Last week I happened to be in Victoria Street and hungry. So I went to Itsu. My choice was salmon teriyaki. I don’t know the meaning of the word teriyaki but I liked the look of the cooked salmon pieces on top of rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds. The price on the shelf was just under £4 and I thought it was a good deal in Central London. When at the till I was asked if I would it in, I said yes as sitting at the oval shaped tables looked very attractive to me after my long walking that day. This raised the bill to over £5, but  my need to sit down was so urgent, I accepted it with no hesitation. What annoyed me was that there was no indication on the price tags at the shelves that there will be different prices if “take away” or “eat in”. When eating in you use some plastic cutlery, a few drops of condiment and the shop assistant cleans the table after you, so, fair enough, you be charged 1.50 for it. But, the next thing which also annoyed me, they don’t give you a plate, you still eat from the packaging, which is meant for the “take away”. This used to be the meaning of paying different for “eat in” in the cafes from the good old times in London, I still remember. So, the raised price of “eat in” used to include the washing of your plate. When you buy a pack of food and eat from the same pack, then you throw it after you finish eating in the bin provided and the assistant only just wipes the table after you.

Well, I am not completely “ last century”,  I am used to eating sushi from cardboard packaging, which I usually buy from an outlet in Canary Warf for just under $4. The box is dark green inside and when I poor the strong soy sauce over the pieces of rice, covered with salmon, I always fear that some of the colouring of the box will get in my mouth together with the food. This is why I eat it very fast, trying not to think much about it. Besides, as much as I like sushi I can’t have it as often as I would like. This is because the salmon in sushi is not cooked and there is always a thought in the bottom of my mind,  that something wrong could happen after eating it.

The teriyaki is a portion of rice, on top of which there are some pieces of cooked salmon. Finishing my portion took some time and a surprise was waiting for me on the bottom of the cardboard box! A printed advertisement, starting with the slogan: Eat beautiful, eat lighter, eat Itsu! Followed by the description of some healthy meals and promoting the Itsu restaurant in Chelsea. This advert occupied the right half of the bottom of my box, on the left, there was an advert of the Volleyball England Beach Tour, which Itsu sponsors proudly. There is a picture of a half-naked male athlete, who’s armpit is in plain view! This is exactly what I needed for desert!

More than twenty years ago when I first came to this country and started learning English first, I worked for a while in a Burger King “restaurant” as the manager used to call it, to my dismay. It looked to me as a canteen for fast eating, but….As a former advertising executive in my then already post-communist country, I was very impressed by one inventive method for advertising: we were placing pieces of printed advertising/promoting material on the trays, which clients would use for taking their food and drink to their table. This way, they would see it and read it while having their burger, “meal” as it was then called. I was impressed from point of view of advertising and promoting, but I still think that covering the tray with a serviette would be better, or, just a tray, well cleaned with antibacterial spray and dried afterwards, would be best from hygiene point of view.

Anyway, in Burger King’s case, the printed material was not in direct contact with the food. But apparently nowadays, Itsu and other companies have taken it further and they think nothing of the direct contact the food they offer with the dye of the printed material their packaging is made of.

What do you think? Should somebody tell them to stop doing this?

Yesterday, for the first time this spring I found and gathered some nettles for soup. As I was taking one of my favourite walks on the green near my house, I changed my usual path and “discovered” the bunch of succulent nettles, which made my first green soup from the nature this spring. This reminded me last year, when I went to Bulgaria for the last week of May. As I stayed with my daughter and her vegetarian flat-mate, vegetable food was regularly on the table. We were also having fish, white cheese and plenty of plain yoghurt . But nettle soup was the star.

Recipe 1: Nettle soup is traditionally a spring favourite for Bulgarians. Although there might be differences in recipes in different regions, main ingredients are:  finely chopped nettle leaves, spring onions (optional), and rice or vermicelli for thickening. Wash the nettle leaves and then poor hot water on them before chopping them to avoid getting stung. I don’t mind the occasional nettle sting as folk medicine says it is good for arthritis and rheumatism. Last spring in Bulgaria I used nettles bought from the market, adding some rice vermicelli (bought in a Chinese shop in London). I usually serve it with some olive oil and a generous spoon of plain yoghurt, sometimes adding black pepper for a bit of heat.

Observations of the effect: We had nettle soup every day that week . The thick soup was filling my stomach, not allowing me to stuff myself with high calories food and with bread, which would be my normal diet in London. Lettuce salad, lentils stew, rice and plain yoghurt were regularly on the table and they are very detoxing. And although I had some bread and (white) cheese regularly, too, with so much fibrin my diet, I lost some weight!!! Just by some fluid retention and fat under the skin disappeared. Apparently it showed in my face, too, as my colleagues noticed it on my arrival back to work, which made me weigh myself and have the confirmation of my weight loss. I find out that two kilograms had gone. For a week?! Not only was I zipping easier my jeans, but I felt very light and flexible.

It was possible to find nettles in London after my arrival back in June last year, not that crispy and succulent, but still good for soup.

Also, an easier way of using nettles for detox is to make tea. The important thing is to wash the leaves well prior to use, I even soak them in cold water for a few minutes.

Recipe 2: Yesterday I made my soup using a different method: I only soaked the whole nettle stalks for a few minutes, washed them under running water and placed them in the large pan. Then added the rice vermicelli and poured boiling water and left them to simmer for five minutes. Added salt and stopped the gas. Later, I whizzed the soup, served with some olive oil and some 0% fat yoghurt Greek style I recently found in Tesco. It tasted even better!

Some more info about benefits from nettles:

Nettles are a rich green colour revealing its extremely high iron and chlorophyll content. It is also very high in the minerals calcium, magnesium, silicon, sulphur, copper, chromium, zinc, cobalt, potassium and phosphorus. Nettles also contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, D, E, and K as well as riboflavin and thiamine.

Good for anaemia and fatigue

Stinging nettle is beneficial during pregnancy due to its rich mineral value and vitamin K, which guards against excessive bleeding

Recommended for pre-menstrual syndrome because of its toxin-ridding activity

When the liver is sluggish, it processes estrogen slowly, contributing to the high levels that cause or aggravate PMS.

It has a gentle, stimulating effect on the lymphatic system, enhancing the excretion of wastes through the kidneys

It “promotes the process of protein transanimation in the liver, effectively utilizing digested proteins, while simultaneously preventing them from being discharged through the body as waste products.”

Stinging nettle acts similarly to dandelion leaf, promoting the elimination of uric acid from joints with an alkalizing diuretic activity

A study conducted by the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon found positive evidence of freeze-dried nettle leaf for treating hay fever, asthma, seasonal allergies, and hives.

As a styptic (an arrestor of local bleeding), stinging nettle is an effective remedy for nose bleeds.  It can be applied locally or sniffed.  The astringency of stinging nettle proves its usefulness in hemorrhoids, diarrhea, and bleeding in the urinary organs.

It also treats mouth and throat infections.

Nettle leaf is useful to correct symptoms of gastrointestinal excess, such as gas, nausea, and mucus colitis.

It is also used as an anodyne to relieve the pain of burns and scalds.

A decoction of nettle is valuable in diarrhea and dysentery, with profuse discharges, and in hemorrhoids, various hemorrhages, and scorbutic affections.  It has been recommended in febrile affections, gravel, and other nephritic complaints.

The fresh leaves were found to show anti-tumoural activity in animal studies and strong anti-mutagenic activity.  Nettle leaves are high in antioxidants with vitamin activities and have high potassium to sodium ratio.  All this indicates it as an excellent natural source for protection against neoplastic diseases (tumours), cardiovascular disorders, and immune deficiency.

In the respiratory system nettles help clear catarrhal congestion.

The seeds are an excellent lung astringent, particularly useful for bronchitis, tuberculosis, and consumption.  They are recommended as a remedy for goitre and to reduce body weight.  They are also considered anthelmintic, expelling worms and other parasites.

The stimulating effect of stinging nettle is used as a rinse for the hair.  This will regenerate hair growth and restore original hair colour.  It is used by the personal hair care industry in anti-dandruff products and scalp conditioners.

Russian studies show that nettle tea has anti-bacterial activity.  Mouthwashes and toothpastes containing nettle can reduce plaque and gingivitis.