Its been a long project. Longer than our usual food truck builds, but hey, its a lot bigger than our usual food trucks.
Our ex USA fire truck is almost ready for launch. We are trying it out at one of our regular jobs soon, and then might have some exciting news about a possible tour in conjunction with a quirky restaurant chain.
In the meantime, here are some images of our truck in its former life as an actual fire fighting appliance for the Evansville Fire Department, Indiana USA.
The first of the major funfair holiday events has just kicked off.
Of course everyone is aware of the tradition of giving eggs for Easter. But have you ever thought why?
Easter is a Christian festival, and for Christians giving eggs symbolises new life. It is claimed this practice started with the early Christians of Mesopotamia who stained birds eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ.
There is also an association in Western Christians not being allowed to eat eggs during Lent, but allowed them at Easter.
A common practice in medieval England was for children to go door to door begging for eggs on the Saturday before Lent. These were handed out as special treats.
I remember during my youth going door to door. Many of the elder generation would give us hard boiled eggs that had been painted. The better of neighbours actually gave us chocolate. Many would also press a few coppers on us, when you were five or six years old, the few pounds you accrued made you think you were rich.
It wasn’t an exclusively Christian thing though. London’s British Museum contains some large ostrich eggs that have been carved and painted. These have been found in tombs. After investigation it is believed that eggs like this can date back up to 5000 years, well before the Christian religion. And decorated eggs up to 60,000 years old have been discovered in Africa.
J.S. Fry and sons of England introduced their first chocolate egg in 1873, closely followed by Cadbury’s in 1875. Cadbury’s created the modern egg with the introduction of pure cocoa butter that could be moulded into hollow egg shapes. Now up to 80 million chocolate eggs are consumed in the UK alone. It’s nice to see the steady move away from plastic packaging to more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Personally my favourite eggs are those produced by the Russian craftsman at Faberge for the last two Russian Tsars. Masterpieces of decorative art, many contain hidden surprises such as clockwork birds or miniature toys.
International Waffle Day: A Global Celebration of Fluffy Delights
March 25th is a day that brings joy to breakfast lovers around the world – International Waffle Day. This delightful holiday celebrates the beloved waffle in all its crispy, golden glory. From classic Belgian waffles to creative interpretations from every corner of the globe, International Waffle Day is a time to indulge in one of the most versatile and delicious breakfast foods known to humanity.
Embracing Waffles Across Cultures: What makes International Waffle Day truly special is its celebration of waffles in all their diverse forms. While the waffle may have originated in Europe, its popularity has spread far and wide, with each culture adding its own unique twist to this beloved treat. From the sweet, syrup-drenched waffles of North America to the savory gaufres enjoyed in France, waffles come in countless variations, each more delicious than the last.
A Rich History: The history of the waffle is as rich and varied as its toppings. Waffles have been enjoyed by people around the world for centuries, with evidence of their existence dating back to ancient Greece. Over the years, waffle-making techniques have evolved, leading to the creation of different styles and varieties of waffles. Today, waffles are enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, making International Waffle Day a truly global celebration.
Waffles Unite Us: One of the most beautiful things about International Waffle Day is its ability to bring people together. Whether you’re sharing a plate of waffles with friends and family at home or indulging in a delicious waffle breakfast at your favorite cafe, there’s something special about coming together to enjoy this beloved breakfast treat. Waffles have a way of transcending cultural boundaries and uniting people from all walks of life in a shared appreciation for good food and good company.
Celebrating International Waffle Day: There are countless ways to celebrate International Waffle Day, no matter where you are in the world. You could start your day with a stack of classic buttermilk waffles topped with fresh berries and whipped cream, or you could get creative in the kitchen and experiment with new and exciting waffle recipes. Whether you prefer sweet or savory, there’s a waffle out there to satisfy every craving.
Spread the Waffle Love: International Waffle Day is also a great opportunity to spread the love by sharing waffles with others. Host a waffle brunch for your friends and family, organize a waffle-making competition with your coworkers, or simply surprise a loved one with a homemade batch of waffles. However you choose to celebrate, sharing the joy of waffles with others is sure to make International Waffle Day a day to remember.
In Conclusion: International Waffle Day is a time to celebrate one of the world’s most beloved breakfast foods in all its delicious glory. Whether you prefer your waffles sweet or savory, crispy or fluffy, there’s no denying the universal appeal of this humble yet oh-so-delicious treat. So grab your waffle iron, whip up a batch of batter, and join people around the world in celebrating International Waffle Day in style.
If you need a waffle cart for your event, give us a shout, they are waffly good.
Cabbages and condoms, as restaurants go, this one not only has an unusual name, it had an unusual beginning. Originally a small vegetable stall in Bangkok on some office premises of the PDA, a community development association concerned with family planning.
The outfit used to sell vegetables, lace panties, t-shirts, condoms and oral contraceptives! Somehow I doubt we will ever see a similar portfolio in Burger King or McDonalds.
The chairman of the PDA Mechai Viravaidya called the shop cabbages and condoms. The catchy sobriquet it seemed tended to amuse passers by, and drew people into the shop. In the seventies, a small restaurant was added serving Thai dishes.
The cuisine gained a following due to its quality, and eventually it developed into a full restaurant.
The chain now has restaurants in Japan and England. More precisely Bicester in Oxfordshire, though I don’t think the decor etc is quite the same, being more of a vanilla style Thai eatery.
We offer a range of noodles and such like, though sadly without the condoms, for that you need to stick with cabbages and condoms.
Ever fancied a stroll down Soho. That side of London that was renowned for its seediness, that eventually morphed into a sort of coolness.
Whilst you are there, what about popping into the establishment below!
No, we haven’t just turned into some sort of cheap Only Fans knock off. This fine frontage is actually the entrance to one of London’s best Mexican restaurants. Oh and they make a fabulous tequila cocktail.
You walk in only to be met with a an interior exactly like you would expect a sex show to present. I have to admit, it is quite daunting, trying to figure out if you have just brought the wife to an actual Mexican restaurant. Or if you are going to have to spend the night convincing her you weren’t actually trying to drag her into a peep show.
Happily, once through the next door, you do actually find yourself in an actual purveyor of food and drink, rather than pleasures of the flesh.
If you want something a little less daring but with a touch of fabulous gourmet catering check us out.
We have just finished a complete refurbishment and overhaul of one of our compact generator systems. TBF, this one is a bit special, in that it was gifted to me by my late Father in Law. I wanted to keep it working as it provides a connection to him. It has actually turned out a bit like Triggers broom in Only Fools and Horses. It has had a new cabinet, radiator, alternator and control systems. If the engine blows then there really isn’t much left of the original.
We actually ended up using this one much more than we expected, due to its low running costs, making it perfect for smaller events such as a coffee cart hire, etc.
What happened was the unit we were using was designed to demount from its transport trailer into the back of one of our vans. This worked great, up until the original casing fell apart due to corrosion. Being a Kubota engine there was plenty of life left in the actual unit itself.
It was built on four castors, up until one corner fell off and it came back on three wheels. Luckily whilst obtaining a new generator to build into the rear of our fire engine, we noticed that the dealer we were dealing with had a large supply of new cases for compact generators.
We obtained one of these, which were priced at a really keen price point, and set about the construction. The cases were pretty complete except for things like control panels, door locks, etc. We managed to track these down, with a delay on waiting for a delivery from China for some parts unobtainable over here.
The unit when it was constructed looked superb. Unfortunately following the advice of some experts to bond the Earth line to the Neutral, a requirement in most generators, the unit went bang. Seems that on centre tapped alternators this is a big no no.
So back to our supplier for a new alternator. Unfortunately when we removed the case to wire the new one up, we found that it also was a centre tapped alternator. Cue another trip up north to obtain a non centre tapped version.
So far so good. Except when we came to assemble it, the coupling system didn’t meet up. Seems our original unit had a recessed flywheel, which left the tapered shaft mount about 5 mmm short.
Cue yet another trip to swap flywheels for the correct one. This one happily did fit, and everything went together perfectly.
Well almost. Whilst screwing in the Earth point connection, the end fell off my screwdriver, and into the alternator internals. Meaning another complete strip down of the cabinet, to then strip the alternator down to retrieve said fallen off bit.
Happily this time everything did go together properly. We dropped the unit onto its original trailer, necessitating a few minor alterations to the fastening system and Bob’s your Uncle.
We are fast approaching pancake day, or Shrove Tuesday as the more religious would have it. We are now undergoing our annual avalanche of last minute enquiries for a pancake or mobile crepe cart . Companies suddenly decide that it would make a good treat for their staff. Problem is they seem to come to this conclusion about a week before the actual day. The smart companies have already booked up all of our crepe carts a couple of months in front.
Truth be told we provide crepes rather than pancakes. Whats the difference I hear you ask? Basically just the consistency. Crepes are much thinner than the traditional British pancake. Legend claims that a good French crepe is sos thin, you can read a love letter placed underneath it. The actual ingredients we use are virtually identical except for the crepe having more water, to make it thinner
Originating from the Brittany region in North West France, crepes are now considered a national dish, though most countries have similar dishes with a variety of names. There is a tale that a housewife in Brittany accidentally spilled some thin porridge on a hot flat stove and through this mistake the crispy pancake was invented, could it be true? Possibly, many other foods have been discovered by accident.
So popular are these crispy delights in France, that they have a religious holiday named in their favour. Also known as La Chandeleur (The return of light), it symbolises the approach of Spring.
Yet another legend (gee just how many legends are there about crepes)
has it that if you toss a crepe from a pan, with your right hand, catching it whilst holding a coin in your left, you would become rich that year
Although it is the sweet dessert crepe that most of us are familiar with, there is also the Galette, which is made with a less sweet mix, and meant to be served with cheese, meats, mushrooms etc, to make a filling savoury meal.
To be honest we all prefer the sweet version in the office, and this outsells the savoury probably 99 to 1.
The world is currently in a state. The Middle East is in the middle of one of its endless cycles of violence. Russia and Ukraine are still going at it hammer and tongs. The Houthis are trying their best to sink any passing ships. The economy is in the doldrums. Prices are up, fuel is up, food is up. Middlesbrough don’t look like achieving promotion this year.
And now, PETA the animal rights organisation is calling upon Carousel manufacturers to stop using fibreglass horses on their rides, as evidently “Animal-themed carousels unintentionally celebrate the exploitation of sentient beings,”
FFS, just when you think people cannot be any more crackers than some of the fruit loop examples we have seen popping up over the last few years, we have this. What’s next, an amnesty for little girls to hand in their My Little Pony Dolls. Perhaps stuffed teddy bears will be in their sights, I mean, all that cruel exploitation of the poor little stuffed dears.
More worrying is the fact that going by some of PETA’s past campaigns, the said little girls might find themselves being smacked in the mouth by tofu pies. Or even being drenched in paint! Perhaps they will skin the carousel horses and hold the bodies up, presumably dripping in resin.
What about your local funfair. You might turn up to find that PETA have descended through the night and released all the carousel horses. Bit far fetched? No more than the bloody stupidity emanating from PETA.
Dinner In The Sky, another in our series looking at some of the more unusual eating establishments around the globe. This one is different because it is situated around 150 feet in the sky!
This one is present in around 60 countries. Starting in Belgian in 2007, David Ghysels who owned a marketing company and Stefan Kerkhofs, a bungee jump organiser partnered to create an aerial based dinner for the Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe association.
This led to them being contacted by people from around the world who wanted to replicate the experience. They decided to go down the franchise route.
By 2009 Dinner In The Sky they were operating in more than a dozen countries including China and Canada.
Michael and Janeen Hinden discovered the concept at a trade fair in 2008. They tested the concept at a New Years party, and eventually put the plans in motion for a permanent location in Las Vegas. Costing $4 million the location was to have a ground based restaurant as well as the high flying set up.
We can take to new heights with our gourmet catering options, but admittedly not 150ft dinner in the sky.
Another American chain tracing their history back over 100 years. Starting life as a nickel hot dog stand in Coney Island in 1916, the chain bears the name of it’s co founder, Nathan Handwerker. Nathan started the business with his wife Ida. The hot dog recipe they used was her idea, with her grandmother creating the secret spice sauce.
Although they were Jewish, their produce lacked rabbinic supervision and the meat wasn’t kosher, they advertised it as ‘kosher style.’
Handwerker was an immigrant who arrived in New York and found work at Feltman’s restaurant in Coney Island.
One legend has it that Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante, the ‘singing waiters’ encouraged him to start his own restaurant. The official company history doesn’t mention this, but it’s a nice story. The couple spent their life savings of $300 to start the business.
When he launched he undercut his former employer who was charging 10c for a hot dog. Nathan’s came in at 5c!
At the time, food regulation wasn’t really a thing, and hot dogs were considered cheap fare. Handwerker had customers dressed in surgeons smocks eating at his place, presumably surgeons would only eat good food.
Nathan’s son Murray drove the expansion of the chain. A second branch in New York was added in 1959 and a third in 1965. By 1968 the company had gone public.
The family sold the chain to a group of private investors in 1987, at which point the chain was franchised and expanded rapidly. They acquired Kenny Rogers Roasters and Miami Subs Grill.
By 2001 Nathan’s Famous had 24 company owned units, 380 franchised units and 1400 stores in 17 foreign countries around the globe.
They signed a deal with major league baseball in 2017 to become the official hot dog sponsor.
The original store had remained open 365 days a year since its inception, until being forced to close due to hurricane Sandy, but six months later it was repaired and reopened.
One quirk is that the original store still served fried frogs legs which has been on the menu since the 1950’s
On the 4th July Nathan’s Famous hosts an annual hot dog eating contest. Starting in the 1970’s the contest sees contestants trying to eat as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes. The current record holder is Joey Chestnut with 76 hot dogs and Miki Sudo with 48 and 1/2 for the ladies.
