And talk about - This and That

A few days in Manchester gave a number of opportunities to try out the food, museums and bars.

Friday afternoon saw us visit the best of a number of places - This and That on Soap Street. To describe its environs as inauspicious would be an understatement. A rubbish strewn street with a faint odour of well used vegetable oil leads to a scruffy looking door. But inside it was rammed with folk tucking into the home produced curries. The most popular - and another of Manchester's gifts to the World - is the three curries and rice. A stonking portion of rice has your choice of three of the six curries available ladled across it. The price you pay depends on the number of meat curries you buy but the basic three veg curries comes to three pounds fifty pence. And it is a delight - no frippery - big jugs of water to wash the monster food down. Bowls of fresh coriander and chopped green chillies to add extra flavour if necessary. Sat cheek by jowel with the other diners on Formica topped tables with the seats welded to the floor.

So all this scran plus an onion bhaji came to 9 quid.

It doesn't come better than this.

Staff of Leith

I remember that Scotrail used to advertise the Glasgow to Edinburgh train journey by using two genteel ladies extolling the virtues of the rival cities - saying "Morningside, Kelvinside: Morningside, Kelvinside" the smarter part of the two cities. I always think of Leith as Edinburgh's slightly louche cousin - the sort of aunty you would always want to turn up at family parties because you knew she was fun and, with a wink and a finger to her mouth saying shhhh, would pour a little vodka into your pop.

Though it's been suffering a little with the tram works - Leith Walk still offers such a wide range of shops that it would be difficult to think of anything you couldn't buy somewhere along it.

Which brings me to Storries!!! I have been aware of Storries at 279 Leith Walk for ages - and there are loads of references to their steak pies. I think they used to do a breakfast pie - containing bacon and egg. They also do cakes / scones etc and I think they now offer hot drinks. Not sure of the opening times - but definitely early.

Having given up buying bread for a while, I was shocked to see how much a decent loaf had got to in the local supermarket. Well the Doctor was looking for a sausage sarnie for her brekkie, so on the way home I dropped in for some rolls.

Unfortunately they had sold out but I was offered one of their Wheaten Loaves - for the princely sum of 45p. What a great loaf, tasty bread with a crusty top - and with Findlay's sausages made a breakfast fit for a doctor.

19th nervous breakdown

Ahhh - the delights of one of those ultimate scranner trips to the supermarket. Bananas, raspberries, cheese, spinach, green beans, black currants, tuna pate, bedding plants, flowers - all reduced down to 19p each. Cheers to Morrisons.

But what to make with it all?? Tried the following - Sauteed some onion and garlic and then added the spinach and a little milk. Grated in some nutmeg, a little black pepper and allowed the spinach to wilt. Had gnocchi cooking. And when wilted, crumbled the gorgonzola into the spinach mix. Mixed with the drained gnocchi and served. Thumbs up from her nibs.

Turned the fruit into a salad - mixed with yoghurt and granola for breakfast.

We'll always have Leith

Whilst the aim of Captain Value is VFM, there has been a suggestion that my aim in life is cheapness. Can I give an example of something which is not cheap but is high on the VFM stakes due to its innate quality.

I was fortunate as a student to have worked for a couple of companies very near Paris. One of the delights of the French capital, and France in general, is the quality of the bakery products. On the times i have been back I have taken every opportunity to try one of those fruit tarts with a sort of creme anglaise on a crispy pastry base.

I have bought a number of these from UK supermarkets / bakers and the disappointment has always been the pastry. The fork slides through the fruit and custard and passes squidgily through soft pastry. However, my memory has always been of a similar early experience with the French patisserie version but as the fork broke the pastry there was a satisfying crack to the crispy pastry.

So when I discovered La Cerise on Great Junction Street in Leith, I wanted to try their tart as a test of their patisserie skills - and I wasn't disappointed even at the princely sum of £2.10. I have been back a number of times most regularly with a chum and his young daughter. We generally restrain ourselves on the cake front with lunch of a quality sandwich and coffee - but take muffins etc back for our respective partners. But when I go with my work colleagues - ladies who lunch shall we say - cake is always on the cards. But I suppose every place has to cater for its local clientele and one of them had a Mars bar toastie with ice cream - what a Scottish dish.