Blog #1

so........
.........blogging, I have wanted to do this for a while I wrote a blog/diary whilst I was on holiday, one day I might publish some of its content. I have also always wanted to be a form of food writer, having been in the food biz for all my working life its an area so close to me and easy to write about. Along this blogging journey I endeavour to release some pictures and recipes from my collection, and also try to sample the workings of a food critic. not to criticise as such more food writing. a very poor mans cross between Adam Richman and Tom Parker Bowles.

My life nearly always evolves around food, and I wonder why my weight is a issue and constant subject for work place bullying (I mean banter) I find food to be my passion, I love live and breath food. I find food therefore easy to appreciate and be a critic of, being a restaurant manager I also find it hard to take constructive criticism, quite frankly the market in which we operate every one has a opinion which is normally 90% bullshit, but in a guest focused environment you have to keep your food knowledge and background silent and listen to know it all know fuck all dimwits talk shit in order to get a discount or a voucher to come back.

Cooking at home is a complex art people tend to get horribly confused about, its expensive, confusing, hard, impractical, its all myths that we adopt because of lifestyle. in actual fact we need food to survive, why not cook and enjoy the food you need in life rather than throwing together tasteless junk because its cooked in 10 minutes. At home food, a necessity of life becomes comfort and a thing of boredom, no one really explores food, flavours, diversity, change. it becomes like a bad tasteless wallpaper, the same products cooked the same way, why?? in a restaurant which at some point in a year most people will go at least once you eat from their menu, you have no control over ingredients or manufacture. so why as a society do we allow this to happen at home.

For me I love to explore I love to experiment I also love to learn. I will happily challenge my self to perfect and present dishes and recipes of common foods we indulge but from take out, Indian - I am learning to love spicier foods, however my favourite dish is from Bollywood in Caterham a chicken Murgh Sagrana. Joyful heavenly Indian cuisine. buggered to know how its made, but along the way of finding out you stumble across new flavours and dishes that go well.

Sitting at home on my day off today whilst my 11 month old son crawls stands and falls a lot. (supervised) I have on in the background a ground breaking American show featuring Adam Richman, Man Vs Food, the food nation series is brilliant, for those who love to over indulge its perfect way to look explore and experiment, note down the ideas and ridiculous but tasty things he eats. Sadly with television this isn't always the case those challenges he does are more a food based fantasy like the dream we all have about sleeping with someone we shouldn't. other Programs on TV based around food never quite live up to the everyday man/women expectation, sure we would all love to cook a 30 minute meal good enough to acclaim a Michelin star but the reality is the food is never substantial to feed an average family of four within a budget of £3 per person. Jamie Oliver is quality, entertaining but his books and shows still offer recipes for "everyday person" which a little out there and still expensive.

I personally want to create a show a book a way of being able to show recipes of food we could all relate too and feed our families with, a couple with a glass of wine, a solo person, a first date, a family on a budget. show that food can be different exciting and tasty but still affordable. In the words of martin Luther king "I have a dream" sadly though I wake up half way through mine.