sloe gin - it's not always about food you know

In August, whilst on holiday in Cornwall, my family and I spent a damp miserable afternoon wandering the countryside harvesting some wonderful sloe berries. On our return I set to work with a little sugar and a bottle of gin.

The recipe I had asked for the sloes to be patiently pricked to release their juices during the soaking process, sorry this seems far too much like hard work for my liking so set to thinking of an alternative (lazy) way of achieving the same result, so I thought - freeze!! the water in the berry should expand and break the skin, so I set to lobbing a bag of berries in the freezer and doing nothing for a couple of days, when I took them out of the freezer I was amazed!!! Absolutely no damage to the berry at all, bother!

Still not having too much time on my hands, and even less inclination to spend the time pricking little holes in a never ending supply of sloes, I allowed them to defrost, the fruits felt very much softer and decided to gamble that it would be enough, I mixed my sugar and gin, put my sloes in an old sterilised martini bottle and poured the liquid on, 1st week in September religiously, weekly I shook the bottle, allowing myself the occasional peek (was a Rossi bottle so coloured anyway) and by mid November started to get concerned at the lack of colour.

About this time my wife developed pneumonia, and life got a little hectic, with 4 kids needing sorting, work that was getting busier week by week and Christmas preparations increasing, it felt, by the moment.

I had originally hoped for it as an aperitif for Xmas day itself, but since the aforementioned time, forgotten and neglected it has sat in my cupboard since, until today when I was rooting for something completely different, there it sat patiently waiting for some attention, I got it out, not without a small sense of trepidation, I might add. And thankfully upon pouring found the light Rose colour shown in the photo above. With great depth of flavour, lucky me.

I am sure that had I pricked them then the colour would have been richer, but hey, it's as lovely as i ever remember it and happy to see the new year in with a glass or 3. So my toast to you all again, Happy new year.

2010 last thoughts, looking forward by learning from our past

Starting now to wonder what the next year will bring, also thinking why do I only truly reflect at the turn of a year.

I tend to think about what has been achieved personally and professionally about this time each year and think ahead to what I hope to achieve again next year, but why now? After all it's only the changing of days, no real significance to the new year as a bookmark in my life or anything.

So I think next year will become the beginning of a era of constant strive and reflection, taking what I most recently learned and implementing the improvements there and then. We do this generally anyway, but more skin to the reflective thought process that is occurring now and not the quick absent thoughts it can receive the rest of the 362 ish days that the process normally gets.

I will begin, unsurprisingly, with looking closer to the land for inspiration, foraging more and getting the family involved (good excuse for a nice Sunday walk) trying to recall the names and uses for the many varieties of green that we absently pass each and every day, and taking this back into the kitchen and utilising natures bounty as and when the whim takes me.

The start of this education will of course begin at Noma at the end of January, but also hope to get some time in kent eventually with forager Miles Irving, who's company I hope to start working with in january.

I don't intend to leave the other ideas gathering dust, I will not be able to turn my workplace into a 23 course foraged heaven, my customers simply wouldn't understand, and I personally like great garnishing to accompany the meat and fish I very much love to cook. I hope to achieve a greater balance of dishes from all the avenues I have at my disposal.

And now with more portable, quicker technology at my disposal, aim to increase the post count exponentially without simply diluting the content, so that there will be greater reason to frequent.





Wishing all of you a very prosperous new year

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A little thought out to chefs at christmastime

Just thought I would use a quick opportunity to try my new Xmas gadget out and the downloaded apps I've extensively researched (at least 10 minutes) to help me with future food photography on the go with my iPad.

That's the idea anyway but the reality I guess will be a new learning curve and a good few co..... Sorry mean errors, but I know a lot of you are chefs who read this and completely understand, anyone else reading this, welcome to our world. It's a world that maybe should not be entered without trepidation, not that I wish to worry anyone, but any non-chef who has stumbled upon the chef website www.thestaffcanteen.com or has tried following the more hardcore chefs on twitter must have thought that the banter between us can appear somewhat intimidating to the non believer, not that I am going to bother explaining it here just thought I would make the difference clear.

Anyway as so many of my colleagues who work in hotels and venues that I have worked in, in the past are still toiling through this season, I sit here in the warm comfort of my lounge surrounded by family some chilling, some playing and at the moment some, not without too much excruciating pain, attempting our new family karaoke machine, ah well some gifts are destined to the 'regret I bought them' pile.

I have not worked a Christmas in 10 years, not a new year now in 2 years, and I count myself lucky for the job I hold. We closed on the 23rd and return open on the 4th of january, time in this industry where I our have never dreamed off such a holiday from my humble beginning in 1990.

I just want to acknowledge the chefs who's christmas, boxing and new years days are just another bloody day. Only difference is sod all is open but you. I have heard resounding echos of bah humbug from working chefs. Now whist they come across as complete grinches without an ounce of seasonal love in their bodies, whilst I'm tweeting of my xmas luck and joy, I just want you guys to know, I haven't forgotten the 'joy' of Xmas bloody turkey, smoked salmon plates galore, and trying not to cock up and curdle the brandy sauce, thinking of ya guys, hope you have a decent break sometime soon. Especially out to ex colleagues who I worked with at the following:





One Aldwych
Richmond arms at goodwood
Wentworth golf club
Berystede in ascot

Glad to now not be in the seasonal firing line, Glad to be working at the club I'm at now.




Here's to many more christmasses not at work next post (worth reading) will probably be from G when he returns from his stage at Noma. Looking forward to it myself, will have a little to scribble about when I go there at the end of the month.



Noma inspired: slow roast cauliflower with goat butter and spruce fir. Ridiculously simple, outrageously delicious

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