Hot dish

I'm not at all interested in the antics of so called celebrities (nor their media-clogging diet regimes), so not sure if I dare admit that I just happened to be watching Celebrity Come Dine with Me earlier this evening ... But it was funny to see Jimmy Osmond looking like one of his much older brothers - was it Wayne? Yes, I know it was way back when having 'celebrity' status still required a modicum of talent, charm and professionalism.



How wonderful to see that Jimmy is still as charming as ever and still demonstrating a healthily human approach to eating - as well as paying ongoing attention to his spiritual well-being: he certainly appeared to be emotionally better adjusted than some other of the eclectic mix of guests.



I noticed that fellow diner, Nicky Clarke, was wearing one of those ultra-stylish scarves, though his penchant for colourful trousers was rather curious. Perhaps he chose them to match his face after a liberal application of chilli pepper? Judging by his gravity-defying hair, he must rub chilli into that too... look out for a new secret recipe spicy formula shampoo on the shelves of your local supermarket soon.





Talking of the fashion for red ingredients, I read something in a newspaper today about lypocene – the substance that makes tomatoes red and gives some other vegetables their rich colour. Did you know that storing red-coloured fruit like tomatoes at room temperature rather than in the fridge doubles the level of beta-carotene and boosts the food’s content of cancer-fighting lypocene by 20%? Apparently, at Ohio State University in Columbus, they even created a unique orange coloured ‘tangerine tomato’ that allows one to absorb more than twice the level of lypocene than from standard plum tomatoes. Oh, and it's said that cooked tomatoes provide for a better absorption rate of lypocene than when eaten raw...



Which brings me on to the subject of the rather original hot tomato dish available from ShopCurious… a quirky, ripe-red retro piece, (probably around the same vintage as Jimmy O), that would certainly make for an unusual gift. You could always use it to serve up crudités and seasonal nibbles at your pre-Christmas drinks party – just fill with saucy lypocene-packed salsa and so long as the guests don’t eat too much, their faces shouldn’t turn orange.

Will you?

Food for thought

On to New Designers part 2, covering the likes of product design, furniture, graphic design, illustration and architecture, with exhibits from students throughout the UK. There was so much talent out there and some really creative and original ideas were in evidence. I was totally overawed. I've chosen to give a snapshot of a few of the things that were curiously amusing - with the serious message that new designers are often young graduates - who, whilst hoping to be iconic designers of the future, are only at the beginning of a long journey. This blog is mainly about what goes into our stomachs, because food simply has to be on all our plates every day and it's big in the press too, which seems to count for everything these days - so you're probably best blaming them rather than the government for food price inflation - and for inspiring so many food-related ideas at New Designers. Perhaps even Gordon Brown, a man with a certain amount of experience, who gave the opening speech at New Designers last year, could learn a thing or two from this educational designer plate for bulimics (above right). Waste not, want not! Whilst Gordon masticates on corn stuffed with caviar, kelp-flavoured cold Kyoto beef and diced fatty flesh of tuna (let alone the next five courses, no wonder he looks a slightly unwell), ShopCurious considers what's potentially on offer to the rest of us from new designers who will be shaping the way we eat tomorrow: Zeke Abry from Leeds Metropolitan University has come up with the idea for a kitchen-based 'information centre' designed to promote healthy eating, with calorie consumption and dietary advice, plus help with creating shopping lists (in conjunction with major supermarkets of course) and handy tips for meal preparation. What I really liked about this idea was the ability to film your (excuse the Americanism) 'mom's home-cooking' for posterity and keep it on your information centre - I do hope he thinks up a more inspiring name for this. What's more this device also doubles up as a baby, or perhaps an emo monitor in the meantime (right). There's multi-tasking for you. Is this a man vs. women thing or what? Girls, I suggest you start growing herbs out of your purpose built kitchen table immediately: Adele Bird, left, has created the very thing. Our curiously corpulent future (dismissing any possibility of global recession, food shortages and mass starvation) sparked the imagination of a number of designers and one design that caught my eye was Nicholas Morris's rather prettily designed hydro cycle (left), the base of which is half filled with water. It's rather like a modern version of the pedalo, which could be used in swimming pools and lakes to kick start kids into action, if they're not too busy sharpening their knives. And those were also on display. Though these unusual designer cactus knives by Andrew Seward (above and left) at least have a sense of humour. As do the designer beer mats by Jamie Wood (right and below left). If all else fails, one could always live on beer. A popular favourite with everyone from young graduates and new designers to Gordon Brown alike. Will you?