Around the world in 80 ways

I had the pleasure of hearing author of Only Planet, Ed Gillespie speak this morning. Gillespie traveled the world without the use of airplanes with the purpose to spread the message of the importance of global warming and how much of a carbon footprint air travel has.

I’m not convinced.

I found Gillespie spoke more of one solution, and not enough about the root problems. We indulge in carbon rich activities every day without even knowing. I believe a greater understanding and effort in the little things can still leave room for the joys and education that exposure to different cultures will provide.

Eat local. 95% of the fruit in your grocery store has been on a plane this week. If our food doesn’t fly, we can fly.

Buy less. I posted a few weeks ago the impact that our clothing has on the environment.

Wash your clothes less! We aren’t that dirty! Detergent is a huge polluter, washers use way too much water, and dryers suck energy. Do your jeans smell funky? Throw them in the freezer for two days, same effect, far less resources.

And as always, avoid plastic bottles and plastic bags.

Street Feast

I went down to Hawker House for the first of ten weekends of street food warehouse partying. Street Feast has a rotating list of 18 or so food stalls who will be serving food on three floors of swanky lounge style loft space. There were some interesting choices available, Jamaican Jerk sliders, Indian sliders, bar-b-que sliders, sliders, Mongolian sliders, fish sliders, hot dog sliders… wait no, they were just hot dogs. I tasted some good things in buns but was most impressed with the few selections that were a little more unique. Breddos Tacos offered tasty decent sized Native oysters as well as perfectly crispy fish tacos and fresh, raw, spicy Tuna tostadas.

B.O.B.’s Lobster

 

Just as the industrial warehouse was classed up, B.O.B’s Lobster refined their ordering process by including servers and not asking customers to queue up. I liked the attentive touch and was motivated to spend £11 on a Lobster Mac-n-Cheese; this turned out to be a great investment as in the bottom of the bowl I discovered a perfectly poached lobster claw of epic dimensions.

Then there was Whiskey Roulette! Yes, gambling and booze, the perfect combination non? But seriously, this was a fun idea. The board included 37 Whiskeys from around the world, ranging from £7 to (I believe) £22 a glass. A spin costs £8 and the drink you get corresponds with the number you spin, note that odds are good as 75% of the Whiskeys were priced over £8.

I of course couldn’t resist and tried my hand. As luck would have it my spin resulted in a ration of Hudson Four Grain, a Whiskey I have tasted before. I was hoping to try something new, and noticing my disappointment the nice roulette girl let me pick the Whiskey of my choice (of equal value of course, my best smile wouldn’t convince her). I chose Suntory Hibiki, a 12 year old Japanese Whiskey that was surprisingly smooth, but had a youthful bite neither me nor my co-taster cared too much for.

Whisky Bar

 

In all it was a great evening, leather couches, DJ’s on every floor, tasty bites, craft drinks and good friends. A perfect end would have been a sweet snack, but as there were no dessert options we chose to wash it all down with a warm apple cider.

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Street Feast runs until April 4th, is open every Friday and Saturday from 5pm-12am and is located at 260-264 Kingsland Rd, E8 4DG. Admission is £4 but is free before 7pm, so get there early, that way you can also snag a seat before it fills up.

Note there are no food shots as it turns out I am a terrible food photographer.