£100 BILLION Bankrupt Britain Report

Generali

lostinrates wrote: »

Most prawns here have been frozen though before point of sale. I have a bit of a problem with brtish prawns/lobseter etc. Its just so different to what I was brought up with...even though sometimes delicious....lobsters here are so small. I have a love hate thing with prawns anyway ....they can remind me of curled up fingers and then I can't eat them. And I'm confused buy the terms here....I'm never sure anymore what is prawn and what is shrimp in defferent places....I think ATM shrimps are small in UK and Prawns are bigger. But can also be small if in Marie rose sauce

I ended up avoiding almost all shellfish in the UK as so much of it is of very low quality - either old or not that good or too often both. I'd save my shellfish cravings until I went to west France or Australia.

WTF?_2

Wookster wrote: »

Quite why people are entitled to benefits for doing nothing is beyond me. The simple notion that just by existing you are entitled to housing and a stipend is ludicrous. It breeds laziness in some quarters.

I would ensure that claimants would have to undertake some voluntary work or community service of some sort.

If you approach the Welfare State as a safety net, then I don't have a problem with paying people benefits in return for nothing. They are in need, so they get basic support.

IMO the problem is that some people expect to be able to choose to do nothing and get a generous level of financial support from the working. taxpaying population for that lifestyle choice.

There was definitely something wrong with the benefits system when unemployment was more than 1 million during the boom and yet hundreds of thousands of unskilled immigrants were flowing in to fill work vacancies.

Generali

Wookster wrote: »

It will have to be done - got a few more European city breaks planned for when I've got another job on the go, I would be quite happy to pick destinations simply on their cullinary attractiveness.

A few random places in France:

Biarritz (no flash restaurants but loads of stunning cheapies)
La Baule and surrounds - there's a very good seafood restaurant on the beach in the next bay around and La Baule is a lovel town
Malaucene - great Provencale food. The Oranagerie is a great restaurant and the cheaper places in town are very good too. They feel a bit abandoned by Le Tour poor old things.
Calvados - In that cheese area: Pont L'Eveque, Livarot etc. Some nice countryside too.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

I ended up avoiding almost all shellfish in the UK as so much of it is of very low quality - either old or not that good or too often both. I'd save my shellfish cravings until I went to west France or Australia.

There are some lovel British mussels. MMMMMMM. DH likes potted shrimp....so I make that occasionally too. And there are lovely oysters if you look carefully. I very occasionally use crab. I love it but the rest of my family aren't so keen on crab.

You used to be able to buy a fish I know from NZ called (though not spelled I'm sure) orange ruffy/roughy (???) in Waitrose. I know it was imported and therefore all evils associated with that, but it is a yummy fish. I guess you can get that easily there?

Generali

lostinrates wrote: »

There are some lovel British mussels. MMMMMMM. DH likes potted shrimp....so I make that occasionally too. And there are lovely oysters if you look carefully. I very occasionally use crab. I love it but the rest of my family aren't so keen on crab.

You used to be able to buy a fish I know from NZ called (though not spelled I'm sure) orange ruffy/roughy (???) in Waitrose. I know it was imported and therefore all evils associated with that, but it is a yummy fish. I guess you can get that easily there?

Potted shrimp is a joy. I plan to try to make some and will have to experiment. I'd be interesting to try to make it from Balmain Bugs. I once had potted shrimps for pudding at Rules in Covent Garden.

Not seen it here so far (and have been to the Fish Markets). Perhaps it's seasonal.

I once read that 90% of langoustine sold in France are from Scotland.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

Potted shrimp is a joy. I plan to try to make some and will have to experiment. I'd be interesting to try to make it from Balmain Bugs. I once had potted shrimps for pudding at Rules in Covent Garden.

Not seen it here so far (and have been to the Fish Markets). Perhaps it's seasonal.

I once read that 90% of langoustine sold in France are from Scotland.

LOL, when you see some eat it for me, eh?

Wookster

!!!!!!? wrote: »

If you approach the Welfare State as a safety net, then I don't have a problem with paying people benefits in return for nothing. They are in need, so they get basic support.

I should clarify - I agree with the concept of welfare however short term welfare and long term welfare are different and a period of say 6 months in between jobs isn't unreasonable and we (society) has a duty to provide support in that period. Beyond that I think people need to accept that of they do not work they must undertake some form of activity that benefits the community in order to continue to receive state support.

!!!!!!? wrote: »

IMO the problem is that some people expect to be able to choose to do nothing and get a generous level of financial support from the working. taxpaying population for that lifestyle choice.

There was definitely something wrong with the benefits system when unemployment was more than 1 million during the boom and yet hundreds of thousands of unskilled immigrants were flowing in to fill work vacancies.

Agree with the first paragraph however I don't see how you can really do something about the second one - especially when you are comparing someone who has been unemployed for months, maybe even years to someone hungry who has the gumption to come to the UK to better themselves, and is part of a group that is known for having an outstanding work ethic. Who would you hire...

chucky

Generali wrote: »

Potted shrimp is a joy. I plan to try to make some and will have to experiment. I'd be interesting to try to make it from Balmain Bugs. I once had potted shrimps for pudding at Rules in Covent Garden.

Not seen it here so far (and have been to the Fish Markets). Perhaps it's seasonal.

I once read that 90% of langoustine sold in France are from Scotland.

bailmain bugs - are lovely, especially on the sea food platters.
never seen them here in the UK.

itsallagame_2

Generali wrote: »

I ended up avoiding almost all shellfish in the UK as so much of it is of very low quality - either old or not that good or too often both. I'd save my shellfish cravings until I went to west France or Australia.

Have you tried Morton Bay bugs? Yummy:D

Wookster

Generali wrote: »

A few random places in France:

Biarritz (no flash restaurants but loads of stunning cheapies)
La Baule and surrounds - there's a very good seafood restaurant on the beach in the next bay around and La Baule is a lovel town
Malaucene - great Provencale food. The Oranagerie is a great restaurant and the cheaper places in town are very good too. They feel a bit abandoned by Le Tour poor old things.
Calvados - In that cheese area: Pont L'Eveque, Livarot etc. Some nice countryside too.

Biarritz sounds great - I'm not a big fan of flashy places.