Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef - Topics

Hello, What's This Topics Blog?

2009-07-03T01:00:00.000+02:00

No - this isn't really a stand-alone topics blog. It's an appendix of my food blog: Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef containing links to all my posts, organised by topic. It also contains my Australian Gastronomy Project report. These items are in a separate file because they have a different format from the main section.

That's why this looks odd - it's not meant to be read chronologically but as a series of pages hyperlinked from my sidebar. It would be best to check out my food blog, but you are very welcome to browse here if you want.

Blog Post Topics

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To help you find your way through my posts, I've classified them under twelve group headings. Click on any picture or group title to be taken to an index of all my posts on that topic. I've also included a link to my final report from the Australian Gastronomy Project Report that I was required to undertake in the third year at Westminster Kingsway College as assessed work for my Professional Chef Diploma.

Professional work	My former college	Experimental cooking	Classical home cooking	Food items and snacks	Food news & reviews
Restaurant reviews	Food movies and books	Food markets & shops	Celebrity chefs	Friends & family	Food blogging & writing

Click on the link or the map for my Westminster Kingsway College Diploma Gastronomy Project report on the development of modern Australian cuisine.

Professional Work And Work Experience

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These are synopses of my past postings on my professional employment since graduating and my work experience while still at college. Click on the links for the posts.

I wasn't able to write a great deal about my last employment at Hotel Ferrero, as it was a condition of contract at this exclusive and very special place that employees don't publish or broadcast on day-to-day matters. Although I enjoy blogging, I'm first and foremost a developing chef rather than a wannabe writer, so I made sure that I strictly respected the wishes of my employers and stuck firmly to the rules.

May 12, 2010

Taking A Break

I've been working non-stop at Viajante for several months now and the experience of being part of the startup team at a restaurant that has already attracted some of the world's top chefs has been one that I wouldn't have missed for the world. But it's also well over six years of professional training now in both the UK and Spain and I'm ready for a break. There are some things in life more important than my career and I want to spend the immediate future restoring the balance between my professional life and my personal one. I'm planning to do something completely different for a few months. But don't worry. I'll be back.

April 25, 2010

Open For Business

At last we are open. It's been a long and tiring journey from the doors first opening to the new team to meet eachother and start to run a kitchen, through to being ready to open the doors to a paying public. For the past six weeks we've been on soft openings, with invited guests helping us to iron out the problems before opening day. I've been pleased to see some long-standing food blogger friends here during that period, and my dad.

March 14, 2010

Now, Voyager!

I've said nothing about work for the past few weeks, but during that period I've been spending time preparing for my new role in London. Now that I've signed my contract, I can reveal that I've joined Nuno Mendes (formerly of Bacchus and The Loft) and his team in the launch of Viajante - a fine dining venture in the luxury hotel on the site of the former Bethnal Green Town Hall. We open officially on 15th April and I shall be chef de partie of the cold section. It's the most exciting gastronomic development in the East End of London for years.

February 01, 2010

Adiós España... Por Ahora

Last Friday I flew back to the UK, to seek employment back in my home country. The past 28 months have been a totally amazing experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. As a young chef starting out in 2007, there was nowhere in the world to equal Spain as a training ground and I learnt so much there. But I'm ready now to move on to the next stage of my life and my professional career. Britain - it's good to be home.

January 17, 2010

Job Wanted - Chef De Partie in Progressive Fine Dining Restaurant

I've submitted applications to almost every top-level fine dining restaurant in the country and still no luck. The hospitality industry in Spain remains in crisis and it's very hard to find work right now. But now I've reached a certain level, I desperately don't want to go backwards. I know I can run a section in a kitchen turning out Michelin 2* food and I want to keep doing that, consolidate and improve. What I don't need is to travel over 1,000 miles to interview for a job that turns out not to exist. And then to be dumped on the street with no money.

December 13, 2009

A Pastry Chef Comes To Hotel Ferrero

Back in October, the Pastry Chef from one of Auckland's best restaurants travelled from New Zealand to Spain on a journey of gastronomic discovery. Determined to advance his understanding of European cooking, Brian Campbell visited many of the country's greatest restaurants, ate the food, chatted to the chefs, took photos and wrote it all up. Luckily, Ferrero was one of those destinations. Click on the link to discover what he thought of the place.

November 26, 2009

Three Years, Three Michelin Stars

Yesterday the Michelin awards for Spain & Portugal were announced and we were all disappointed that Restaurante Ferrero was not honoured with its first star. The guys worked so hard and really deserved it. But it wasn't all bad news for me, because the restaurant where I spent the early months of the year, Lasarte, was promoted from 1* to 2* status. And, like everyone in the business, I was delighted to see Joan Roca win his third star at El Celler de Can Roca.

November 22, 2009

Moving On

It's seven months since I started work at Restaurante Ferrero and it's been a wonderful learning experience. Being given an opportunity to run the desserts section of a restaurant turning out food commonly agreed to be of Michelin 2* standard has been an honour and has equipped me well for my future career. But all things come to an end and this is time for me to move on. Last week the hotel was honoured by Relais & Châteaux. I'm hoping that my time at Ferrero will be honoured by another organisation next week.

November 20, 2009

Relais & Châteaux

Relais & Châteaux is a global association of outstanding hotel and restaurant establishments with a truly unique character. Very few make it into the exclusive group of Relais & Châteaux. In 2009 there were just 475 members in 55 countries. I'm delighted to discover this week that not only has my current employer been admitted to the club but so also has Restaurante Eleven in Lisbon - the first place I ever applied to for work outside of the UK.

September 09, 2009

Teamwork Is Everything

Here's a little piece about something that didn't happen here at the restaurant in which I'm employed. Instead, it happened not far away in the city of València to a team of professionals, as they carried out their own equivalent of plating up. You just can't help feeling for them.

July 20, 2009

Monsieur Le Pâtissier

It gives me enormous pleasure to break my recent silence by announcing that I have been contracted to the post of Pastry Chef at Restaurante Ferrero, where I'm now in charge of the desserts section after a two-month training period. It's an area of the work in a professional kitchen that I'd neglected a bit since college days, but I'm now back in the swing of it and loving every minute. I hope my pastry lecturers back at Westminster Kingsway College don't suffer any accidents due to the surprise at reading this news.

July 06, 2009

So You Thought It Was Easy, Eh?

Maybe I've made a mistake posting this here, rather than under Celebrity Chefs & TV Cooking where it obviously belongs. But this is a TV programme that I've highlighted not for its entertainment content, but because it shows you something of what it's like to work in a Michelin-starred kitchen. OK, I've had to point out some of the less obvious issues that separate the TV show from reality. But I can't film the goings-on in the kitchens I work in - and this at least will give you some kind of feel for the food and the difficulties of preparing it.

May 24, 2009

Part Of The Team

I couldn't write about what was happening here at Ferrero before because things were changing so rapidly. I found myself as Acting Chef de Partie for Starters within 48 hours of arriving. But less than two weeks after that I was surprised and delighted to be offered a more challenging role as part of the kitchen team. Click on the link to find out what job I'm now in training to take over in a couple of months. It will surprise you.

May 19, 2009

The Cutting Edge

I've acquired a cut-throat razor and a pair of fine tweezers. Taking more care of my personal hygiene? Slaughtering songbirds and plucking their feathers? Neither of the above. These are for the really delicate tasks in the kitchen. The razor for cutting edible flower petals and preparing chives and the tweezers for manipulating juliennes of pepper skin. Poncey? Moi?

April 21, 2009

Climbing The Mountains

It's Sod's Law. You get no response to your job applications for weeks on end... and then three job offers come along together. Each one very attractive and very different. A contract offer from Lasarte which I left a few weeks ago. An offer of work in a Michelin-starred Basque restaurant turning out highly creative dishes. And a chance to join the team in a brand new, highly professional kitchen producing amazing ingredient-led food. I chose the latter. The chance to work with Paco Morales - Spain's Chef of the Year 2009 - was not an opportunity I could possibly turn down. I start in May.

March 08, 2009

Gissa Job

No - I haven't been fired from Lasarte. Quite the opposite. I've almost completed a second one-month stage and I've been doing really well. But, as with most restaurants in Barcelona, Lasarte can't offer me or anyone else a contract right now. The economic crisis here is even worse than back home in Britain and it's hitting the restaurant sector particularly badly. I need income, so I've been forced to look for agency work while trying to find something more long-term.

January 12, 2009

All Tooled Up And Ready For Action

OK - so it's a week and a day later than expected, but tomorrow I start work on a stage at Restaurant Lasarte at the Hotel Condes de Barcelona on the Passeig de Gràcia. And I can't wait to get back into action after my winter break. Only when I got all my knives out for cleaning and sharpening did I realise that my bedroom looked a bit like the scene of a police weapons amnesty. The difference, however, is that most of mine are a lot sharper.

December 08, 2008

Where Next?

Since I left Comerç, I've been having problem after problem sorting out a new job. In one case I needed broader experience, somewhere else just didn't suit my style of cooking and when I did eventually find the right place, they lost my application. But it's all sorted now (I hope). To find out where I start work on Monday 5th January 2009, click on the link.

November 04, 2008

Farewell Comerç 24

In every one of life's ventures there comes a time to move on - and for me the time has come to reach out and stretch my culinary legs after a truly wonderful year at Comerç 24. Click on the link to read about my amazing journey, what I learnt in my first real professional job and how, looking at myself now, I'm so different from the boyish stagière who first arrived in Barcelona back in September 2007.

October 18, 2008

Through The Cooking-Glass #6: Maki De Aguacate Y Bogavante

In my latest episode of Through the Cooking-Glass, I feature another video clio from internet videoblog Ver y Cocina. This time, Executive Chef Abellan demonstrates how to make our Grand Festival tasting menu dish Maki de aguacate y bogavante (Avocado and lobster maki) - one of the favourite dishes of our customers at Comerç 24. Once again, the mis en place for this dish was prepared by my fair hands.

October 18, 2008

Through The Cooking-Glass #5: Sopa De Fideos (Redux)

After a year working at Comerç 24, I've only just discovered that Executive Chef Carles Abellan has posted some clips on internet videoblog Ver y Cocina (video clips hosted on YouTube), demonstrating some of his signature dishes. I've translated the recipes and reproduced the clips courtesy of Ver y Cocina. Here's the first one - our classic Sopa De Fideos Vegetales.

July 21, 2008

Through The Cooking-Glass #4: Rabo De Toro Y Espuma De Coliflor Con Trufa

There are many descriptions that can be applied to the dishes we serve at C24, but comfort food is rarely one of them. But here we are, with a dish for which the phrase is highly appropriate. Mind you, that doesn't mean it's just slapped into a bowl. It still takes a lot of very careful preparation and execution to make this particular comfort food - oxtail with cauliflower foam & truffle.

June 10, 2008

Through The Cooking-Glass #3: Lobster And Avocado Maki

The latest in my series turning the spotlight onto the food at C24 focuses on one of my favourite dishes - lobster and avocado maki. In a twist on the classic Japanese makizushi, we use the avocado on the outside rather than as a filling and substitute finest lobster for the traditional fish. It's complicated to prepare, but the effort is well worth it as the dish is one of our most popular.

June 05, 2008

Messages From The Other Side

In recent weeks I've booked quite a few tables for visitors to Comerç 24 who have heard about the restaurant through the blog, or through personal contact with me. In writing up comments I've received from some of these visitors it occurred to me to search out comments on the internet and publish these as well. It makes interesting and very pleasing reading.

May 21, 2008

The View From Here Is Amazing

One day last May I wrote a blog post about hill climbing. That post was about the lessons my mum taught me in how to approach the challenges that lay ahead for me as I contemplated my final year college exams and my first professional job. Yesterday, exactly a year to the day after that blog post, I was promoted to chef de partie, responsible for running an entire kitchen section in a Michelin-starred Catalan restaurant. It's still a long way to the top of the mountain, but I've conquered the foothills. I'm really feeling very proud.

May 17, 2008

Battle Scars

I knew there was a reason why professional chefs don't make concert pianists. Cuts, slices, burns and blisters are just part of the territory when you work with sharp knives and hot liquids all day. Even when your employers are very safety-conscious and have a good record of health & safety at work. In this Flickr display you can see a few of the battle wounds I've picked up. I won in the end, though. The food got chopped and the water boiled.

May 05, 2008

The Head Chef

Before coming to work at Comerç 24, my experience of Head Chefs was limited to a fews days here, a couple of weeks there. So, not surprisingly, I had no idea what a vast range of functions this person performs in the course of a day's work. In this post I've only covered a few of the skillsets that a good Head Chef needs in order to run a successful kitchen. Everything you need to be successful in your personal life - if only a Head Chef had enough spare time to have one!

April 27, 2008

All In A Day's Work

Like any top restaurant, Comerç 24 attracts its fair share of celebrity diners. By and large I pay no attention to famous faces who walk into the restaurant - I'm far too busy in the kitchen and, in any case, it's not really my thing. But this customer the other day certainly caught my attention. Not because he's a celebrity, but because his restaurant started the culinary revolution two decades ago that inspired me to become a chef and brought me to Catalunya. To cook for Albert Adrià was both an honour and a pleasure.

April 20, 2008

Through The Cooking-Glass #2: Lluçet Al Pil-Pil

'Pil-Pil' is about as Basque as cooking can get, although in the Basque country the dish would probably be made with cod, whereas we use the more traditionally Galician hake. Pil-Pil describes the cooking process in which gelatin is slowly extracted from the fish skin and is also the name given to the resulting sauce. Served with apple and chive - a great combination that contrasts beautifully in flavour and texture.

April 03, 2008

Through The Cooking-Glass #1: Sopa De Fideos Vegetales

In the first of my new series Through The Cooking-Glass, I present Sopa de Fideos Vegetales, or Vegetable Noodle Soup. You probably won't be surprised to discover that this is not a soup of vegetables and wheat or rice noodles. It's a mixture of seven different ingredients julienned into noodles, and as for the soup itself...

March 31, 2008

Through The Cooking-Glass (And What You'll Find There)

It's the food blogger's dilemma. As an amateur you can write up what you are doing, stopping to take photos as you go, albeit at some risk to your final result. But as a professional you can't write notes or take snaps - the pressure of the pro kitchen simply doesn't allow it. Now I've built up more experience, this new series will reveal some of the dishes we serve here at Comerç 24, the content and qualities of the dish and the process that delivers it to the table. The photo - me behind the cooking-glass - was taken by a customer.

March 10, 2008

'Save For Well-Done'

At risk of being permanently excluded from the Chefs' Magical Circle, I'm going to give away one of the profession's most closely guarded secrets. It's what we bake using the corpses of customers who order their steaks "well-done", after we've plunged them through the trap-door and down into the cellars. To discover the grisly truth (or should that be the gristly truth?), read on...

January 06, 2008

The Chef Waltz

It may sound strange, especially to those who are not hospitality professionals, but the Chef Waltz is how a professional kitchen operates. Not the actual cooking itself - but the process by which everybody working in the kitchen interacts to generate the final product on the plate at the pass. I've been reading Anthony Bourdain recently, and he had it summed up perfectly. To learn more about "the zone" and waltzing for two, three or even four... read on.

December 31, 2007

Celebrating New Year On Top Of A Foothill

When you start a three-month training stage it seems like such a long time. But three months simply flew past. Not long enough for me even to begin to learn what this place can teach me. So it's a good job that I'll have a bit longer. I've been asked to stay on a one-year paid contract... and I didn't hesitate to say yes. I'm Aidan Brooks, Professional Trainee Chef.

November 22, 2007

The Fat Man Cometh

When the rumour started to circulate on Tuesday, we were very excited. For a restaurant with such an unfussy and informal style of eating to be awarded a gastronomic accolade would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But yesterday the photographer arrived and this morning the Michelin Guide to Spain & Portugal is officially published. And we've been awarded our first star! Everyone here is over the moon. If anyone deserves an award it's the team at C24. Just to be a tiny part of what's going on here is an amazing experience.

November 05, 2007

Working With Foodies

One thing that distinguishes the chefs here at Comerç 24 from virtually everywhere else I've worked is their attitude to food. That may sound daft but believe me, in most restaurants when service is over everyone heads for the door. And you'd be amazed how many chefs prepare gourmet food for their customers and then eat a burger and fries on the way home. But not here. This is a team of real foodies. We eat great food that we prepare for ourselves during the day and we discuss food while relaxing after work.

October 15, 2007

Not The Easiest Of Weeks

My second week at Comerç 24 has been very difficult due to my having gone down with a really bad cold that I've not been able to shake off all week. And I compounded matters when, feeling better on Saturday night, I went out clubbing - only to end up spending most of my time off in bed! But I'm settling in and have started food shopping in preparation for some good home cooking soon.

October 08, 2007

In At The Deep End

The past week has been the most amazing experience of my culinary career. Thrown right in at the deep end, I found myself within minutes of my arrival at Comerç 24 on day 1 shucking oysters, preparing juliennes of asparagus, aerating coconut foam and being entrusted to plate up multiple dishes for lunch service. Since then it's been go, go, go in the most disciplined and professional kitchen I've ever seen. I'm just loving it. I can't wait to get back tomorrow. But I really need these two days off. After week 1, I'm well and truly knackered!

October 01, 2007

You Can Take The Boy Out Of England...

So, here I am in one of Europe's greatest cities. The city of Hercules and Hannibal, Antoni Gaudí and Joan Miró. A city of culture and great food. The city of Ferran Adrià. Having arrived without any accommodation, I've spent three nights in a hostal on La Rambla. But I've now managed to find a flatshare in the Barri Xinés (Chinatown) and I'm settled in, ready to start work tomorrow morning at 10.30 in Comerç 24. Wow! I'm really looking forward to this!

September 28, 2007

See You Soon!

The time has come for me to get ready for my adventure. I've equipped myself with a WIFI-enabled laptop and a new compact digital camera and I'm ready to go. My next post will be from Barcelona!

September 09, 2007

In Pursuit Of My Dream

It's taken a lot of thinking and organising, but at last I can announce that I will be moving to the wonderful city of Barcelona in three weeks' time and taking up the amazing offer of a three-month stage at Comerç 24. This restaurant is the home of Carles Abellan, described by Ferran Adrià as "the best chef I ever trained". A kitchen producing food that is inspirational, thought-provoking, intriguing and evocative and that I want to be a part of.

July 18, 2007

Ups And Downs

Nobody with even 1% visual capacity could fail to be impressed by the Hotel Mas Passamaner, a stunning building designed by modernist Catalan architect Joan Doménech i Montaner. I was also impressed by the standard of food produced in La Gigantea restaurant, which exceeded expectations based on the menu. Unfortunately, however, some organisational changes shortly before I arrived mean it is now unlikely that I will take up a post there. But my visit revived my love for Catalunya and I would really like to work in this great part of the world.

July 11, 2007

Three Days, Two Birds And Some Cooking

This is the most important week of my chef life so far. On Monday I was thrilled to learn that I had passed my exams, earning a Professional Chef Diploma with Merit. This afternoon I am flying from Stansted to Barcelona Reus airport and travelling from there to La Selva del Camp near Tarragona to pay my first visit to the Hotel Mas Passamaner, home of the Restaurante La Gigantea. This is my introduction to the kitchens before I return permanently later in the year.

June 04, 2007

My First Professional Job

I am delighted to have been invited to join the team at Restaurante Gigantea in Tarragona as a commis chef. La Gigantea is the latest venture by Joachim Koerper, formerly of the Michelin 2* Girasol in Valencia and one of the world's most respected exponents of Mediterranean cuisine. The team at La Gigantea aims to develop this restaurant into one of the finest gourmet dining establishments in Catalunya. Not only is this location at the centre of modern world gastronomy, it is also less than an hour from Barcelona - one of my favourite cities in Europe.

May 20, 2007

Mountains And Foothills

I'm about to set off on a journey and I'm well prepared for it. My mum was once a keen hill walker. She explained to her children the importance of preparation and pacing and how reaching the summit of a mountain involves a succession of stages, each with its own peak. My journey starts at the foothills of my mountain and will be a long climb. I hope to start soon, with my first professional job as a commis chef. I may not be able to blog as frequently as in the past, but the name of my blog won't be changing. I'm still a trainee.

December 09, 2006

Farewell Boxwood

It only seems like yesterday that I rolled up at 7.45 a.m. at the Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge to begin my work experience placement at Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Café. Five weeks of getting up at 6 o'clock every morning, crossing London from the inner East End to the outer West End, eight hours of work in the kitchens followed by the long schlepp back home. And now it's all over.

November 18, 2006

Work Experience Gets More Interesting

I've completed week 1 of my work experience at Boxwood Café and things have been getting more challenging recently. I spent the majority of my second week at Boxwood on the pastry section. I'm certainly not over-enthusiastic when it comes to patisserie, but one thing I can say in its defence is that it can be interesting.

November 12, 2006

One Week In Boxwood

I've completed the first of five weeks' work experience at Boxwood Café in Knightsbridge, Executive Head Chef Stuart Gillies. For the most part I was asked to carry out more menial tasks. But after a day or two of getting used to the run of things I was entrusted to do some more interesting tasks such as making sorbet and cheesecake mixes, cubing fudge for petits fours and making dressings.

October 31, 2006

Work Experience Beckons

For my third-year work experience placement starting next Monday I'll be working for five weeks at Boxwood Café, the most relaxed and informal of Gordon Ramsay's nine London restaurants, in the Berkeley Hotel Knightsbridge. Boxwood Café isn't somewhere I would see myself working in the future, but it's just the place I need right now and I'm determined to do my very best and learn everything I can.

August 26, 2006

Two Days That Shocked My World

I spent yesterday working in Zuma, a Japanese restaurant in Knightsbridge. I loved every minute of my one-day "trial shift"and if I get a chance I will certainly return. I had a very different experience earlier in the month. I was taken on for paid work in the West End kitchens of a Master Chef who consistently ranks in the world's top 20 and who has been honoured with several Michelin stars. It was an exciting proposition, but I quit after my first day.

August 20, 2006

Responses To My Job Appeal

Many thanks to the restauranters and chefs who responded to my appeal for a temporary job for the remainder of the summer holiday. After posting on this site and sending out some emails I have taken up a very exciting offer for a trial later this week at a Knightsbridge restaurant and I'll let you know how it goes. Once again, many thanks.

August 05, 2006

Interim Chef, Temporary Chef, Holiday Chef

Now I've completed my period of work experience at Providores it's time to look for paid work for the remainder of the summer. I'm not expecting to be offered Head Chef at Claridge's, but at the other extreme I don't want to waste my time working in a fast-food outlet. So, if there's someone out there with a buzzing, adventurous restaurant who needs some help this summer while regular employees are on holiday then I'm your man.

Experimental Cooking

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These are synopses of my past postings on experimental cooking at home using molecular gastronomy techniques and experimenting with non-classical flavour combinations. Click on the links for the posts.

February 05, 2009

A Love Triangle

Has it been that long? Almost a year since I last cooked something really interesting at home. It's been a very busy year for me professionally. This dish arose from the need to do something with a couple of sweet potatoes. Click on the link to discover what unlikely pair of ingredients I used to achieve an excellent balance of flavour, texture and colour.

February 28, 2008

Alchemy At Home: Saffron Vs. Beetroot

This time I started out with a pair of unlikely ingredients - saffron and beetroot. Very different in taste, colour and texture - as well as price! The difficult part was not so much matching the flavours as creating complementary textures. My dish is soft saffron gel with purée and air of beetroot and it tasted fantastic.

February 21, 2008

Alchemy Not At Home

Searching on the internet, I found a clip of spherification on a commercial scale - El Bulli's apple caviar, as demonstrated to a delighted audience at Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía 2003 in San Sebastian. Ferran Adrià said: "This dish has made me reflect upon the value of creativity... I’ve asked customers what they consider more of a luxury – to eat Beluga caviar or to eat apple caviar for the first time?" Click for the video clip and recipe.

February 13, 2008

Alchemy At Home: Chocolate, Olive Oil & Salt

It came as a surprise to me the other day when I discovered that the amazing combination of chocolate, olive oil and sea salt was not a modern invention of Ferran Adrià, but can be traced back to the second world war when it was consumed as a special treat by food-deprived Catalans. Here's my take on this classic recipe, made by me at home last weekend.

January 29, 2008

Alchemy At Home: Spheres & Siphons

It's taken me a while, but I've done my first successful experimenting with Texturas. Together with fellow chef Michael, we pooled our chemicals and equipment and set about making a broccoflower espuma delivered by siphon to accompany our botifarra negra. For dessert we made rosewater caviar of different sizes, served with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream. An experimental success and, more importantly, great food to eat.

December 10, 2007

Fun With Texturas

Texturas are the weapons of the culinary alchemist - first developed by Ferran Adrià at the world's #1 ranked restaurant, El Bulli here in Catalunya. We use some of these chemicals and tools at work, but what I'm planning to do with them is to experiment at home. Hopefully this will be the first of several posts on gelification, spherification, emulsification, thickening and texturising techniques in my home kitchen.

My College

2007-10-18T01:00:00.009+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on my college studies and work experience and on what's happening these days at my alma mater, Westminster Kingsway College. Click on the links for the posts.

December 20, 2009

Westminster Kingsway Quality

Although I'm not into competitive cooking myself, my former college continues to maintain an outstanding record of success in this field. The latest rising star is Selin Kiazim, who was a year below me at Westminster Kingsway. Over the past two years she has won several competitions and been a runner-up in others. Selin is destined to be a name to watch out for in the years to come.

April 17, 2009

'Allo 'Allo!

It's less than two years since I graduated from Westminster Kingsway College, so far too early for any of my peers to be launching their own restaurant ventures. But that's exactly what one of them has done, with the opening of the Toulouse Lautrec Brasserie & Wine Bar in Kennington, South London. Florent Regent was my supervisory 3rd year when I was a 2nd year student and he seems to be getting great reviews for his new project. Good luck to him!

January 19, 2009

Westminster Kingsway Student Wins Stage At El Bulli

Here's a story that got away. While I was celebrating my birthday with my parents last November, I completely missed the announcement that a student from my former college WestKing, had won the Spanish Young Chef Of The Year competition, aimed at promoting the best use of Spanish regional produce in British cuisine. And the prize - a short stage at El Bulli. What an amazing experience for a third-year hospitality student!

April 10, 2008

You've Seen The Photos...

...now you can read the books. With the publication recently of Professional Chef NVQ Level 3, the set of text books written by staff in the Hospitality Department of Westminster Kingsway College to accompany the three-year NVQ Professional Chef Diploma course is complete. In this post I discuss the options facing a wannabe chef and the costs associated with going to college in London for three years.

November 10, 2007

The Prime Minister Calls

Westminster Kingsway has a reputation as Britain's leading catering college and anyone who studies there can expect to meet top chefs, celebrities and others engaged in the hospitality and leisure industries. But I never got to meet the Prime Minister while I was there, whereas last Monday Gordon Brown turned up at the college with two of his cabinet colleagues. Their mission was to promote the government's proposals to extend compulsory education and training to the age of 18. And the Cookery & Food Preparation NVQ at WestKing was put forward as a model for youth training.

October 11, 2007

Hats Off To Westminster Kingsway!

Being able to run the kitchens at hospitality shows and meet celebrity chefs was one of the most rewarding experiences of my college studies. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend The Restaurant Show this year, but I was delighted to see the new generation of Westminster Kingsway students offering a fusion tapas menu: East Meets West. At long last we're starting to move on from classical Modern European cuisine!

July 26, 2007

Down Under Up Here At Last

It's taken me a long time to organise my Diploma third year Gastronomy Project report for publication, but I've done it at last. The first two parts discuss the development of Australian cuisine from Aboriginal beginnings through European settlement, Asian influences and eventual rediscovery of indigenous culture and emergence of a new Australian cuisine. In the third part I explain the thinking behind my restaurant menu development and in the final part I present my menu and summarise my conclusions. I hope you enjoy reading my work.

July 09, 2007

It's Been A Long Three Years

Almost exactly three years ago I travelled to Westminster Kingsway College in Victoria to start a six-hour ordeal of interviews, academic tests and practical tests that finally led to my being accepted on the NVQ3 Professional Chef Diploma course. Yesterday I returned to Vincent Square, apprehensively. I thought I'd done OK, but I couldn't be certain. Although I'd worked hard, I hadn't exactly been a conformist to the traditions of French haute cuisine. I was absolutely delighted to be awarded a Diploma with Merit. I feel very proud.

July 06, 2007

ANZAC Biscuits

One of the dishes on my Australian gourmet menu was Quandong Pavlova with forest peppermint ANZAC biscuit and I cooked this recently as part of the practical examinations for my diploma. I liked these antipodean war-time rations so much that I baked some at home a fortnight later and this post describes my experience.

June 19, 2007

Dig For Victory

Our latest class excursion on our Development rotation took us to The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, where they have created a World War II "Dig For Victory" allotment, alongside a more modern vegetable patch. This project, aimed at schools and colleges, explores the themes of gardening, vegetable growing, healthy eating and sustainability, in the context of WWII and today.

June 09, 2007

Gone Fishin'

I'm sure everyone is going to think that a day's fishing is just an excuse for a lazy day off college, but this organised excursion was part of my college "development" rotation aimed at giving students a better understanding of the sources of food. Well, that's the official line. Read the post to discover exactly what I caught on my fishing trip.

May 06, 2007

Food In The Garden, Revisited

I never thought I'd see the day when food gathered in my garden was served to the public in a fine dining restaurant. It makes me feel quite like Raymond Blanc. Except that this was not food from my herb garden, but good old Hackney snails. Read this to discover how I complied with the food hygiene laws and how we cooked and presented the little molluscs.

April 02, 2007

Five Weeks In The Larder

In recent weeks I've been on Larder rotation, where I've been given the freedom to design and produce my own canapés for the Escoffier Room Restaurant. It's been a great experience getting away from the hustle and bustle of the hot kitchen for a while and putting my creative skills to use. I've tried to be inventive, with new combinations as well as more traditional ingredients.

February 02, 2007

Fine Dining At Last

On Monday morning I stepped into the kitchen of The Escoffier Room to start cooking as a fine dining chef. Up until now much of the food I've been cooking is what's generally described as "brasserie". Now that I've had some experience of both, I explain in this posting how the kitchens of these two types of restaurant operate very differently.

January 23, 2007

Brakes Student Challenge 2007

Each year major British food supplier Brakes organises a Student Chef National Challenge involving catering students from around the country. Last year, my college team won the southern regional heats and secured third place in the national finals. It's that time of year again and congratulations are due to the Westminster Kingsway teams competing in this year's competition, who have been awarded first and second place in the Southern regional heat.

January 16, 2007

A Day In The Life

I thought you might be interested to know what my typical day is like. In Years 1 and 2 there's plenty of classroom work, leading to the certificates required for work in a professional kitchen. Third year is focused on practical cooking - with just the odd lecture and with written project work performed at home afterwards. I'm posting a photo diary of my day to show you what life's like as as a 3rd-year catering student.

January 10, 2007

The Postman Always Knocks Loudly

For my college third year gastronomy project I have been working on Australian native produce and spices and their role in the new developing Australian cuisine. Today the postman delivered a parcel from down under, containing an assortment of oils and spices from Vic Cherikoff.

December 14, 2006

Thank You Guys Down Under There

In late November I posted an appeal for help with my Australian gastronomy project. Food blogger Haalo gave me some pointers to top Australian hotel restaurants, which taught me about the influence of modern European cooking. And I was thrilled to receive helpful and supportive communications from Australian food experts Sibylla Hess-Buschmann and Vic Cherikoff.

December 13, 2006

Game On!

We had an interesting and seasonal practical demonstration at college on Monday. Chef lecturer and game enthusiast José Souto gave a lesson based on an array of different wild animals he brought into college. He explained how to identify the different birds on display, showing the contrasting features between the male and female of each species such as colouring and markings, and explained their migration habits and seasonal availability.

November 21, 2006

My Down Under Menu

I've been developing an Australian menu for my third-year Gastronomy project. After extensive research, I've submitted my first attempt, which I list here and expand on one item from each course. I have tried to incorporate many of the indigenous Australian products that I came across, using sensible combinations and suitable cooking techniques.

November 02, 2006

Advance Australia Fare

I've been busy researching for my third-year Gastronomy project. Each student is allocated a country and is required to work within the bounds of the national cuisine(s) to formulate a three-course gastronomic menu suitable for a top hotel restaurant. I've been allocated Australia. I shall be taking into account that European catering arrived 230 years ago, whereas the Aboriginal peoples have been cooking for about 40,000 years.

October 20, 2006

My Week As Head Chef

This week I've been Head Chef in the butchery at college. As part of our Supervisory Management course, which runs alongside the Diploma, third year students get the chance to run an entire section of the college for a week. I was in charge of food ordering for the meat, poultry and fish sections and making sure the orders arrived correctly and on time to each area within the college.

October 14, 2006

There's Only One Way To Skin An Eel

Here is a video clip on preparing live eels. Eight and a half minutes of a demonstration in my college butchery department of how to stun and skin an eel, prior to filleting and portioning. Definitely not viewing for the squeamish.

October 13, 2006

Enough To Make You Squirm

Today in college we had a delivery of six live eels for a butchery demonstration. Where I live in the East End of London there is a tradition of eating jellied eels with pie and mash - Fred Cooke's eel and pie shop is in my local Broadway Market. During today's live demonstration, our chief butchery lecturer showed the class how to prepare eels, from stunning to skinning, filleting and portioning.

October 21, 2006

Holy Cow!

On Thursday our chef lecturer in the butchery ordered a hind quarter of beef - a very large and expensive piece of meat. Here is a video clip showing the initial part of the butchery process - removal of the shin, separation of the flank from the "round" and extraction of the fillet from the sirloin.

October 02, 2006

Vegetarians Should Look Away Now...

I spent last week in butchery, in charge of the meat section. I really enjoy the butchery because it shows a completely different side to food preparation. It opens your eyes to exactly how much effort goes into food preparation and precisely where individual portions come from. This week I'm in charge of the fish section, where I fillet salmon, "shuck" oysters and "feed" mussels.

September 14, 2006

Back To College

It's back to college for me, to start the final year of my Professional Chef Diploma NVQ at Westminster Kingsway. Now I get to wear the white neckerchief associated with third-year students and I'll wear it with pride.

Home Cooking

2007-10-17T01:00:00.012+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on my traditional home cooking (as opposed to experimental cooking). Click on the links for the posts.

April 12, 2009

Japanese Home Cooking - Misoshiru

I've nearly devoured all of the contents of the food parcel from the Japan Centre that I received as a prize in the Menu for Hope raffle. One dish I simply had to make and photograph was misoshiru, because it's both a Japanese culinary classic and a dish of enormous cultural significance. I only hope the Japanese forgive me for what I did to their gastronomic treasure.

March 29, 2009

Japanese Home Cooking - Tofu Makizushi

Being in-between jobs at the moment, my prize win in the Menu for Hope raffle of a food parcel from the Japan Centre in London came with perfect timing. The contents of my prize parcel brought a couple of classic Japanese meals immediately to mind and this was one of them - makizushi made with tofu and pickled ginger. With a makisu mat and a very sharp knife, not at all difficult to make at home.

March 03, 2009

Perks Of The Job #6: Octopus Ink - Nature's Black Food Colouring

It's been a long time since I last posted some home cooking. Not because I haven't been doing any, of course, but I've been so busy at work lately that it's been difficult to get the strength to photograph my meal preparation and make notes. Last weekend I made a classical Spanish/Catalan dish - arroz negro with allioli. And when I say "made", I mean every bit of it - starting with the extraction of hundreds of ink sacks from baby octopi.

December 31, 2008

A Christmas Feast To Remember

This year, with each member of my family living several hours' travel apart from the others, getting together for Christmas was especially important to us. With a little help from me, dad cooked a feast that started the day before Christmas Eve and continued for five days. Centrepiece was a local farm goose, roasted with Chinese five-spice. Click for food details and recipes.

September 22, 2008

Perks Of The Job #5: Sangría

A large external catering job the other week meant lots of leftovers in the production kitchen. Most of the unused food and drink went into dishes turned out by the service kitchen, but a few remained unused and were handed out as perks of the job. Including... three and a half litres of sangría made by Carles Abellan. I took some home to sample - purely in the interests of gastronomic research, you understand!

September 01, 2008

Perks Of The Job #4: Homemade Mejillón Maki

This weekend I got the chance to make some of the restaurant's famous maki at home in the apartment. Mind you, I couldn't afford the wild lobster so I used some wonderful Galician mussels instead. In this post, I show you step by step how simple it can be to make a dish like this.

June 23, 2008

Perks Of The Job #3: Thai White Asparagus Soup, Lobster & Curry Salt

It's been a while since I laid claim to leftovers from mis en place, but this week I managed to acquire a lobster tail from the maki and some Thai white asparagus from my dew dish Almejas Esparragos Bangkok. And I made myself a delicious Sunday night meal of Thai white asparagus soup with lobster and curry salt.

May 26, 2008

Monday Market Meal #5: Sopa De Fideos Vegetales (En Casa)

OK, so it might be stretching the point a bit to call this traditional or classical home cooking. Last Monday I went to the market and bought the ingredients necessary to reproduce one of our restaurant signature dishes at home in my apartment. Making this dish requires precision and patience, but it's not at all impossible to do at home.

April 30, 2008

Butifarra Y Berberechos Con Patatas Bravas - As Spanish As It Gets

A glance at the date of my last home cooking post shows just how difficult it is to find time to cook at home and document what you prepare, while working daily double-shifts as a professional chef. But last weekend I was inspired to create some truly Spanish home cooking to celebrate my love for Spanish food and the extent to which I've become a native after spending seven months in this great country.

February 09, 2008

Perks Of The Job #2: Berberechos Con Amaretto Y Arroz De Coco

Due to a slight misjudgement in food ordering, fellow chef Cynthia was left with half a bag of cockles when service finished last Saturday. I was quick to claim them, knowing exactly what I wanted to do. I made a more refined version of my dad's favourite seafood with Amaretto dish. Click to see my recipe for Cockles with Amaretto and Coconut Rice.

February 06, 2008

Monday Market Meal #3: Bacallà And Jamón Pata Negra With Mandarina & Albahaca

This dish was inspired by some wonderful bacallà (salt cod) I found in Santa Caterina market. I cooked it rolled with jamón pata negra de Bellota, with a mandarin and basil sauce. The combination of salty cod and jamón, sharp and sour mandarin and aromatic basil was a match made in heaven. Made with Catalan ingredients, but definitely not a Catalan meal!

January 17, 2008

Pa Amb Tomàquet The "Proper" Way (Apparently)

Catalunya's undisputed national dish is a simple bruschetta-style combination of white bread, tomato, olive oil and salt known locally as pa amb tomàquet. It looks easy, but when I first knocked some up for the staff's evening bocatas, Head Chef was definitely not amused. Since then I've learnt how to do it "properly", in the exact and precise way that so characterises Catalan cuisine.

January 14, 2008

Monday Market Meal #2: Fried Bream, Cassava Mash And Sweet & Sour Syrup

Just because I'm now a working professional in a Michelin-starred kitchen doesn't mean that I don't still screw up my home cooking sometimes like everyone else. This was a classic example. What was supposed to be kumquat jam nearly burnt the apartment down as I stood chatting on the phone. But the story had a happy ending. Click to find out.

November 19, 2007

Perks Of The Job

One of the best things about working in a great restaurant kitchen is being offered mis en place to take home at the end of the working week. Here at C24 we're very strict about food not going to waste. So with the restaurant closed Sundays and Mondays, we put Saturday's leftovers to good use by eating them. The other week I got to take home arroz negro and arroz de pato.

November 14, 2007

Starting A Tradition: Monday Market Meal #1

I'm starting to make a regular habit of visiting the Barcelona food markets on my Monday mornings off work and making something special on Monday night with the spoils. Last week I found a good-looking piece of juicy rump steak and the most amazing rovellones de país (country mushrooms). Cooking my Catalan dinner, I got quite into an Italian "Sopranos" mood!

October 22, 2007

To The Bitter End

There's not a lot that I can't eat and, given an ingredient, I can generally cook something edible, with or without a recipe. But my attempt to cook stuffed karela (bitter melon) was hopeless. I tried to counterbalance the intense bitterness of the vegetable with sour, pungent, umami and sweet flavours. In theory, it should have been great. In practice, it ended up in the bin.

September 17, 2007

Quinoa Tabouleh

Tabouleh is a Lebanese salad dish made from bulgar wheat. What not everyone knows is that you can make a really good gluten-free version using quinoa - a Peruvian plant seed that was once unheard of in the UK but can now be found in many shops and supermarkets. We had our quinoa with rolled loin of lamb and the following day with sardines. Both meals were really excellent.

September 13, 2007

Lunch In La Grande-Place

Moules frites - the national dish of Belgium - is much simpler to make than it might appear. Cleaning the shellfish is the only job that takes any serious amount of time and effort. Otherwise it's just minutes to prepare a delicious meal of steaming mussels in onions and white wine with herbs and pepper, coriander and cream. No wonder the businessmen seated around La Grande-Place tend to carry some excess weight!

September 11, 2007

Atlas Mountain Soup À La Hackney

No, it wasn't Atlas Mountain soup because we couldn't find the recipe for this fantastic Moroccan dish, no matter how hard we searched. But dad had a pretty good idea how it was made and he created an Atlas Mountain stew instead, using minced lamb, tangerines, apricots, greengages, bell peppers and ras el hanout spice mixture. It was a little too sweet and not quite bitter enough, but a very creditable attempt.

September 03, 2007

Praline, Praline

These pralines (pronounced "prawleenes") came about when I bought some cobnuts and then wondered what to do with them. Making these sweets is relatively easy, so long as you hold your nerve while heating the sugar and milk mixture and don't allow it to burn. But beware - the end result may be delicious, but it is very calorific.

August 29, 2007

Satisfying A Craving

This instant dinner, aimed at satisfying a craving for cheese and bacon, was inspired by a stuffed squash recipe posted by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. Unsmoked best back bacon, chorizo, Boursin, Blue Shropshire cheese and sour cream blended into a delicious filling for roast butternut squash. Absolutely fabulous.

August 24, 2007

I Found My Thrill...

...on a hill of blueberry pana cotta, made with goat's milk. This dessert was in commemoration of all those who lost their lives exactly two years ago in Hurricane Katrina and a celebration of those who were feared dead but survived the disaster, including the great Fats Domino.

August 20, 2007

Not Completely Salsafied

Inspired by a post from Acme Instant Food, I set out the other day to make a watermelon salsa to accompany my chicken breast for lunch. Technically, the recipe worked well and the textures were great. But the flavour disappointed. Click to find out why and what I propose to do about it next time.

August 15, 2007

Soup For Overgrown Children

This is a pasta broth that I made frequently for lunch. It's a million miles from a classic, Italian soup - made using a dozen or more ingredients sourced from four different continents. I've included a video showing me making this dish, so you can give it a go. But don't just follow the recipe. Use your instincts and your palate to make one that satisfies your own taste.

August 05, 2007

Blowing Hot And Cold - Roast Lamb With Cherry Sorbet

It wasn't my decision to emulate Joan Roca and Ferran Adrià and cook a dinner of hot meat with iced fruit sorbet that was so unusual. After all, I get more into experimentation with every day I spend in a kitchen. It was the fact that the roast lamb and cherry sorbet was my dad's suggestion that was the real surprise. Click to discover how I made it and how it went down.

July 23, 2007

A Very Special Dinner

Not long ago I cooked a very special dinner for a very special person. She was my first serious relationship, but two years ago I was stupid enough to lose her. Recently our paths crossed again and we have started to see each other again. It adds something extra to my home cooking, knowing I'm preparing food for someone very special.

July 20, 2007

Bangers & Mash, Gourmet-Style

I haven't had much time for good old-fashioned home comfort cooking lately. Until the other night, when I made bangers, mash and gravy. Tuscan sausages, braised in a home-made onion and red wine stock, served with Japanese kabocha mashed with potato and finished with double cream and a drizzle of chilli-infused olive oil. Comforting Franco-Italian-Japanese British grub.

July 15, 2007

Sauces For Courses

I'm always reluctant to criticise other people, but I must admit that I am constantly surprised at the conservatism of many of the chefs and trainees I meet. A few weeks ago my fellow students were given the opportunity to create a tasting menu and opted for a meat and two veg solution. Determined to be more original, when I got home I created a sauce that went perfectly with both a beef entrée and with a meringue and ice cream dessert.

July 02, 2007

Mélange Viande

When I came across a scruffy little bag labelled "mélange viande", I was quite unprepared for the glories that awaited my discovery when I opened it. This is an extraordinary spice mixture, redolent of flowery French country roads and looking like the mélange de voitures in Jean-Luc Godard's film "Weekend". I used it to cook slow-braised neck of lamb and the result was wonderful.

June 24, 2007

A Feast For 99p

Even after my enjoyable trip to St. John's in Smithfield, I'm still not into offal. But I helped dad to cook this dish the other night when he decided to try a "surf and turf" dinner of chicken livers with oyster sauce and nam pla. Based on the Thai recipe Pad Kueng Niey Gay, it turned out really well and dad pigged himself on it and couldn't move for hours afterwards.

May 23, 2007

A Tale Of Three Goulashes

Inspired by a posting from Karen of Rambling Spoon in which she published two recipes for goulash, I set out to cook one of the recipes in three portions, using three different paprikas. To discover which paprika won hands down, read my article.

May 16, 2007

Food In The Garden - Another Visit

I've got really into discovering food in the garden. It started with picking leaves and moved on to collecting snails. But this time I graduated into big game hunting in the garden. Click on this link to see what monsters I found on my hunting expedition and how I cooked them.

May 14, 2007

Lamb ConFusion

The other night I made a truly fusion dinner - English lamb marinated in South American papaya, Mediterranean fennel, garlic and sambuca and Bengali mustard oil, accompanied by Japanese kabocha with Bengali panch phoron. Based on a recipe by Atul Kochhar, but with my own stamp on it. My dad said it was the best meal he'd eaten all year.

April 30, 2007

I've Gone All Girly

This unusual and extraordinary dessert started life as two sets of leftovers. The initial experiment was so successful that I repeated it a few days later. Combining hot apple sauce and cold rhubarb compote with sour cream leads to an elegant balance of temperatures, textures and flavours.

April 28, 2007

A Portuguese Bacalhau In London

This week, with four young visitors from Laúndos in northern Portugal staying in my house, it was a great opportunity to cook a Portuguese classic. We made bacalhau à braz, or cod with scrambled egg and fried potatoes. After a shaky start, our cooking turned into a triumph. It was an excellent dinner!

April 23, 2007

Call For St. George!

There's been some stabbing, gashing and inflagration in my kitchen. Was I attacked by a dragon? No, there's no need to send for St. George. It was just me, stabbing and gashing some chicken and then flambéeing it as part of a recipe for two-day marinaded brown stew chicken and wild rice.

April 13, 2007

So What Do We Eat The Other Three Days Of The Week?

According to a recent survey, the Brits tend to cook just four meals, of which spaghetti Bolognese is one. My dad cooks this typically British version of the classic Italian dish Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. It's nothing at all like the real thing, but nice British comfort food all the same.

April 04, 2007

Hangover Grub

It's always hard to cook breakfast the morning after a hard night. But when you crash out at the house of a mate who's really into food, it helps a lot. A couple of weeks ago I found myself at Alex's house and we made poached egg with smoked salmon, mustard fromage frais and sautéed cherry tomatoes on toasted olive bread. Inspirational hangover food.

March 30, 2007

He's Right, You Know

Aidan gave me a right of reply to his earlier posting, but I can't argue with what he says. A key moment in my conversion was when he showed me how to wilt fresh spinach. Now I cook many dishes that I never ate in my life before. Like the ostrich burger on Savoy cabbage sautéed in sesame oil and soy sauce that I cooked the other day. Mike.

March 30, 2007

The Times They Are A-Changin'

My dad's been cooking for over half a century and still has many kitchen habits than can be traced back to Fanny Craddock. But recently he has started to become much more adventurous with produce, spices and oils. I was amazed at the number of flavoursome ingredients he put into a simple cheese and ham omelette and salad.

March 25, 2007

Coquille Saint-Patrice

Not the sort of dish one makes at home often, but what I cooked last Saturday night. Time to exercise some of the skills I've learned in fine dining. So I rejuvenated the leftover broth from St. Patrick's Day and made seared Loch Fyne scallops with a creamy seafood, caramel and Guinness foam. Small, but perfectly formed and delicious!

March 21, 2007

Mother's Day Pelau

Since the book "The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago & the Caribbean" arrived two weeks ago I've been promising to cook a meal from this culinary treasure house. And as last Sunday was Mothers' Day, I cooked Trinidad's signature dish, pelau, for my mum. She loved it.

March 17, 2007

(As Opposed To The Mussels From Brussels)

Saturday was St. Patrick's Day and I decided to cook something special on Friday night to celebrate Irish food. So I cooked live mussels in a Guinness, garlic and cream sauce. Believe me, it made a great improvement on plain old moules marinière.

March 06, 2007

Brown Is The New Purple

I like naturally purple food such as kohlrabi, aubergine and plum, but I also like to make my own purple fish by poaching it in mulled red wine. This works fine for swordfish, but a flaky fish like cod cooks before it absorbs enough wine and ends up brown rather than purple. Still, it tasted great on lemon scented steamed asparagus and creamy spinach with nam pla.

March 02, 2007

Get Stuffed Big Brother

No, it's not Lou Macari but lumaconi. It's the big brother of lumache, or "snails" pasta, itself the big brother of conchiglioni, or "conch shells" pasta. So it's a very big brother. It just cries out to get stuffed. I made a sauce of shallot, passata, red wine and crème fraîche, topped off with Red Leicester.

February 26, 2007

Pork Pas À L'Orange

As every kid knows, yellow plus red equals orange. I never set out to make an orange meal - it just happened. Medallions of pork served with a sauce made by sweating off a julienne of red capsicum, and then adding diced pineapple, crushed ginger, finely chopped jalapeño pepper, cinnamon and white wine and reducing down. Accompanied by bubble & squeak made with Russian kale.

February 25, 2007

What's Orange, But Isn't Orange..?

Back in April 2005, the food blog meme "Is My Blog Burning?" featured meals and dishes celebrating the colour orange. Today I created my orange offering. Here's a photo from today's lunch. Answers on a comment please, before I reveal all and publish my lunch recipe tomorrow night.

February 21, 2007

Can You Guess What It Is Yet?

My first attempt at this dessert proved difficult, with the result not looking nearly good enough for the blog. On Monday I baked a wattleseed and lemon myrtle rolled Pavlova again and this time it was received with acclaim by my family and neighbours. I may make another one and ship it to the Australian one day cricket squad to cheer them up.

February 19, 2007

Latkes Through The Generations

Latkes have a very special meaning in my family. My great grandmother was a Jewish refugee from Poland for whom latkes would have been a Hanukkah treat. My parents were passionate about the latkes served at The Falafel House restaurant in Haverstock Hill. And now, for the first time, I've made my own latkes - with apple sauce and soured cream.

February 17, 2007

Retail Therapy And Retro Food

Today my dad engaged in retail therapy and returned with a new food processor, promoted by Antony Worral Thompson. It's a blender, smoothie maker, mayonnaise maker, batter maker, fruit puréer, citrus press, dough kneader, slicer, chopper and whisk. We can use it to make some of the retro food that AWT says is currently undergoing a huge revival in his restaurants.

February 13, 2007

East-West Soup

I made this special soup using a leftover hoisin broth that I had used to cook duck legs in the day before. To the Chinese broth I added Spanish chorizo, fine egg noodles and a dash of chilli-infused olive oil. The result was a rich and delicious fusion of eastern and western cooking influences.

February 06, 2007

One Step Gourmet - Two Steps Retro

For someone who's just started a week as a fine dining Head Chef, I’ve been very retro lately when it comes to cooking at home. At lunchtime I'm supervising the preparation of black and green olive crusted, roasted salmon fillet with a basil emulsion and freshwater crayfish jus, but at night it's been baked ziti and my latest triumph - partly gluten-free fish pie.

February 09, 2007

A Busman's Holiday

On my day off from college I decided to do some serious cooking, using up some produce and other ingredients around the house. The outcome was chorizo roasted breast and Chinese five-spiced leg of duck with yam and broccoli, followed by an Australian wattleseed and lemon myrtle Pavlova with a blueberry compote.

January 25, 2007

Hey Paisan - Are You Lookin' At My Ziti?

This is my tribute to "The Sopranos", one of my favourite TV series of all time. I cooked baked ziti, based on a supposed recipe by Carmela Soprano, with a few little adjustments of my own. This dish is as Italian as any plate of food could possibly be. And eating it is a "family" affair!

January 17, 2007

A Dish Is Born (And Eaten)

I bought some galangal a while back and kept it tucked away waiting for an opportunity to use it. And last night was the opportunity. I made a South East Asian/Australasian fusion dish - Australian rainforest rub crusted swordfish steak on a bed of lime pickle and galangale rice.

January 11, 2007

Voulez-Vous Manger Avec Moi (Ce Soir)?

Sales of marmalade in Britain have plummeted, because kids today lack their parents' taste for the sophisticated bitter-sweet flavour. I used it today to cook breast of mallard stuffed with red cabbage, ginger and marmalade, served with a sweet potato mash.

January 08, 2007

Winter Fondly Remembers Summer

I've been posting too much winter comfort food lately and not enough light and healthy summer food. So yesterday I made something quick but different. Steak, but no chips, wilted spinach or greasy fried eggs. Sirloin with pomodoro vine tomatoes, potato salad and sun blush tomato.

December 29, 2006

Playing With Fire

Many chefs flambée pancakes, crêpes or other desserts in amaretto, but try doing the same with mixed seafood. I tossed a mixture of cooked prawns, mussels, cockles, scallops, crab or lobster, squid and raw seafish in garlic butter with plenty of black pepper. Flambéed in amaretto and the pan deglazed with cream, it's a dish that truly delights.

December 28, 2006

Let Them Eat...

Let them eat cake! This is the gluten-free Christmas cake my mum makes my coeliac dad each year, from an ancient M&S recipe. The cake is full of fruit and nuts and is bound with eggs and condensed milk. It's not at all sickly sweet - it's soft, crumbly, mouth-watering and perfectly balanced.

December 26, 2006

If You Can Meet With...

Christmas dinner, cooked by me. Abroath smokie on oatmeal bread with home-made Dijon crème fraîche. Scallops with poached duck egg, and field mushroom pâté. Roast venison with sweet and black truffle potato mash, honey-cured squash and red onion and cabbage marmalade. Persimmon with açai berry & mascarpone ice cream. It wasn't all perfect, but it wasn't bad at all. Everyone enjoyed themselves!

December 21, 2006

Christmas At Trig's Place

Early on Christmas morning I'll be in the kitchen working on the festive lunch. It's a small family group this year - myself, mum, dad, brother Joel and Aliyyah. I'm head chef and everyone else will be my obedient commis chefs.

December 19, 2006

It Ain't Heavy - It's My Dinner

I'm officially in the festive mood, and what better way to warm my cockles on a cold December eve than to cook a big bowl of steaming hot risotto. Today I made a shiitake and saffron risotto, with crème fraîche and a little grated haloumi. Mmmmm!

December 15, 2006

The Goose Is Getting Fat...

...and I'm planning to use that fat to cook my Christmas roast potatoes. Yes, it's that time of year again. Food shopping for Christmas. Orders at Steve Hatt's fishmonger and game merchant, followed by a shopping trip to Borough Market with the camera.

December 11, 2006

Spicing Up A Winter Evening

Tonight's meal was the very simple but quite wonderful Tuscan spicy sausages with leek & onion. The pure meat sausages are seared and then braised in beer, with leek and onions introduced in batches to give a gradation in texture from lightly to thoroughly cooked. Served with dry mashed potato, mashed in its skins. And tons of black pepper throughout!

November 14, 2006

Quick And Easy Duck A L'Orange

You could spend ages preparing this classic dish, but I have a simple recipe that allows it to be made it not much more than an hour and with very little attention. You reduce the orange sauce while the duck is roasting. I served mine with roast potatoes and wilted spinach.

November 05, 2006

The Last Supper

Work placement at Boxwood Café starts tomorrow, so to get myself in the mood I made a Caribbean-style guinea fowl supreme, caramelised and then roasted. Served with a sauce of pure lemon oil, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, thickened with double cream. Served on a bed of egg noodles boiled in beef stock.

October 17, 2006

Steak Au Poivre

Tonight's dinner was sirloin steak with a pepper sauce, on a bed of mashed potato and sweet potato with wilted spinach. Just 30 minutes to cook from start to finish and a few seconds to photograph, using my new Nikon D70 camera. At last I can start to generate photo recipes.

October 09, 2006

Trinidad Stew Chicken

This is the recipe for the Trinidad Stew Chicken I cooked the other day. The chicken is marinated in green seasoning prior to cooking. The recipe is from "The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago", published by Naparima Girls' High School. Formerly out of print, this has now been republished and is fast becoming famous world-wide as the definitive record of Trinidadian cuisine.

October 06, 2006

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Recipes

The fish I installed on my blog banner yesterday is one of the greats of maritime food - European sea bass. I poached bass fillets in red wine with mashed oranges, grated nutmeg and black peppercorns and served the deep purple fillets with pesto mashed sweet potato and lightly steamed broccoli.

September 17, 2006

Saturday Kitchen

For my surprise dessert last night I made Monty Python Cheesecake - an elderberry cheesecake from crushed gluten-free raspberry shortbread biscuits with mascarpone and chantilly cream. The correct Latin is "Romani Ite Domum". Write it out 100 times in chocolate piping.

September 16, 2006

Dinner Party Tonight

Tonight I'm cooking for a family dinner party. I plan to use fenugreek leaves to decorate starters of Israeli Medjool dates, halved and stuffed with goat's cheese. This will be followed by a dish of Hungarian paprika chicken with braised pilaf rice. And something special for dessert.

August 20, 2006

A Party Salad

I went to a party in Islington last night and made a salad, using a Peter Gordon recipe including a mixture of green and red leaves, with chèvre blanc, Medjool dates, sliced grapes, Romalina tomatoes, spring onions and bacon lardons. My host Jane Lewis barbecued some wonderful marinated sardines.

August 19, 2006

Butternuts Squashed

On Wednesday I used up some leftover butternut squash, making butternut soup with marinated shiitake mushrooms. It was loosely based on a Gordon Ramsay recipe for swede and cardamom soup.

Food Items And Snacks

2007-10-16T01:00:00.010+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on individual food items and snack meals. Click on the links for the posts.

October 21, 2009

Nelson Mandela, Che Guevera, Gandhi And... Carrot Crew

I've no idea where to file this post. It's not really about carrots - it's about youth rebellion and the insanity of school rules that make eating crisps OK but eating carrots an offence. It's about a school cook who thinks replacing hot dogs with fresh carrots is "disgusting". And it's about hope for the future and healthy school meals.

September 26, 2009

Is It A Bird? Is It A Pain?

After the disappointment of my search for camel meat, I thought I'd try something easier. An animal I first tasted when I bought some delicious steaks and burgers at Borough Market. I was intrigued to discover whether we are farming them seriously and, if so, how difficult the process might be. What I discovered gave me great respect for the brave ostrich farmers out there.

April 27, 2009

How Would You Like Your Steak - One Hump Or Two?

And today's food item is... camel. It's not the sort of thing most people would think of eating, although camels are at the same level in the evolutionary tree as pigs, cows, goats and many other animals that many of us don't think twice about consuming. Anyhow, enough of the serious stuff. Click on the link and have a good laugh.

March 24, 2009

I've Won Something At Last

This section is normally reserved for individual food items, but we can make an exception with this one. After all, it was only one package - even if it did contain 16 different food items plus a kitchen utensil. This was my Menu For Hope prize - a food parcel donated by Japan Centre of London - and it eventually arrived at my apartment in Barcelona. Times are tight financially, so this was a very welcome addition to my larder.

February 05, 2009

A Love Triangle

What do you do with a couple of sweet potatoes that are just sitting there, begging you for a partner? Marry them up with some cream cheese, of course. But how to turn a boring relationship into an exciting ménage à trois? Click on the link to find out.

June 17, 2008

My Honey's Waiting For Me To Come Home

She's a deep seductive blonde, sweet but sophisticated, totally ravishing and a few weeks ago she won a beauty contest shown on national television. She's Hackney Honey and she beat Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Devon honey in a blind tasting in Hackney recently, shown on Channel 4. I can't wait to get home to crack into my complimentary jar.

March 19, 2008

Monday Market Meal #4: Que-So Disappointing

Most Mondays I visit a Barcelona market looking for interesting produce for a meal. On this occasion, however, it was a snack that caught my eye. I love Medjool dates and found some that were large, sweet and beautifully soft. The problem came when I went to buy some local goat's cheese to accompany the Medjool dates...

September 23, 2007

Freedom Food

I provoked an interesting discussion with this post, in recognition of the start of RSPCA Freedom Food Farm Animal Week. Freedom Food is a certification scheme established by the RSPCA to guarantee a basic standard of animal welfare for farmed produce. It does not guarantee either free range or organic conditions, but it does establish certain minimum standards of welfare from breeding to transportation.

September 15, 2007

Buy One, Get One Free

I've seen a few "buy one, get one free" (BOGOF) offers in supermarkets in my time, but never before have I seen a buy one egg, get one yolk free offer. Obviously I've cracked the odd egg that turned out to contain a double yolk, but this was the first time I saw an entire box of "double-yolk eggs" for sale. I'm still wondering how they do it - with an X-ray scanner or human sorters holding the eggs up to candles. I must find out which.

August 26, 2007

A Woman's Picnic

Time was you could wind up a feminist, but not any longer. My thought was that you could tell a man's picnic from a woman's picnic because the man would drink some beer with the chocolate. The latter was provided as a marketing ploy by Hotel Chocolat and I have no hesitation in praising at least some of their offering. It's not great, but for British chocolate it's pretty damned good!

August 10, 2007

Saumon, Sauvage, So Great

It's all too easy to be critical of supermarkets and in praise of local produce suppliers. Much of the time, of course, this is completely justified. But just look at this wild Alaskan salmon I bought at my local Waitrose the other day. No only did it look great and taste fantastic, it was also sourced ethically and sustainably from small boats fishing in managed waters. Absolutely fabulous.

August 03, 2007

Don't Grow These Yourself At Home

I bought these entirely on impulse when I saw them in my local supermarket - as you do - but then realised that I had no idea what to do with them legally. Searching the blogosphere turned up quite a few recipes from The Chocolate Lady's Yiddish food blog In Mol Araan, but not a lot else. So I'm appealing for ideas as to what to cook with them.

July 07, 2007

Coming Soon, To A Bramble Near Me

Every year we get masses of blackberries growing in the garden. Usually ripening by now, this year they have been seriously delayed as a result of the excessive rain we've had for the past few weeks and the lack of sun. But the weather is now improving, so they will be coming soon. Yum, yum.

July 04, 2007

A MushStool In My Garden

It started out looking just like a golf ball - spherical, white, dimpled on the surface and sitting on a tee in the garden. I thought dad was practicing his golf swings. Only on close inspection did I realise it was a mushroom. Or was it a toadstool? And then one day it opened out into a massive display the size of a side plate. I think I've identified it as a poisonous mushroom variety, but I'm not totally sure.

June 26, 2007

A Cheese And Onion Sarnie

Making a cheese and onion sandwich the other day brought home to me just how much my palate has developed during the past few years. Not long ago I would have used white sliced bread, processed cheese and yellow onion with piccalilli. Now I was using organic sunflower bread, St. Agur cheese and Borettane Sicilian sweet pearl onions, with ginger garlic chilli sauce.

June 17, 2007

Two Ways With Mango

A month ago I posted a recipe for lobster with baby asparagus & mango-chilli mousse. At the time I made far too much mousse, promising to post on how to use the leftovers. I fulfilled my promise with a mango-chilli sorbet - soft, sweet and cold with a surprising kick! I liked the mango pulp so much I bought some more and made delicious mango lassi.

June 14, 2007

A Lunch Dilemma

When I saw these huge, succulent Madagascan tiger prawns in the supermarket I faced a dilemma. They were exactly what I fancied for lunch, but I was concerned about how they might have been caught because I'd read about seabed damage and deforestation resulting from seafood farming. It turned out that Waitrose had sourced them specially as responsibly farmed, so that decided matters. Read the post to find out how I cooked and ate them.

June 06, 2007

Mediterranean Snacking

I've been very busy lately with my Australian Gastronomy project and arranging my first professional job and had little time to cook at home. But when I came home the other day and found some chorizo Ibérico, some fatty sliced pancetta and a jar of marinated peppers, I could've been mistaken for thinking I was in heaven. Read my post to see what snack I made with these ingredients.

May 29, 2007

Michel Montignac's Choc With Clout

There's always something interesting to eat when I pay a visit to my mate Alex's house in Camden. This time it was Michel Montignac's 99% cocoa solid chocolate - a strength I'd never tried before. It was a shock and not altogether a pleasant one. I'm not sure I'd ever get used to this.

May 25, 2007

Seeing Doubles

I've heard a lot about Trinidadan doubles, especially from my friend Sarina of TriniGourmet, but I'd never tried them. So imagine my surprise when I found a stall in my local market selling doubles! And now I know why they are Trinidad's most popular street food.

May 10, 2007

Lady Sainsbury's Knobbly Bits

I came across these Anya potatoes for the first time while shopping in Sainsbury's recently. Only when I got home and researched them did I discover that they were specially bred and named after Lady Sainsbury, the former ballerina Anya Linden.

May 08, 2007

Gamekeeper Turned Poacher

I recently discovered a really interesting post on the subject of poaching eggs, using clingfilm. Denied permission by the author to link to the article in question, I reproduced the exercise, with fascinating results. I would never have believed it possible and I still have some doubts about the health risks, but it was fun to try!

May 04, 2007

A Buzz In My Kitchen

One product that featured in my Australian Gastronomy project was Tasmanian Leatherwood honey, a unique honey with a delicate but distinctive rush of heathery, woody smokiness. I'd written about it, but never tried it myself, until the other day when I found some in Waitrose. I've now discovered that its future is threatened by deforestation in Tasmania.

April 20, 2007

Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?

Use the best ingredients and you achieve the best results. Nothing else needs to be said. Just open wide...

April 17, 2007

'Tis The Season To Be Green

Spring is truly here - the season of all things green. Lots of green food blogs recently. I decided to make something very green for the very first time - my own version of Caribbean Green Seasoning. It worked well. Later on I'll show you what I cooked with it.

April 15, 2007

Finger Lickin' Chicken Splittin'

Most of us either buy a whole chicken and cook it whole, or buy pre-cut chicken pieces from the butcher or supermarket. In this video I show you how to cut your own chicken properly. Believe me, the chicken tastes better when you do this yourself.

April 06, 2007

Hold The Mayo!

Fresh home-made mayonnaise is so much better than the commercial product. But many people think that making it is far too difficult and time-consuming for them to attempt. Here is a video I made the other day showing just how simple it can be to make this delicious, classic sauce. My outtakes clip shows just how much better I am in the kitchen than in front of camera.

March 10, 2007

It Works... It Doesn't Work... It Works!

Even when I'm really busy and only have time for a snack, I like to experiment with ingredients and flavours. One night last week I made three snacks. Two of them were triumphs and one was a disaster. Still, if you can meet with...

February 11, 2007

Eggstra! Eggstra!

This article was my tribute to the award-nominated post by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. Whereas the original featured a duck egg and a chicken egg, mine featured a stunning deep coloured free range farm egg against an everyday supermarket "free range" egg.

January 13, 2007

Antipasto Tricolore (Or Getting Out Of A Pickle)

The other day I bought a jar of feta cheese, some pickled red pimentos and green chillies. With the addition of Medjool date, a sprig of coriander and a generous seasoning of salt and black pepper, rolled up in some freshly-sliced Italian roast ham, a snack in the colours of the Italian flag was complete.

January 05, 2007

A Lemon Poser

Last night I made minced chicken burgers with Dijon mustard, rolled in polenta. I added just three drops of pure lemon oil to my mix and the result was extraordinary. I think the lemon was acting as a flavour enhancer but I'm keen to know what others think about this.

January 01, 2007

New Year's Resolution - No More Tears

The onion has been a staple part of almost every cuisine in the world throughout almost all periods of history. Most people use onions and suffer from the tears that go with chopping them. Here I explain what causes the tears and present a video of me chopping onions that will show you how to avoid tears in future.

September 18, 2006

Food In The Garden

Right outside my bedroom window is a bed of nasturtium. Once much loved by gardeners it is now considered little more than a weed. Nasturtium is a type of giant cress, brought to Europe from Peru by the Spanish conquistadors. The leaves are edible as a salad and the pickled unripe fruits make a good substitute for capers.

September 06, 2006

Definitely Not Slim Pickings

It's amazing what you can find if you look. Bike riding with a friend around Springfield Park in Hackney the other day I found an elderberry tree in full fruit. And on the way home, cycling along the canal, I found rosemary growing in abundance amongst the bushes. I made ice cream with the elderberries.

August 27, 2006

Great Food Doesn't Have To Be Complicated

Last night I "dined" at home on a steak, egg and tomato open sandwich. Sirloin steak from Murray's butchers in Ridley Road, Mabel Pearman's Burford Browns free range Cotswold eggs and Red Choice Isle of Wight tomatoes from my local Waitrose and fresh Turkish flat bread from my local Turkish shop. Great, uncomplicated food.

Food News & Reviews

2007-10-15T01:00:00.032+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on food news and food-related reviews that don't fit into my other categories. Click on the links for the posts.

February 25th, 2010

Bananas!

Fifteen months ago the EU at last abandoned its policy of dictating the precise look of Europe's fruit and vegetables. As a result, new producers who couldn't afford the expensive machinery necessary for compliance entered the market, foiod waste was hugely reduced and the price of food was driven down. Now the rich protectionist farming countries are trying to reinstate that outdated, regressive policy. They must be stopped when it comes to the vote.

February 18th, 2010

There's A Fire In My Kitchen

The only thing I ever wrote about Mugaritz was a critical review of a meal there. I'd arrived on "a bad night at the office" - something I now appreciate after experiencing a good few of them myself in the intervening period. The news of Monday morning's fire came as a shock. A good friend of mine is working there as Pastry Chef and I was concerned for the safety of him and the rest of the crew. But I'm also concerned for the restaurant itself, as I now understand what an important contribution Andoni Aduriz has made to world gastronomy. I really hope that Mugaritz will rise from the ashes of Monday's disaster to become once again the great restaurant it surely is.

January 5th, 2010

Ximo Canet - The Art Of Food

Most people who know something about food will know about Parisian chef Pierre Gagnaire, generally accredited with bringing art to food. But few will have heard of Valencian painter Ximo Canet, who brought food to art. Not only have I met Ximo, but I've have the pleasure of him cooking me a restaurant lunch. How come? Click on the link to find out.

April 01, 2009

Heston Blumenthal Challenges Molecular Gastronomy To "Go Orgasmic"

The global economic crisis has spawned some unexpected outcomes, but few as surprising as the coup reportedly being planned by Heston Blumenthal against the stuffy traditionalists of modern cooking. Arguing that ordinary people won't buy technical jargon, the radicals are calling for abandonment of the term "molecular gastronomy" and its replacement with ORGASMIC. Where does this acronym come from? Click to find out.

January 05, 2009

Trends In Food

Where America leads, Britain is sure to follow, or so they say. To mark the end of one year and the start of a new one I've taken a look at TIME Magazine's Top 10 Food Trends of 2008, to see whether I think this selection of US trends will find its way across the big pond and influence eating and drinking in the UK this year. Or whether the whole thing is just one big coffee-table filler for a no-news day.

November 19, 2008

Am I An Undercover Michelin Inspector?

Once is just lucky, twice is... Last year I chose Comerç 24 as a place of work just weeks before it was awarded its first Michelin star. One year on and I spent a great evening last night at Cinc Sentits - a restaurant I really admire and want to gain experience in one day. And today... Cinc Sentits gained its first Michelin star. Aw, shucks! It's just a whole lot of luck and a little bit of judgment.

November 09, 2008

Abundance

There's something very interesting going on, and it's happening all over the world. Urban farming - in all its guises from anarchist guerilla gardening to corporate-sponsored food development programmes - is taking off at an amazing rate. In Britain, various projects have led Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to establish Landshare, a UK-wide initiative to make land more productive and fresh local produce more accessible to all. The principle is simple - to grow fresh, seasonal, organic food in abundance for everyone to enjoy.

September 18, 2008

Flavour Master Mohammad Tayyab Hits The Zagat Heights

On New Year's Eve 2006 I took a prominent Sylheti Bangladeshi restaurant owner out for lunch to a Pakistani Punjabi restaurant with my family and wrote up our visit on my blog. The restaurant - New Tayyab - was recommended by my mum who works nearby, and she wasn't wrong in her judgment. Last week the community restaurant was ranked seventh in the top ten for food quality in London, ahead of Michel Roux Jr.'s Michelin 2* Le Gavroche.

August 25, 2008

The Mysterious Case Of El Bulli And The Vanishing Gastro-Gnome

You save up for years and years to raise the funds to dine at every Michelin 3* restaurant in the world. Paul Bocuse sponsors your journey and arranges your tables. You arrive at El Bulli - 40th in the list of 68 - and enjoy a fabulous meal. While chatting to a local journalist, you apologise and pop out for a moment. And you vanish. Now what on earth is that all about? Click to find out.

August 11, 2008

The Nano-Future Of Food

There's a revolution on the way that's likely to be as significant for the development of society as the industrial revolution and global warming. Fifty years since it was first proposed, nano-technology is now attracting billions of dollars worth of investment. There are many areas where nano-technology is expected to have an impact - and food is one of them. Click on the link to find out more.

July 27, 2008

Small Plates, Sideburns, Two Revolutions And A Kitchen Curiosity

I wasn't quite sure where to file this one - it's got a bit of Professional Work, Experimental Cooking, Restaurant Reviews, Food Blogging and Celebrity Chefs... so I filed it here instead. To discover the connection between creative cooking, revolutions in gastronomy, sideburns and a curious young Englishman, click on the link. Especially if you can manage the fine art of Spanish double-entendre. I only hope I've got things roughly right here, or I could be in serious trouble!

May 29, 2008

The Knives Are Out

The past few weeks have seen the biggest gastro-war break out in Spain since McDonald's opened up on the Avenida Pablo Neruda. Multi-starred chef Santi Santamaría has openly attacked Ferran Adriá and the molecular gastronomists of poisoning their customers with the use of emulsifiers, gelling agents and other chemicals. The response from the industry has been overwhelmingly hostile towards Santamaría, although the public has not been slow in writing to the newspapers in his support, demanding a return to tomato, egg, blood sausage and chips.

May 08, 2008

Realising Your True Potential

I wrote about Foxes Academy a year ago, but when I saw the Channel4 documentary about it while in London the other week I just had to post about the place again. I know only too well just how hard it is for someone like me to achieve the level of discipline, focus and effort required to succeed in the hospitality industry. So when I see the achievements of this college for special needs students I am truly humbled. Watch the video clip for yourself - I'm sure you'll be as impressed as I am.

April 06, 2008

A Cook's Tour Of Spanish Regional Cuisine

The other week I published a review of the recent Channel4 TV series 'A Cook's Tour Of Spain', in which Tommi Miers and Guy Grieve explore the regional cuisines of Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, Galicia and Cantabria. In this post, I offered some brief notes on the food of these four regions of Spain, along with that of the other 13 regions that together make up the 17 autonomous communities of the modern Kingdom of Spain.

January 03, 2008

Love Food, Hate Waste

Love Food, Hate Waste is a campaign by WRAP, a not-for-profit company created as part of the British government's waste strategy aimed at achieving a significant reduction in food waste in the UK. Around a third of all the food we buy in the markets, shops and supermarkets - an estimated 6.7m tonnes - ends up being thrown away. The vast majority of this food could have been eaten. Read this and see what you can do to help.

November 28, 2007

A Bad Year For McLarens

It's been a terrible years for McLarens. That is, for McLarens in general. It started with the Formula 1 spy scandal and the McLaren racing team being fined, losing points and then losing their champion driver Alonso. Then Steve McLaren was sacked after England was knocked out of Euro 2008 by Croatia. And now it's the turn of McLaren Foods to hit the headlines. You'll never believe some of the addresses where they reportedly delivered unhygenic and unsafe meat products. Read my post for a big shock.

October 25, 2007

Munching Moths

This was a story with a twist. Franco-Australian chef Jean-Paul Bruneteau, a leading advocate of an authentic Oz cuisine based on indigenous ingredients, recently urged Australians to eat Bogong moths. I was really pleased, because I had written about aboriginal tribal migrations in pursuit of this food source in my college gastronomy project report. But there was a sting in the tail when the issue of health hazards was raised. Read my post to discover why.

August 22, 2007

Diet Doesn't Work? It's All Your Mother's Fault

There were two related food news items recently that caught my eye. The first was that a study report has concluded that early exposure to diet foods can lead to obesity and the second found that women eating junk food while pregnant can pass the taste for unhealthy foods onto their children. So if you don't want to become obese, don't eat too much high calorie food and don't eat too much low-calorie food. And don't have a mother who ate for both of you. Blimey! It's all enough to turn a chap to burgers and fries.

May 26, 2007

The Food In This Zoo Is Terrible!

There have been two separate cases recently involving orangutans breaking out of their zoo enclosures and "going on the rampage". What these incidents had in common was the escapees visiting restaurants while on the run. Clearly a case of animal frustration with zoo food!

April 24, 2007

From A Poll To A Pole With No Pole

The latest S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list shows good fortune for London restaurants, with the exception of Gordon Ramsay's flagship which has slipped down the table. When I read that a man had gone beserk last night in a restaurant and sliced off his own penis, I was concerned. But not to worry, it wasn't Gordon but a Polish man with a mental problem.

April 18, 2007

From Poles To Poles (With Musk Ox And Pierogi)

Two 19-year old British lads have just started a Pole to Pole expedition. To help them at the North Pole I've reproduced a great Canadian embassy recipe for musk ox rib eye with wild rice. Meanwhile, Britain is experiencing an explosion of Polish food. It's all Poles in the news this week!

April 10, 2007

Crap Food Gets Everywhere

Some food in Britain, especially supermarket "value" and own brand offerings, are complete rubbish. Sometimes literally, as with teabags containing dust and powder. So I was pleased to discover that we are not alone. To find out what two Kiwi schoolgirls discovered, read on...

April 01, 2007

50 Shocking Facts About Your Food

Check the date and then consider whether these food facts are true or not. Beer doesn't make you fat. Excess milk can damage the bones of older women. Spinach won't make you strong. Sugar is addictive. Too much soya can cause sexual dysfunction. Coffee and potatoes can kill you. Fruit is not as nutritious as it used to be. Lettuce can make you fat. For more... read on!

March 27, 2007

Feeling The Heat

I like a chilli or two in my food and regularly cook with Scotch bonnets. But when you hear what this woman proposes to attempt in order to set a new Guinness World Record for chilli eating you simply won't believe it. Just the thought of that visit to the toilet afterwards!

March 19, 2007

End Of An Era

This is my spoof entry for the Fish & Quips meme created by Sam of Becks & Posh for St. George's Day. It's all based on true news about the demise of three classic British food brands - Ovaltine, HP sauce and Pataks. If these stories weren't true you'd never make them up. I hope my post makes you laugh.

March 04, 2007

Proud To Be British - Ashamed To Be British

Phillips Idowu was a student at Raine's Foundation School a few years before I joined the school. Last night he won triple-jump gold at the European Indoor Athletics Championships. He has been an inspiration to many of us growing up in the East End and makes me proud to be British. But a recent story about the treatment of migrant Portuguese workers in the food industry in Lincolnshire makes me ashamed to be British.

March 04, 2007

Foxes Ability Academy

Foxes Academy in Minehead is an extra-ordinary catering college for students with learning disabilities. This doesn't stop them from running a successful college hotel and restaurant open to the public. And a few months ago the Academy achieved straight Grade 1 scores in its Ofsted inspection report, making Foxes one of Britain's most successful colleges.

February 28, 2007

Even My Tears Are Crying

Gordon Ramsay is about to be replaced on "Hell's Kitchen" by the only man ever to reduce the "f word" master to tears - Marco Pierre White. MPW promises a "more gentle approach... inspiring people and helping them, not belittling them and putting them down". Maybe the winner's prize will be his or her own branch of McDonald's. Read this to discover why.

February 23, 2007

Jamming The Aisles

An 18-year-old from Edinburgh has won a deal to supply Waitrose with his range of home-made jams. He has taken an old-fasioned product and completely reinvented it by replacing conventional fruits with popular healthy "superfruits" such as blueberry and pomegranate.

February 15, 2007

Food News And Food Nudes

I often refer to the UK food website CatererSearch, an on-line relative of the magazine "Caterer and Hotelkeeper". It provides loads of information on the hospitality industry. CatererSearch always has news items to amuse you or raise your hackles, or both. This was a piece about students raising the profile of their college by posing as "colander boys".

February 04, 2007

Turkey's Off

Yesterday morning we had news of a massive outbreak of avian flu at the Bernard Matthews turkey farm in Holton, Suffolk, with 2,600 turkeys dying during the previous few days. Later in the day came the news that it was the deadly H5N1 virus, potentially fatal to humans. The incident raises all sorts of questions about factory farming, food hygiene and the threat of pandemics.

January 27, 2007

Think First, Advise Later

Three days ago we heard that a team from the University of Florida had found that kitchen sponges and cloths could be sterilised in microwave ovens. The story was carried worldwide in newspapers and on TV. Yesterday came the first news of two Brits destroying their microwaves and setting fire to their kitchens after following the advice.

January 22, 2007

Un Petit Peu Monty Python

Documents have revealed that the French PM Guy Mollet proposed a "union" with Britain at the time of the Suez crisis in 1956. In a very funny radio interview, Michel Roux Jr. conjured up images of his uncle and father developing careers at Waterside Inn and Le Gavroche with a "unified" Anglo-French cuisine.

November 30, 2006

The Truffle Shuffle

A world-record price has been paid at auction for a rare White Alba truffle. It reminded me of the story of Andy Needham and the Paltrow truffle. The head chef at Zafferanos left an expensive truffle in the restaurant's fridge for several days whereupon it died, resulting in Gwyneth Paltrow and her co-owners incurring a cool £28,000 loss.

November 28, 2006

Would You Like A Little Polonium With That?

Poor Brian Turner, Executive Chef at The Millennium Hotel. The police are crawling all over the hotel testing staff and guests for further traces of the deadly polonium isotope that killed former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko, following his meeting with Russian agents on the day he was poisoned.

November 19, 2006

Bad Eggs

The big food news this week has been up to 30 million battery farmed eggs being supplied to UK shops and supermarkets as "free range". Police have raided a wholesale distributor near Coventry. And the Food Standards Agency has estimated that salmonella is present in one in every 30 boxes of imported eggs on sale in England.

November 11, 2006

Save The Cod

According to marine biologists, a total ban on cod fishing is the only way to prevent the species from dying out in the North Sea. Cod has long been Britain's favourite fish and is the key part of our national dish of fish and chips. But now the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has called for a total fishing ban for 2007.

October 16, 2006

You Say "Bruschetta" And I Say "Paratha"

According to BBC Good Food, the Brits are struggling with food pronunciation as restaurants add eclectic dishes to their offerings or adopt fusion menus. Top of the list of difficult words to pronounce is bruschetta, followed by chorizo, tortilla and espresso coffee. And half of us are unable to order a bottle of Pouilly-Fumé correctly.

November 08, 2006

Oliver Twist And The Twizzlers Of Doom

Two-thirds of British children don't like the new school menus and want a return to chicken nuggets and chips. Although the ones on school menus were poor quality and high on fat, they don't have to be. I recently made some great chicken mini-burgers & chunky chips with wakame & spring onion mayonnaise.

October 10, 2006

Here, Piggy, Piggy, Piggy...

Britain is officially the most obese nation in Europe. I recently heard the story of the webcam piglets, who have become global superstars with hundreds of thousands of viewers on YouTube. We sit on our rumps all day and spend our evenings gazing at digital pigs. No wonder we are obese.

October 08, 2006

Shot Pot

Preparing a pheasant in college last week I came across some lead shot. This was banned in Britain in 1999 and has been banned in many other countries. Before the ban, many birds and animals suffered horrible deaths from the consumption of lead shot and lead weights left behind by hunters and anglers.

October 04, 2006

A Medicine Cabinet In Your Salad

In an article published this morning, Madeleine Bailey put the health case for eating plenty of green salad. We need a balanced diet including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, but eating salad need not just be a health duty. Try something from Peter Gordon’s book "Salads: The New Main Course" and discover for yourself that modern salads can be a real pleasure!

September 12, 2006

A Berry Exciting Discovery

Believed to be the healthiest fruit on the planet, the new super-food açaí berry is native to the Amazon rainforest. Açaí is a small, dark purple berry high in antioxidants, rich in Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids, low in calories and with plenty of fibre, calcium and vitamins.

September 08, 2006

Sexism In The Workplace

Sexism in the workplace is still rife. According to Caterer And Hotelkeeper’s survey, 42% of respondents had been the victim of sexual harassment or discrimination, with more than half of hotel employees suffering, saying this sector was where most of the offences occurred.

September 05, 2006

School Meals - A Start, But Not Enough

British kids return to school to find that "junk food" has been banned from school menus and vending machines. We lag miles behind many European countries when it comes to healthy school menus. Belgium and France spend three or four times as much money per head on school food and restrict choice. Jamie has made a good start, but it's not enough.

September 04, 2006

Dirty Eating

According to the local paper, 80 catering premises in my borough have a zero-star food safety rating from the council. Inspection results of all 763 establishments in Hackney show that more than one in 10 fail to meet basic health standards. You want to hear what I saw recently in my local pub!

August 30, 2006

Who's Really Spoiling The Broth?

I was surprised by the latest lists published in Harden's London Restaurant Guide. Two restaurants that featured well for "Top Gastronomic Experience" list also did well in the "Most Disappointing" list. The Ivy came second in both "Favourite Restaurant" and "Most Disappointing" categories. I've got an idea why this happened.

August 25, 2006

Vive Les Rosbifs!

Food controversy of the week is Chicago City Council's ban on restaurants selling foie gras. Although I'm not a vegetarian, I am deeply unhappy with the methods used to develop this product. I believe animals should be treated humanely and in my opinion the production of both foie gras and veal involve significant degrees of animal cruelty.

August 21, 2006

Ditchin' The Kitchen

Brits now spends more money eating out than we spend on home-cooked meals - twice what we spend as a nation on education. The question is: Are we becoming more adventurous when eating out or just going with the trend for fennel braised John Dory with truffled foie gras?

August 18, 2006

A Eurocentric View Of Cuisine

According to Harden's Restaurant Guide, the trend towards "oriental/novelty" eating in London is ending and diners are turning back to more traditional (French) styles of eating out. I find these comments offensive. Asian cuisines are just as diverse as European cuisine and to lump them together as "oriental/novelty" is at best patronising and at worst racist.

August 16, 2006

Marco Pierre White - Not Mad, Just Sad

Marco Pierre White trained at least 20 of this country's finest chefs, including Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Dan Clifford, Mark Edwards, Chris Galvin, Philip Howard and Bruce Poole. Listening to a radio interview with him today I was shocked by Marco's confession that it wasn't a burning passion for great food that drove him, but an obsession for Michelin stardom.

Restaurant Reviews

2007-10-14T01:00:00.033+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings involving restaurant reviews. Click on the links for the posts.

March 07, 2010	Koy Shunka - Barcelona's Hidden Treasure	Almost invisible down an alleyway off Barcelona's Via Laietana is one of the best Japanese restaurants to be found in Europe. It's a kappo-style counter restaurant in which customers sit around a square counter with chefs in the centre. Whenever I could scrape up the money to eat at Koy Shunka, it was my eating house of preference. And after Hideki had sliced my sashimi and poured me a sake, I would often wander down to the pool hall for a game or two with his business partner Sam.
February 10, 2010	Spanish Roundup - Two Great Restaurants	I never did get round to writing up Arrop, the bistronomic eaterie in Gandía which I thought offered great value for money. But at last I've managed to publish a roundup of my experiences at Torrijos in Valencia and Espai Sucre in Barcelona. Two restaurants with very different philosophies leading to totally different menus, but both of them a real treat for anyone who enjoys fine dining. Both places left lasting impressions on me.
January 12, 2010	Monks To The Left Of Me, Jockeys To The Right, Here I Am... (For Lunch)	My reviews of Torrijos, Arrop and Espai Sucre will have to wait for another day, because I simply have to pay L'Enclume the credits it deserves. I was pretty skeptical about fine dining on the Cumbrian coast, but what I experienced there when the family paid a post-Christmas visit was one of my best ever British dining experiences. Utterly exceptional.

December 02, 2009

Dinner In Dénia

I'm still sitting on a couple of reviews from earlier in the year, but I just had to post my review of El Poblet, now renamed Quique Dacosta Restaurante. This was a joint family birthday celebration for my parents and myself and what an experience it proved to be. OK, so I could make a few minor criticisms here and there, but make no mistake this is the best restaurant in the southern half of Spain and guaranteed to win its third Michelin star one of these days.

May 10, 2009

Can Paixano - The Perfect Last Meal

Not so much a restaurant - more an iconic symbol of working class Catalan culture. No tourists, no foodies, no Michelin inspectors - just local people, good cheap sandwiches and wine and all the hustle and bustle that you associate with the industrious, creative and gregarious people of Barcelona. It was the perfect venue for my last meal in the Catalan capital before moving on to València.

January 31, 2009

Dining Out In Barcelona

Not so much a restaurant review - more an overall review of eating out in my adopted city based on my understanding of the development of Barcelona's restaurant industry over the past few decades and some examples of restaurants - good, excellent and brilliant - that fall into different categories. As little as €20 can buy you a great meal in this city, but it's also not difficult to rack up a bill of over €200 for dinner. You pays yer money...

December 15, 2008

Taken ÀBaC

I wasn't taken aback so much by the food as by the décor as depicted on the website. I visualised several classic movies that matched the different surroundings. The food was mostly well executed, but I was very confused by the concept behind several dishes and the inconsistency of flow as the menu varied from classic Catalan to French nouvelle cuisine to classic Castilian to modern European eclectic. A bit of a roller-coaster of a gastronomic ride.

December 03, 2008

Roca 'N' Roll!

Well - I certainly wasn't disappointed. I ate an extended tasting menu and every one of the snacks and the twelve dishes proper was flawlessly executed. The service was impeccably professional and the whole experience was simply a delight. The dishes were all well-conceived - some of them creative and some more traditional - but all perfect. Josep Roca selected my wines and the experience was capped off by a guided tour of the kitchens with brother and Head Chef Joan Roca. I walked into this place and floated out.

November 26, 2008

Out To Lunch

Not since Mugaritz have I been so excited about the prospect of a meal that I've blogged about a place before I've been there to eat. But tomorrow I'm taking the Catalunya Express to Girona and having lunch at El Celler de Can Roca - a restaurant universally agreed to be one of the world's very best. I hope I'm not disappointed and this will be one of my best ever dining experiences.

November 13, 2008

Lasarte - A Different Class Of Dining

A few weeks ago I took my friend and erstwhile fellow Comerç 24 chef de partie Michael to a hotel restaurant to celebrate his birthday. It wasn't just any hotel restaurant. This was Lasarte - Martín Berasategui's new Barcelona restaurant that won its first Michelin star within a year of opening. Martín's Head Chef Alex Gares also trained with Carme Ruscalleda at Sant Pau and Ferran Adrià at El Bulli. Was I impressed? I was blown away. The overall dining experience was in a totally different league to anything I've ever experienced before.

October 24, 2008

Gresca - A Rumpus Of A Dinner

After I read about the bistronomic movement in reviews of Madrid Fusión 2008, I was determined to try one or two of these new haute cuisine bistros springing up around Barcelona. And when I read Ingo's review of Gresca in High-End Food, I knew this was the place to go. To find out what I thought of Rafael Peña's cooking, click on the link. I was surprised - and I think you may be too.

October 04, 2008

Experiencing El Bulli

No - don't get too excited - I haven't been to the world's most celebrated restaurant. Not yet, anyway. What triggered me to write a piece about the extraordinary experience that is El Bulli was the visit today by my friend Professor Paulina Mata and her chef friend Luis. Also, the time for next year's bookings is rapidly approaching and I was impressed by a review in The Times by AA Gill, who clearly enjoyed his experience in Cala Montjoi.

August 18, 2008

The Sixth Sense

When you first experience restaurant cooking at the very highest level, it's inevitable that you'll have quite a few "best ever" moments. I'll never forget that meal at Morgan M, for instance. I was thrilled to sample Fergus Henderson's wares and blown away when I first ate with Nuno Mendes at Bacchus. Only last month, the bar was raised for me when I dined at Guggenheim Bilbao and received perfect service and flawlessly executed food. But this week it was Olympic Gold. The best meal I've ever eaten - here in Barcelona at Cinc Sentits.

August 03, 2008

The End Of An Era... But "Rodney Trotter's El Bulli" Will Rise Again

How I never came to eat at Bacchus until three days before I left for Spain I will never know. But I've more than made up for it since. The quote is from a review with which I very definitely don't agree. The recent announcement that Bacchus is to close down as a fine dining restaurant doesn't come as a surprise to me, given various factors mitigating against it in its present form, but it certainly saddens me. I've learnt so much from Nuno Mendes - amazing considering that he's a chef for whom I've never worked. Maybe one day.

July 14, 2008

The Guggenheim - Art You Can Eat

After my disappointing experience at Mugaritz, I checked into the Guggenheim Bilbao for lunch with no more than modest expectations. But I was quite wrong. This was simply one of the best dining experiences of my life. Service was perfect and the food, never over-elaborated, was flawlessly executed. I can't praise the place highly enough.

July 09, 2008

Mugaritz - A Bad Day At The Office

Eating at Mugaritz was a great experience and one that I don't regret for one minute. But, unfortunately, it failed to live up to my high expectations. With a ratio of one chef per customer, there should have been no excuse for the many service issues I encountered and the failure to achieve perfect execution of the food. I put it down to a bad day at the office.

July 03, 2008

It Was Tough - But Someone Had To Do It

As I revealed in my previous post in this section, I decided to pay a visit to the Basque Country (Euskadi) on my way home to London. The clue I set wasn't hard enough - everyone guessed that I was stopping to eat at Mugaritz. But I also sampled the fare in Bilbao at the Restaurante Guggenheim and, last but not least, in some typical pintxos bars in San Sebastián. Reviews coming soon.

June 26, 2008

Restaurant Quiz

I'm about to start my summer holiday, but I thought I'd stop in somewhere for a meal on my way back to London. This particular meal requires a 12-hour detour via taxi, train and bus to reach a place that looks like a typical rustic farmhouse eaterie (both from the outside and the inside). Actually, it's one of the world's finest restaurants. Can you guess which one?

April 24, 2008

A Chance To Eat Out (A Few Times)

Meals out are like buses - you don't get one for ages and then suddenly six come along at once. Well, they do if you're a professional chef with no spare time to go out and sample other chef's menus. But I was on holiday for a fortnight recently and this is my write-up of the six very different meals out I experienced in London.

December 03, 2007

Lunch With An Alchemist

One of my 20th birthday presents was lunch at one of Barcelona's New Catalan restaurants - Jordi Vilà's Alkimia. Jordi trained with two giants of the kitchen - Jean-Louis Neichel and Jean Luc Figueras, before opening Alkimia four years ago and winning a Michelin star 18 months later. The best of the tasting menu was sheer genius. But I thought there were also some problems with both food and service, which was a shame.

November 25, 2007

The Family Visits La Familia

My dad wrote up the review of Comerç 24 because I didn't sit down to eat there. That's my mum in the picture, my dad's taking the photo and I'm in the kitchen (right background) helping to make their dinner. From my discussions with the family after their visit to Barcelona, I know they all really enjoyed the food. So, apparently, did an anonymous inspector. Because five days later the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star.

September 27, 2007

Saving The Best For Last (And About Time, Too!)

Within walking distance of my London home is a restaurant where they cook nothing short of the best food I've ever eaten. I've had an idea that this might be the case for quite some time, but for one reason or another I've never been to Bacchus before. Chef/Proprietor Nuno Mendes is Portuguese and trained in Catalunya before coming to Hackney. So it was more than fitting for this Portuguese-speaking Hackney boy to dine with him before heading to Catalunya to train. It was an experience that I will never forget, and one that has made a significant impact on my own development as a chef.

September 19, 2007

Laid Back On The King's Road

Thursday night was my final opportunity to meet food blogging acquaintances and new people over a dinner. This time it was a relaxed meal and wine/rice tasting at Osteria dell'Arancio on the King's Road. So it doubled as my farewell to Chelsea, as well. Organised by Sara Maternini of Italian food company San Lorenzo, the evening was focused on tasting lesser known varieties of Italian rice in the form of arancini, risotto, rice pie and rice pudding. Helped down by some excellent Barolo, it was a fine feast.

September 07, 2007

Dining And Wining

It's been a really busy time for me recently and I haven't managed to get out to a good restaurant for a few months now. Having achieved my Diploma and arranged my first post-college placement in a restaurant, I thought it time to invite some of my blogging and food writing friends out for a meal. Saturday night at The Providores, with great food and plenty of New Zealand wines.

May 12, 2007

The Gospel According To...

At last I've been to St. John, the restaurant in Smithfield so beloved of UK food bloggers. Taken for lunch by one of my lecturers, the experience did not disappoint. Fergus Henderson cooks unpretentious but exquisite food with a strong accent on offal. Recently voted the world's 34th best restaurant, St. John represents a real challenge to the culinary establishment.

April 26, 2007

The Steaks Are High

Santa Maria del Buen Ayre is an Argentinean restaurant within walking distance of my home that has won critical acclaim for its steaks - so it was time for me to try it for myself. No fine dining, this, but they served the most flavoursome fillet steak I have ever eaten.

March 12, 2007

Namasté

One of my most enjoyable work experiences was at Café Spice in Aldgate, where Cyrus Todiwala not only produces fantastic modern Indian cuisine but has been praised and rewarded for his work in vocational training. The family had a great meal there on Saturday night and we were made to feel so welcome (namasté).

January 31, 2007

Come Dine With Me

Most of us at some time have been too tired to cook and go for a takeaway instead. My dinner was from Noodle King, a Cantonese restaurant in Bethnal Green that serves healthy, nutritious, good-tasting food in massive bowls at less than £4 a course. It's great value for money.

January 21, 2007

Pub Grub Without Highway Robbery

The family paid a Sunday lunch visit to the Spaniards Inn in Hampstead, a pub once home to notorious highwayman Dick Turpin. It's not fine dining and nor does it pretend to be. But for a kitchen that must turn out a couple of hundred lunches on a busy day and doesn't keep customers waiting ages to be served, the quality of food is extraordinary.

December 31, 2006

This Way For An Explosion Of Flavours

I took my restauranteur friend Jafoor away from his Bangladeshi restaurant for lunch at East London's much talked-about Pakistani restaurant "New Tayyabs". Their food combines intrinsically bitter and sour produce, using spices brilliantly to create a flavour explosion in your mouth.

November 25, 2006

Oh Yes, This Frenchman Can Cook!

On Sunday we paid our family visit to Morgan M, to celebrate my birthday and my mum's. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Their food is, without doubt, deserving of a Michelin star. If you are in North London and looking for somewhere quiet for a great meal, I thoroughly recommend that you visit Morgan Meunier's.

November 14, 2006

Morgan M This Weekend

We are going to Morgan M for a family meal this weekend. Head Chef/Proprieter Morgan Meunier, recently voted London's third best chef by readers of Harden's, did his apprenticeship with Michel Guérard at Les Prés de Eugénie. I will report back.

November 01, 2006

Bacchanalian Pleasures?

Bacchus is a molecular gastronomy gastropub less than a mile from my house. Apart from being one of the few "experimental" restaurants in the country, Bacchus is of special attraction to me because head chef Nuno Mendes is Portuguese and he trained with Ferran Adrià at El Bulli.

September 27, 2006

Whirling Dervish

Voted "Hackney's best Turkish restaurant" by readers of the Hackney Gazette, The Dervish is a relaxed and friendly bistro with a "traditional" Turkish restaurant menu.

September 27, 2006

London's First Eco-Friendly Restaurant

Imagine the amount of wasted energy and materials involved in running a typical restaurant. London will soon be host to its first "eco-friendly" restaurant, aiming "to be environmentally aware in all aspects of its trade". This new concept could revolutionise eating out in the capital.

September 15, 2006

Morgan Who?

Harden's restaurant-goers voted Morgan Meunier third best chef in London, behind Gordon Ramsay and Bruce Poole. His restaurant Morgan M is just two miles from my home in North-East London. I shall pay a visit shortly to see for myself.

September 11, 2006

Lunch At Tamarind

Today my family and I had a fabulous lunch at Tamarind in Mayfair. Tamarind is Michelin starred and winner of the Indian Restaurant Of The Year award. I was pleasantly surprised. Executive Chef Alfred Prasad even had time to come out from the kitchens to receive our compliments.

Food Movies And Books

2007-10-13T01:00:00.014+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on food movies and books about food. Click on the links for the posts.

November 09, 2009

Replacing Recipes With Ratios

This summer hasn't been a great time for reading. Although I'm now in possession of some of the best books I've ever read on cooking and restaurateuring, finding time to settle down with them has been difficult. But I'm so glad I read Michael Ruhlman's 'Ratio'. It's one of those rare publications that has genuinely changed my life. I've had more inspiration as a result of reading this than from any other source since I first began to cook.

June 22, 2009

Feasting On The Silk Road

I've been reading Laura Kelley's excellent blog The Silk Road Gourmet for some time now. It's written with sensitivity, intelligence and passion and is unique amongst food blogs for its topic - the cultural and gastronomic anthropology of the trading nations along The Silk Road. I was really pleased to see that Laura has found a publisher for her trilogy and to be invited to look over the first volume. These are books that I thoroughly recommend to anyone with a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for the unusual.

June 15, 2009

The End Of The Line

Its release in cinemas timed to coincide with World Ocean Day (8th June), The End Of The Line should do for our oceans what Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth did for climate change - bring the issue of unsustainable fishing into the public consciousness and shame governments around the world into action. Celebrity chefs and restaurateurs have a vital role to play in preventing the extinction of endangered species by removing them from menus. Some are doing this, but others are still lagging behind.

April 06, 2009

Classical British Shepherd's Pie (With Some Minor Modifications)

The other day I was sent a clip from BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week - and I've been smiling every time I've thought about it since. Many cooks, both professional and domestic, are obsessive about the correctness of recipes. It's hard for me to understand that, as someone who tends to cook from mood and taste, rather than from recipes. And isn't great cooking all about improving on what has gone before? Yasmin's mother certainly thought so, and British shepherd's pie was definitely open to improvement. Nothing a pinch of garam masala and a few other ingredients couldn't solve. "Nicely brown on top". Lol!

February 22, 2009

Tampopo Wins Award For Best Picture

It's Oscars Day in Hollywood, but a much more important movie celebration took place a week ago with the annoucement of the CooksDen All-Time Culinary Cinema Awards. Favourite food films of mine won in several categories and, just to show that people have got really good taste out there, my all-time favourite Tampopo won the all-time Best Food Movie award.

September 08, 2008

The Novice, The Master And A 1981 Corton-Charlemagne

It's been a long time since I posted a clip from my all-time favourite food film, "Tampopo" (Dandelion). The movie is an allegory that weaves together tales of the global threat to traditional Japanese culture, set against the theme of the powerful relationship between food and sex. The two clips I've chosen both address the novice/master relationship... but in very different ways. Enjoy!

July 06, 2008

Grocery Store Wars - May The Farm Be With You

I'm still working on my reviews of Mugaritz and the Guggenheim, so in the meantime I thought I'd republish this video. It's only a six-minute short, but a totally brilliant one. Produced for The Organic Trade Association by Free Range Studios, this video reveals how the food market has been taken over by the forces of the Dark Side. With advice from Obi Wan Cannoli and help from Ham Solo and ChewBroccoli, Cuke Skywalker learns the ways of The Farm and defeats Lord Tader and the Egg Troopers and returns the Empire to a happy, pesticide-free Princess Lettuce.

January 11, 2008

A Nasty Taste In The Mouth

This book by the brilliantly talented Bee Wilson couldn't be better timed. Due for publication in a few days, Bee's story of the history of food adulteration hits the shelves just as British TV is packed with programmes about food content, poultry rearing methods and supermarket methods. Mum's been listening to this on BBC Radio 4's Book Of The Week and dad has ordered me a copy via Amazon.

December 13, 2007

Birthday Pressies

Two of the birthday presents I received this year were a food parcel from my dad (who seems to think there are no shops in Barcelona) and a book from my mum. Actually, the food parcel contained all the ingredients needed for a good spicy soup. And the book wasn't just any book - it was the amazing Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain. This rings so many bells for me as a trainee chef. I simply can't put it down.

October 29, 2007

The Future Of Food Is Here Today

Not exactly food movies in the conventional sense, but a series of brilliant video shorts produced for the Observer Food Magazine special feature: The Future Of Food. These fascinating and informative videos feature two chefs I've met - Nuno Mendes of Bacchus in Hoxton and Daniel Clifford of Midsummer House in Cambridge, plus Simon Rogan of L'Enclume in Cartmel and Anthony Flinn of Anthony's in Leeds. The common theme is "the food of the 21st century".

July 29, 2007

Ratatouille À La Popcorn

There's something about Rémy, star of the film "Ratatouille", that reminds me of myself. I have exactly the same passion for innovation and experimentation in food and I have on more than one occasion evoked exactly the same reaction from French chefs when discovered in their kitchens. In this post I show a clip from Pixar revealing the secrets of computer-generated food. For non-Americans, there's a shock at the end of the video.

June 11, 2007

Going For An English

OK - so it's not a feature film, just a 4 minute clip from a TV comedy made a decade ago. But when I saw it again the other day I just had to post this. From the pioneering BBC series "Goodness Gracious Me", this sketch brilliantly satirises the classic Friday night night out at the local Indian restaurant by turning the tables. Read my post to view this hysterically funny clip and to discover how real life has imitated this piece of art.

April 11, 2007

This Is Sheer Genius

When I say "This", I'm referring to the amazing Hervé This, Physical Chemist at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique and author of "Molecular Gastronomy; Exploring the Science of Flavor". The book is destined to change my whole approach to cooking.

March 08, 2007

Two Books At Bedtime

Two great books have just arrived at my house. The first, a late Xmas present from my dad is "McGee On Food And Cooking", the modern bible of food science. The second is "The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago & the Caribbean", the seminal work on Caribbean cookery by Trinidadan schoolgirls at Naparima Girls' High School, courtesy of Joel's girlfriend's mum Jacqui.

January 19, 2007

Sex, Food And Gustav Mahler

In October I posted an article on my all-time favourite food film, "Tampopo" (Dandelion). Here is another video clip. If food, love and Mahler turn you on then just sit back, listen to the background track to this video extract and dream of eating oysters in Venice with someone very special.

November 23, 2006

Fast Food Nation Arrives

"Fast Food Nation" has arrived in Britain. Despite highly critical reviews, there are signs of movement from the fast food industry on the obesity issue. The UK TV regulator Ofcom has annouced a total ban on burger adverts in all programmes with substantial numbers of young viewers. Here are two extracts.

November 04, 2006

Eat Drink Man Woman

Another wonderful piece of cooking on camera. A clip from Ang Lee's erotic foodie film "Eat Drink Man Woman" - a great family story set against a backdrop of 100% genuine traditional Taiwanese cooking at its best. If anything is going to make you fall in love with food, this is surely it.

October 07, 2006

Dandelion And Noodles

Juzo Itami's Japanese spaghetti western "Tampopo" (dandelion) is a film that has long been a favourite in my family. It weaves together tales of Japanese culture, with food and sex as the common link. In this clip, gourmet vagrants break into a hotel kitchen to cook a rice omelette for Tampopo's hungry son.

Food Markets, Shops & Exhibitions

2007-10-12T01:00:00.006+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on markets, shops and hospitality exhibitions. Click on the links for the posts.

October 14, 2009

Seafood... Eat It!

I can't believe it's been almost two years since I last posted about a food market! It's not that I haven't been to any during that period - more that I've not found the time to take all the photos and write it all up. But I'm making amends with a post that I've been working on for a while. It's the amazing Mercado Central de València, where I've focused on the seafood section.

March 24, 2008

Viva Alimentaria

Alimentaria - the biggest food show in Europe - came to town last week, but demands of work meant that I couldn't attend. What made this even worse was that the restaurant was packed out every day with... visitors to Alimentaria! So I had to settle for reading about the exhibition and collating together some photos and a video clip to give an idea about the show.

February 17, 2008

Eating Out On Las Ramblas

This post was not exactly about food shops, but I couldn't bring myself to file it under "restaurant reviews". Barcelona is a city with fantastic sources of fresh food and excellent restaurants. But take a stroll down Las Ramblas and you'll find all the usual suspects of the fast food trade and both tourists and locals munching away. Sad, but unsurprising I suppose.

November 12, 2007

A Visit To La Boqueria

On a Monday - when I'm on a rest day from work - I like to explore the sights of Barcelona, both the tourist haunts and places frequented by the locals. Last Monday I visited the amazing Mercat de la Boqueria, the city's oldest and most extensive covered food market. Boqueria is a wonderland of sights, sounds and fresh produce. It's also where many of Barcelona's top chefs source their ingredients, including my own head chef Arnau.

September 05, 2007

Ugly Fruit And Carbon Footprints

I've been meaning to write something about my favourite supermarket, Waitrose, for a long time. Eventually I was spurred to action by a radio feature in which new MD Mark Price was interviewed about the chain's philosophy. And I found a video clip about Waitrose selling "ugly" fruit, i.e. fruit that failed to meet Class 1 standards and would normally be dumped. I don't expect everyone to agree, but these are my thoughts.

June 30, 2007

Borough Market Tour Video

As a follow-up to the recent gastro tour of Borough Market, the organisers, Trustedplaces, have published a tour video. Taken together with the excellent photos that many food bloggers have published, this video makes a perfect introduction to the market for those who have never been there. And I'm in it!

June 21, 2007

Destination: Foodie Heaven

On Friday I was invited, along with food writers and other food bloggers, on a gastro tour of Borough Market in Southwark - a food heaven that I already now quite well. I enjoyed some great food, wine and company and, incidentally, lost my oyster virginity while there.

May 02, 2007

We Live In A Beautiful World

Most of us are so used to buying our food in supermarkets that we have forgotten where it comes from. Many kids in school don't know that pork comes from pigs or that apples grow on trees. We live in a beautiful world of food and Market Gardeners International is encouraging us all to make better use of it.

January 29, 2007

Broadway Market In Pictures

Broadway Market is the street where my local farmer's market takes place every Saturday. Last weekend there was a break in the weather for a few hours and the sun came out. Here's a Flickr display of the stalls and shops in Broadway Market, Hackney.

December 17, 2006

Borough Market In Pictures

Last weekend we went to the amazing Borough Market (near to London Bridge) with the new camera and took loads of photos. I've managed to work out how to create a Flickr display of pictures. So welcome to Borough Market!

October 12, 2006

Prosciutto, Jambon, Presunto, Jamón!

I'm a huge fan of a good ham. Today my dad went to Gallo Nero (our favourite Italian delicatessen in nearby Stoke Newington) and brought home some of Michael's wonderful roast Tuscan ham. We buy this regularly, amongst other great imported Italian delicacies.

October 11, 2006

Delicious In Any Language

One little place that won me over the moment I walked through the door was Marios - a tiny Portuguese oasis just down the road from the massive Wood Green shopping complex. Cross the threshold and you are transported to a Portuguese village store.

September 29, 2006

Portuguese Food On-Line

I've been written to by this on-line food and wine supplier based in Matosinhos in the commercial zone just north of Porto. This is a location very much in my "home" territory when I'm in Portugal, and I often visit Norteshopping in nearby Maia. I'm happy to put a link on my website.

September 21, 2006

The Restaurant Show 2006

Yesterday I paid my second visit to The Restaurant Show, which features demos from some of the country's top chefs and promotes industry products and services. Peter Gordon of The Providores runs the NZ-UK Link competition. Last year's winner was Sophie Wright from my college and I met her and Peter at the show.

September 10, 2006

Broadway Market

When I was young, Broadway Market was somewhere you avoided after dark. Failing businesses, graffitti-laden walls and regular gang warfare. Then Hackney Council and local traders launched the Saturday food market. Now the market is a fountain of culture, eccentricity and organic produce, flowing with a clientele of upmarket "new-age yuppies".

August 13, 2006

Fishing For Compliments

I decided to cook sardines last night. You should always buy the freshest produce and in the case of fish this is critical. Living in Hackney, finding the best fish is a no-brainer. I got my sardines from the amazing Steve Hatt in Essex Road Islington. One of the best fishmongers in London.

Celebrity Chefs & TV Cooking

2007-10-11T01:00:00.019+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on celebrity chefs and TV cooking. Click on the links for the posts.

October 27, 2009

Oooh Mummy, Can We Have Some Umami?

Umami, or the "fifth flavour" may be a word that is part of the vocabulary of the average Japanese toddler, but it's hardly something we know much about in Britain. I was amazed to see that a feature about umami had been shown at peak evening viewing time on BBC1. In this post I've briefly discussed what umami is and included an edited clip from the tv programme.

October 03, 2009

They Go Really Badly Together - Potato And Orange

The bits of this series of Masterchef: The Professionals that I've managed to watch so far have been every bit as awful as The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain has been brilliant. But I've not only been shocked by the poor standard of the contestants. I've also been amazed at the arrogance and insularity of the presenters - even those with Michelin 2* restaurants. Read this to discover how Michel Roux Jr. wrote off one of València's classic regional dishes.

September 03, 2009

Working-Class Gastronomy (Having A Larf)

The latest to arrive on my regular tv "food parcels" from back home are some clips from the latest series of "The Hairy Bikers". In this great new series, the lads are touring Britain, bridging the gap between comfort food and fine dining with all the honesty and joy of ordinary people discovering the better things that life has to offer. Having a larf... and surprising some very experience chefs in the process. From what I've seen, a series definitely worth watching!

August 28, 2009

Sugar Daddy

Although this man is one of Spain's most famous chefs, I could equally have posted this in my Professional Work section, because I had the great pleasure of meeting world class pastry chef Franscico 'Paco' Torreblanca in the kitchen at work the other day. One of the greatest experts in work with sugar, Paco is a huge inspiration to me in my present endeavours.

August 05, 2009

Cambodian Food

In his latest series, Rick Stein visits Vietnam, Thailand and my favourite South East Asian country, Cambodia. When I visited a few years ago I was knocked out by the food, which combined strong Asian flavours with a subtlety and complexity of balance. Watch these clips for just a small insight into the cuisine of this amazing country.

May 31, 2009

Deconstructing Bourdain

One of the culinary world's toughest and most cynical commentators is reduced to the level of a giggling child. "Is it good? Yes, yes... it's really good! Does it make sense? Yes, yes... it... it makes sense." He could only be talking about the food of one man. Ferran Adrià i Acosta. Anthony Bourdain undergoes The El Bulli Experience.

August 07, 2008

F*** Working In A F***ing Kitchen For A F***ing Living

File this one under celebrity chefs and TV swearing. There can hardly be a TV viewer in the world who hasn't wanted to do what happens in this sketch at some time. I just love the last lines - delivered with perfect timing. "He makes a fine casserole." "Doesn't he, though?"

June 13, 2008

Whispering Wind

It's 18 months since I last posted about Ray Mears, the English TV presenter, survivalist and bushcraft expert. Although there has been lots to enjoy in what I've seen of his latest series 'Ray Mears Goes Walkabout', one piece stood out for me. It's the story of Australia's forgotten hero Syd Kyle-Little, known by his Aboriginal name as Whispering Wind.

May 12, 2008

A Taste Of Two Honeys

I think this is the first time I've ever posted about a TV cooking programme that hasn't been aired yet. Unfortunately I couldn't be there myself, but my dad was invited round to nearby Broadway Market in Hackney last Saturday to meet his friend Ian Davies and take part in a blind honey tasting. Not unusual in itself, but this street trial was conducted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and was being filmed for the new series of River Cottage on Channel 4.

March 27, 2008

A Cook's Tour Of Spain

The latest Channel4 offering features former Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers in a series about Spanish regional cuisine. The first programme, set in Andalucia, exceeded my expectations by some distance. A Cook's Tour Of Spain gets up close and personal with its subject and really teaches you something about the fantastic and varied regional gastronomy of Spain.

March 02, 2008

The Appliance Of Science In Portugal

Portugal has never been at the forefront of innovation and creativity in Europe - at least not for the past few hundred years. But things are changing rapidly. Hard on the heels of Heston Blumenthal's "In Search Of Perfection", Portuguese TV is starting to show live demonstrations of molecular gastronomy techniques. And my friend Professor Mata is participating in a regular TV series about the science behind food products and processes. Amazing stuff!

February 02, 2008

Doing "Something A Bit Different"

When my dad emailed me to view an edited clip from Masterchef, I wasn't very excited. I've never really liked the show very much - it's far too conservative for my tastes. But dad was right about this particular contestant. Eighteen-year-old Emily is someone very special. She visualises combinations of taste, aroma, texture, colour and shape and then creates her own dishes from the images in her head - exactly what I try to do. My reaction watching her was the same as John Torode's. "Wow!"

January 20, 2008

Doing What You Do Best

There's a famous BT advert starring Gordon Ramsay in which order in his kitchen disintegrates as he relinquishes control as Head Chef and attempts to install a new phone. "Do what you do best" is the message. I don't think he was expecting Rory Bremner to produce this hilarious spoof in which order in Gordon's kitchen disintegrates as he does what he does best - taking endless phone calls to arrange his latest TV programmes and appearances. Lol!

December 06, 2007

What Women Want

Back in September I wrote about Marco Pierre White, saying how well I thought he'd done fronting Hell's Kitchen and posting three video clips from the series. Two months later, those clips had over 20,000 views and the adoring comments from women were embarrassing. I think Marco looks like something recently dug up from the vegetable patch, but clearly I'm in the minority.

November 01, 2007

It's More Kushti At Home

Not long ago I wrote a post about how relaxed Jamie Oliver was looking in his latest series "Jamie At Home". At last he'd got away from the controversial politics surrounding him in recent years. Rory Bremner must have read my blog, because last week he made exactly the same point on "Bremner, Bird & Fortune". Watch the clip and laugh yourself silly.

October 18, 2007

Splitting My Hashi

Until I saw this video clip I'd never heard of the Rahmens, but a little research revealed that they are hugely popular celebrity comics in their home country of Japan. The connection with food is in the subject matter of several of the videos in their series "The Japanese Tradition". In this clip they explain the intricate rules of etiquette associated with hashi, or chopsticks.

September 25, 2007

From Angry School Dinners To The Good Life Home Cooking

A year ago things were looking good for Jamie Oliver after the successful launch of his campaign to improve school meals. But a year on and the cracks were appearing. Moaning parents, disgruntled dinner ladies and the lowest school meal uptake for 50 years. The new TV series "Jamie At Home" has taken the cheeky chappy back to basics with simple Mediterranean home cooking based around locally grown fruits and vegetables. The stress has gone and Jamie at last looks like he's really enjoying life again.

September 21, 2007

I Never Thought I'd Hear Myself Saying This

When it was first announced that Marco Pierre White was to host the new series of Hell's Kitchen, dad and I didn't believe it. "He'll storm out half way through" was dad's judgment. Well, the series has finished and Marco has done himself proud. Never mind the orchestrated nonsense to make good TV - The Great White has shown the world exactly what it takes to be a great chef. Leadership, inspiration, teaching and charisma in bucket loads. Without a single "F-word". Eat your heart out, Gordon.

July 13, 2007

TV Food Shocker Hits Britain

I was shocked when I saw an episode of this new BBC TV cooking series. It involves street gangsters, violence, poisoning, size discrimination, retro cooking recipes, improper kitchen hygiene and food sourcing practices, the taking of illicit substances... the list goes on. And it's so frightening I had to hide behind the sofa. To discover the full horrifying facts about this show, click on the link and read my exposé.

June 01, 2007

Ramsay's At Your Beckham Call

When I read that Gordon Ramsay was going into partnership with Posh & Becks to open a restaurant in L.A., I simply couldn't believe it. With a past history of food friction between the weight-conscious, vegetarian Victoria and the carnivorous, foie gras loving Gordon Ramsay I can see all sorts of problems with this venture. So I'm appealing to readers for menu suggestions.

March 23, 2007

Spot The Chef Competition

There's a photograph on the wall in Café Spice showing the proprieter Cyrus Todiwala with 33 other famous chefs. See how many you can name. There many very famous practitioners of the culinary arts in this room, with quite a few Michelin stars between them.

January 15, 2007

Here's One I Made Earlier...

The Sunday Times has revealed that today’s celebrity chefs are merely entertainers - chosen for their ability to ooze TV personality - backed up by a "galley of specialists who translate chefs’ ideas into digestible formats..." with some backroom staff "actually supplying the ideas". Well, surprise, surprise. I'd never have guessed.

January 03, 2007

Naked Chef Outdone By Jay Kay's Parsnip

In a recent episode of Saturday Kitchen, Jamie Oliver was invited to the home of Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay to cook for the band. When the vegetable accompaniments were revealed I was shocked. Not clean and neat veg from Sainsbury's, but produce from Jay Kay's own organic vegetable garden!

January 02, 2007

Fancy Your Own TV Series?

Last November I posted about Aussie chefs Vic Cherikoff and Benjamin Christie. Shortly after I heard that their TV shows are being networked US-wide. In December I posted about survivalist and wild food expert Ray Mears. This week BBC2 presents Ray's new series "Wild Food". So if you fancy being on TV, maybe I should write about you first.

December 18, 2006

Here's To You, Marguerite!

Marguerite Patten taught Brits to cook in the 1930s and advised the government and housewives on food during the second world war. Old, retired and set in her ways? Not a bit of it. This week the 91-yr-old celebrity chef has released a podcast showing how to make a quick and easy Christmas pudding.

December 04, 2006

Living Off The Land: Mother Nature's Larder

Ray Mears is a presenter known for his TV series on the subject of bushcraft. Surprisingly he is not an Aussie but an Englishman who lives and works in East Sussex. Ray has presented on the techniques employed by our ancestors for hunting and gathering and he's a keen promoter of indigenous wild food.

December 02, 2006

Cooking For The Queen

In June the BBC ran a TV series called Great British Menu, in which top UK chefs battled it out for a chance to cook for the Queen's birthday banquet. They've started filming next year's series and I appear in some background shots, weighing up flour and sugar. Not exactly a starring role, but who knows where it could lead!

November 15, 2006

In Search Of A Laugh

You can't fail to admire the genius of culinary alchemist and 3* Michelin restaurateur Heston Blumenthal. But that doesn't mean you can't have a good laugh at some of his more extreme approaches to cooking. This Private Eye cartoon had me in stitches.

November 10, 2006

And Now For Suspension Of Disbelief...

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new series of River Cottage is a fantastic improvement on the last series. This week Hugh worked with a group of ready-meal addicts, teaching them to fish, to rear animals and to dig their own vegetables, before cooking home made versions of their microwave favourites using his farm-grown organic produce.

November 05, 2006

Heston Services - In Search of Perfection

Last week saw the first part of Heston Blumenthal's new TV series "In Search Of Perfection". I defy anyone to read the story of Heston's rise from unsuccessful trainee with Raymond Blanc to Britain's #1 restauranteur without being touched by the man's sincerity and deep love of food.

October 01, 2006

And The Celebrity MasterChef Winner Is...

Friday night saw the final of BBC Celebrity MasterChef. I thought the winner would be comedian Hardeep, who cooked the most adventurous dishes. But England rugby scrum-half Matt Dawson - complimented on his cooking by the Roux family earlier in the series - won the final with salmon carpaccio with scallion pancakes, sea bass in a tamarind broth and an almond and pear tart.

September 23, 2006

Celebrity Masterchef Poaches My Recipe

The new series of BBC Celebrity MasterChef has really impressed. One of the inventive dishes that caught my eye this week was the combination of butternut squash with shiitake mushroom, which Greg Wallace agreed "would make a good broth". Now where have I heard of butternut squash soup with shiitake before? Oh yes, I published my recipe for it just the other day.

September 19, 2006

Jamie's Return To School Dinners

Last night Channel 4 presented "Return To School Dinners", a follow-up to Jamie Oliver's ground-breaking TV series last year which led to changes in school meals across Britain. It seems that not everyone has been totally enthusiastic towards the school food revolution. Some parents have been feeding their kids junk food through the school fence.

September 10, 2006

Deer Oh Deer!

A while back I posted a piece on Marco Pierre White, this country's greatest ever trainer of master chefs. I argued that he was someone for whom one should feel sympathy. Not a sentiment shared with his wife, apparently, who flung her husband's treasured deer-hunting trophies onto the pavement outside their home, following a vicious screaming match.

Friends & Family

2007-10-10T10:22:00.035+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on me, my home, friends and family. Click on the links for the posts.

March 05, 2010

So Proud Of Our Global Community

Just over two weeks since we launched our appeal for funds to help replace the knives lost by the stagières at Mugaritz and we've bust the target. Thanks to so many members of the food community out there who contributed. Some donors world-famous. Others of us much smaller cogs in the machine. But all part of one fantastic community of which I'm so proud!

February 22, 2010

Mugaritz Fire - Stagières' Knives Appeal

In the early hours of last Monday, fire destroyed the kitchens at Mugaritz and badly damaged the farmhouse building. It was tragedy enough, but at least covered by insurance. Unlike the knife rolls of three stagières which had been stored in a kitchen cupboard. With help from John Sconzo in New York I've set up an appeal fund to raise $2,500 to replace these precious possessions. As a former stagière myself, I know how much these lads need our help.

December 31, 2009

And So That Was Christmas...

I've managed to survive the snowdrifts and freezing cold winds of North Yorkshire, with the aid of a lot of home-cooked food of the pescatarian persuasion and an equally large quantity of wine and cognac. Despite the weather, we also managed to get out and eat at two very different Michelin-starred restaurants - Andrew Pern's warm and homely public house The Star at Harome in Yorkshire and Simon Rogan's brilliant fine dining restaurant L'Enclume at Cartmel in Cumbria.

December 23, 2009

Happy Christmas Everyone

It's that time again. Mum and I have just arrived up in North Yorkshire, after a fairly uneventful drive from London during a break in the weather. When we arrived, the snow was almost a foot deep in dad's garden and more is forecast for tonight. But we're tucked in, with plenty of great local food and drink and surrounded by friends and neighbours. What more could you want?

November 02, 2009

It's A Tough Life As A Professional Chef...

It's been a long, hard year. I had a short rest between leaving Lasarte in Barcelona and moving to Ferrero in Bocairent, but since then I've not had a break. We've been so busy sometimes that I've not even been able to take my full weekend break. So, given the chance to take some R&R in Portugal, I leapt at the chance. I guess you can see why. Well, man can't live by pastries alone.

August 20, 2009

Hop, Step, Jump, 17.73... Simples!

I never met Phillips at school - he left a few years before I transferred to Raine's Foundation. But he's always been an inspiration to me and many other young people growing up in Hackney, where aspirations can be so low. Raine's is a school where teachers make the best of limited resources and take risks in encouraging the ambitions of their students. Letting me start Spanish a year after everyone else was an example of this - and look where I am now! The title, btw, is Phillips' impersonation of Aleksandr Orlov in the video interview.

May 03, 2009

Barcelona - Oh, How I'll Miss You

583 days ago I flew into Girona airport and made my way by coach into Barcelona. I knew that moving here would have a profound impact on my professional development, but what I didn't realise back then was the profound impact this city would have on my personal development. I leave here excited about the opportunity I'm about to take up in València, but with great sadness to be leaving the place I've come to know as home and so many people who have become my friends. In those 583 days I've become part of the Catalan family and nothing will ever take that away from me. Except, of course, when Chelsea plays Barcelona. Then, for 90 minutes, I'm a Londoner.

March 20, 2009

Sea Food (Part 2)

I may have spent a great few days holidaying on the Costa Brava, but my brother Joel had a rather more adventurous holiday recently. His destination was also somewhere with great beaches, but a bit further away. Joel and his partner Aliyyah travelled to her country of birth - "The Jewel of the Caribbean", Trinidad And Tobago. Joel spent some time enjoying Carnival, but more time enjoying Trini food!

March 15, 2009

Sea Food (Part 1)

The trouble with working long hours is that you don't get to spend a huge amount of time with friends and family. So when the opportunity arises - as with a period in-between jobs - you grab it with both hands. This was a chance to spend a few days cruising the Costa Brava with my friends Michael and Karlien, looking at the stunning beaches and the spectacular Catalan mountains... and eating and drinking. With the highlight of a visit to somewhere very special.

December 24, 2008

Happy Christmas

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Peaceful New Year and Al Hijra/Muharram. Whatever is your thing and whoever is your God, if you believe in one, may peace and happiness be with you over the winter holidays. Whoever you are and wherever you will be this Christmas, may you have health, happiness and - like me and my family - really great food!

December 20, 2008

Christmas In North Yorkshire Threatened By The Recession

According to my dad, things are so bad in North Yorkshire with the economic recession that the sheep have gone on grazing strike, the wild boar have dug themselves into warrens and the local population have been driven to eat wild llama in order to survive. Somehow, I've a sneaky feeling that, although the photos he's sent me are genuine, the story behind them that he's telling me may just be a winter spoof.

November 16, 2008

Twenty-One Today!

Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself! It's been a fantastic year and one during which I've really come of age. My parents tell me they saw a boy last year and a man this year. Once again they came to Barcelona and this time I was able to really show them around the restaurant scene as well as the more general tourist locations. Amongst my presents I got "A Day At El Bulli", a new Global knife case and a cake from Escribà. And we ate at Àtica, Cerveseria Catalana, Koy Shunka and Cinc Sentits. Now another exciting year begins.

October 10, 2008

From Junk Food To Farm Food (Via Sainsbury's)

A guest post from my dad, who's just moved up to North Yorkshire and is trying to live the River Cottage life. He said he'd buy meat and dairy produce from local farms and get farm boxes delivered with organic fruit and veg. And he'd cook all of his own meals and give up take-aways for good. Has he kept his promise? Click to find out.

September 28, 2008

End Of An Era

This was the London house my parents bought 21 years ago to make room for their second child... me. With a garden large enough for kids to play footy, with trees to climb and both a frog pond and a koi carp pond, the old house was a delight to grow up in. Now dad has done it up, rented it out and retired to God's Own County. Click to read about the revolutionary food promises that he's made as part of the relocation.

September 13, 2008

Eating In Southern Africa

Mum just got back from a three-week holiday, travelling down from Victoria Falls in Zambia to Cape Town in South Africa. She and I reviewed the photos she brought back and I've set up a Flickr display showing some of mum's more food-related experiences - everything from wild game and its predators to cooking in the ashes to dining out in the city.

June 30, 2008

All Wet And Sloppy

I've just arrived in Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque Country, with its miles of golden beaches, so I've taken the day off and handed over to my brother to guest post. His piece is also about crashing waves and the smell of ozone. While I'm off to visit the pintxos tonight, Joel has been visiting Portsmouth Fish Market. Well, someone's got to do it!

June 02, 2008

Kitchen Confidential - What's In Your Larder?

This post was inspired by the Observer Food Monthly, which invited some famous chefs to share the contents of their kitchen cupboards with readers. I'm a long way from being invited to take part in something like that, but what the heck, I thought I'd join in the fun anyway. So - here's mine. Now show me yours. If you dare.

April 13, 2008

How I've Missed You!

There's no place like home. Back from Barcelona for the first of my two annual fortnight vacations, a pint of beer at cool room temperature was a great start. Then out clubbing with my mates and dining out with the family. More restaurants in two weeks than I normally get a chance to visit in six months. My favourite Tuscan ham... and marmite soldiers. Home!

March 13, 2008

If At First You Don't Succeed...

At the bottom of this page is a post I published before this first became a food blog. After many setbacks, last Sunday evening Phillips smashed Jonathan Edwards' indoor world record to win triple-jump gold in Valencia. Our school equipped us with something very special - the self-esteem and self-belief to keep on trying until we make it to the very best of our ability.

January 26, 2008

Still Swimming Against The Tide

For as long as I can remember I've been someone with strong independent opinions and when I was younger this sometimes resulted in the odd difficulty with my elders and betters. Few of my friends understood why I would want to leave home and go abroad to work for no pay, but I've always been focused on what I want to achieve and had a good idea how to attain my goals. Click here to see how one little maverick once turned his back on one of the world's most famous people. It's confession time.

December 27, 2007

It's Great Having Other People Cook For You

When you spend your life cooking for other people, it's really great to have others cook for you. I flew into a foggy London on Sunday afternoon - cold, wet and hungry. All discomforts left far behind a few hours later after a six-course tasting menu with paired wines at Bacchus, courtesy of Nuno Mendes. Ideal preparation for a great family Christmas dinner. To find out what dad cooked for us all, click and read my post.

December 21, 2007

Happy Christmas, Yule and Zartusht-No-Diso

It's time to wish everyone of all faiths and none the very best for a happy Christmas holiday. Amazingly, it's now three months since my plane landed at Girona airport and I set off on the great adventure of a three-month training stage at Comerç 24 in Barcelona. When I started, I assumed that I'd be working over the holiday, but they close the restaurant for three days. So on Sunday I'll be flying back to London to spend Christmas with my family.

November 16, 2007

It's That Day Again

It doesn't seem long since I posted a piece on my 19th birthday. I'd just started work experience at The Boxwood Café and when I got home at night I was researching my Australian Gastronomy project for college. One year later I've graduated with my Professional Chef Diploma, left home and moved to Spain to train at one of the best restaurants in Barcelona. It's been an amazing year.

May 18, 2007

An Unedited Peek In My Fridge

I've followed up on a meme started by Sam Breach a couple of weeks ago by photographing my fridge and listing the contents. I surprised myself by the extent of Italian ingredients. What might surprise other people is the relative lack of any processed food, food additives and colourings.

April 22, 2007

It's A Hard Life...

These four beautiful young women just arrived from Laúndos in the Portuguese Minho to spend a sightseeing week in London. I simply had to offer them the comforts of my bedroom. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me share it with them, but they have agree to share the cooking of a classic Portuguese bacalhau dish later this week.

April 07, 2007

Happy Easter

To my family, my friends, my readers and fellow bloggers - have a very happy Easter. I'm looking forward to my little indulgence, an Exuberantly Fruity egg from Hotel Chocolat, the purchase of which was inspired by fellow bloggers. A special Easter wish to my mum, who is on the other side of the world right now (so I'll have to eat her portion of the egg).

December 23, 2006

Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Winterval, Eid...

Whatever your thing at this festive time, have a very joyous one! Here are a couple of electronic Christmas cards from me to everyone. I think you'll enjoy them.

December 20, 2006

Olá Chelsea!

For the first time in years I won't be visiting Portugal at Christmas. The draw for the Champions League just took place and my team is visiting José Mourinho's former team, Porto. The match will be showing on the massive screen in my friends' restaurant...

November 16, 2006

It's My Party...

It only seems like yesterday that I was poking my head out and wondering what sort of place this was... and yet it's exactly nineteen years to the day. I've got some great birthday presents.

October 29, 2006

Home Sweet Home

I got back from Portugal early Saturday morning. I return refreshed and ready for another six weeks of college. The atmosphere of Laúndos makes for the perfect stress-free life, the only difficulty is getting used to having someone else cook for me.

October 22, 2006

Portugal, Aqui Eu Venho

Next week is half-term at college and I'm taking a break in Portugal. I'll be off tomorrow to stay with my friends up in the Minho, returning on Thursday 26th. My little home from home is Laúndos, a few kilometres from the northern coastal city of Póvoa de Varzim.

October 01, 2006

Big Brother Looking For Graduate Economics Job

My big brother Joel has just been awarded a good 2.1 honours degree in Business Economics, specialising in the mathematical science of econometrics. So far his job hunt has not been successful, although it's early days yet..

September 26, 2006

Video Cooking Made Easy

I want to be one of the first food bloggers in the world to show regular movie clips. As a pilot, I filmed my dad impersonating the owner of Norwich City F.C., who reportedly does a bit of cooking in her spare time.

September 09, 2006

Better Eating In The Family

My dad is clinically obese after years of over-indulgence in fatty foods, excess carbohydrate and too little fresh fruit and vegetables. He has at last decided to adopt a complete change in eating style.

August 12, 2006

Good Luck Phillips!

Later today Phillips Idowu will jump for European triple-jump gold. Phillips was brought up in Hackney where aspirations are often very low. His determination to succeed has been an inspiration to me. He and I both attended Raines Foundation School.

Food Blogging And Writing

2007-10-09T01:00:00.037+02:00

These are synopses of my past postings on blogging and food writing, amateur and professional. Click on the links for the posts.

December 07, 2009

TGRWT #20 - Chicken And Pumpkin

I couldn't resist the challenge of TGRWT #20, hosted by the man who inspired me to train at Ferrero, John Sconzo. But what with moving from Valencia to Girona and then coming back to London for a Christmas break, I was pushed for time. So this was time to exercise my skills of delegation. I briefed my staff to produce a Cambodian meal with chicken and pumpkin - and here's the result.

October 10, 2009

Thanks Guys

We don't publish blogs so we can build up large numbers of readers - well, most of us don't. We publish because we love what we do and want to share a bit of that with other people around this tiny planet who share that same passion. But I'd be lying if I said that ever-increasing numbers don't give me a strong motivation to continue.

September 15, 2009

TGRWT #18 Plum & Blue Cheese Round-Up

I was blown away by the response to TGRWT #18 - Plum & Blue Cheese. No fewer than 30 recipes were submitted, from all corners of the planet. One or two were attempts better not made, but even these wannabe cooks seemed to enjoy the experience. And the best of the more serious attempts were quite brilliant, with amateurs seriously challenging professionals for palate, if not always for technique and presentation. Well done to everyone who took part!

August 13, 2009

Feeling Good In Leather

Something in leather is traditionally given to celebrate a third anniversary. And it's three years to the day that I published my first food post here on my blog Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef. Back then I was a trainee in every sense of the word. I was still at catering college, looking for work experience in London. Three years on I'm running a section of one of the most up-and-coming restaurants in Spain and starting to make my own creative input to fine dining menus. It's been a truly amazing three years!

July 29, 2009

Announcing They Go Really Well Together #18 - Plum And Blue Cheese

One thing I haven't been able to find the time for in recent months is to host a food boggers' event. But now I'm settled down at work and I'm living in a new apartment with a decent broadband connection, I'm able to play my part in the blogging community. Over August I'm hosting TGRWT, the event in which people develop dishes based on an unusual food pairing - one that scientific analysis of odour and flavour molecules suggests should be very tasty. I've also added a little spice with a competition of my own. So click on the link to take part.

July 25, 2009

Recommunicado

The trouble with getting used to things is that it then becomes incredibly hard to live without them. How on earth did we live before the mobile phone? Or broadband? Over the past few weeks I've been in accommodation provided by my employers, without a functioning broadband link - and life has been impossible. But with the new job contract, I've moved to a new apartment and I'm back online again. Click here to read about my communications problems... and my little car accident.

June 28, 2009

It's A Small World

I'm quite well-traveled for a Brit of my age, having visited 19 different countries. But there are plenty more to experience. And blogging helps to bring me closer to the people of those countries and make the world a much smaller place. This year my blog has been visited by people from over three quarters of all the UN Member countries.

April 02, 2009

One Million Visitors And A Great April Fools' Day Spoof

Last July I posted about having experienced a quarter of a million hits on my YouTube site, mostly due to one brilliant video clip that hosted there so I could link to it from a blog post. Yesterday - April 1st - that clip received just a bit under half a million hits, making it the 7th most watched April Fools' Day video on the web. Wow!

February 27, 2009

What I've Been Writing About

I have wondered from time to time whether my blog posts were wandering off-topic. But running the last 25 posts through Wordle shows that "food" is far and away my most commonly used word, with "restaurant", "chef" and "Barcelona" not far behind. But there were also some surprises amongst my most used words. Click to make your own psychological diagnosis.

February 08, 2009

Chowhound - Experience Not Required

They used to say of bank loans that they only give them to people who don't need the money. And in the case of the foodies' noticeboard Chowhound, you only get to contribute if you don't really know very much about food. Anyone with even the remotest connection with the industry is struck down by the NKVD, or "moderators" as they are better known. In my case and many others - electronically erased from history.

January 26, 2009

Congratulations

Well done to those bloggers who were shortlisted for the Food Blog Awards 2008, including four bloggers who I nominated or co-nominated with others. Unfortunately, none of my four won in their categories, but just to reach the shortlist stage is a great achievement and makes it all seem worthwhile. I know, because I still remember being shortlisted myself two years ago.

October 14, 2008

A Meme For National Chocolate Week

Blogger Sarah Cabral of Eating Britain has tagged me to reveal my chocolate secrets as part of National Chocolate Week. To discover what chocolate I like and what great memories I have of the use of chocolate in haute cuisine, click on the link. You might get quite a surprise!

July 11, 2008

A Quarter Of A Million Visitors

I've just celebrated the 250,000th visitor to my YouTube account, on which I host video clips almost exclusively for use in this blog. Click on the link to find out which clips have been most popular and which one of my clips had nearly 100,000 viewers this Spring.

July 03, 2008

It Was Tough - But Someone Had To Do It

Not sure where to file this one, so this is as good a place as any. I've spent the past three days in the Basque Country, partly relaxing on holiday but partly so I could enjoy a couple of new fine dining experiences in Spain's most prestigious gastronomic region. Just a note to say that I'll be writing up my dining experiences in posts shortly.

June 20, 2008

Eat My Name

In this meme, Niamh at Eat Like A Girl tagged me to "list one fact, word or tidbit of information that is somehow related to your life for each letter of your first or middle name". I seem to have come up with an Israeli avocado and noodle diet. Or maybe not. You'd better click on the link to see my thoughts on these and other name-related topics.

April 17, 2008

Trusted Faces

Not me doing the food blogging this time, but TrustedPlaces - a global social networking site devoted to eating and drinking out. I'd been on a couple of visits with Walid of TP before and had no hesitation in agreeing to pop into their offices to be interviewed on working in Spain, my favourite chefs, restaurants and food and my plans for the future.

March 15, 2008

Britney Spears Cooked My Hamster

No - I haven't been driven to insanity by rising readership figures. Quite the opposite. I've found myself trying to write about food with integrity, but pressured to conform to the drive for extreme populism. In my latest post on The Guardian Word of Mouth, I did my best to be snappy and appeal to a broader audience. The result taught me that this is simply not what I want to do. No disrespect to those journalists for whom entertainment is king. Just that I don't want to write about jaffa cakes topped with salad cream.

March 7, 2008

You Make It All Worthwhile

I knew it would be hard to blog after moving to Barcelona, especially with the very long working hours. But I've managed to publish a couple of posts each week and, amazingly, my reader stats have continue to grow 20% each month. So I want to thank everyone who has read what I've had to say - whether they agreed or disagreed. You guys make it all worthwhile.

February 25, 2008

Beaten Round The Head With A Stick

A memory stick, that is. It's strange sometimes how technology options develop. When I moved to Barcelona we tried all sorts of tricks to make it possible for me to access TV programmes and other videos easily from London, including remote management, email and shared server space. But because portable memory has recently become so inexpensive and the postal services across Europe so much better, dad and I ended up exchanging large files by snail mail. And the title? Last week I found two former employers of mine as guest chefs on Saturday Kitchen. Watching these two didn't exactly help me relax.

January 22, 2008

7 Things About Me

I've been tagged by Nilmandra at Soy & Pepper to reveal 7 random and/or weird things about myself. Although this isn't naturally my sort of thing, I've found that memes like this really help to introduce you to other bloggers and to be more honest and open about yourself. So, click on the link to find out what I do with my food ideas, what foods I can't stand, my connection with Michael Jackson, my views on ale and marmite and what "Chefs' OCD" means.

December 16, 2007

A Date With Alícia

This week the food blog world pays its attention to Menu for Hope - the global fundraising raffle organised by Pim of Chez Pim in aid of The World Food Programme. This year the money goes to support programmes in Lesotho. I was amazed to see that Pim has organised a visit to Alícia as one of the prizes. Alícia is The Food & Science Foundation just outside Barcelona of which Ferran Adrià is the President. Not only have I arranged a visit myself in January, but I know quite a lot about the place. In this post I explain what an important organisation Alícia is and why a visit will be an excellent prize in Menu for Hope.

November 29, 2007

Word Of Mouth

I've had to change the title of this archives section. When I created it a year or so ago, it was for posts about my blogging efforts and blogging friends. But today, my first-ever professional food article was published by Word of Mouth, the food blog of The Guardian and Observer newspaper group. I was thrilled to be invited to contribute alongside well-know British food writers including Susan Smillie, Jay Rayner and Graham Holliday of Noodlepie.

September 01, 2007

BlogDay 2007 (A Few Hours Late)

Late again! This time it was for the annual celebration of blogging, BlogDay, 3108 Day (geddit!). Yeah, it's hard to make the word "blog" from 0109. "Olog Day" would be a possibility, but not quite as good. I've been honoured to receive mentions in dispatches from three different bloggers myself. And here are my five selections of very different food bloggers all of whom turn me on and deserve every reader they can get.

August 17, 2007

Retro Food That's Past Sell-By Date, But Still Wobbles And Wiggles

This was my late entry for a bloggers' meme about retro food that wobbles and wiggles. Most entrants chose jelly or something similar, but my choice was spaghetti. In this masterpiece of film footage, the late great master of British broadcasting, Richard Dimbleby, discoursed on the spaghetti harvest in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The date of the broadcast may be relevant here. It was the first day of April, 1957.

August 13, 2007

It's My First Blogversary

Exactly one year ago today I published my first ever food blog post. It told how I made a sardine salad, followed by fruit salad, for my dad, my brother and his girlfriend. A mere 212 postings, 30,000 readers and 900 comments later, I'm still at it. When I move to Spain it will become more difficult, but I'm sure I'll find some way to carry on writing about my passion - food, glorious food!

August 11, 2007

The Fantastic Three (And Some Bits)

I've been tagged by Scott at Real Epicurean for "The Fantastic Four", a bloggers' meme requiring honest answers to some set questions. The photo shows my favourite holiday destination, Montserrat. Click to learn about my past employment, my living arrangements, my favourite foods and which actress's bed I'd like to be in right now.

August 09, 2007

I've Been Del Grosso'd

I've just experienced the five minutes of fame that Andy Warhol told us we could all expect. Bob del Grosso - food writer, ex-chef and former teacher of food science and gastronomy at The Culinary Institute of America - posted an embarrassingly nice profile of me on one of his blogs. No only was this very flattering, it also brought me a flood of traffic referrals originating from from the websites of Tony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman, to which Bob is a regular contributor. Wow!

August 07, 2007

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

I've made the arrangements for my farewell UK bloggers dinner at The Providores. I'm just popping out to mainland Europe for a while and I may not be back for some time. For those who book to join me it should be a great time, with an excellent selection of food and New Zealand wines. And I've arranged for "the father of fusion" and chef proprietor of The Providores, Peter Gordon, to join us at our table for a while. Book now or be disappointed!

July 31, 2007

You're Beautiful

The other day I was cleaning up my hard drive and sorting food photos when I came across some pictures I liked but had never published. They are all strange in different ways, but then all food is beautiful to me. Enjoy some photographs of some of my kitchen friends.

June 28, 2007

The Last Supper

I so much enjoyed my last meal out with fellow food bloggers that I have decided to host a leaving meal in London before I leave to start my professional career in Catalunya. If enough people sign up, I will book an evening at Providores and try to arrange a chef's table with Peter Gordon. Over my three years of professional training, my two weeks working with Peter at this restaurant had more impact on me than anything else I experienced.

March 28, 2007

A Weekend With Food Bloggers

Last weekend was the first time I ever encountered other food bloggers and I met no fewer than eight of them. On Saturday it was shopping and beer with Ros & Goon from "Living To Eat" and on Sunday it was lunch with Howard & Ben from "Food & Drink in London", Krista from "Londonelicious" and Jessica from "Ripe London". Wow! What an amazing weekend.

March 15, 2007

The 50 Best Food Websites

A recent feature in The Independent on Sunday brought to my attention that there are a growing number of different classes of food website out there. Not just bloggers, celebrity chefs and on-line magazines, but also farmers, retailers and virtual supermarkets.

January 22, 2007

Six Weird Food Facts About Me

Sarina of TriniGourmet tagged me on this topic, describing me as an "intriguing and über-serious young man". Here are six weird things about food and me. Discover what I like and dislike... and in which food establishment I once held a birthday party.

January 04, 2007

Worth Every Minute Of It

Last night I looked at the Food Blog Awards 2006 and was gobsmacked to find myself shortlisted in two categories. I can't wait to browse other shortlisted blogs I've not yet discovered. I'm sure I'm going to find some treasures amongst them.

December 07, 2006

Bandit And The Smokies

Someone I'd not heard from before who commented on my blog recently is Dan Woodford, an ecologically minded individual who is about to leave the safe urban world of IT to pursue his passion for food by becoming a "smokie".

January 07, 2007

Seeing, Hearing And Smelling

In the coming months I plan to run a series on multi-cultural dining in Hackney - not in local restaurants but in the homes of ordinary local people. I expect to learn a huge amount about original cuisines, as well as about how people adapt their native dishes to the products available here in Britain.

October 18, 2006

Food, Glorious Food Photography

Using our new Nikon digital SLR, my dad took this photo of a gluten-free snack viewed from an intimate distance and published it on his own blog. It shows the power of a macro lens to take really good food photographs.

October 10, 2006

Pimp My Blogsite

Today I'm migrating my blog to a new and more reader-friendly template. Nothing quite as artistic or narcissistic as the template of "The Misanthropic Humanist". Just wider, mainly, with some different colouring.

September 25, 2006

I've Been Discovered!

A month or so after I started, one of my college lecturers has discovered my blog while searching for "The Restaurant Show 2006". I hope everyone in my college will appreciate what I'm doing and enjoy reading my blog.

Australian Gastronomy

2007-10-08T01:00:00.000+02:00

As part of our Professional Chef Diploma at Westminster Kingsway, all students in the third year are required to undertake an international Gastronomy Project. Each student is allocated a country or region and, working within the bounds of the national cuisine(s) of that territory, is required to formulate a three-course gastronomic menu suitable for service in a top hotel restaurant. The next stage is to research the cuisine of the country and its historical development and to justify the menu recommendations, leading to a detailed report and a presentation given to lecturers and peers. Finally we have to select an item from the menu and cook it at home to a standard "which would be acceptable to include on a menu within a 4* hotel". Key to this is demonstrating "modernisation and progressive changes".

The project has now been completed, submitted and marked and I have been given permission to publish it. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of this research project, as well as learning a huge amount about Australian history, culture and gastronomy. I'd like to share this learning with you, so I've started to publish my report on the developing cuisine of Australia.

Click on the following links to read the report in sections (links will be made live when each section is published).

Jul 26, 2007

Convicts And Aboriginals

In 1786 British convicts arrived in New South Wales and in subsequent decades European settlers began to arrive and spread across the continent. Although they brought their own cuisine with them, the immigrants were unable to source their familiar food products or to accustom themselves to the indigenous foods and cooking methods. But the Aboriginal population, who had long since mastered the art of hunter-gathering and seasonal food sourcing, were at best being ignored and at worst being exterminated.

Aug 03, 2007

A Modern Australia Emerges

Continuing racial division in Australia inhibited the development of an indigenous national cuisine. After the war, white Australians turned outwards to Europe and Asia in search of culinary influences and modern food arrived in the continent. But it was only in the 1980s that Australians began to seriously re-examine their own history and culture. One result of that painful self-discovery has been the emergence of a truly unique and wonderful national cuisine.

Aug 10, 2007

Bringing It All Together

Having studied the history of Australian culinary culture and begun to understand the products and processes that uniquely define it, the time had come for me to plan and design my Australian Gastronomy Menu. I was determined to develop my own culinary ideas and to avoid the pitfall of putting together items without a rational basis. I wanted to justify my choices and matches in terms of cultural roots and genuinely complementary flavours and textures.

Aug 17, 2007

My Menu For Australia

Just kidding. But there is a serious point to this piece of frivolity. Australia is a nation that should be proud of its cultural history and even more proud of its emerging national cuisine. The days of "fish & chips" and "chicken schnitzel" washed down with a few tinnies of XXXX are well and truly over. Here is my attempt at a fine dining menu worthy of a 5* hotel restaurant and fit to represent the great nation of Australia on the world stage.

Previous Posts about my Gastronomy Report

Nov 02, 2006

Advance Australia Fare

In this post I explained the nature of the college gastronomy project and how delighted I was to have been allocated Australia as my study territory. I knew immediately where I wanted to take this study: "As someone who prides himself on balance and fairness in all things, my plan of attack for an Australian menu reflects the different peoples of the continent and the respective longevity of their culinary experiences. I shall therefore be taking into account the fact that large-scale European settlement and catering arrived in Australia some 230 years ago, whereas the Aboriginal peoples have been practising the art of cooking for about 40,000 years and cultivating crops for at least 6,000 years - as long as the earliest known civilisations alongside the Nile, the Euphrates and the Indus."

Nov 21, 2006

My Down Under Menu

In this post I presented my initial menu of Modern Australian Cuisine. I explained: "My objective has been to draw on traditional Australian produce and cooking methods and combine these with more modern techniques and presentation styles. Achieving the right combination of flavours, textures and colours is fundamental to what I have tried to produce. I've tried to avoid 'naive fusion', i.e. just throwing clever sounding ingredients together. That said, I don't want to simply ape the top restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne. From what I observe from looking at their websites, many of these seem to be dedicated to reproducing modern European "Michelin" haute cuisine, with the inclusion of a few locally sourced ingredients, rather than making the effort to promote a distinctive national cuisine using indigenous products and techniques."

Dec 04, 2006

Living Off The Land: Mother Nature's Larder

By this stage of my research I realised that I needed a much better understanding of the relationship between land and food. For the great majority of peoples and the great majority of history, food had been a scarce commodity on which their survival depended. But the issue was far deeper than a simple matter of supply and demand, of Tesco vs hunter-gathering. The relationship between people and their land was a fundamental driver of their society and culture. I'd already seen something of the work of Ray Mears, but revisiting his programmes taught me a great deal. I began to understand the importance of showing respect to food - a theme strongly echoed by Fergus Henderson at St. John. I also realised that we were once Aboriginals in my own country, with a culture that was largely destroyed as modern man evolved. Then I understood just how important it was for Australia to recognise and come to terms with its own history of relations between settlers and Aboriginal people and how this could lead to the emergence of a truly fantastic national culture in which food could play a pivotal role.

Dec 14, 2006

Thank You Guys Down Under There

This was my opportunity to say thanks to everyone who helped me in my researches. My first thanks went to my friend and antipodean food blogger Haalo, who gave me some great pointers to top Australian chefs and taught me a lot about the influence of modern European cooking on Australian gastronomy. To this day she remains a true inspiration to me with her fantastic food blog posts and her incredible photography. I was humbled to receive support and advice from Sibylla Hess-Buschmann, a founding member of the Australian Rainforest Bushfood Industry Association who has been actively involved in the selection and promotion of native species for almost twenty years and is recognised across Australia as a leading expert in indigenous produce. And last but not least I was delighted to receive encouragement from Vic Cherikoff, a culinary legend and nominee for 2007 Australian of the Year. Vic has spent 25 years researching and promoting traditional Aboriginal food as the basis of an authentic Australian cuisine. Together with Benjamin Christie, Vic now hosts TV cooking shows world-wide and is currently experiencing great success introducing Modern Australian Cuisine to audiences across America. Vic wrote me a letter of encouragement and sent me a parcel of Australian food products which I have been making excellent use of.

Feb 21, 2007

Can You Guess What It Is Yet?

Until this point I'd only posted about my theoretical research. This was the time to put my knowledge into practice. The dish that fascinated me most of all those on my Australian Gastronomy menu was Wattleseed and Lemon Myrtle Rolled Pavlova, based on Vic Cherikoff's recipe taken from Benjamin Christie's blog. It wasn't easy for someone only attempting it for the second time ever, and the result wasn't perfect, but it was received with acclaim by my family and neighbours. What makes this quintessentially Australian is the cream, made by folding wattleseed extract into whipped double cream and the topping of biscuit crumb mixed with lemon myrtle sprinkle. The final product is soft and sweet, but with sour and mildly astringent tones that make it simply perfect. I cooked a variant of this for my project practical, accompanied by ANZAC biscuits.

May 04, 2007

A Buzz In My Kitchen

One ingredient of particular interest from my Gastronomy menu is Tasmanian Leatherwood honey. I became fascinated by this product after reading about the unique way in which it is made. In my report I had written: "My quest to find the perfect honey for this dish [emu] led me rapidly to Leatherwood. The Leatherwood plant is endemic to Western Tasmania, where the beekeepers carry their hives into the rainforests in time for the blossom in late summer. There, the Leatherwood plant’s nectar is extracted by the local bees to produce a pure, unblended honey analogous to a single malt Scotch whisky... I haven’t been luck enough to try Leatherwood honey for myself, but I’m sure there is a very good reason why it accounts for 70% of all honey production in Tasmania". So imagine how amazed I was to discover the product in London, in my favourite supermarket, Waitrose.

Australian Gastronomy Part 1 - Convicts And Aboriginals

2007-10-07T01:00:00.001+02:00

PROLOGUE

When I drew Australia for my gastronomy project my initial reaction was, to be frank, a sense of disappointment. I had been secretly hoping that I would be allocated Portugal, a country I’d visited many times and one with whose national cuisine I was already reasonably familiar. I was not exactly thrilled with the prospect of investigating the gastronomy of Australia. It was, after all, a country that didn’t actually have a true national cuisine worth speaking of. Or so I had been led to believe.

I knew, of course, that what was spoken of as “Australian cuisine” took its primary influences from the country’s early British settlements. I also knew that, like my own nation, Australia had taken the majority of its influences in more modern times from its neighbouring countries. In the case of Britain, the regional influence draws principally on France, Italy and Spain. These are the nations which set the trends of what we now consider to be “Modern European cuisine”, the eclectic style synonymous with modern up-market dining in this country. But was something similar true of Australia? I was fairly certain that modern Australian cooking drew heavily on the Asian culinary cultures of Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand and I assumed that it also drew to some extent on the traditions of Australasia’s bordering Pacific island regions. But I still had little confidence in the existence of a genuine Australian cuisine, never mind whether an eclectic “Modern Oceanian cuisine” was emerging.

My sense of disappointment at being assigned Australia was soon to change dramatically, as an important realisation came to me. Had I been allocated Portugal, Italy or Scotland for my gastronomy project, I would have found myself facing a relatively simple and straightforward challenge. But that would have defeated the object of the exercise. The reason why students are given this assignment is to encourage us to expand our knowledge of world cuisines. I’d being given the opportunity to explore the gastronomic history of Australia, which for me meant starting with a very large and relatively blank canvas. And it was as I realised this that I began to appreciate the extent of the privilege bestowed upon me. After spending countless hours of research and slowly piecing together a menu drawing inspiration from a voyage of fascinating discoveries, I have come to the conclusion that Australian cuisine is one of the most interesting subjects I have ever had the pleasure of studying. So without further ado, I will fill you in on what I’ve learnt about Australian food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GOD SAVE THE KING... AND EMPTY THE JAILS

The first British settlement in Australia was something I only recently learnt about, independent from my gastronomy assignment, but it is a story that now interests me greatly. In 1786, the area of New South Wales in the South-East of Australia was proclaimed by the reigning British monarch, King George III.

The following year, on the 23rd of January, the British parliament was informed that the Australian Secretary of State for the Home Department, Lord Sydney, had agreed to have British convicts sent to the newly acquired territory of New South Wales. Transportation was an integral part of the English and Irish penal systems at the time and was seen as a way to deal with the “over-population” resulting from increasing poverty in London and Dublin. I should clarify, however, that transportation was used as a penalty for petty crimes such as larceny; grave offences such as treason or murder were punished by hanging. Four months after the announcement, on the 13th of May 1787, eleven ships of the “First Fleet” left Portsmouth under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. Varying reports suggest that there were at least one thousand, three hundred and fifty souls on board; roughly fifty eight percent were convicts, of which around twenty percent were women.

In January 1788, eight months after leaving Blighty, the first fleets arrived at Sydney Harbour, Port Jackson, and settled at nearby Sydney Cove where a Union Jack was erected. From 1788 onwards, the Colony of New South Wales was officially a penal colony, comprised mainly of convicts and marines. During the following few years, additional fleets left England heading directly for other locations, creating the first real cities in Australia. From Sydney, the inhabitation spread North to Moreton Bay on the Brisbane coast, East for Norfolk Island, a halfway point before New Zealand, and Port Macquarie, where the inevitability of trading would supply the colonies with food and various wares.

SO WHAT'S ON THE MENU, THEN?

The convicts brought with them the traditional English recipes, often handwritten, which would be passed down through the coming generations. They were simple prescriptions, not requiring complicated ingredients and not costing much money, a style of cookery that reflected the modest means of the time as well as the morbidly blunt British palate. A witty quotation from the website convictcreations.com, penned by an acrimonious Aussie describing his thoughts on what we Brits did to his native cuisine, sums up the situation brilliantly: “It is tempting to blame the English for the blandness. After all, they transported criminals who were able steal bread, but lacked the imagination to steal the condiments to give the bread some flavour”.

The recipes brought by the first settlers consisted mainly of simple pies, roasted cuts of meat, dumplings, stewed or grilled chops and steaks, chicken and other forms of meat generally accompanied by vegetables (the combination known colloquially as “meat and two veg”). Sweet recipes also played a major role in British cuisine at this time, with the need for fats and sugars high on the agenda. Among others, recipes included many varieties of steamed puddings, often using suet, jams and dried fruits such as currants. Many of these desserts still hold their place in the home cooking of modern times, including spotted dick, bread and butter pudding and the ever-famous Christmas pudding. All of these recipes would soon create and form the national cuisine of Australia.

In 1803, the nearby island of Van Diemen’s Land was densely settled, and was established in its own right in 1825. Its name was officially changed to Tasmania in 1856. Soon, more British colonies were developing and spreading across Australia, heading West to the vast Adelaide plains where they began to take up agricultural land for farming, albeit unsuccessfully. The harshness of the Australian environment offered little material to work with when creating new recipes. Because the poor soils were unsuited to agriculture, only basic vegetables could be grown with any degree of reliability. Furthermore, the settlers had to rely upon a limited range of domesticated European animals such as sheep, chickens and cattle, brought from Britain by the graziers and farmers amongst the immigrants.

EXPANSION WITHOUT DEVELOPMENT

The first British settlers were, understandably, unfamiliar with the native animals of Australia. There were some recognisable animals including wild swans, ducks, geese and pigeons that were similar to their European cousins. On the other hand, the settlers had never come across kangaroos, possums or wombats before and had great difficulty containing them. Naturally, their inexperience in farming these “exotic creatures” meant the settlers had to stick with what they knew.

The settler community continued to progress and develop as a society, travelling across the country to establish the Swan River colony which would later become Western Australia. Over the course of the next few decades, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland (both named in the honour of reigning monarch Queen Victoria) and the Northern Territory respectively, were all proclaimed and settled. However, despite extensive travelling and settlements across the immense land mass of Australia, the cuisine was not yet to develop into one of any sophistication or integrity. Unless the colonists decided to live an Aboriginal style nomadic existence, which they had no experience or knowledge of yet, they had to rely upon unproductive foreign animals and plants that struggled to survive in Australian conditions. Perhaps most importantly of all, there was a serious lack of any practical form of refrigeration. And the constant menace of droughts and wildfires threatened even what little produce the settlers had, making even this unreliable. Over the next hundred years, these continuing factors contributed to Australia having little worthwhile to show for itself in the way of a cuisine.

WHOSE COUNTRY IS IT ANYWAY?

It may be stating the obvious, but it seems quite clear to me that the main reason why the settlers did not thrive on this land was because they had absolutely no knowledge of how to survive in an unknown territory. This is fully understandable of course. I’m sure had Aborigines been transported to Britain they would have been equally incapable and perhaps more so, despite the fact that the Aboriginal peoples were certainly highly dexterous, capable and efficient within their own civilisation. This takes me on neatly to that other group of Australians – the ones whose country had just been settled and occupied by European penal colonists.

The literal translation of the word Aborigine is: “the people who were here from the beginning”. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans first arrived in Australia between sixty and sixty-five thousand years ago during the second ice age, but there is evidence showing that Aboriginal peoples may have existed at the Lake George Basin area of New South Wales up to one hundred and twenty thousand years ago. It is thought that Northern Australia, somewhere between Kimberley and Cape York Peninsula, is the most likely place for people to have first arrived on the continent from South-East Asia, having crossed land bridges and sailed across ocean gaps.

The first immigrants would have stayed around the coastal area, where food supplies would have been similar to that of their side of the Pacific, with an abundance of sea life, edible vegetation and herbivores. However the great climate changes that occurred during the second ice age forced the Aboriginal people to spread out from coastal regions to most areas of Australia. There they have not just survived, but thrived as a race for thousands of years, with their lifestyle and cultural practices remaining virtually unchanged until the time of the first European settlements.

THE "HUNTER-GATHERER" CULTURE

The Aboriginal people lived a nomadic “hunter-gatherer” lifestyle in every sense of the phrase. Their economy was based on a stable, considered management of the environment and an effective organisation of labour, where males and females made different but equal and complementary economic contributions.

The men would have taken the male children out with them to hunt for wild animals on land and sea, while the female children would have gone with the women to gather various fruits, plants, seeds and nuts growing widely on the land.

This practice was and still is very much bound into Aboriginal culture, with the elders proudly passing down essential life skills to the young through example and with ritual and ceremonial rites of passage symbolising the progression of youth into adulthood. These mechanisms were what ensured that Aboriginal people could guarantee the continuity of their way of life and their religious traditions from generation to generation.

On the land, the male hunters would have come across an assortment of native mammals and birds. These included kangaroos, wallabies and emus, which they regularly hunted, using spears fashioned from stone that was shaped into a point and attached to bamboo with resin and string. At the water they often found turtles, fish, crabs, and dugong, a relative of the manatee known in the Malay language as “lady of the sea”. The Aboriginal males would catch these creatures from the oceans and rivers using hooks, small spears and fish traps.

In the bush, the women would pick fruits and berries such as quandong, muntries, desert lime, wild plums such as Illawara, and bush tomato varieties such as akudjura. There was also an abundance of edible nuts and leaves to choose from. Examples of these include the bunya nut (similar to the pine nut), various myrtle leaves possessing lemon and aniseed aromas and perhaps the most widely known of all Australian native plant foods, the macadamia nut.

The collection and preparation of this wide variety of bush food required the development of an efficient, multifunctional technology and extensive practical skills. Many native berries, together with roots such as the cheeky yam and the taro (the root of the plant that produces calaloo leaf), required complex preparation techniques in order to neutralise toxins and to make them palatable and nutritious. Learning and teaching these techniques was vital for survival amongst the Aboriginal tribes and the ability to identify what might be poisonous and what is perfectly safe to eat was a valuable and crucial skill.

When it came to the cooking, animals were often thrown straight onto the fire, but the Aboriginals also practised a wide variety of other cookery methods. Larger animals such as kangaroos, wallabies and wild rabbits were often roasted on hot coals. This process involved removal of the fur by fire, extraction of the innards and the placing of the body on the subsided coals of the fire. This method wouldn’t fully cook the flesh right through, and usually resulted in very rare meat. However the running blood was considered a delicacy as well as a symbolic token and was drunk, or rubbed on weapons with the belief it would give greater efficacy to their hunting.

Another iconic Aboriginal cookery method is “baking in the ashes”. This method is used for nuts, seeds and root vegetables such as sweet potato. A special and very traditional bread known as “damper” is also conventionally cooked in hot ash.

Damper bread has been a staple of the Aboriginal diet for eons. In fact the oldest flour millstones discovered in modern times have proven to be as much as fifty thousand years old. Damper bread is made by collecting various seeds such as native millet and wattleseed (the edible seed from some members of the genus Acacia). The seeds are firstly winnowed (separating the seed from husk and any foreign bodies) and then ground into a flour using a millstone. The flour is then mixed with water to create a bread dough and placed in the ashes to bake.

MIGRATION AND CONFLICT

There is strong evidence that early Aboriginals were also very conscious of seasonality. This of course can’t be compared to how we perceive the use of seasonal produce, because for the native tribes it was about survival, not preference. Aboriginal groups would often travel from season to season; moving to where they knew various food sources would be available, ripe for consumption and plentiful. An excellent example of this is the Bogong moth migrations to New South Wales. During the British and European settlements, the Wiradjuri were the main tribe in the NSW area. Many different Aboriginal tribes would come to the territory’s mountains each year in late spring to gather and feast on the protein-rich Bogong moths of the noctuidae genus.

Although a key part of the progression of Australian history, the European settlements and colonisation of Australia imposed major negative changes on the native Aboriginal people. The tribes who lived in areas that were being settled by the Europeans were forced off their land, as towns and farms were developed. This disrupted their culture and way of life, which until this time had been relatively peaceful and serene.

The sort of changes that took place usually commenced with explorers entering the area of a tribe and being challenged by the people for trespassing on their land. The Europeans would often respond by shooting at the protesting tribes, and many natives were killed in this way. When the settlers began felling trees and building farms, they restricted the ability of the Aborigines to move freely around their own land. Much of the traditional food sources were also destroyed.

The settlers had arrived in the country to build a new life for themselves and their families and had no time for the Aboriginal culture or traditions. At best, settlers were disinterested in the effect that colonisation was having on the Aborigines. At worst, the Aboriginal people were considered to be a pest and a nuisance and, over the years, entire tribes were wiped out to “create space”.

The settlers were often contemptuous of the Aborigines and separated them from their communities, which resulted in the Aboriginal people being cast out and becoming the fringe dwellers of society. Others were removed from their families and placed into institutions. From the late 1830s, the remnants of the tribes in the settled areas were moved onto “reserves and missions” where they were “managed” by the white man and were forbidden from teaching their children their language and customs. During the 1900s, separation was an official Australian government policy which lasted for many decades as a result of which many Aboriginal people today do not know their own origins.

Following World War II, Australia started to reach out beyond its borders and identify itself culturally as part of Asia. But only in recent times has Australia re-examined itself and begun to understand its own cultural history. As a result of this re-evaluation, a truly modern Australia is emerging and a key part of that development is a unique and exciting national cuisine. Read more in Part 2...

Australian Gastronomy Part 2 - A Modern Australia Emerges

2007-10-06T01:00:00.000+02:00

In Part 1, I discussed the arrival of British convicts in New South Wales and the subsequent immigration of European settlers and their spread across the continent. I explained how, although they brought their own cuisine with them, they were unable either to source their familiar food products or to accustom themselves to the indigenous foods and cooking methods. On the other hand, the Aboriginal population, who had long since mastered the art of hunter-gathering and seasonal food sourcing, were at best being ignored and at worst being exterminated.

THE RACIAL DIVIDE PERSISTS

The events that took place during the European colonisation were the cause of much racial and political tension in later years and which to some extent is still evident in today’s society. An example of this is Australian-Aboriginal Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, better known to most of us as Cathy Freeman, 400m Olympic gold medallist. She stirred up a great deal of controversy at the 1994 Commonwealth Games by waving the Aboriginal flag as well as the Australian National flag during her victory lap of the arena. It is a sign of the progress that has been achieved in recent years that there was no such controversy when she did the same after winning her gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, even though the use of non-national flags at the Olympics is officially forbidden.

One problem that arose from the separation between the Aboriginal people and the “white man” is that this created ignorance amongst the forthcoming generations of settlers, who would grow up without any understanding of Aboriginal culture. This meant that Australian gastronomy was developing without any knowledge of the Aboriginal cuisine previously practised in the country for millennia. Through no fault of their own, young and constantly modernising Australians were quite oblivious to this and looked elsewhere to draw their influence.

GO ~~EAST~~ NORTH, YOUNG MAN

After World War II ended, Australia was to undergo a culinary explosion. This was mainly due to the influx of Asian and European immigrants who dramatically expanded the Australian palate. Greek, Italian, German and Lebanese immigrants, to name a few, brought with them their native recipes and influences. Using this newly acquired sense of culinary diversity to their advantage, Australians would turn to Asia in search of inspiration, where they found a variety of ancient yet diverse cuisines. The importation and use of ingredients such as chilli, ginger, soy bean and citrus fruits such as lime was a new phenomenon to the white people of Australia, who until then had little to show for in the way of their own fare.

The adoption of these newly discovered ingredients and cookery methods was quick to catch on, and soon restaurants were springing up everywhere offering what they thought at the time was the “authentic” flavour of the Orient. Never having shown much respect for traditions, Australians were soon corrupting recipes that had been considered perfect for centuries. To quote once more from convictcreations.com: “they tested the boundaries of Japanese politeness by using sun-dried tomatoes and brie to make sushi”.

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AT LAST

It wasn’t until very recently – the past two or three decades - that Australian cuisine stepped back and took a good look at itself. The reality was at last to dawn upon Australians that the inspiration they had been seeking was actually there all along, but they had been unable to see it. The land that the white man had now occupied for over 200 years had always been plentiful of natural and diverse produce and the Australian people were finally beginning to realise that fact and to do something about it. The limes that were imported by the South-East Asian immigrants after WWII were initially regarded as a completely novel and foreign product. But now Australians are starting to take interest in and make use of a variety of native limes, such as the finger lime and desert lime. The sharp and fragrant astringency of Thai lemongrass that Australians were so enamoured of is also the characteristic bouquet of lemon aspen, a tiny sour fruit native to the coastal regions of Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

The modern-day recognition of native foods can be traced back to the publication in the 1970s of “Wildfoods In Australia” by the botanist couple Cribb & Cribb and “Wild Food Plants of Australia” by Tim Low. TV also played a pivotal role, with Malcolm Douglas was one of the first presenters to show how to live off the land in the Australian Outback. But it was the series “Bush Tucker Man” in the late 1980s presented by Les Hiddins which finally popularised the idea of bush tucker. Interestingly, Hiddins was a survivalist, rather than an anthropologist or a food expert, who visited the Outback to demonstrate his skills in combat survival by locating native foodstuffs in Northern Australia.

I say interestingly, because in Britain today one of the most fascinating food programmes on TV is “Wild Food” presented by Ray Mears – also someone who has come to an appreciation of indigenous peoples and foodstuffs from that same survivalist starting point.

Before long, Australia found itself in a revolution of culinary self-discovery. Non-indigenous Australians were beginning not only to appreciate the multiplicity of native produce at their fingertips, but actively to promote it. One example is Sibylla Hess-Buschmann, founding Secretary and later President of the Australian Rainforest Bushfood Industry Association. Also Managing Director of Australian Rainforest Products Pty Ltd., a company specialising in growing, processing and marketing of native Australian foods, herbs, spices, fruits and essential oils, Sibylla has been actively involved in the selection and commercial promotion of native produce for two decades and is recognised across Australia as a leading expert in indigenous produce.

AN AUSTRALIAN CUISINE STRUGGLES TO EMERGE

In the mid-1980s, the first restaurants serving indigenous Australian food started to appear. The earliest were Rowntrees, Riberries and Edna’s Table in Sydney, followed by The Red Ochre Grill in Adelaide a few years later. Now there is a plethora of such establishments across the country, although none has managed to achieve the highest levels of gastronomic recognition as yet. I discovered this when, as part of my research, I posted an article about this gastronomy project on my food blog last November and invited readers to nominate some top restaurants in Australia. An Australian food blogger responded to my request promptly, with the message: “I'd suggest looking through cookbooks from current day Australian chefs - people like Luke Mangan, Matt Moran, Shannon Bennett, Neil Perry, Guy Grossi and Damien Pignolet to name a few. These chefs are all very successful at what they do and each presents a facet of “Australian cuisine”.

But I was most surprised when I took up her suggestion and researched the highly-awarded restaurants associated with these leading Australian chefs, and, in particular, the menus of those restaurants. Although some, if not all, of the menus showed a clear understanding and use of indigenous Australian produce, they could all in my opinion be characterised as essentially offering Modern European cuisine.

Translating, for example, “roasted fillet of sea bass with braised fennel, wild mushrooms and a celeriac velouté” into “roasted fillet of barramundi with braised fennel, wild mushrooms and a celeriac velouté” does not make a dish Australian.

Another good example of individuals exploiting Australia’s native produce is the Australian bushfood supplier and latter-day chef Vic Cherikoff. Vic has been promoting and encouraging the use of native “bush tucker” in Australia for twenty-five years and is now famous across Australasia and beyond. Having posted an article about this gastronomy project on my food blog last November and expressed some opinions on modern Australian cuisine, I was amazed to sit down one day and discover from my emails that Vic Cherikoff had personally visited my website and left me a long and heartfelt congratulatory email.

Vic’s sincere compliments inspired me, along with his generosity in sending me a copy of his latest book “Dining Downunder” and samples of the indigenous Australian herb and spice mixes that he promotes worldwide. His attitude and efforts towards aiding the social and culinary evolution of Australia are a lesson to us all, and his global philosophy has been a huge inspiration to me and a key to the acceptance and celebration of Aboriginal cuisine and culture.

I have subsequently been able to use some of these products he sent me in home cooking and have learnt a great deal from this.

MODERN AUSTRALIAN CUISINE SELLS ITSELF

Today’s Australia is a fountain of gastronomic diversity. If you happened to be wandering a Sydney street or perusing the avenues of Adelaide and suddenly felt the urge for a steaming bowl of Thai tom yum gai or a fiery Sri Lankan coconut sambol, you would not have to look far. But dining in Australia these days isn’t just about sampling the multicultural profusion of foreign cuisines, but adopting a uniquely Australian vision of how to incorporate a plethora of knowledge and an abundance of curiosity into one inimitable cuisine. That eclectic use of major influences taken from Australia’s European, African and Asian ties, combined with the copious use of native produce, is now referred to as “Modern Australian Cuisine” and is increasingly reflected in the menus of urban eateries.

Take Deep Blue Bistro in Sydney for example, where the chef has created an incredibly contemporary twist by using native Australian ingredients combined with a modern style of preparation and presentation synonymous with the best European cuisine. In one entrée, a carpaccio of crocodile is cured with native lemon aspen and caper berries are used in combination with a bush tomato relish for garnish. I really admire this approach to cooking, because it’s simple but incredibly innovative. Yet for some reason, this concept seems to be misunderstood by the majority of people, whose lack of vision won’t let them see past the names of unfamiliar ingredients.

Another well-known Australian chef called Benjamin Christie (who presents the Dining Downunder television series with Vic Cherikoff) enthusiastically promotes the use of kangaroo fillet, which he claims is irresistible when crusted with yakajirri and grilled rare. The unbelievably avant-garde approach of chefs like Benjamin Christie and Vic Cherikoff was of great inspiration to me when writing my menu, and so I tried to incorporate everything I’ve learnt from them into my own ideas.

REGIONAL VS GLOBAL CUISINE - THE EMERGENCE OF FUSION

The Australian gastronomic breakthrough in recent times has been widely represented in the local media as a huge step forward towards the idea of creating a “global cuisine”. Along with parallel advances in New Zealand’s national cuisine, this has spawned an entirely new and now internationally recognised cuisine, based on the fascination of antipodeans with creating innovative and pioneering flavour combinations. In global circles, the new direction is referred to as “fusion” cuisine, but most Aussies simply know it as “Modern Australian”. Although proving very popular in some parts of the world, the idea of fusion has often been panned in Britain, being labelled naïve and farfetched.

Personally I totally disagree with this narrow-minded viewpoint. I feel that in this day and age, with the infinity of opportunities and possibilities at our fingertips, no idea should be considered too outlandish to catch on. The thought process behind fusion basically involves abandoning traditional constraints and looking at food ingredients through an open-minded and essentially altogether different perspective. The defining aspect that differentiates fusion from other cuisines is that it has no nationality and therefore sees no confines. A menu’s inspiration is reflected entirely by the chef’s experiences and travels, so it encapsulates the produce and cookery methods of a wealth of cuisines, often incorporating unusual ingredients, but fundamentally, utilising the best of everything available in an increasingly accessible modern world.

One of the patrons of fusion cuisine, and one of the most inspirational chefs I’ve had the pleasure of working for, is a New Zealander by the name of Peter Gordon (appropriately nicknamed “The Father of Fusion”). His enthusiasm for and great knowledge of global cuisine is reflected in his menus at “The Providores and Tapa Room”, where I was lucky enough to be accepted for a short but enormously valuable work experience early in the summer. While I was there, I was astonished to see dishes like quinoa and plantain dolmades with sesame tofu purée and pomegranate seeds, alongside a crab, black cardamom and galangal laksa with lime leaf marinated squid, a fried crab dumpling, crab tomalley, green tea noodles, crispy shallots and coriander. When you glimpse such amazingly inventive menus as Peter Gordon’s and then witness the cooking itself first hand, you can’t help but gape in admiration of a man who has not only a global philosophy but also the honesty and integrity to put it into practice. From that point on, I knew that fusion cooking was what I wanted to do myself.

A quote from his book “A World in My Kitchen” reads: “There are many chefs cooking beautiful, authentic regional food... I love to eat it but I don’t want to cook it... The world as a whole excites me more than a region defined by political boundaries”. For me, these words summarise everything I believe in and I can honestly say that my experience at The Providores was unquestionably the turning point in my development as a trainee chef. I constantly find myself using The Providores as my yardstick of comparison for anything to do with food and cooking and I’ve tried to integrate as much as possible of the knowledge I gained from training there into my Australian gastronomy menu.

After a great deal of research, it was time for me to draw together all the strands and become (albeit temporarily) a modern Australian chef. I now had to develop my Modern Australian Gastronomy restaurant menu. To discover how I brought together the tastes, smells and cooking techniques of Australia, read more in Part 3...