Welcome. Having been on Twitter for some time swapping tips and advice with other food & drink bloggers and writers I decided to have a go at making my own blog. It’s aimed at people who are not experts, like me who just want to try something new from time to time, either cooking it yourself or going out. I hope you enjoy the entries and look forward to hearing your ideas as much as you will hopefully like my ramblings on the world of food and drink. I used to say “please raise a glass to a new beginning” here so now I say “raise your glass with me to the continued journey.
A little Bio about me
I live in Essex with my Wife. She, a qualified chef who decided not to go into the business after college, me, who does all the, well 99% of the cooking.
We share a passion of good food, whether this be a pasty from the farmer’s market to a top meal at a Michelin Starred establishment. I love our local pub & restaurant, The Alma which does commonwealth food of a high quality without the price you would expect of such a class of food. We also love London which usually entails trip to the Champagne Bar in Selfridges. A way to experience some class and it doesn’t matter who you are.
I really became interested in food to the extent I am now because of my wife. She introduced me properly to fine dining, although I had been to the Oxo Tower restaurant before. She was the one who got our first Taste of London tickets and from that point I was hooked. I already cooked all the meals before then, it just gave me more to think about and I started to use foods I had never cooked with or even tried before. Also getting to speak with chefs and see the passion and enthusiasm that goes into their food was a real eye opener for me.
Most of my cooking remains simple having learnt you can take simple produce and turn it into something spectacular with the addition of a few choice ingredients and you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Herbs now grow in my garden saving a surprising amount of money over the year.
I have tried some more testing menus including a three course meal from Gordon Ramsey’s 3star cook book. You may be surprised how much easier it is that you would think. The hardest part is the presentation. To put myself to greater tests I have somehow talked my way into some great kitchens and work with some very talented and inspiration chefs.
Well that’s enough about me. The blog should hopefully tell you more and we will see where the culinary road takes us.
[...] Said Simon to the Pieman got himself to Theo Randall in Mayfair. We’ll let him speak for himself, as it’s short and sweet: I should mention the food. One sentence really. Best Italian I have ever had. [...]