Croissants - what is the point?

[Alex K]

Croissants don't provide the chances to patronise that they used to.

Thirty-five years ago, when croissants were still VERY novel, a friend and I went into a bakery where they were on offer -- sign above the basket -- "Croissants (kwah-SAWHN)". He turned to me and said, "See? They even tell you how to pronounce it in Korean."

[Seabag]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Well I've had a lovely evening. I went to the

> Harvester in Petts Wood with friends and I made

> merry on a few bottles of Malbec. I wasn't

> remotely patronised by the free salad bar, the

> steak and chips for main, nor the chocolate

> brownie sundae for dessert. Not a croissant in

> sight, and I'm now sat here smiling at the bizarre

> comments above. You people really do need to get

> out more, rather than waiting on poking my fire

> every single time I express a honest held straight

> talking opinion.

>

> Louisa.

In fairness Lou, you are my favourite poke

Glad you had a good evening, i've only driven through Petts Wood

How was the steak?

[Louisa]

Thank you Seabag. It was slightly too well done for my liking, when I ask for a medium-rare I expect that, but you can't have everything. Petts Wood is a quiet area, very suburban. The crooked billet is the pub, a prominent position on the right heading towards the town centre. It's one of those old school Harvester's, I only really go for the salad bar if I'm being honest. It is what it is, but I had a lovely evening :)

Louisa.

[????]

Did you have yellow or brown Colemans with your steak? Hate all that grainy French crap with seeds in it.

[steveo]

Hammond's sauce with a Harvester steak every time.

For connoisseurs and schools

[Louisa]

Any English mustard with a steak will do. Not a fan of peppercorn/brandy/cheese sauces. French mustard is preferable for a ham sandwich, but not with a steak, need a bit of kick.

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

English Mustard made from powder.. Not the stuff in jars.. Not the same..

Mix mustard powder with cold water and leave for 10 mins. before use.

Foxy

[Louisa]

Always from powder, so you can dictate the strength of the mustard and more importantly the consistency.

Louisa.

[Seabag]

Wot, you take powdered mustard with you?

I've met James (mustard) Coleman btw

Pretentious or what

[Jeremy]

Imagine going out to dinner and not seeing a croissant. How refreshingly unpretentious.

[maxxi]

Good to see Louisa et al prefer powder - most hipsters do too - they like that vintage approach. Sadly mustard powder degenerates very quickly and loses its potency and flavour so all you're mixing is a nasally-hot chalky paste without the compplex and delicate notes of real mustard.

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Wot, you take powdered mustard with you?

Every gourmand knows to carry a small pouch of (preferably mixed nigra, juncea & hirta - but there are purists around and their views are to be respected) mustard seed and a compact (bronze) mortar and pestle to grind the seeds to a mustardy consistency before adding (from a discreet flask) a measure of room-temperature Welsh spring water and leaving for 30 minutes.

Powder.

Ha.

[Louisa]

There's nothing wrong with carrying a sachet of powder in your pocket. Most restaurants should and usually would be most obliging when it comes to respecting that those of a certain age (and allegedly hipsters too?), prefer to mix it themselves rather than have the inferior stuff from a jar.

Louisa.

[Otta]

I have a mate who carries a bottle of hot pepper sauce with him wherever he goes. He even puts it on a roast. It actually started to really wind me up when I went on holiday with him. At least try the food before you smother it with that stuff!

[numbers]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There's nothing wrong with carrying a sachet of

> powder in your pocket. Most restaurants should and

> usually would be most obliging when it comes to

> respecting that those of a certain age (and

> allegedly hipsters too?), prefer to mix it

> themselves rather than have the inferior stuff

> from a jar.

>

> Louisa.

What's inferior about the stuff from a jar Louisa? Sounds a little pretentious, nay....'patronising' of you to look down on jars of mustard.

For the record, I like to use both. The powdered stuff for adding to pastry, sauces and so on. The jar for roast beef/steaks and sandwiches. Haven't thought the stuff in jars was inferior. The mustard shop in Norwich is a delight (much as I hate Norwich itself).

[DulwichFox]

numbers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Louisa Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > There's nothing wrong with carrying a sachet of

> > powder in your pocket. Most restaurants should

> and

> > usually would be most obliging when it comes to

> > respecting that those of a certain age (and

> > allegedly hipsters too?), prefer to mix it

> > themselves rather than have the inferior stuff

> > from a jar.

> >

> > Louisa.

>

> What's inferior about the stuff from a jar Louisa?

> Sounds a little pretentious, nay....'patronising'

> of you to look down on jars of mustard.

>

> For the record, I like to use both. The powdered

> stuff for adding to pastry, sauces and so on. The

> jar for roast beef/steaks and sandwiches. Haven't

> thought the stuff in jars was inferior. The

> mustard shop in Norwich is a delight (much as I

> hate Norwich itself).

Ingredients for Colemans Mustard in a Jar..

Water, MUSTARD flour (21%), sugar, salt, WHEAT flour, turmeric, acid (citric acid).

Thats why it's inferior...

Nothing to do about being pretentious, 'patronising'

It's Sweet and nasty..

Foxy

[Otta]

And there you have it. People eat things that taste nice to them.

End of conversation.

[DulwichFox]

Some people here on EDF would eat Lark's Vomit if on sale in East Dulwich at ?20.00 a teaspoon..

I jest not...

Foxy.

[Louisa]

It still doesn't detract from the wider argument that some people will indeed eat anything if it's labelled correctly and 'right on' enough. Lidl supermarkets a great case study. Disregarded for many years as a sub-standard cheap shop aimed primarily at 'poor income households' and shunned by the middle classes, is now one of the most popular and resounding retail success stories of our current decade. Why? Because, some people, believe the hype and crap the media and trendies feed them rather than shop somewhere because it's actually a good shop with some great bargains. I wish the posh folk weren't in there so regularly nowadays, might keep the queues down for the rest of us.

Louisa.

[FJDGoose]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And there you have it. People eat things that

> taste nice to them.

>

> End of conversation.

It won't be though will it?

[numbers]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Some people here on EDF would eat Lark's Vomit if

> on sale in East Dulwich at ?20.00 a teaspoon..

>

> I jest not...

>

> Foxy.

Only in powder form, in a twee tin. Anything else would be pretentious and patronising.

Facking hell. Jars of Colmans English Mustard to join the dizzy ranks of gourmet burgers, pizza, omelettes & croissants on The List.

[FJDGoose]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Some people here on EDF would eat Lark's Vomit if

> on sale in East Dulwich at ?20.00 a teaspoon..

>

> I jest not...

>

> Foxy.

I'm sure they wouldnt

[DulwichFox]

They may well of done

Foxy ;-:

[steveo]

have

[Otta]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It still doesn't detract from the wider argument

> that some people will indeed eat anything if it's

> labelled correctly and 'right on' enough. Lidl

> supermarkets a great case study. Disregarded for

> many years as a sub-standard cheap shop aimed

> primarily at 'poor income households' and shunned

> by the middle classes, is now one of the most

> popular and resounding retail success stories of

> our current decade. Why?

Because, some people,

> believe the hype and crap the media and trendies

> feed them rather than shop somewhere because it's

> actually a good shop with some great bargains. I

> wish the posh folk weren't in there so regularly

> nowadays, might keep the queues down for the rest

> of us.

Because food has become bloody expensive and everyone is watching their pennies more than they were a few years ago.

[FJDGoose]

steveo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> have

Exactly what I was going to say