philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Another of my pet hates again yesterday. Restaurants who don’t use plates. Admittedly it was in an uncivilised part of the country, North Lancashire, but I ordered a fresh crab salad as a starter and it came with the crab in its shell and the salad part on a plank of wood. Why in God’s name can’t they use a bloody plate like normal people. I see that a restaurant was fined recently for serving food unhygeinically on planks of wood. Please let’s have plates to eat off. I remember when pubs used to serve chicken in a basket but that soon fell out of favour. Perhaps soup in a basket killed that idea! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Unhygienically - I before e -sorry! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 On the subject of odd plates, some friends of mine own a fish restaurant on La Croisette in Cannes. They had the odd idea of using giant clam shells instead of plates in their service. These clams are fished locally and the shells are about 25 cm diameter. What my friends hadn't accounted for was that tourists found these shells irresistible as souvenirs and after a week or less, all the stock of clamshell plates had been stolen. Not to be outdone, my friends decided to open a seashell souvenir shop in an annexe where they now successfully sell all sorts of rubbish and tat retrieved from the sea just across the road from their restaurant. Having seen some UK television on my Christmas visit to England and the number of programmes buying and selling so-called antiques, I am not surprised at all at the English enthusiasm, almost obsession, with absolute junk. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Giant clam shells I could accept as plates. Pour les grande coquilles St. Jacques peut etre? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Oui Monsieur ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Pour les grande coquilles St. Jacques peut etre? Non je ne pense pas. Les palourdes sont effectivement comestibles à moins d'être bouillies pendant des heures et des heures. Les pétoncles cuisent en quelques secondes - ou même les mangent crus Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Steady on. Some people here will think you’re talking a lot of scallops! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Quand j'ai rejoint ce groupe, je me suis promis que tout ce que j'écrirais serait en anglais.Seulement été ici environ une semaine et tout est parti par la fenêtre. I must do everything from now on in English. Part of the reason for joining was so that I didn't lose touch with my native tongue Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 I’m sure some of us need to practice our “O” level French. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 If I wanted to read french I would have joined a french forum. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 I don't think most English need to learn or practice speaking French if your only intention is to go there on holiday. Almost all of the natives in the tourist and holiday areas speak English and there is always an English speaker close by. It's only when you venture into the less touristy areas that you need French and even "les paysans" are taught a basic English understanding at school. They may, and do, forget most of it but the seeds of comprehension remain. The structure of French society is very different to England. "Paysan" translates into English as "peasant" but that does them a disservice. They are the country people, the ones who farm, grow grapes, make the wine, pick the fruit and generally keep the country going. catfan, I promise everything from now on will be in English - see my previous comment " I must do everything from now on in English. Part of the reason for joining was so that I didn't lose touch with my native tongue" 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 I’ve found this. All the French speak English - except when I’m in deep trouble when nobody does! I think out of courtesy to jonab we should try to conduct this form in French just for one week. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,139 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 11 minutes ago, catfan said: If I wanted to read french I would have joined a french forum. Quite right catfan, alle vous cuppa when i see you, lol, 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 I did french at school a long time a go, forgot most of it now, not many frogs in Bulwell ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Polyglot! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 1 minute ago, catfan said: I did french at school a long time a go, forgot most of it now, not many frogs in Bulwell ! I remember catching frogs (and newts) in Bulwell Hall pond. Don't suppose it's there any longer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 I bet you didn't eat them like you do now though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Good one, Phil! I don't eat frog's legs. They are very expensive and you need an awful lot to make a meal. I'll leave 'em for the tourists - together with the snails. BTW, very often the snails served up in many French restaurants are not snails at all but are mushroom stalks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 I eat both when in France. Do as the Romans do and all that! Basically I'll eat anything except eggs. I was a weakly infant and my mother was told to give me raw eggs beaten up in milk by some old crone. Can't stomach either now! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Not your mother and the old crone surely. Oh, you mean eggs and milk. Only had snails once in Paris, and they were appalling. Frogs legs.... Never.... Poor little bu66ers ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Back on topic, planks of wood, I can cope with, it's a whacking great slab of Welsh slate that I can't stand ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 7 minutes ago, FLY2 said: Not your mother and the old crone surely. Oh, you mean eggs and milk. Only had snails once in Paris, and they were appalling. Frogs legs.... Never.... Poor little bu66ers ! Not a lot of meat on ‘em FLY 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Exactly Lizzie. Much prefer a leg of pork or lamb. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,115 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 Snails are usually smothered in a garlic sauce to disguise the taste but they are chewy. I find frog’s legs to be a bit like chicken and not wholly unpleasant. Basically the French will eat any bloody thing. Look around the supermarkets and you’ll see disgusting things like chicken gizzards. I’ve travelled a lot around Europe and still think Italian food is the best. The most disgusting was the Swedish fish which apparently they bury in the ground for months. When I pushed some of it to the side of my plate my host said “Ah, I see you are saving the best ‘till last”. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted January 14, 2018 Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 5 minutes ago, FLY2 said: Back on topic, planks of wood, I can cope with, it's a whacking great slab of Welsh slate that I can't stand ! Who would want to eat from a roof covering, especially a Welsh one! He he 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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