So we found out on Friday that we'd be having a little girl in about 20 weeks time. We did try all the tips and tricks for a boy but I think all of Emily's wishing had been listened too by the baby fairies. Would have been nice to have one of each and an heir to the family name but to be honest I really don't care a jot about that because it's just such a wonderful feeling being an expectant father for the first time.
Emily came with us to the scan and afterwards she was just so excited and overcome with joy she could hardly speak, in fact she was mostly just saying "I'm so happy". She going to be a brilliant big sister. We have a name in mind but we're keeping it to ourselves just for the time being until we've actually got used to it cause it'll seem a bit strange for other people to be referring to her by her name until that point.
So onto Eat Reading Live and what a fantastic event it was. It has almost trebled in size from last year and it all ran very smoothly thanks to a big effort from Abby, Guy and all the team from Reading UK CIC.
There was great support from the very best of Readings restaurants and producers notably LSQ2 who had a stall did a demo and also helped us out by coming up to help judge our 2nd semi-final of Reading, Steady, Cook. There were others too that also had stalls and performed demos - River Spice, Malmaison, Warwick Thai Bar...I'm sure they are more but it escapes me for now.
Eat Reading despite it's name is not all about food and there was also some drinking involved, thankfully at the times when I was presenting. Vintage Roots were first up and they did a really good demo on food and wine matching. I've known for while now that organic wine is no longer something up and coming, it's really up there now with non-organic wines in terms of flavour and Sam from Vintage roots bought along some real crackers to accompany some of the dishes that had been provided by restaurants from the town.
Sahara cocktail bar also came along to show us what they can do. Rik was excellent at explaining the real complexity and skill that goes into creating a proper cocktail. Too often you go into these new bars and they have a vast cocktail menu but in comparison they are like the fast food of cocktails whereas Sahara is like L'ortolan or Myalacarte. It was really interesting to hear the history behind the cocktails and the ingredients and Rik showed during the demo just how educated and passionate you need to be in the art of Mixology in order to reach those levels.
Back to the food and even before the festival opened I got a chance meeting with the opening chef Gennaro Contaldo who is just such a wonderful man. When I knew he was going to be opening the festival I though to myself that I'd get a copy of his new book and ask him to sign it for my mum so about 30 mins before the show started I popped into Waterstones to get a copy but they had none in stock. Not deterred I thought I'd just walk down to Jamie's Italian and pick one up from there, I had an idea that they wouldn't be open but seeing as I wasn't going there to eat I figured they wouldn't mind selling me a book.
Anyway off I went with a couple of buddies over to the restaurant and as we approached I noticed a little bald head through the window and sure enough it was Gennaro getting the last final bits for his demo. Well they let us in and I got the book but what was great was that Gennaro come over to us and introduced himself then stopped for a chat telling us all about the shooting of Two Greedy Italians and making jokes etc etc of course he signed the book "To Mamma - Big Love Gennaro"
Due to my presenting commitments I didn't get the chance to see most of the demos on the market square stage however I was eager to see the one from Daniel Galmiche firstly because I missed his one last year as I was too busy preparing for my semi-final and secondly because he's just a fantastic chef. He cooked a Monkfish tail with mussel ragout which just looked and smelt amazing, I didn't get a chance to eat any of it unfortunately, maybe I'll just have to go to his restaurant.......
My MC'ing duties were somewhat delayed on day one as the chef from Tampopo was unfortunately held up in his train travel as some delightful scallywags had decided to pilfer signalling cables from around the Twyford area. I've heard really good things about these guys (Tampopo...not the scallywags) so I was a bit disappointed not to get a taste but I'll go there soon.
So With their demo moved to later in the day my first introduction was to Strada who are an italian restaurant situated on the riverside and who provide excellent competition for their rivals just a few yards away.
Their Head Chef Tom treated us to a pasta dish with Italian sausage and brocolli and also to a wonderful lamb dish with roasted new potatoes. Absolutely brillinat demo and superb food. I actually went there afterwards for a meal and I will review that probably tomorrow.
The next food demo was not until the following day when we had Nich (phonetic spelling) from the Warwick Thai Bar come up and cook a stir fried prawn dish for us. It was so nicely flavoured and so well cooked, it took hardly any time at all before it had all been munched up by the baying crowd. They even gave me a free Tiffin holder after I asked where they got theirs from.
I was up next cooking a herbed rack of lamb with lentils and wild rice and while that was cooking away I also whipped up a quick spaghetti dish because I wanted to show just how quick and easy some things are. It was just spaghetti with olive oil, chilli and garlic, a true Italian classic but using very cheap but tasty ingredients. The recipes are ones I've already added to the blog so you can back track and find them alternatively just leave a message at the end of this post and I'll get it off to you.
Apparently I'm a natural on stage !!...Who have thought that? Certainly not my drama teacher at school.
Just before my demo I introduced a couple of tutors from Reading catering college who have just had a new block built and were set up around the corner offering prospectus' to the future cooks and chef of Reading. Some of the students had come along to help out during the day and a wonderful job they did too.
I think perhaps the most fun demo came from the West Indian women's circle. Judy came up on stage to some Caribbean music all brightly dressed and bubbly. She then showed up how to make deep fried fish balls which she served up with some salad and hot pepper sauce. After a bit of a nervy start we we're soon whining our bootys on stage and people were crowding around to taste the food that just kept on coming.
Of course the main reason I was involved in the festival was as a judge for Reading, Steady, Cook! and Saturday's semi-final proved to be as tight as we'd always expected them to be. As the weather was really sunny and warm so there we plenty of people about to watch them too which just adds more pressure to the already nervous amateur cooks.
Ultimately after some seriously hard judging and having to get help in making the decisions it was Farid Singh and Rick Wyatt who made it through to the final. Martin and Marc who both missed out made it very hard especially where Martin's Chicken casserole with chocolate was concerned. Such a wonderfully thought out dish and I think it was the longest deliberation Hilary (my co-judge and deputy editor of the Reading Post) had to make during the whole competition.
Come the final though and it's all about cooking on the day and with the ever exuberant Paul Clerehugh on stage that was going to be fun for me however the added pressure of having a top chef watching your every move just piles on the nerves for the guys cooking.
(Paul, Rick, Myself and Farid)
Farid outcooked Rick on the day and I was personally pleased that he'd taken himself a little further out of his comfort zone by cooking a fillet of fish which is something he'd only tried that very morning and he did it very well. He'd also created a rice dish and a spiced cabbage vegetable dish to go with it so he was very productive.
It's really difficult to make a decision on finals day because the other judges had not been around to see or taste any of the contestants previous food. I have to say that even though Rick lost on the day I felt he was the better cook throughout the competition. He is very knowledgeable about his food and excellent at sourcing local and seasonal ingredients and that was a fact that was considered during the judging and very nearly got it for Rick.
Next year I think the competition will be even bigger and better. We're constantly thinking of ways in which we can improve the format so that it's more entertaining for the people coming to see, for the venues that host and most importantly so that we get the absolute best out of the cooks wanting to make it to finals weekend. I'm already excited about next years competition.
So onto my news and I'm delighted to have been asked if I would like to start writing about food for Hilary. As I mentioned before Hilary was my regular co-judge for this years competition and she is also deputy editor for the Reading Post as well as another good food magazine so maybe soon I can officially call myself a food writer. Who'd have thought that? Certainly not any of my English teachers at school!!
I've also had a tentative enquiry about putting on a monthly food theatre evening with a top local restaurant so watch this space :-)
Now I really must dash so toodlepip xx
Sounds like my little brother is doing very nicely all round, well done Ben, proud of you xx
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