was a lot of more conventional food on the menu too, like mussels or my mushroom burger.
Susan: I've seen fields of them up in Scotland, which is partly why I'm so flummoxed by the fact that they die in our garden!
Wilma: I've never read those, no! I should check them out! I only read graphic novels in our library -- I don't think I've ever bought one myself. Seems like a lot of money to spend for something I'll finish quickly.
Kelly: Martin MacInnes is the author. He's Scottish. I've never read any Ishiguro, which I really need to remedy!
Ann: I've never been able to suck the heads of shrimp or crayfish either. Something about that just turns my stomach, but I don't know why! Is eating the head really much different from eating the tail?
Sabine: I think you'd have to go there knowing there's not much to do. Bring a good book! Apparently civilians aren't permitted to just travel to Ascension, though there are weekly or biweekly flights. St. Helena is more accessible (and there's more to do).
Jennifer: We had a beautiful borage plant one year that grew of its own accord. I could never get the ones I planted from its seeds to prosper, though.
Catalyst: Yeah, Dave is always preaching the virtues of fish cheeks! I've had head-on fish many times but I can't remember whether or not I ate the cheeks.
River: I think they get eaten because they're weaker plants. Maybe they don't generate the kinds of anti-predator compounds in the leaves that the stronger plants do? That's my theory, anyway.
I think the Ramadan lights are very pretty and why shouldn't \they be there? Heaven knows Christmas gets more than its due (and don't forget all the Easter stuff, even if it's not in lights.)
ReplyDeleteI hope your foxgloves aren't a total loss. That restaurant sounds interesting but I might have had the same as you!