I love food. I love trying new recipes and tasting new things. However due to my allergies, some things have become unavailable to me but that hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for good food, especially street food. The reason I and others like me enjoy this type of food so much is probably because it is not pretentious. It simply is good food, cooked with love to give pleasure to others. Ok so that's the romantic view but there is no denying that most street food is simply good food at a good price.
Plus I have discovered that the benefits of street food go beyond my own palette. It is also an inexpensive relaxed way of introducing children to new food flavours without having to slave over it in the kitchen only to have them turn around and spit it out. Have you ever been in a situation where your kids will eat one thing at a friend's house but refuse to eat it at yours? They suddenly profess to hate the very dish that you prepare in exactly the same way as their friend's mum or your friend does but will eat it the very next play date with such gusto that anyone would think you were starving them at home. It's one of those 'Really?' (parent looking at child disbelievingly) moments.
As a lover of food it is gut twisting when the kids don't want to try something you have lovingly prepared so I have found that introducing them to street food is a good way of getting them to appreciate food without the emotional heartache of home food rejection. Fortunately London has some exceptional places to do this. I do feel lucky and privileged to live in a city that plays host to places like Pop Brixton (a food. drink and work collective in South London), Borough Market, Greenwich Market and BoxPark in Shoreditch . All great places to get a taste of different things but still eat at the same table. You know what I mean - its the old one child wants pizza but the other one wants a burger and you want Japanese for lunch scenario. Getting street food in these places means that you all have what you want whilst tasting what the other person gets, sit at the same table and still be under £20 for a good meal for four. Its pushing about £30 for a meal for six people but still half the cost of eating even at medium price eateries such as Pizza Express or Nandos with six at the table. Pocket friendly non junk food eating definitely gets my vote!
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| Mama Jerk @ PopBrixton |
If you go to somewhere like PopBrixton you would then just need to cross the road to The Chocolate Museum and make your own chocolate for desert.
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| Chocolate Lolly making |
Great way to finish off a foodie afternoon.
Would you agree?
