Thursday, August 23, 2007

Bagels


Bagels have only really started to become common in the UK fairly recently. They are in supermarkets, McDonalds, etc, and are making an impression on the market.

Until a couple of days ago, the attraction eluded me. They are just a bread roll with a stupid hole in the middle! What is so great about them?

Then, on Monday, my son and I came in to work on the bus. As both of us are vulnerable to travel sickness we skipped breakfast so we could eat after we arrived. While walking from the bus station to where I work, we passed the Mexican place where I often eat – which you will surely know if you read my blog regularly. They were open for breakfast, so we went in. Top of the menu was a cheese and bacon bagel. Now the guy who owns this place is a New Yorker, almost a Hollywood cliché, loud and confident. He has a deal going with a lot of his regulars – if you don’t like something he sells you, tell him and he will give you a replacement free. I have never had to make him stand by his word on this! So I go for the bagel, reasoning that this guy is a New Yorker and maybe his bagels will be different to what is generally available.

That was the best Monday morning decision I have ever made. It was fantastic. I am now a convert to proper bagels. I think I will have to search for a good recipe so I can make my own – the ones in the shops just don’t cut it.

8 comments:

mr zig said...

oooh bagels are so goood... I'm glad you have discovered their joy. Here, McDOnalds has these wonderful breakfast creations that are on bagels, and I genarally hate McDonalds breakfast - but these - mmmmmm - and, even at home - putting cream cheese on them! awwwww - my mouth is watering. Now I wish I had some in my house!

Terri said...

Bruegger's Bagel shops are all over the place around here and their bagels are better than anything... if you see one of these in your neck of the woods, you MUST try them!

Logzie said...

I only like the kind of bagels you buy at a bakery. The kind you buy in the grocery store are rubbery and common. The bakery kind are fresh and oh so good! I only waste the calories on the bakery kind! :0)

amazingbrenda said...

mmmmm, I love bagels...too bad we don't have them here. Glad you like em now.

glad your vacation turned out to be quite pleasant inspite of all the rain.

James said...

A bagel shop opened here in Rugby about a year ago but we haven't tried them yet...I am not really a bready person so it's likely I never will!

Nice to have you back John, I didn't email you because I knew you were having a break from everything. Did you use the RFCM/Peter Pig rules for the medieval game?

Rock Chef said...

James - I wrote the rules myself, and they worked really well. I have called them "Grim Visag'd War", with thanks to Shakespeare for the name.

All - I love GOOD bagels, but there seems to be a lot of variation around here, sadly. My holidays are now over so I will be sure to have more in the near future.

Amazingbrenda - Maybe there is a good recipe out there so you can make them yourself. I think I will be doing that soon!

Chris said...

The best bagels in the world are in Montreal. There's a little bakery there, and they make fresh bagels, beginning at 5:30 a.m. People line up around the block to buy them warm.
Their specialty is an onion bagel. The best!!!!

Rock Chef said...

Onion bagels, huh? I think that would go down well with the kids. We made some wonderful cheese and onion bread a couple of weeks ago and they ate it so fast I hardly saw any of it!