New York Bagel Co. Bagels

I could never do the Atkins diet, I love bread of many varieties but I was quite late in discovering the delights of a bagel. New York Bagels are probably the most common available in the UK. First of all what is a Bagel? It is a chewy, ring shape roll that is shiny on the outside and has a very dense but beautifully soft inside. According to my bread recipe book it was originally used as the everyday bread of Eastern European Jews, but now people associate it more with New Yorkers. The difference between a Bagel and a regular roll is that firstly the Bagel doesn’t need any added fat ... more

Bagel is a funny sounding word and has never seemed right for a food product to me, but then at one time I associated curry more with grooming a horse than a spicy meal. I’ve never eaten bagels before and decided when I saw them on the shelf at Spar to fill a gap in my food education as well as my tummy. I wasn’t impressed with the £1.09 price, far more expensive than the packs of 4 currant buns of comparative size sitting next to them that I was originally going to buy but I was feeling adventurous and didn’t worry about forking out 40 or so pence more. There was a choice of ... more

I have to say that the first time I ever ate a bagel was about a year ago. I new they existed, Philadelphia cheese was made especially for them was it not? But I’d just never ventured into the shops and bought them for myself. Last year however, there seemed to be an explosion of bagels onto the ‘trendy eating out scene’. By trendy eating out scene I mean, places where the food is of an excellent quality and an excellent cost mostly as well. I only started eating out (other than pizza, burgers and the occasional pub lunch) about two years ago when I met my current partner. All of a sudden I ... more

There are several legends concerning the origin of the bagel. One of the most common suggests that in 1683 a Jewish baker in Austria wished to pay a tribute to King Jan Sabieski of Poland – who had helped drive Turkish invaders out of Africa. The Austrian baker, knowing the fondness of King Jan for horses, decided to shape some dough into an uneven circle resembling a stirrup. The Austrian word for “stirrup” is “beugel” – the name was later converted to bagel. Other stories involve links with Jewish culture. It should be added bagels are not like doughnuts ... more

Dear Friend, I am writing to tell you about something very close to my heart. I hope it will touch you, as it has touched me. It is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly. Please leave your comments after you have finished reading. Anyone who has read my opinion on Boston will know that I spent quite a few months there last summer. You would also know that I spent the first night in a hostel. It wasn’t the most pleasant night’s sleep. There were 10 of us in a tiny room (3 sets of bunk-beds and 4 gatecrashers on the floor) with no air-conditioning. That would have been bad enough ... more