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edited December 2017 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Reviewing 2017: The polling that made me think 53% of the electorate should be denied the vote

Reviewing the polling of 2017 I thought I’d focus on the polling that shocked me the most in 2017.

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  • rcs1000
    rcs1000 Posts: 60,717
    More importantly than that, I just made falafel for the first time, and they were AWESOME
  • IanB2
    IanB2 Posts: 52,310
    Second. Felafel are great.
  • AlastairMeeks
    AlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.
  • AlastairMeeks
    AlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    If we're discussing new things we've done recently, yesterday I drove 100 miles. I last drove that far in 1997. I don't mind the driving, it's the other road users that I worry about.
  • Nigelb
    Nigelb Posts: 79,347
    edited December 2017
    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Of course you can, but there is no reason, other than the utter abandonment of taste and decency, why any sane person would wish to do so... in the opinion of half of the nation. The other half think it a classic food combination.
    TSE is quite right; it is the perfect emblem for Brexit.
  • Toms
    Toms Posts: 2,478
    AlastairMeeks said:

    If we're discussing new things we've done recently, yesterday I drove 100 miles. I last drove that far in 1997. I don't mind the driving, it's the other road users that I worry about.

    Pineapple goes with many foods, e.g. ham.

    I find it strange that some people associate cars with freedom. When driving, other people's mistakes can and do land on one's head, possibly seriously so. The twisted nature of our culture's attitude to cars is that we share anecdotes of near misses or worse, and the deep running "humour" associated with accidents and near misses in the movies etc.

    TSE, would you rather be stuck in a lift with Diane Abbott?
  • Sunil_Prasannan
    Sunil_Prasannan Posts: 55,076
    Pineapple in biryani is infinitely worse!

    BTW, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie!

    As the film has a Christmas setting, the score also features sleigh bells in some cues, as well as the Christmas pop standard "Winter Wonderland"... [N]ear the film's beginning, limousine driver Argyle plays the rap song "Christmas in Hollis", performed by Run–D.M.C., The end credits of the film begin with the Christmas song "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (performed by Vaughn Monroe)...

    In 2010, Die Hard was voted as "The Greatest Christmas Film of All Time" by Empire.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hard
  • FrancisUrquhart
    FrancisUrquhart Posts: 85,722
    edited December 2017
    Finally getting to see the latest episode of another classic Christmas movie franchise (like die hard) today...Star Wars!
  • IanB2
    IanB2 Posts: 52,310
    AlastairMeeks said:

    If we're discussing new things we've done recently, yesterday I drove 100 miles. I last drove that far in 1997. I don't mind the driving, it's the other road users that I worry about.

    Very empathetic of you.
  • Cyclefree
    Cyclefree Posts: 25,709
    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html
  • Cyclefree
    Cyclefree Posts: 25,709
    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
  • MaxPB
    MaxPB Posts: 40,327
    rcs1000 said:

    More importantly than that, I just made falafel for the first time, and they were AWESOME

    https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/falafel/

    This is the best and easiest recipe I have come across. Very tasty finished product
  • ydoethur
    ydoethur Posts: 74,259
    edited December 2017
    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    If we're getting all cosmopolitan about this:

    Nadolig Llawen i bawb!
  • IanB2
    IanB2 Posts: 52,310
    On topic, was the "Hawaiian" pizza originally invented by a Canadian as some kind of a joke?

    The Australians have a saying "to get the wrong end of the pineapple", meaning 'to get a bad deal'. There's your Brexit, right there.
  • OldKingCole
    OldKingCole Posts: 35,270
    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
  • IanB2
    IanB2 Posts: 52,310
    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    A Milano i semafori forniscono istruzioni. A Roma, suggerimenti. A Napoli sono decorazioni natalizie”

    In Milan, traffic lights are an instruction, in Rome, a suggestion, and in Naples, Christmas decoration.

    One for Alastair.
  • Vinny
    Vinny Posts: 48
    Personally, I think that anyone who eats pizza instead of the home-grown and far more subtle Welsh Rarebit, is a fool. Consider this: a proper bread base instead of that thick stodgy dough. Consider: proper sharp cheddar instead of that anaemic mozzarella rubbish. And the horseradish and mustard: yummy.
  • Cyclefree
    Cyclefree Posts: 25,709
    Vinny said:

    Personally, I think that anyone who eats pizza instead of the home-grown and far more subtle Welsh Rarebit, is a fool. Consider this: a proper bread base instead of that thick stodgy dough. Consider: proper sharp cheddar instead of that anaemic mozzarella rubbish. And the horseradish and mustard: yummy.

    I love Welsh rarebit!

    But proper mozzarella ie made from buffalo milk, not the rubbish you buy here, which is made from ordinary milk and is properly known, at best, as fior di latte, is anything but anaemic.
  • Cyclefree
    Cyclefree Posts: 25,709
    IanB2 said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    A Milano i semafori forniscono istruzioni. A Roma, suggerimenti. A Napoli sono decorazioni natalizie”

    In Milan, traffic lights are an instruction, in Rome, a suggestion, and in Naples, Christmas decoration.

    One for Alastair.
    If Alastair has only driven 100 miles in the last 10 years he'd be well advised not to drive anywhere in Naples for the foreseeable future......
  • felix
    felix Posts: 15,180
    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    He does - but surely it is the Police he should now be demanding information from. As for Maltby she's clearly on a mission which is about self promotion - Green is the collateral damage sadly. Of course this is not why he was sacked.
  • OldKingCole
    OldKingCole Posts: 35,270
    felix said:

    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    He does - but surely it is the Police he should now be demanding information from. As for Maltby she's clearly on a mission which is about self promotion - Green is the collateral damage sadly. Of course this is not why he was sacked.
    AFAIK there’s been no suggestion that Elphicke’s been referred to the plod. TBH, if I were his constituency association chairman and/or agent I’d be asking questions too.
  • Charles
    Charles Posts: 35,758
    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    That's up to the police to tell him
  • Charles
    Charles Posts: 35,758
    Cyclefree said:

    Vinny said:

    Personally, I think that anyone who eats pizza instead of the home-grown and far more subtle Welsh Rarebit, is a fool. Consider this: a proper bread base instead of that thick stodgy dough. Consider: proper sharp cheddar instead of that anaemic mozzarella rubbish. And the horseradish and mustard: yummy.

    I love Welsh rarebit!

    But proper mozzarella ie made from buffalo milk, not the rubbish you buy here, which is made from ordinary milk and is properly known, at best, as fior di latte, is anything but anaemic.
    A Caprese with fresh mozzarella and proper tomatos is heavenly. Although I have been known to add avocado and pesto...
  • IanB2
    IanB2 Posts: 52,310
    Cyclefree said:

    IanB2 said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    A Milano i semafori forniscono istruzioni. A Roma, suggerimenti. A Napoli sono decorazioni natalizie”

    In Milan, traffic lights are an instruction, in Rome, a suggestion, and in Naples, Christmas decoration.

    One for Alastair.
    If Alastair has only driven 100 miles in the last 10 years he'd be well advised not to drive anywhere in Naples for the foreseeable future......
    Round the centre of Naples it would take the ten years to clock up the 100 miles...
  • rcs1000
    rcs1000 Posts: 60,717
    Charles said:

    Cyclefree said:

    Vinny said:

    Personally, I think that anyone who eats pizza instead of the home-grown and far more subtle Welsh Rarebit, is a fool. Consider this: a proper bread base instead of that thick stodgy dough. Consider: proper sharp cheddar instead of that anaemic mozzarella rubbish. And the horseradish and mustard: yummy.

    I love Welsh rarebit!

    But proper mozzarella ie made from buffalo milk, not the rubbish you buy here, which is made from ordinary milk and is properly known, at best, as fior di latte, is anything but anaemic.
    A Caprese with fresh mozzarella and proper tomatos is heavenly. Although I have been known to add avocado and pesto...
    +1
  • foxinsoxuk
    foxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    edited December 2017
    A doctor writes...

    Pineapple works well on pizza, with its acidic sharpness helping esterify the fats, The sweetness helps balance the saltiness of the ham. Generally, sweet acidic sauces go well with fatty meats for this reason. Duck with orange sauce, vinegar on fish and chips etc.

    It is however part of the reason for our nations obesity and diabetes epidemic. Over fatty, carb loaded salty food, taken too frequently and eaten quickly. The British diet of ready meals, confectionary and takeaways is killing us.

    Now, I must go off and soak my lentils, kale and quinoa. Christmas dinner requires a lot of preparation...
  • Charles
    Charles Posts: 35,758
    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Cyclefree said:

    Vinny said:

    Personally, I think that anyone who eats pizza instead of the home-grown and far more subtle Welsh Rarebit, is a fool. Consider this: a proper bread base instead of that thick stodgy dough. Consider: proper sharp cheddar instead of that anaemic mozzarella rubbish. And the horseradish and mustard: yummy.

    I love Welsh rarebit!

    But proper mozzarella ie made from buffalo milk, not the rubbish you buy here, which is made from ordinary milk and is properly known, at best, as fior di latte, is anything but anaemic.
    A Caprese with fresh mozzarella and proper tomatos is heavenly. Although I have been known to add avocado and pesto...
    +1
    If you ever go down to Laguna there is a restaurant that does the best Caprese that I have had outside of Capri...
  • alex.
    alex. Posts: 4,658
    edited December 2017
    Don’t mind pineapple so much. It does go with ham after all. What really pees me off is going to France and finding that their core pizza cheese of choice is emmenthal rather than mozzarella
  • Charles
    Charles Posts: 35,758
    Just heard on the news that the Army's proposal to change the "be the best" slogan was driven by market research that they were not reaching their target audience

    I'm glad to see the Defence Secretary puts his political ambition above the effectiveness of our armed forces
  • NickPalmer
    NickPalmer Posts: 21,724
    Pizza is boring - all that dough and monotaste to plough through. Pineapple cheers it up a bit, but lots of anchovies is the real answer. Preferably without the pizza.
  • Gadfly
    Gadfly Posts: 1,205
    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?
  • Charles
    Charles Posts: 35,758
    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
  • Ishmael_Z
    Ishmael_Z Posts: 8,981
    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    Whatever the Irish ate before potatoes, and the Indians before chilis.
  • Morris_Dancer
    Morris_Dancer Posts: 62,742
    Good morning, everyone.

    Morris Dancer eats neither pineapple nor pizza. He is clearly a superman!

    Just finished re-reading Dodge's biography of Caesar. Rather a good read, especially the penultimate chapter, in which he compares Alexander, Hannibal and Caesar.

    I won't upset Mr. Eagles during this festive period by saying whether he thought Hannibal was better than Caesar.
  • Gadfly
    Gadfly Posts: 1,205
    Charles said:

    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
    What! The Conservatives originated from Italy?
  • felix
    felix Posts: 15,180
    OldKingCole said:

    felix said:

    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    He does - but surely it is the Police he should now be demanding information from. As for Maltby she's clearly on a mission which is about self promotion - Green is the collateral damage sadly. Of course this is not why he was sacked.
    AFAIK there’s been no suggestion that Elphicke’s been referred to the plod. TBH, if I were his constituency association chairman and/or agent I’d be asking questions too.
    I thought the complaint was so serious it had been passed to the Police.
  • Charles
    Charles Posts: 35,758
    edited December 2017
    Gadfly said:

    Charles said:

    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
    What! The Conservatives originated from Italy?
    Troy - they are the party of Brutus and all Brutans*

    (Copyright: Our Island Story)

    Edit: Tory obviously being the result of a drunken monk miscopying the name
  • Morris_Dancer
    Morris_Dancer Posts: 62,742
    Mr. Gadly, obviously, hence the well-known opera Il Trova-Tory.
  • Sean_F
    Sean_F Posts: 39,132
    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    Naples is a great place to eat (I'm more interested in the sea food than the pizza).
  • MarqueeMark
    MarqueeMark Posts: 55,457
    edited December 2017
    Sunil_Prasannan said:

    Pineapple in biryani is infinitely worse!

    BTW, Die Hard IS a Christmas movie!

    As the film has a Christmas setting, the score also features sleigh bells in some cues, as well as the Christmas pop standard "Winter Wonderland"... [N]ear the film's beginning, limousine driver Argyle plays the rap song "Christmas in Hollis", performed by Run–D.M.C., The end credits of the film begin with the Christmas song "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (performed by Vaughn Monroe)...

    In 2010, Die Hard was voted as "The Greatest Christmas Film of All Time" by Empire.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hard

    Ha! The Empire strikes back......

    And I fear for Mister Meeks. 100 hundred miles may have taken him into Leave territory for the first time since 1997. He may need Christmas counselling.....

    (More likely is that he drove 50 miles out of the capital, thought "eeeeeugh......", then scuttled back...?)
  • AlastairMeeks
    AlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Cyclefree said:

    IanB2 said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    A Milano i semafori forniscono istruzioni. A Roma, suggerimenti. A Napoli sono decorazioni natalizie”

    In Milan, traffic lights are an instruction, in Rome, a suggestion, and in Naples, Christmas decoration.

    One for Alastair.
    If Alastair has only driven 100 miles in the last 10 years he'd be well advised not to drive anywhere in Naples for the foreseeable future......
    See Naples and die, as they say.

    I've been inflicting myself on Hungary for now. Budapest was an exciting restart to driving.
  • MarqueeMark
    MarqueeMark Posts: 55,457
    Anyone ever tried pineapple with All The Trimmings.....?
  • SquareRoot
    SquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    MarqueeMark said:

    Anyone ever tried pineapple with All The Trimmings.....?

    pineapple =UGH
  • AlastairMeeks
    AlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    Coming up with a coherent definition of Christmas films that excludes Die Hard and includes It's A Wonderful Life is challenging.
  • Nigelb
    Nigelb Posts: 79,347
    OldKingCole said:

    felix said:

    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    He does - but surely it is the Police he should now be demanding information from. As for Maltby she's clearly on a mission which is about self promotion - Green is the collateral damage sadly. Of course this is not why he was sacked.
    AFAIK there’s been no suggestion that Elphicke’s been referred to the plod. TBH, if I were his constituency association chairman and/or agent I’d be asking questions too.
    The chief whip quite clearly that the allegations had been referred to the police in his statement announcing the suspension.
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/03/tory-mp-charlie-elphicke-has-whip-suspended-after-serious-allegations
    That was at the beginning of November.

    How long is it reasonable to leave Mr Elphicke in ignorance of the allegations ?
  • Gadfly
    Gadfly Posts: 1,205
    It would seem that although they referred to in 1548, tomatoes only began appearing in recipes in 1692. It took until the late 1700s before the peasants of Naples began to put tomatoes on top of their flat breads and they were not married with pasta until the 1800s.

    Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus was introduced to Pineapples in 1493, so they may have predated tomatoes as a pizza topping :-)

    http://www.grandvoyageitaly.com/piazza/how-the-tomato-became-part-of-italian-culture
  • Dura_Ace
    Dura_Ace Posts: 14,645
    Charles said:

    Just heard on the news that the Army's proposal to change the "be the best" slogan was driven by market research that they were not reaching their target audience

    I'm glad to see the Defence Secretary puts his political ambition above the effectiveness of our armed forces

    A new slogan of "Be the Best While Living in Squalor and Never Getting a Pay Rise" was rejected on grounds of accuracy,
  • Sean_F
    Sean_F Posts: 39,132
    foxinsoxuk said:

    A doctor writes...

    Pineapple works well on pizza, with its acidic sharpness helping esterify the fats, The sweetness helps balance the saltiness of the ham. Generally, sweet acidic sauces go well with fatty meats for this reason. Duck with orange sauce, vinegar on fish and chips etc.

    It is however part of the reason for our nations obesity and diabetes epidemic. Over fatty, carb loaded salty food, taken too frequently and eaten quickly. The British diet of ready meals, confectionary and takeaways is killing us.

    Now, I must go off and soak my lentils, kale and quinoa. Christmas dinner requires a lot of preparation...

    This year, I went to the Great British Beer Festival, which is a celebration of unhealthy eating. In addition to the beer, there are stalls selling all sorts of good things like cornish pasties, sausage rolls, bratwurst, fish and chips, beef burgers, hog roasts, faggots, fried chicken, cakes etc.
  • Toms
    Toms Posts: 2,478
    edited December 2017
    Whatever it is that he eats, Steve Abraham will have been taking in at least 4000 or 5000 calories a day for the last 300 days or so, and is not putting on weight:

    https://frrt.org/tg/riders?offset=0&limit=50
  • Sean_F
    Sean_F Posts: 39,132
    Gadfly said:

    It would seem that although they referred to in 1548, tomatoes only began appearing in recipes in 1692. It took until the late 1700s before the peasants of Naples began to put tomatoes on top of their flat breads and they were not married with pasta until the 1800s.

    Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus was introduced to Pineapples in 1493, so they may have predated tomatoes as a pizza topping :-)

    http://www.grandvoyageitaly.com/piazza/how-the-tomato-became-part-of-italian-culture

    Rich people initially treated potatoes as a luxury fruit, before they became a staple vegetable.
  • prh47bridge
    prh47bridge Posts: 480
    Nigelb said:

    OldKingCole said:

    felix said:

    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    He does - but surely it is the Police he should now be demanding information from. As for Maltby she's clearly on a mission which is about self promotion - Green is the collateral damage sadly. Of course this is not why he was sacked.
    AFAIK there’s been no suggestion that Elphicke’s been referred to the plod. TBH, if I were his constituency association chairman and/or agent I’d be asking questions too.
    The chief whip quite clearly that the allegations had been referred to the police in his statement announcing the suspension.
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/03/tory-mp-charlie-elphicke-has-whip-suspended-after-serious-allegations
    That was at the beginning of November.

    How long is it reasonable to leave Mr Elphicke in ignorance of the allegations ?
    Up to the police. The Conservative party will have been advised not to investigate themselves or tell Elphicke anything about the allegations as it could compromise the police investigation. Given that the allegations are said to be serious that means all the party can do is suspend Elphicke pending the outcome of the investigation. The comments by Bercow and some MPs on this case show that they do not know how these investigations work.
  • No_Offence_Alan
    No_Offence_Alan Posts: 5,118
    I like pizza and I like haggis but a haggis pizza was a big mistake.
  • Nigelb
    Nigelb Posts: 79,347
    Gadfly said:

    It would seem that although they referred to in 1548, tomatoes only began appearing in recipes in 1692. It took until the late 1700s before the peasants of Naples began to put tomatoes on top of their flat breads and they were not married with pasta until the 1800s.

    Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus was introduced to Pineapples in 1493, so they may have predated tomatoes as a pizza topping :-)

    http://www.grandvoyageitaly.com/piazza/how-the-tomato-became-part-of-italian-culture

    The pineapple was not cultivated in Europe until the seventeenth century, so that seems highly unlikely.
  • kyf_100
    kyf_100 Posts: 4,957
    Dura_Ace said:

    Charles said:

    Just heard on the news that the Army's proposal to change the "be the best" slogan was driven by market research that they were not reaching their target audience

    I'm glad to see the Defence Secretary puts his political ambition above the effectiveness of our armed forces

    A new slogan of "Be the Best While Living in Squalor and Never Getting a Pay Rise" was rejected on grounds of accuracy,
    I always thought it was "meet interesting new people around the world - and kill them!"
  • Jonathan
    Jonathan Posts: 22,107
    AlastairMeeks said:

    Coming up with a coherent definition of Christmas films that excludes Die Hard and includes It's A Wonderful Life is challenging.

    Why would you do such a thing?
  • OldKingCole
    OldKingCole Posts: 35,270
    Nigelb said:

    OldKingCole said:

    felix said:

    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    He does - but surely it is the Police he should now be demanding information from. As for Maltby she's clearly on a mission which is about self promotion - Green is the collateral damage sadly. Of course this is not why he was sacked.
    AFAIK there’s been no suggestion that Elphicke’s been referred to the plod. TBH, if I were his constituency association chairman and/or agent I’d be asking questions too.
    The chief whip quite clearly that the allegations had been referred to the police in his statement announcing the suspension.
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/03/tory-mp-charlie-elphicke-has-whip-suspended-after-serious-allegations
    That was at the beginning of November.

    How long is it reasonable to leave Mr Elphicke in ignorance of the allegations ?
    Ah, thanks. A lot was happening to me early in November, so missed that. Ben Stokes seems to being kept in limbo as well.
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    AlastairMeeks said:

    If we're discussing new things we've done recently, yesterday I drove 100 miles. I last drove that far in 1997. I don't mind the driving, it's the other road users that I worry about.

    Are they frightfully parochial in insisting on driving on the left unlike more civilised countries? I trust you put them right.

    100 miles is a pretty ordinary day for me.
  • Cyclefree
    Cyclefree Posts: 25,709
    AlastairMeeks said:

    Cyclefree said:

    IanB2 said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    A Milano i semafori forniscono istruzioni. A Roma, suggerimenti. A Napoli sono decorazioni natalizie”

    In Milan, traffic lights are an instruction, in Rome, a suggestion, and in Naples, Christmas decoration.

    One for Alastair.
    If Alastair has only driven 100 miles in the last 10 years he'd be well advised not to drive anywhere in Naples for the foreseeable future......
    See Naples and die, as they say.

    I've been inflicting myself on Hungary for now. Budapest was an exciting restart to driving.
    Naples is one of the great cities of the world. You should see it, at least once, in your lifetime.

    All my earliest - and happiest - memories are of Naples and, particularly, Neapolitan Christmases. Every child should have one.

    Anyway, if anyone wants to know why gardening is such a rewarding pursuit: this morning I saw that one of my favourite roses, Mme Alfred Carriere, a climber which needs vigorous pruning, was flowering again. A beautiful white rose with a hint of pink and a glorious scent.

    There is never a month of the year when some rose or other is not blooming in my garden. So much sensuousness packed into a flower: the joy of small things.
  • Nigelb
    Nigelb Posts: 79,347
    prh47bridge said:

    Nigelb said:

    OldKingCole said:

    felix said:

    OldKingCole said:

    Cyclefree said:

    With all appropriate caveats, given its source, one for @Roger, if he's around - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5209129/Kate-Maltbys-texts-Damian-Green-reporting-him.html

    Note it quotes Charlie Elphicke. Whatever the chap’s done, he deserves to know what he’s being accused of. Natural justice and all that.
    He does - but surely it is the Police he should now be demanding information from. As for Maltby she's clearly on a mission which is about self promotion - Green is the collateral damage sadly. Of course this is not why he was sacked.
    AFAIK there’s been no suggestion that Elphicke’s been referred to the plod. TBH, if I were his constituency association chairman and/or agent I’d be asking questions too.
    The chief whip quite clearly that the allegations had been referred to the police in his statement announcing the suspension.
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/03/tory-mp-charlie-elphicke-has-whip-suspended-after-serious-allegations
    That was at the beginning of November.

    How long is it reasonable to leave Mr Elphicke in ignorance of the allegations ?
    Up to the police. The Conservative party will have been advised not to investigate themselves or tell Elphicke anything about the allegations as it could compromise the police investigation. Given that the allegations are said to be serious that means all the party can do is suspend Elphicke pending the outcome of the investigation. The comments by Bercow and some MPs on this case show that they do not know how these investigations work.
    While that's accurate as far as it goes, it is not true that the police are the sole arbiter of what is reasonable, and it is a question which should be answered.

    The recent change in the law on police bail is a fairly clear demonstration of that.
  • IanB2
    IanB2 Posts: 52,310
    Nigelb said:

    Gadfly said:

    It would seem that although they referred to in 1548, tomatoes only began appearing in recipes in 1692. It took until the late 1700s before the peasants of Naples began to put tomatoes on top of their flat breads and they were not married with pasta until the 1800s.

    Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus was introduced to Pineapples in 1493, so they may have predated tomatoes as a pizza topping :-)

    http://www.grandvoyageitaly.com/piazza/how-the-tomato-became-part-of-italian-culture

    The pineapple was not cultivated in Europe until the seventeenth century, so that seems highly unlikely.
    And they were insane status symbols through the 1600s (in the UK at least), well beyond the pocket of the ordinary neopolitan or his British equivalent. Pineapples are everywhere in art and palace decorations of the period.
  • Cyclefree
    Cyclefree Posts: 25,709
    No_Offence_Alan said:

    I like pizza and I like haggis but a haggis pizza was a big mistake.

    The worst combination I ever had was in Zurich in November 2003 in a hotel I was staying in for work purposes. The "chef" presented us with pasta (overcooked) and cranberry sauce (the colour of pale pink lavatory paper).

    It tasted as disgusting as it looked.
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    These Italians have much to learn. No chocolate on their cappuccino?

    My favourite toppings are probably prosciutto and mushrooms. But the pizza is a wonderfully flexible food as long as it is thin and slightly crispy. I don’t understand those deep pan things at all.
  • Ishmael_Z
    Ishmael_Z Posts: 8,981
    IanB2 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Gadfly said:

    It would seem that although they referred to in 1548, tomatoes only began appearing in recipes in 1692. It took until the late 1700s before the peasants of Naples began to put tomatoes on top of their flat breads and they were not married with pasta until the 1800s.

    Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus was introduced to Pineapples in 1493, so they may have predated tomatoes as a pizza topping :-)

    http://www.grandvoyageitaly.com/piazza/how-the-tomato-became-part-of-italian-culture

    The pineapple was not cultivated in Europe until the seventeenth century, so that seems highly unlikely.
    And they were insane status symbols through the 1600s (in the UK at least), well beyond the pocket of the ordinary neopolitan or his British equivalent. Pineapples are everywhere in art and palace decorations of the period.
    I read somewhere that people used to hire pineapples for dinner parties - they couldn't afford to eat them, so they would just sit on the table and be returned the following day.
  • RochdalePioneers
    RochdalePioneers Posts: 30,611
    Pineapple? On pizza?

    A rresounding yes from me. Usually combined with sweet corn...
  • Gadfly
    Gadfly Posts: 1,205
    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    These Italians have much to learn. No chocolate on their cappuccino?

    My favourite toppings are probably prosciutto and mushrooms.
    You sprinkle prosciutto and mushrooms on your cappuccino?
  • No_Offence_Alan
    No_Offence_Alan Posts: 5,118
    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    These Italians have much to learn. No chocolate on their cappuccino?

    My favourite toppings are probably prosciutto and mushrooms. But the pizza is a wonderfully flexible food as long as it is thin and slightly crispy. I don’t understand those deep pan things at all.
    My local Italian takeaway does a "Pizza Napolitana" (it's my favourite) - the toppings are: capers, anchovies and black olives , but no cheese!
  • foxinsoxuk
    foxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    edited December 2017
    Cyclefree said:

    No_Offence_Alan said:

    I like pizza and I like haggis but a haggis pizza was a big mistake.

    The worst combination I ever had was in Zurich in November 2003 in a hotel I was staying in for work purposes. The "chef" presented us with pasta (overcooked) and cranberry sauce (the colour of pale pink lavatory paper).

    It tasted as disgusting as it looked.
    I had a crispy duck, spring onion and oyster sauce pizza once in a fusion food place in Cambridge. It was quite OK.

    I am with you on proper Italian food though. Pizza there is quite different to the doughy gloop served here and in the USA*. My particular favourite is saltimbocca. I have been to Italy many times but never south of Rome. I shall up it on my to do list.

    * American food = good ingredients badly cooked, though I am no longer sure about the quality of the ingredients. Red states inAmerica are a culinary wasteland.

  • AlastairMeeks
    AlastairMeeks Posts: 30,340
    DavidL said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    If we're discussing new things we've done recently, yesterday I drove 100 miles. I last drove that far in 1997. I don't mind the driving, it's the other road users that I worry about.

    Are they frightfully parochial in insisting on driving on the left unlike more civilised countries? I trust you put them right.

    100 miles is a pretty ordinary day for me.
    One of Hungarians' standard moral panics is the danger that right hand drive cars pose. British cars are regarded as being as deadly as cobras. Their own highly erratic drivers get a free pass.
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    Charles said:

    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
    But not on their flat breads. Babies go on BBQS. Every good Tory knows that.
  • Charles
    Charles Posts: 35,758
    DavidL said:

    Charles said:

    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
    But not on their flat breads. Babies go on BBQS. Every good Tory knows that.
    They are hot off the barbie though so you need something to scoop them up with
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    AlastairMeeks said:

    DavidL said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    If we're discussing new things we've done recently, yesterday I drove 100 miles. I last drove that far in 1997. I don't mind the driving, it's the other road users that I worry about.

    Are they frightfully parochial in insisting on driving on the left unlike more civilised countries? I trust you put them right.

    100 miles is a pretty ordinary day for me.
    One of Hungarians' standard moral panics is the danger that right hand drive cars pose. British cars are regarded as being as deadly as cobras. Their own highly erratic drivers get a free pass.
    In fairness if they are getting visitors from Edinburgh they may have a point. That said I was driving my right hand car in Amsterdam and Groningen this year with my daughter. Bikes absolutely everywhere. Really exhausting. Pretty sure I ended up on the odd road that cars were not supposed to be on too.
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    Charles said:

    DavidL said:

    Charles said:

    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
    But not on their flat breads. Babies go on BBQS. Every good Tory knows that.
    They are hot off the barbie though so you need something to scoop them up with
    Is this not why the Turks invented pitta bread?
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    Gadfly said:

    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    These Italians have much to learn. No chocolate on their cappuccino?

    My favourite toppings are probably prosciutto and mushrooms.
    You sprinkle prosciutto and mushrooms on your cappuccino?
    You don’t?
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    No_Offence_Alan said:

    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    These Italians have much to learn. No chocolate on their cappuccino?

    My favourite toppings are probably prosciutto and mushrooms. But the pizza is a wonderfully flexible food as long as it is thin and slightly crispy. I don’t understand those deep pan things at all.
    My local Italian takeaway does a "Pizza Napolitana" (it's my favourite) - the toppings are: capers, anchovies and black olives , but no cheese!
    That sounds delicious. Anchovies are just a brilliant food. So much flavour in such a small package.
  • ydoethur
    ydoethur Posts: 74,259
    edited December 2017
    Cyclefree said:

    Vinny said:

    Personally, I think that anyone who eats pizza instead of the home-grown and far more subtle Welsh Rarebit, is a fool. Consider this: a proper bread base instead of that thick stodgy dough. Consider: proper sharp cheddar instead of that anaemic mozzarella rubbish. And the horseradish and mustard: yummy.

    I love Welsh rarebit!
    In honour of the almightily arrogant but bluntly not very good philosopher Bertrand Russell who was much mentioned yesterday, let's have a proper paradox:

    A Welsh Rarebit is a Cardiff virgin (as everyone knows).

    Therefore, if you love a Welsh Rarebit, it ceases to be a rare bit.

    Paradox - you cannot therefore love a Welsh Rarebit.
  • MaxPB
    MaxPB Posts: 40,327
    DavidL said:

    Charles said:

    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
    But not on their flat breads. Babies go on BBQS. Every good Tory knows that.
    The original baby back ribs.
  • MaxPB
    MaxPB Posts: 40,327
    DavidL said:

    No_Offence_Alan said:

    DavidL said:

    Cyclefree said:

    AlastairMeeks said:

    You can put anything you like on pizze. Italians put potato on top. So pineapple on pizza is fine if you like it. Full disclosure: I like it.

    Excuse me. I am a bona fide Neapolitan (half, if we want to be pedantic). And we do not put potato on top. Mozzarella - from Battipaglia; tomatoes from San Marzano, olive oil, some basil and, if you absolutely must, some olives.

    And that's it.

    Some Italians from elsewhere eg the regions bordering Austria may do such a thing but they are barbarians. Pineapple is fine in a fruit salad. Not on a pizza.

    And while I'm in the mood - cappuccino is not drunk in the afternoon. Nor does it have chocolate sprinkled all over it. And sauce for pasta is not put in a little heap on top of a plate of pasta, not unless you want the pasta to go all dry and disgusting. It is mixed up with all the pasta the minute the pasta is drained.

    Nor does panettone have a chocolate topping.

    Buon Natale a tutti!
    These Italians have much to learn. No chocolate on their cappuccino?

    My favourite toppings are probably prosciutto and mushrooms. But the pizza is a wonderfully flexible food as long as it is thin and slightly crispy. I don’t understand those deep pan things at all.
    My local Italian takeaway does a "Pizza Napolitana" (it's my favourite) - the toppings are: capers, anchovies and black olives , but no cheese!
    That sounds delicious. Anchovies are just a brilliant food. So much flavour in such a small package.
    I make one of those but with small flecks of buffalo mozzarella and garlic oil. It's my favourite pizza.
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    edited December 2017
    According to Google Maps Santa takes off in 25 minutes.
    https://santatracker.google.com/village.html

    Places everyone.
  • MarqueeMark
    MarqueeMark Posts: 55,457
    Ishmael_Z said:

    IanB2 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Gadfly said:

    It would seem that although they referred to in 1548, tomatoes only began appearing in recipes in 1692. It took until the late 1700s before the peasants of Naples began to put tomatoes on top of their flat breads and they were not married with pasta until the 1800s.

    Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus was introduced to Pineapples in 1493, so they may have predated tomatoes as a pizza topping :-)

    http://www.grandvoyageitaly.com/piazza/how-the-tomato-became-part-of-italian-culture

    The pineapple was not cultivated in Europe until the seventeenth century, so that seems highly unlikely.
    And they were insane status symbols through the 1600s (in the UK at least), well beyond the pocket of the ordinary neopolitan or his British equivalent. Pineapples are everywhere in art and palace decorations of the period.
    I read somewhere that people used to hire pineapples for dinner parties - they couldn't afford to eat them, so they would just sit on the table and be returned the following day.
    Now THAT is the sort of incidental trivial detail that brings me to pb.com!
  • Morris_Dancer
    Morris_Dancer Posts: 62,742
    Mr. L, you make it sound like we're all anti-aircraft gunners :D
  • DavidL
    DavidL Posts: 55,867
    Morris_Dancer said:

    Mr. L, you make it sound like we're all anti-aircraft gunners :D

    LOL
  • Torby_Fennel
    Torby_Fennel Posts: 438
    Pineapple on pizza is delicious. If I were forced to ban any one ingredient from being used on pizza it would have to be olives. The only benefit they serve is to provide exercise for the fingers when picking them off the pizza and throwing them away.
  • Morris_Dancer
    Morris_Dancer Posts: 62,742
    Mr. Fennel, olives were one of the criteria Greek colonists considered seriously when siting their cities. Saw a map a while ago, and the area where olive trees grow included territory where Saguntum, Massilia, Syracuse, Taras and the various cities on the west coast of Asia Minor were all founded.
  • Theuniondivvie
    Theuniondivvie Posts: 44,327
    No_Offence_Alan said:

    I like pizza and I like haggis but a haggis pizza was a big mistake.

    Haggis pakora is surprisingly good, though a gateway to infernal heartburn.
  • Sean_F
    Sean_F Posts: 39,132
    Morris_Dancer said:

    Mr. Fennel, olives were one of the criteria Greek colonists considered seriously when siting their cities. Saw a map a while ago, and the area where olive trees grow included territory where Saguntum, Massilia, Syracuse, Taras and the various cities on the west coast of Asia Minor were all founded.

    It takes an olive tree 25-30 years to mature, but once it does, it's a treasure trove. Olive oil can be used for so many useful purposes.
  • foxinsoxuk
    foxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Being a rather backward provincial, I was slightly saddened to miss out on this years greatest fashion hit. Apparently, the giant body sock is all sold out. Shame!

    http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/giant-scarf-dukyana-chunky-mohair-tube-scarf-winter-knitwear-warm-clothing-christmas-a8094606.html
  • RoyalBlue
    RoyalBlue Posts: 3,223
    Home-made mince pie for breakfast?
    I think I will...
  • Sean_F
    Sean_F Posts: 39,132
    IanB2 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Gadfly said:

    It would seem that although they referred to in 1548, tomatoes only began appearing in recipes in 1692. It took until the late 1700s before the peasants of Naples began to put tomatoes on top of their flat breads and they were not married with pasta until the 1800s.

    Meanwhile, Christopher Columbus was introduced to Pineapples in 1493, so they may have predated tomatoes as a pizza topping :-)

    http://www.grandvoyageitaly.com/piazza/how-the-tomato-became-part-of-italian-culture

    The pineapple was not cultivated in Europe until the seventeenth century, so that seems highly unlikely.
    And they were insane status symbols through the 1600s (in the UK at least), well beyond the pocket of the ordinary neopolitan or his British equivalent. Pineapples are everywhere in art and palace decorations of the period.
    Whereas these days, they're used as concrete decorations by Greek Cypriots on their gateposts.
  • SandyRentool
    SandyRentool Posts: 23,156
    'Failed your exams? No chance of a job? Join the Army!'

    I like ham and pineapple pizza. In fact I like most pizza toppings. But I only like thin based pizza - none of this deep pan nonsense. It's the equivalent of making a sandwich by cutting a loaf in half.

    After left v right, Leave v Remain and theist v atheist it is nice to find something else that PBers can disagree over.
  • OldKingCole
    OldKingCole Posts: 35,270
    DavidL said:

    According to Google Maps Santa takes off in 25 minutes.
    https://santatracker.google.com/village.html

    Places everyone.

    A few years ago one of our (half) Thai grandchildren, who visiting for Christmas asked one of Santa’s local reps if he’d drop the heavy presents off in Bangkok to save Daddy having to pay extra on the plane of the way back.
  • SandyRentool
    SandyRentool Posts: 23,156
    Sean_F said:

    Morris_Dancer said:

    Mr. Fennel, olives were one of the criteria Greek colonists considered seriously when siting their cities. Saw a map a while ago, and the area where olive trees grow included territory where Saguntum, Massilia, Syracuse, Taras and the various cities on the west coast of Asia Minor were all founded.

    It takes an olive tree 25-30 years to mature, but once it does, it's a treasure trove. Olive oil can be used for so many useful purposes.
    I believe that instructional videos are available on-line.
  • SandyRentool
    SandyRentool Posts: 23,156
    foxinsoxuk said:

    Being a rather backward provincial, I was slightly saddened to miss out on this years greatest fashion hit. Apparently, the giant body sock is all sold out. Shame!

    http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/giant-scarf-dukyana-chunky-mohair-tube-scarf-winter-knitwear-warm-clothing-christmas-a8094606.html

    Disappointed to see that there is a hole in the bottom for your feet. I had hoped that the wearer had to hop about like someone in a sack race.
  • foxinsoxuk
    foxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    SandyRentool said:

    'Failed your exams? No chance of a job? Join the Army!'

    I like ham and pineapple pizza. In fact I like most pizza toppings. But I only like thin based pizza - none of this deep pan nonsense. It's the equivalent of making a sandwich by cutting a loaf in half.

    After left v right, Leave v Remain and theist v atheist it is nice to find something else that PBers can disagree over.

    Strangely, it is the lack of opportunity to go into combat that is affecting recruitment. Not being able to kill people for the last couple of years has been a bit of a downer.
  • Morris_Dancer
    Morris_Dancer Posts: 62,742
    Dr. Foxinsox, is it a surprise? Through all history, young men have been invigorated by the danger of warfare.

    That said, whilst we've become better at training soldiers, handling the psychological after-effects of war (whether killing other people, watching friends get wounded/killed, suffering wounds, or the constant tension of potential IEDs/suicide bombers) has a long way to go.
  • Ishmael_Z
    Ishmael_Z Posts: 8,981
    SandyRentool said:

    foxinsoxuk said:

    Being a rather backward provincial, I was slightly saddened to miss out on this years greatest fashion hit. Apparently, the giant body sock is all sold out. Shame!

    http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/giant-scarf-dukyana-chunky-mohair-tube-scarf-winter-knitwear-warm-clothing-christmas-a8094606.html

    Disappointed to see that there is a hole in the bottom for your feet. I had hoped that the wearer had to hop about like someone in a sack race.
    Doesn't suggest a full grasp of the "sock" concept, does it? In fact, this thing turns out to be the logical complement of a sock.
  • TwistedFireStopper
    TwistedFireStopper Posts: 2,538
    We need polling on what the relationship is between pineapple on pizza and voting leave/blue passports/xenophobia.
  • OldKingCole
    OldKingCole Posts: 35,270
    Morris_Dancer said:

    Dr. Foxinsox, is it a surprise? Through all history, young men have been invigorated by the danger of warfare.

    That said, whilst we've become better at training soldiers, handling the psychological after-effects of war (whether killing other people, watching friends get wounded/killed, suffering wounds, or the constant tension of potential IEDs/suicide bombers) has a long way to go.

    Didn’t Tacitus talk about German tribal cheifs recruiting young men from other tribes with the promise of warfare?
  • Ishmael_Z
    Ishmael_Z Posts: 8,981
    DavidL said:

    Charles said:

    DavidL said:

    Charles said:

    Gadfly said:

    What on earth did the Italians eat prior to the introduction of the tomato, circa 1548?

    babies
    But not on their flat breads. Babies go on BBQS. Every good Tory knows that.
    They are hot off the barbie though so you need something to scoop them up with
    Is this not why the Turks invented pitta bread?
    Keep that theory to yourself if you're ever in Athens.
  • Morris_Dancer
    Morris_Dancer Posts: 62,742
    King Cole, yes, I'm pretty sure he did.
  • another_richard
    another_richard Posts: 27,927
    foxinsoxuk said:

    A doctor writes...

    Pineapple works well on pizza, with its acidic sharpness helping esterify the fats, The sweetness helps balance the saltiness of the ham. Generally, sweet acidic sauces go well with fatty meats for this reason. Duck with orange sauce, vinegar on fish and chips etc.

    It is however part of the reason for our nations obesity and diabetes epidemic. Over fatty, carb loaded salty food, taken too frequently and eaten quickly. The British diet of ready meals, confectionary and takeaways is killing us.

    Now, I must go off and soak my lentils, kale and quinoa. Christmas dinner requires a lot of preparation...

    Forget this pineapple on pizza triviality as a far more important discussion is how to pronounce quinoa.

    I've heard that in London some poeple say 'keen-waa' whereas in Yorkshire it's still said properly 'quin-o-a'.
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