Tea......

There is only one thing more frustrating than planning your evening tea than finding that the supermarket has nothing you need in stock and that is finding the supermarket has stock but it's completely rubbish.

I was pleased to see that Waitrose in Twyford had some venison steaks in stock but less pleased to see that in each packet of two one steak was significantly bigger than the other meaning that if you really needed it then to make two decent portions you'd need to buy two packets at £8.00 a pop. How can anybody be expected to serve one person a piece of meat half the size of the other persons ?!?! Is this exploitation? Is this intentional? Why not put the small bits with the small bits and the big bits with the bit bits? It seems a bit too uniform for all 10 or so packs to be packed like this so perhaps it's not just a random occurance.

I've noticed this with their packs of chicken and duck breasts too, very rarely do you get a pair that are matched in size and density. I have this image in my head of all these wonky breasted animals roaming the countryside. Thousands of chickens walking about like Lee Evans doing a primate impression.

The next thing I wanted was a nice piece of fish for my eldest sprog. I really wanted to get her some lemon sole as it's the only fish I've ever heard her say as her favourite but there was hardly anything on the fresh fish counter that looked edible in fact most of it looked like it had been dragged around the car park before putting on display. In the pre-packed section there was some cod and some plaice but I'd already been put off by the suspicious venison packaging and the dodgy fresh display so she ended up with gammon, egg and potato wedges.......................which she absolutely loved!

Sort it out John Lewis....

The better half and myself had a pork fillet which I coated in the Weber chilli mix and waterbathed at 64.5C for about 2 1/2 hours. The chilli mix was actually rather good although it lacked the heat I was expecting from something labelled as "Intense". The all round combination of herbs and spices really worked with the pork and gave it a kind of citrus note. I think next time I'll slightly lower the cooking temperature and leave the meat to rest a bit long than the few minutes I did this time. Served up with some potato wedges cooked in duck fat and a salad of baby leaves and peas shoots this was a superb and very easy dinner. It could also be done on a BBQ or in the oven rather than using the sous vide method although you'll never get the texture as consistently good as when done in a waterbath.

This evening I'm again going to keep it simple but effective. we have some cooked chicken in the fridge that need to be used up so I'm going to grab myself some raw tiger prawns and a few other flavours (coriander, ginger, lime, lemongrass etc etc)  and make a nice Asian style noodle soup using a broth made from the remainder of the duck stock that I still have in the fridge.

In other news a buddy of ours is raising money for charity by organising a man raffle. The idea of these is that you auction off a man with skills (whatever they may be........the ones you're thinking.......are the ones I'm lacking) then the winning bidder can use the man for a few hours or a set period of time so I've volunteered myself to cook a four course meal for four at the winning bidders house.

Should be fun............. :-)

Cameo...

So I've just got back from Pinewood studios after completing a sound check on a rather good new film and although I'm not at all mystical or religious in any way the odd thing that just happens by coincidence does fill me with a little bit of joy.

I was thinking whilst driving through Slough and a miserable, wet and cold January day how nice it would be to be magically transported to one of my favourite places on earth, that being Bora Bora beach bar in Playa Den Bossa, Ibiza.

So about an hour or so into the film there is a nightclub scene and who's there making a cameo appearance in the role of "Club DJ"?....................Oliver Lang, resident DJ and all round legend of Bora Bora beach bar in Playa Den Bossa, Ibiza.

Spooky Huh? Incidentally one of the tunes he is playing in the club scene is one of his own remixes of Blue Monday by New Order but I cannot find it anywhere on the t'interweb....very good though and I definitely want a copy.

The film by the way is called "Unknown" which stars Liam Neeson and it's due for release in February (official release dates here)

Following on from my good buddy James' blog post about Tescos I thought I might add my tuppence worth but this time concerning Waitrose....

Firstly I like them, they are my number one choice of supermarket without question but I do have a couple of gripes with them. The first is that they try far too hard to be nice and secondly is that they put people under the age of 18 on the express counters.

Now you might think that I'm being a little grumpy and perhaps I am because when I do my shopping I want to get my stuff off the shelves, pay for it and leave, I don't want somebody asking me how my day has been or enquiring as to my weekend plans whilst I'm at it and that's just on the normal counters..!!!

I most definitely do not want some spotty 16 year old asking me these exact same questions on the express counters. Especially since I've invariably been held up in the queue for ages whilst they all get permission to serve the booze people want and the cigarettes that are only sold from the very counters that they work on because they are not bloomin old enough to serve them without approval of somebody older........(and breath)

You can't even put the kids onto the main counters either because imagine what it'd be like with the oldies on the express counters?!?! They'd be wanting to tell you about their grandchildren and how their cat got stuck up a tree in 1964 etc etc....you'd never get away.

So the simple answer to fix all this is to just stop trying to be so bloody nice.

Just serve people and let them go on their way. I hardly think that your average Waitrose shopper is going to bugger off to one of the other supermarkets just because he or she didn't form a lasting bond with a high school student or retired post worker when buying their basketful/trolleyful of vastly expensive but superior quality produce.

I'm not going to stop using them because of it but I do find myself hoping that I don't get served by certain people in the express queue because I know I'm going to get asked the same generic questions. Half these people I wouldn't chat to if I was drunk in a pub let alone in a supermarket stone cold sober and gasping for a ciggie.

That's it..........rant over :-)

Changes....

I've awoken this morning with a strange feeling!!

I'm concerned buy the lack of movement on the pub front and also by my ever expanding waistline.

For the second concern I'm going to make an effort to eat a bit more healthier to start with and then I might start considering some form of exercise but of course nothing too vigorous because as my right knee showed me just a few weeks ago I'm not really of an age to start considering half marathons.

For the Pub I'll send a message over today asking if any progress has been made and if I don't hear anything back by the beginning of next week then I will consider that the end of the road for this project and I'll start looking at new ones. Infact I may even shelve it altogether unless there are opportunities abroad.

Definitely packing in the DJ'ing in early 2011. Until then I'm just going to do the regular work I get from it to fund my trip to Australia in March then I'll be focussing fully on all things Foody. Glad I made that decision.

Also glad that I bought some rather delicious looking Cod loins yesterday that I have salted and set aside in the fridge ready for cooking tonight. Was going to do it with Chorizo and Butter Beans as seen on TV by Glynn Purnell but given my new found zest for healthiness I might have to adjust that to make it a little leaner.

Bit disappointed that I couldn't find any cheaper, more sustainable but equally as tasty fish in Waitrose such as Pouting or Pollock but the label at the counter did say it was line caught which does suggest that some level of sustainability is enforced.

Everybody should look for this when buying Fish because low Fish stocks not only drive up the price of the produce but it also means that species are not allowed to thrive which has devastating effects on all sea life.

Next time you buy Fish look at the label of ask the Fishmonger about the catching methods and sustainability of their produce and be prepared to pay a little extra for the good stuff. Those extra pennies will reward you with better flavour which is what it's all about.

Have a great day folks :-)

Fuzzy head....

Yep I have a fuzzy head this morning. Didn't manage to get to sleep until nearly 3am due to my determination to get my music collection sorted out, the tiredness I can cope with but the Red Wine head is the struggle but one must soldier on mustn't one?

Yesterdays dinner turned out pretty well although I did substitute the Cod for Haddock as all the Cod fillets in Waitrose, Twyford looked like they'd been dragged around the car park for a bit.....not what I'd expect from one the premier supermarket chains at all.

Usually when I make a dish up in my head and cook it I'll always think of a way that it could have been better but in this case there is very little I'd change. It could work with any white fish too.

I guess the only thing I could have wished for was a better camera and a not so B&Q worktop :-)



Nick can you bring yours on Sunday if you are reading this?!?!? Camera that is not worktop.....

Other than cooking this and going through the final 300+ songs I managed to get the Duck Confit done and that's looking wonderful. I also have the Tomato Consommé straining off in the fridge, it's quite clear already but I'll filter it once or twice more before Sunday to try and get it perfectly clear.

I've used more Duck legs than I need for Sunday because having never tried cooking it this way before I want to give it a run through along with my amazing chips so thats for dinner tonight.

Facebook page will be updated in the next day or so. I've already had a few recipes sent in and one of them I have tried and tested. It was a simplified version of the French classic "Cassoulet" and I must say it was really tasty and very easy to make.

Requests also for bulking up a lunchtime salad and a particulally interesting way to cook a Squash !! All coming up on there so keep checking.

OK I have an pretty manic day ahead of me workwise so best crack on.

Statistically a very pleasing day for my blogging exploits yesterday so thanks to all who have been following...spread the word :-)