def. a supporter of a party, or cause, who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.
Monday, 26 March 2012
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Every Dish Tells a Story
I read somewhere (possibly in an interview with Tom Kitchin) that the easiest way to put together an experimental dish that works for sure is to throw together ingredients that are found close to each other in the real world. Just think of the classic favourites like pea and mint soup or game pie* with juniper berry sauce (* I like the thought that all game goes together because all partridges and deer gaily play together in the forest, of course) or mushrooms with panchetta, which make you think of wild boar searching for truffles. These obscure and a far fetched thoughts were clearly far from the mind of the chef at a nice little gastropub where I had a prawn, rabbit and pea risotto. At seeing the words on the menu and then the dish in front of me made my head spin! I ended up thinking up half parable, half acid trip at the crux of which lay the story of the meeting of the prawn and the rabbit.They met in the pea plants in the kitchen garden of a certain WI lady, where rabbit was nibbling the greenery and the prawn … Well, he didn’t quite know himself what he was doing there. They fell in love and rabbit dug a little hole for the prawn and filled it with water. The prawn ran a strong man show for the other garden dwellers – he was surprisingly strong for his size and drew large crowds. They lived happily together until one day the WI lady put both in a pot and served upto me.
Every dish tells a story, but some more than others.
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
The Rise of the Idiots
This Christmas I was given a collection of hefty foodie tomes , half of
which are by amateurs rather than professionals. Yottam Ottalenghi, Jamie,
Belonika, Miss Marmitelover and Mrs Beeton. It made me think: are we now at a
time where the amateur food lover is the one in control? I certainly hope so.
30% of GoodFood website's content is user generated (and most of it reliable!) as
of last year and the SupperClub movement where ambitious amateurs turn their
living rooms into pop up restaurants is very popular as the alternative to high
street chains.
The rise of the amateur cook is what Nathan Barley would call 'the rise of
the idiots', but I think it is completely wonderful. The amateur cook now has
all the privileges of the professional; he publishes cook books, has his own TV
shows (Lorraine Pascale) and even opens successful restaurants (The Underground
Restaurant charges £60 a pop).
I am however someone who is a true novice, facing a daily learning curve.
My dishes often burn, curdle and smell a bit funny, but when it comes together
and really works, my sense of achievement is immeasurable. I think feeding
other people is my favourite bit. When I was growing up in Russia in what is
now one of the most expensive and beautiful cities in Europe, St Petersburg,
there was no such a thing as 'dining out'. Real restaurants were for foreigners
and you even had to pay in dollars. Basic canteens were awful bulk cooking
affairs and real cooking went on at home and this is where you could find generous
feasts and incredible displays of hospitality. The amateurs won hands down and
recipes and skills were passed down through generations. For me, cooking is all
about hospitality and it is always sweeter at someone’s home.
Let battle commence.
which are by amateurs rather than professionals. Yottam Ottalenghi, Jamie,
Belonika, Miss Marmitelover and Mrs Beeton. It made me think: are we now at a
time where the amateur food lover is the one in control? I certainly hope so.
30% of GoodFood website's content is user generated (and most of it reliable!) as
of last year and the SupperClub movement where ambitious amateurs turn their
living rooms into pop up restaurants is very popular as the alternative to high
street chains.
The rise of the amateur cook is what Nathan Barley would call 'the rise of
the idiots', but I think it is completely wonderful. The amateur cook now has
all the privileges of the professional; he publishes cook books, has his own TV
shows (Lorraine Pascale) and even opens successful restaurants (The Underground
Restaurant charges £60 a pop).
I am however someone who is a true novice, facing a daily learning curve.
My dishes often burn, curdle and smell a bit funny, but when it comes together
and really works, my sense of achievement is immeasurable. I think feeding
other people is my favourite bit. When I was growing up in Russia in what is
now one of the most expensive and beautiful cities in Europe, St Petersburg,
there was no such a thing as 'dining out'. Real restaurants were for foreigners
and you even had to pay in dollars. Basic canteens were awful bulk cooking
affairs and real cooking went on at home and this is where you could find generous
feasts and incredible displays of hospitality. The amateurs won hands down and
recipes and skills were passed down through generations. For me, cooking is all
about hospitality and it is always sweeter at someone’s home.
Let battle commence.
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