SNOPPER`S GOOD FOOD GUIDE

The past week has seen an upsurge in Snopper`s social engagements, nearly all of which have involved `eating out.` A week ago today, middle son (well, he`s 41!!) returned from a couple of weeks `chilling` in the Maldives and we went for lunch at a local hostelry. I should confess at this point that it was the original intention to visit another venue where, allegedly, the menu was varied and `inventive.`

However, at the last moment my courage deserted me, so we ended up at the more `traditional` establishment where we have been on countless occasions and where the gammon steak with four slices of pineapple, chips and trimmings was excellent - cordon noir at its most refined.

Last Thursday, I had the very real pleasure of lunch with two former work colleagues - one of whom had recently retired, so it was the first time the three of us had lunched together as a trio of retirees. The venue was one we hadn`t tried before, but I have to say that I was mightily impressed with the quality of the ham, egg and chips which I enjoyed. Interestingly, none of us had `desserts` despite a close examination of the choice on offer; I suspect we were all trying to appear `sensible,` which is not what the retired are supposed to be at all.

On Sunday, a family get-together took place in the busy surroundings of an excellent pub/restaurant famous locally for the excellence of their cow pie. However, I plumped for the home made soup followed (it being Sunday) with a wonderful Sunday roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and vegetables - and finally a vast slice of lemon merangue pie and ice cream which even I could not quite get through.

Next week, I have another reunion lunch, for which I was asked to pre-order my meal - simple really, just go for the straight forward stuff and you can`t go wrong, so it`s soup, chicken and apple pie (I think.)

Now, you may gather from this that I have simple and traditional tastes when it comes to food; quite right. It`s all good English stuff and I really can`t see the attraction of risking gastric problems by flirting with anything remotely foreign or messed about with.

After all, how many English restaurants do you find in China....or India.....or Thailand? I rest my case.