Croatian Food Odyssey

I used to want to marry Giles Coren, but a few incidents recently (nothing to do with editorial hissy fits – I liked them) are making me wonder if he’s not just a bit of a knob. Don’t worry; I would never normally be as unprofessional as to slag people off, but he’s much ruder about most people all the time and his mushrooming ego wouldn’t allow him to take offence anyway.

The main thing that stopped me wanting to marry Giles quite so much was his disdain for Croatian food. IT IS WONDERFUL. He must not have eaten in the right places. That said, I didn’t eat in a single place that wasn’t incredibly good and I wasn’t even trying very hard so I don’t know how he would have managed that.

It’s a fusion of Mediterranean and Eastern European cuisine that revolves around a bountiful and diverse array of fantastic local ingredients – abundant seafood, salt marsh lamb from Pag Island, suckling pig, wild boar, truffles, hot peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, potatoes, olive oil, wine and so on. Influences from the west are pizza, risotto and seriously dreamy ice-creams, and from the east comes peka; super-slow-cooked potatoes in olive oil, garlic and herbs, with octopus or meat. And shredded cabbage.

Seriously, Giles, I want to go back just to explore more of the food (although the scenery is dramatically beautiful and varied too).  Try spit-roast suckling pig at a casual roadside eatery! Or barbecued wild sea bass with homemade chips and luscious salad by the sea. Spit-roast lamb at Tamaris in Zadar (on an industrial estate/retail park by a main road, but don’t be put off) is outstanding and comes with THE most delicious peka potatoes. I am not even a potato person but I can’t imagine eating anything more enjoyable than these soft, salty, oily, addictively ambrosial spuds.

Spit-roast lamb and peka potatoes at Tamaris

Spit-roasting suckling pig, by the roasdside

Delicious plate of suckling pig, tasty potatoes and warm pickled cabbage, 

after a starter of exceptionally good octopus salad.

The people were delightful too! Impeccable English everywhere, an eagerness to help Croatian exploration, and not a tiny whisp of the old tourist-foreigner resentment you sometimes sense when abroad was detected from anyone during the 10-day break.

We were given homemade cherry jam by our hosts; offered homemade grappa by other hosts. And the cherry jam hosts came to find us late at night when our sat nav failed to nav, drove us to their favourite restaurant the next night (at 11pm) and carried on being just as kind and friendly when they discovered we were renting their apartment in order to attend a big rave in their neighbourhood (Dimensions Festival).

A recent Croatian National Tourist Board's press release claimed that Croatia is ‘The ultimate foodie destination’. Interesting angle, because even apart from Coren’s erroneous views their cuisine has barely been covered by any foreign press and often – utterly inexplicably – it is criticised. But unlike lots of tourist board manifestos, the Croatians are making an entirely accurate claim (well, maybe ‘an’ ultimate foodie destination, anyway) and I bet pretty soon it will be ‘discovered’ as the biggest new thing in foodie travel.

Driving back to Trieste Airport through Croatia and Slovenia - 
breathtaking scenery (and wild wolves).

We stayed in one of lovely Marina and Ivan's apartments near Pula and the great top floor apartment with large sea view balcony belonging to Anita and Neven in Zadar.

Hotels in Taunton and Food and Drink

Hotels in Taunton: Food and Drink

Somerset has been synonymous with food for many years and staying in hotels in Taunton will certainly set you up for a hearty and delicious break! Apples, cider and cheddar cheese are three of the county's most prestigious foods but there is so much more of its local produce awaiting you. Its love of food is celebrated throughout the towns, villages and visitor attractions, that are all accessible from hotels in Taunton. No matter where you visit in Somerset, you'll never be far from some good grub! Whether it's dining in one of its many restaurants, visiting a farmers market or taking a trip to a local cider farm, you'll be full to the brim by the time you arrive home!

Cider Attractions

Sheppy's Cider Farm and Museum is within close proximity of hotels in Taunton and makes for an interesting afternoon out. The Sheppy family are proud to share with visitors, local and afar, their beautiful farm and orchards and show everyone how they make their tasty ciders. Book a guided tour, visit the museum or taste some of the farms cheese and ciders in the shop. Other cider attractions in Somerset include the Avalon Vineyard which is a working organic vineyard and fruit farm offering self-guided walks and wine and cider tastings throughout the year and The Somerset Distillery which is the county's only apple distillery and traditional cider house. These attractions will give you a detailed insight into the countys passion for cider and food.

Hotels in Taunton and Visiting Cheddar

If you're a cheese lover, you absolutely must visit the village of Cheddar whilst staying in hotels in Taunton. Situated about a 45 minute drive away from Taunton, Cheddar is completely unique and a fantastic place to visit for a day out. Its distinct feature is that it boasts Britain's largest Gorge, which can be seen and explored in many ways. From the dramatic cliffs to the ancient stalactite caverns, this famous Nature Reserve appeals to all members of the family. There are some superb opportunities for caving and rock climbing too.Cheddar has a rich history of farming and cheese making and authentic cave aged Cheddar is available today from the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company shop. Be sure to save some money to take some home with you! The village and the Gorge is a wonderful experience so make sure you don't miss it when staying in hotels in Taunton.

What Sort Of Food And Drink Should I Take Regularly To Help Me Lose Weight?

If you are wondering what sort of food and drink should I take regularly help me lose weight, then you have come to the right place. There are many fat loss foods that people can eat so that they can lose weight. However, it is important for every person to remember that the best weight loss programs take time to produce long lasting results.

When you want to shed off a few pounds, there are some meals that you must avoid. For instance, sugary and fatty foods must be eliminated from your diet, especially if your metabolism is too slow. This is because all the sugar and fats that are not used up in the body are stored as fat in different parts of the body. That being said, processed foods that have a lot of industrial sugar and fat must be avoided at all costs.

Drinking a lot of water everyday is the best advice anyone can ever give you. Water flushes out all the toxins out of the body. It also keeps skin cells and other types of cells in the body replenished. This means that water makes you look younger and livelier. The recommended daily water intake for adults and young adults alike is eight glasses.

There are some foods that are known to help with digestion and consequently slimming. For instance, fiber-rich foods are known to help with digestion. When making fruit juices from mangoes, bananas, pineapples or any other type of fruit, the juice should be consumed wholly. This is because most fruits are rich in fiber.

Green tea is known to awaken and speed up metabolism. Drinking a few cups of green tea everyday will ensure that the metabolic rate of your body is high. This means that your body will burn fat faster at any given time to produce energy. When more fat is burned, you will lose more pounds.

Pepper might be too hot for some people to handle, but it will help you to shed off a few pounds. It is one of the best metabolism accelerators available. Ideally, pepper should be used raw as opposed to cooking it while preparing food.

That being said, if you are still wondering what sort of food and drink should I take regularly help me lose weight, there is your answer. Weight loss is only safe and effective when done gradually without using any type of drug. Vegetables should be consumed in plenty, preferably while raw. This is because they are among the best fat loss foods available in the market.

Getting to Know the Food and Drink of Tuscany

When you plan your trip to Tuscany, villas can make the perfect place to base yourself while you spend a bit of time getting to know the region, which sits on the western coast of Italy. Once you have explored the larger cities of Florence, Pisa and Siena and have gotten your fill of walking around and discovering the amazing amount of artwork and culture that permeates the area, you will need to sit down to a lovely Tuscan meal to refuel. While there, you can eat the ubiquitous pasta and breads and drink the famous wines, but why not go that extra mile and seek out the local specialties such as Chianti wine, Pecorino Toscano and the pasta from Orvieto.

Chianti

If you are a regular traveller to Tuscany, villas, you may notice, often are decorated with squat bottles half-encased in a straw jacket that were the traditional indicators for one of the regions most well known wines: Chianti. The first defined area of Chianti was mentioned around 1716 as around the Tuscan cities of Radda, Castellina, and Gaiole. In 1932, the region was expanded to include the towns of Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Montalbano and Rùfina. The vast region is covered by the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), or the DOC, which is a guarantee of product quality and control and has strict regulations regarding the amount of grapes used in production, and more stringently, the aging process involved in the Chianti Superiore. The wines themselves tend to be medium bodied with a range of acidity and pair nicely with most Italian foods and meats.

Pecorino Toscano

When spending a bit of time in the region of Tuscany, villas make a great base for exploring the area in detail. Once you have gone to do a wine tasting at a local Chianti winery and have brought back a few bottles to your villa, head back into town or to an artisianal cheese maker's farm to get a block of the local Pecorino Toscano. Pecorino Toscano is a firm textured cheese made from full cream and pasteurised ewe's milk. Though it has a short maturation period of only 20 days, the Pecorino Toscano is usually served as a hard cheese, which requires it to have up to four months of maturation, during which it is often washed with crushed tomatoes, ash and olive oil. The cheese has a strong flavour and is often used with wines, as a starter, or grated over dishes as you would use a parmesan. In 1986 it was granted a Denominazione di Origine status, which was upgraded to DOCG status in 1996.

Pici Pasta

Once you have purchased your cheese and wine, you need to grab a bit of local pasta before heading back into your retreat in Tuscany. Villas near the city of Siena will give you excellent access to local shops that can provide you with the Sienese pici or pinci pasta. The dough for the pasta is rolled into thick sheets before being cut into strips and rolled to create pasta that is thicker than spaghetti and slightly thinner than a pencil. Like other food products, pasta in Italy is a source of pride and regulated by the government. Dried pastas can only be made from durum wheat flour or durum wheat semolina, which is commonly used in the southern parts of Italy; in the northern parts, they prefer the egg pastas which are equally controlled in regards to purity of ingredients.

The Perfect Food and Drink for Courier Work

For those embarked on courier work, the job can lead to some pretty full on days. Often there are long journeys involved with only a short space of time in which to drop-off or pick up deliveries. It can often seem difficult to grab food in the course of the day, but this is incredibly important, especially when your eyelids start to droop in between service stations on the M1. Because of this, drivers involved in the delivery industry often opt for less healthy options, such as a full English breakfast first thing in the morning, or a burger and chips at lunch.

However, those involved in courier work should know that a healthier diet can work wonders for their alertness and enjoyment for the job; here are some foodstuffs to chew over:

Water

Cold water consumption is one of the best ways to keep yourself awake in the course of your courier work. Dehydration has a much greater effect on our brain functioning than most of us are aware of. When you're driving you should make sure that you always have a bottle of water or two at your side. You might notice that you have mild headaches throughout the day. If you haven't been drinking much you'll be amazed at how quickly some gulps of water can chase the headache away.

Caffeine

If you're really lagging then it certainly doesn't hurt to pull over and have a coffee (unless you happen to be sensitive to caffeine of course!), but you should always remember that tea, coffee and cola drinks can give a temporary boost before causing a later drop in energy. This effect can be especially pronounced if you over do it.

Whole Grains

It might not seem as obvious as glugging down an espresso but by upping your consumption of whole grains you will notice a rise in your energy levels as you go about your courier work. Whole grains take longer to digest within the body and this means their energy is released more slowly rather than giving you a boost that soon fizzles out. Whole grains include brown rice, whole wheat pasta and other foods that contain wheat, oats, maize or barley.

Apples

The humble apple is actually a great way to satisfy your energy need, allowing you to get some much needed vitamins and nutrition while helping you to stay alert. Apples will give your blood sugar a boost that you might find has a more beneficial effect than a cup of coffee.