November 26th, 2009
美國人愛形容法國浪子為「那條法國麵包」，在英語的世界裡，女人是「蜜桃」，
情人是「密糖」，「牛奶」、「葡萄」或者「巧克力」，食物用來比擬人，總是美好的.
但中國人的世界卻不一樣，和食物有關的，都不是好東西。
妓女是 ———————————————————–「雞」，
男妓是 ————————————————————「鴨」。
老女人是 ———————————————————「老藕」，
男人愛上年紀比自己大的女人就是 ———————-「煲老藕」。
沒反應的人叫 —————————————————「死魚」，
雙眼無神睛叫 ————————————————–「死魚眼」。
蠢人是 ————————————————————「一舊飯」，
容易受騙的人是 ———————————————–「水魚」。
倚靠妓女維生的叫 ——————————————–「龜婆」或「龜公」。
死屍叫 ————————————————————「鹹魚」。
臉孔胖的叫 ——————————————————「發水麵包」，
眼睛小的叫 ——————————————————「豆豉眼」，
瘦人叫 ————————————————————「排骨」，
胖人叫 ————————————————————「豬」，
又矮又胖的叫 ——————————————–「大冬瓜」或「大番薯」，
大腿粗壯的叫 ————————————————–「金華火腿」，
穿得臃腫的就是 ———————————————–「裹蒸稷」，
女人的乳房太小就叫 ———————————–「荷包蛋」或「生煎包」，
手指又肥又短的叫 ——————————————–「皇帝蕉」，
小腿太胖就說是 ———————————————–「蘿蔔腿」，
哨牙就叫 ——————————————————–「西瓜刨」。
你看我們把自己和食物醜化到甚麼樣子？
食物該是美好的，應該用來比擬愛情，比擬美麗的身段，比擬情人身上的特點。
為什麼西方人可以，而中國人不可以？會不會是我們的食物不夠優雅？是的，你總不能形容一個中國男人說「那條中國臘腸」，好難聽，還是「法國麵包含蓄得多」。
Categories: Entertainment, Food / Drinks |
Tags: Food, Love, 愛情, 食物 | 1 Comment
January 20th, 2009
EnglishEven Paul Bocuse, the celebrity chef known as the “pope” of French cuisine, is making sandwiches these days.
“We are at a historical turning-point in cuisine,” said food consultant Bernard Boutboul at a recent forum on trends in gastronomy. “For the past six or seven years consumers have been unhappy about the high prices practised in certain restaurants.”
“Add to that the current financial crisis, and the fact that lifestyles are changing and people want to eat more and more quickly.”
So Bocuse a year ago expanded his more than 40-year three-star empire with a fast food eatery, Ouest Express, offering meals between 10 to 14 euros (13.5 to 18.9 dollars) as well as ham sandwiches and hamburgers at 4.30 and 5.90 respectively (5.8 and eight dollars respectively).
And now all the chefs are treading in his tracks. Guy Martin, the starred chef who runs the high-end Grand Vefour in Paris, too has opened a snack food counter called Miyou.
And Helene Darroze, another distinguished chef with two stars from the prized Michelin food bible, is offering a 25-euro (33.9 dollar) tapas-style lunch “in this period of economic turbulence.”
It features the likes of baby broccoli soup, lobster ravioli and scallops “a la plancha”. Darroze currently is at the helm of the Connaught’s kitchens in London.
“Who would ever have thought,” said consultant Boutboul, “that the likes of these would go into sandwiches?”
But for the specialists, cheap, quick, and easy are the way ahead.
“The three key words in today’s restaurant business are ‘quick’, ‘good’ and ‘not too expensive’” said Yves Pinard, the chef of the busy restaurant located inside the equally-busy Louvre museum, Le Grand Louvre.
And there were less and les diners nowadays willing to pay 300 euros (407 dollars) or so for a good meal, said Yves Camdeborde, who runs one of Paris’ most noted foodie bistrots, the Comptoir du Relais.
“Our clients are growing old,” added Christophe Collin, who heads marketing for the restaurants of the giant Sofitel hotel chain. “We need to adapt in order to sign on new customers in the 40 to 45 year-old bracket.”
His hotel chain, he said, was mulling how to throw the restaurant system on its head. “We need restaurants that are different,” he said. “Do we need restaurants that open and shut at fixed times? Where you have to sit down?”
According to Boutboul, fast food outlets are destined to mushroom in the future, but will need to improve on atmospherics, decor and service — while more than ever offering ultra-rapid meals.
Restaurants, he added, will also need to reach out to consumers by offering take-away meals “as consumers will increasingly be demanding this type of service.”
In the meantime, at the other end of the scale, one of France’s lesser-ranking restaurants, the Flunch self-serve chain, has hired a top chef as consultant and is offering today’s health-conscious diners unlimited servings of five to seven different vegetables a meal.
Source: AFP
繁體中文去過不少名人老饕為品嘗米芝蓮星級餐廳的食物，不惜大灑金錢飛到法國，再豪擲數萬元一嘗星級大廚的手藝，但面對國際金融海嘯的衝擊，法國多間米芝蓮星級餐廳均推出經濟的菜式。
由法國廚神博屈斯（Paul Bocuse）主理的餐廳，一改以往的高級路線，推出售價低廉的三文治和漢堡包的快餐菜式，顧客只需付出四至五英鎊，便可一嘗星級餐廳的佳餚。博屈斯表示，面對當前的金融危機，人民的生活方式有所改變，他們的飲食習慣亦變成希望能吃得更多更快。
平、靚、快成經營之道
而由女名廚海倫達賀茲（Helene Darroze）主理二星級餐廳，亦推出售價為二十五英鎊的午餐，食物包括西蘭花湯、龍蝦餃子及燒帶子等貴價菜式。
另一名廚伊夫奧爾特皮納德（Yves Pinard）表示，現時的人已不捨得用三千英鎊享用一頓大餐，所以餐廳的經營之道，亦要緊守「平、靚、快」的原則。
简体中文去过不少名人老饕为品尝米芝莲星级餐厅的食物，不惜大洒金钱飞到法国，再豪掷数万元一尝星级大厨的手艺，但面对国际金融海啸的冲击，法国多间米芝莲星级餐厅均推出经济的菜式。
由法国厨神博屈斯（Paul Bocuse）主理的餐厅，一改以往的高级路线，推出售价低廉的三文治和汉堡包的快餐菜式，顾客只需付出四至五英镑，便可一尝星级餐厅的佳肴。博屈斯表示，面对当前的金融危机，人民的生活方式有所改变，他们的饮食习惯亦变成希望能吃得更多更快。
平、靓、快成经营之道
而由女名厨海伦达贺兹（Helene Darroze）主理二星级餐厅，亦推出售价为二十五英镑的午餐，食物包括西兰花汤、龙虾饺子及烧带子等贵价菜式。
另一名厨伊夫奥尔特皮纳德（Yves Pinard）表示，现时的人已不舍得用三千英镑享用一顿大餐，所以餐厅的经营之道，亦要紧守「平、靓、快」的原则。
Categories: Entertainment, Food / Drinks, Interesting News, Investing / Economy, 娛樂, 投資 / 經濟, 趣味新聞 |
Tags: Cuisine, Financial Crisis, Food / Drinks, Helene Darroze, Michelin, Paul Bocuse, Yves Pinard, 米其林, 米芝蓮 | No Comments
November 12th, 2008
Tokyo, which already boasts a record number of Michelin stars, is set to scoop more of the coveted awards
Tokyo, which already boasts a record number of Michelin stars, can expect even more of the coveted awards when the second edition of the renowned culinary guide for the city is published this month.
“It’s clear. This year again, Tokyo is going be the capital with the most stars,” Michelin director Jean-Luc Naret told AFP ahead of the guide’s launch on November 21.
The number of Tokyo restaurants awarded stars will exceed the 150 listed in the first edition, which had a total of 191 stars — more than double the number given to restaurants in Paris.
“Tokyo is the capital where there are the most restaurants, more than 160,000, and also excellent cuisine,” Naret said. “We will therefore see new one-star, two-star and three-star restaurants.”
At the same time some restaurants that were recognised last year would lose their stars because they changed owners and chefs or closed down, he said.
The first Tokyo edition last year provoked criticism and sarcasm among Japanese restaurant owners and food critics, who mocked the ability of French inspectors to judge Japanese cuisine.
“But we showed that our selection was remarkable,” said Naret. “No one today can say that our work was not serious or lacking depth.”
“Last year, the Michelin team consisted of Japanese and European inspectors. Today we have six Japanese inspectors and only one European,” he added.
Rumours, however, have swept through Japan’s culinary world that some chefs refused to be cited in the Michelin guide.
“If some restaurants are not listed, that’s not their choice but ours,” retorted Naret.
“There are indeed great eateries that are not in the guide simply because you cannot have a table unless you’re a familiar face. But our guide is written for readers, not to give medals to chefs,” he added.
Inspectors currently visit restaurants in 22 countries across three continents to award Michelin ratings, which have become the benchmark for excellence in international dining.
Michelin use the same criteria — product quality, preparation and flavours, cuisine personality, value for money and consistency — when awarding stars to restaurants across the world, according to its website.
The first edition of the Tokyo guide sold 300,000 copies between its launch on November 19 and Christmas Day 2007. Half were sold in a matter of hours on the first day.
“We decided to limit sales to 300,000 copies and we had no unsold stocks. That is unprecedented in the history of our guide,” explained Naret.
“At the beginning, distributors were pretty reserved, talking about only 35,000, 45,000, 50,000 copies. I personally thought we were going to sell just above what we sold in New York the first year, which was 120,000.”
For the 2009 edition, Naret expects a first circulation of 300,000 copies, but Michelin will be ready to print more if there is demand.
“If I listened to the pre-orders of bookstores, we should print about 800,000 guides. But we must be reasonable since we would not like to find ourselves with unsold stocks,” said Naret.
The new guide will be presented in the same fashion as the first edition, with two pages dedicated to each honoured restaurant, along with several photos and a map of the location. But readers will see some differences.
“We worked on a new layout that is more Japanese, more zen, in order to make it easier to read,” said Naret. The guide will indicate whether the restaurant has a private room, tatami flooring and whether visitors need to remove their shoes at the entrance.
“I hope that this will become an annual event like Beaujolais Nouveau,” said Naret. “Therefore, this year, the guide will arrive in wooden boxes to show that it’s a vintage year.”
Source: AFP
Categories: Food / Drinks, Interesting News |
Tags: Culinary, Japan, Michelin, Restaurants, Tokyo | 2 Comments
October 27th, 2008
We’re beginning to see the impact of the financial crisis seeping into the general economy…
First is the liquidation of Tai Lin (泰林), a 62-year-old electronic retailer, basically a household brand in Hong Kong.
Now Kripy Kreme Donuts…
Krispy Kreme’s Hong Kong Franchisee in Provisional Liquidation
By Stephanie Wong
Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) — The Hong Kong franchisee of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., the second-largest U.S. doughnut chain, is going into liquidation, two years after starting business.
“We’ve been instructed today to assist to hold a meeting with creditors which will be held on Nov. 12,” Stephen Briscoe, managing director of provisional liquidator Briscoe & Wong, said by phone from Hong Kong today.
Five of the seven Hong Kong stores closed last night, with the two outlets at the city’s airport to remain open “as long as possible,” Briscoe said.
– Editors: Josh Fellman
To contact the reporter for this story:
Stephanie Wong in Shanghai at +86-21-6104-7029 or swong139@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Frank Longid at +852-2977-6643 or flongid@bloomberg.net
Categories: Food / Drinks |
Tags: Bloomberg, Donuts, Food / Drinks, Kripy Kreme, Tai Lin, 泰林 | No Comments
October 27th, 2008
EnglishDan Gross,
writing in Slate, has a theory: “The more Starbucks a country has, the bigger its financial problems.
He has data that seem to support the theory, at least in a general way, and adds that it works in the United States, where the biggest busts have come in areas with the most Starbucks. He reports that the outlet around the corner from Bear Stearns has already closed.
My tentative theory: Having a significant Starbucks presence is a pretty significant indicator of the degree of connectedness to the form of highly caffeinated, free-spending capitalism that got us into this mess. It’s also a sign of a culture’s willingness to abandon traditional norms and ways of doing business (virtually all the countries in which Starbucks has established beachheads have their own venerable coffee-house traditions) in favor of fast-moving American ones. The fact that the company or its local licensee felt there was room for dozens of outlets where consumers would pony up lots of euros, liras, and rials for expensive drinks is also a pretty good indicator that excessive financial optimism had entered the bloodstream.”
Had we known of this theory earlier, perhaps we would have realized that the fall of Starbucks stock was sending a warning about what was going to happen to the financial system. At the end of 2007, Starbucks was down 49 percent from its record high, set in late 2006, while the S.&P. 500 was off just 6 percent from its peak on Oct. 9, 2007 to the end of that year.
So far this year, Starbucks is off another 49 percent, for a total decline of 74 percent. The S.&P. is off just 35 percent, bringing its total loss to 39 percent.
繁體中文
葛羅斯：星巴克越多 金融危機風險越高
【聯合報╱編譯陳世欽／報導】 2008.10.27 03:18 am
根據麥當勞「金色拱門」（Golden Arches）理論，如果兩個國家都有麥當勞速食店，表示這兩國已出現夠多的中產階級消費者，有能力享用大麥克，這兩國也能夠找出和平解決爭執的方法，不會發生武裝衝突。
如今金融風暴肆虐之際，經濟專欄作家葛羅斯（Daniel Gross）26日在星期泰晤士報撰文提出一套「星巴克理論」，宣稱一個國家的星巴克咖啡店數量越多，該國受到這波金融危機影響的可能性就越高。
葛羅斯說，當前的金融風暴肇因於次貸與信用危機；「星巴克」堪稱兩者的代表。
星巴克發跡於西雅圖，緊隨房地產開發商進軍城市的郊區與遠郊，迅即成為地產代理商與客戶的休息站。不僅如此，星巴克也在大城市的商業區大肆擴張，尤其是金融中心，僅紐約曼哈坦就有將近200家星巴克。
星巴克飲料中的咖啡因使華爾街的金融從業人員得以熬夜處理各種交易，其中包括膨脹的問題貸款案。許多星巴克分店設在投資銀行的一樓並非毫無來由。
星巴克認為，只要地產開發商完成一個建案，有意的購屋者自會源源而至；如果上門點餐的客人越多，候餐的時間越長，它越能夠在附近開設另一家分店。星巴克於2006年春季達到全盛時期，時機與房市榮景重疊，此後開始急轉直下。
過去一個月之間，美國的金融危機擴及歐洲與亞洲，這是因為許多銀行緊隨美國同業的腳步所致。金融體系與美國關係越是密切的國家，所受衝擊也越大。
這和星巴克有何關聯？統計顯示，最近被迫將部分銀行收歸國有、在金融風暴中災情慘重的英國，全國共有698家星巴克，倫敦就有256家；亞洲災情最慘的南韓有253家。
相對之下，某些國家若是銀行正常營運，星巴克幾乎絕跡，這是因為它們與前述國家的金融關係並不密切所致，瑞典、芬蘭、挪威都沒有星巴克，丹麥只有兩家。智利首都聖地牙哥的星巴克多達27家，但智利一直都遠離金融風暴，是少數的例外。
【2008/10/27 聯合報】
資料來源：http://udn.com/NEWS/WORLD/WOR2/4574706.shtml
简体中文
葛罗斯：星巴克越多 金融危机风险越高
【联合报╱编译陈世钦／报导】 2008.10.27 03:18 am
根据麦当劳「金色拱门」（Golden Arches）理论，如果两个国家都有麦当劳快餐店，表示这两国已出现够多的中产阶级消费者，有能力享用大麦克，这两国也能够找出和平解决争执的方法，不会发生武装冲突。
如今金融风暴肆虐之际，经济专栏作家葛罗斯（Daniel Gross）26日在星期泰晤士报撰文提出一套「星巴克理论」，宣称一个国家的星巴克咖啡店数量越多，该国受到这波金融危机影响的可能性就越高。
葛罗斯说，当前的金融风暴肇因于次贷与信用危机；「星巴克」堪称两者的代表。
星巴克发迹于西雅图，紧随房地产开发商进军城市的郊区与远郊，迅即成为地产代理商与客户的休息站。不仅如此，星巴克也在大城市的商业区大肆扩张，尤其是金融中心，仅纽约曼哈坦就有将近200家星巴克。
星巴克饮料中的咖啡因使华尔街的金融从业人员得以熬夜处理各种交易，其中包括膨胀的问题贷款案。许多星巴克分店设在投资银行的一楼并非毫无来由。
星巴克认为，只要地产开发商完成一个建案，有意的购屋者自会源源而至；如果上门点餐的客人越多，候餐的时间越长，它越能够在附近开设另一家分店。星巴克于2006年春季达到全盛时期，时机与房市荣景重迭，此后开始急转直下。
过去一个月之间，美国的金融危机扩及欧洲与亚洲，这是因为许多银行紧随美国同业的脚步所致。金融体系与美国关系越是密切的国家，所受冲击也越大。
这和星巴克有何关联？统计显示，最近被迫将部分银行收归国有、在金融风暴中灾情惨重的英国，全国共有698家星巴克，伦敦就有256家；亚洲灾情最惨的南韩有253家。
相对之下，某些国家若是银行正常营运，星巴克几乎绝迹，这是因为它们与前述国家的金融关系并不密切所致，瑞典、芬兰、挪威都没有星巴克，丹麦只有两家。智利首都圣地亚哥的星巴克多达27家，但智利一直都远离金融风暴，是少数的例外。
【2008/10/27 联合报】
资料来源：http://udn.com/NEWS/WORLD/WOR2/4574706.shtml
Categories: Food / Drinks, Interesting News, Investing / Economy, 投資 / 經濟, 趣味新聞 |
Tags: Daniel Gross, Financial Crisis, Food / Drinks, Golden Arches, Investing, starbucks, Thomas Friedman, 咖啡, 投資, 星巴克, 華爾街, 金融風暴, 麥當勞 | No Comments
