Avocado/ molasses gel, peach, apricot, chocolate/ hazelnut yogurt, mint, cream cheese + crunchy peanut butter. Just another idea in the pipeline. The cream cheese/ crunchy peanut butter would work well as a sorbet or ice cream. #paulsplayground

A composition of Serrano ham, chorizo, poached pear, peas, broad beans, pickled beets with a chipotle chilli/ lemon curd mayo. #foodfromafertileimagination

Something that I'm working on. Pork shoulder cooked in a mushroom/ seaweed broth with soy sauce, ginger, chilli, garlic, celery + onion. Garnished with potatoes and cabbage. Once cooked, the pork shreds something akin to pulled. I think this would looking really stunning garnished with purple basil, coriander and chopped chives.

Vietnamese pork burger (flavoured with fried onion, fish sauce, sugar, chilli, garlic ginger and mint), served with a sauce of orange, soy & maple syrup. Garnished with edamame.

Further ideas, developments and experimentation.

Ever since I first read about the combination of Cauliflower and White chocolate in a blog review of Restaurant David Toutain in Paris, I have been fascinated and intrigued by this combination of flavours/ ingredients. The best way to describe this seriously interesting combination is of being a taste sensation akin to a pureed rice pudding.

My latest idea based around this combination is a White Chocolate, Cauliflower and chervil 'veloute'. baby beetroot glazed with muscavado sugar, butter, mirin, rice vinegar and toasted/ ground fennel seeds. This is then garnished with celery candied in white balsamic/ dark brown sugar, shavings of white chocolate and micro mint.

In a way I suppose this could be looked upon as fulfilling the part of my food philosophy that states, 'there are no desserts, just things with a higher level and degree of sweetness than preceding offerings'!

By way of a side note, I always find that when you caramelize Muscavado sugar, it takes on a taste that, to me, is very similar to licorice.

So, moving on to the next subject, Burgers (and I'm not talking about the tasteless cardboard that masquerades as a burger in those wll known chain places). Anyway, after watching Food(ography) on the Food Network UK last weekend, I got the following idea. I must point out there that this particular episode was about grilling and barbecuing. At one point in the show, the presenter was talking to a Vietnamese couple and after watching what they prepared, I came up with the following idea.

Pork burger with Vietnamese flavours. This was a blend of minced pork, fish sauce, garlic, chilli, ginger and sugar which I shaped into a burger pattie and grilled. I served this with a couple of waffles, an orange/ soy and maple syrup reduction and some Edamame beans. I did take a picture which will be uploaded shortly. I also included some mint in the burger mix as this is quite a common thing in Vietnamese cuisine, using mint in ways which we in the west would consider to be highly unusual. But, having said that, the mint brings a nice, refreshing contrast against the heat and warmth of the chilli and ginger.


Inspiration and ideas can be garnered from many sources and the other day I cam across the website for a New York restaurant called Juni that I had previously not heard of. Anyway, I looked at the menu section of the site and found some very interesting ideas in terms of flavour combinations. This was particularly true of the dessert section of the dinner menu. One thing that stood out in particular was a dessert featuring Avocado, mint, yogurt and peach and this is something that I am experiment int with today. I will write about this further next time.

Character and Personality volume two!

Which U.S. city should you actually live in?

Honolulu

Out in the middle of the Pacific awaits the lovely city of your dreams. It's safe, quaint, beautiful, and full of culture.

What city should you visit?

Venice

The birthplace of the Renaissance is your getaway city. Creativity, history, and art have flourished there like no other. Someone like you, who's work will positively change the world, should be exposed to that kind of inspiration and beauty. Living legends deserve a vacation like this!

Who were you during the Renaissance?

William Shakespeare

You were the great English poet, playwright and actor. You are still considered the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. There's no one on the Earth that hasn't heard your name or read one of your works.

What is your calling?

Influence The World

You have big ambitions and you're not gonna go through life by merely existing. You will make an impact and a dent in the world. Your passions will lead you to make the world a better place!

What type of person are you?

Revolutionary

You love seeing changes in society and progress excites you. You aren't easily turned on by mainstream activities and the things you do always make people jealous. Your experiences and the memories you've had are to die for.

What's your emotional IQ?

100-110

Your emotional intelligence score is between 100 and 110. You have an impressive balance of an analytical and emotional mind.

What is Your Food Style?

Epic

 

Your food style is EPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCC!!!!!! One things for sure, you definitely aren't boring. You are adventurous, non-conformist, and unique. You can create meals and flavor combinations most people couldn't even dream of. You want experience all the flavors, meals and cuisines you can. You probably would try anything at least once as long as you aren't allergic to it. Because life is too short to eat boring food, right?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My character and personality.

Which Member of Genesis Are You?

Cool because he is awesome!

Steve Hackett

Artistic, Expressive, Gentle, Warm, Non-Conformist : Form is temporary, class is permanent. For you, art is something that defies the bounds of time. Music can be used like a paintbrush on a canvas of time. You are an artist to the core with a gentle soul. You welcome others to you with open arms and love to make people feel comfortable in your hospitality. You like to try many new things, and incorporate them into your art. You might have a big interest in science fiction, especially stories about time travel. For you, music should go beyond existing stagnant forms.

Which Star Trek Voyager Character Are You?

How approprate!

Neelix

You got Morale officer, Ambassador Neelix! Your a person with many talents. Extremely helpful and useful to all those around you. You've got a warm heart and you easily befriend anyone you meet. You love food if not to eat then to cook and you posses knowledge on mostly everything. Your friends and family love and cherish you for who you are- a kind loving and caring friend who'll do anything for those he loves.

Which Celebrity CEO Are You?

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo! 2012-Present

You are smart, diligent, strong willed, and passionate. Savvy and ambitious, you take on any challenge that comes your way. You are unafraid to blaze trails and step on people’s toes. Resilient in the face of criticism, you value productivity and making strides above all.  

What Beautiful Place Do You Have To See Before You Die?

Great Wall of China

The great wall of China was built around the 7th century BC, along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China.
You need to visit the great wall because you are a very adventurous and active person. You love traveling on foot, exploring on your own and breathing the fresh air into your lungs. There's nothing like a nice long walk that leads to a beautiful observation point, and that's exactly why the great wall is just for you.

What Classic Novel Describes Your Life?

J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

An underdog in every sense of the word, Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS does a masterful job of playing out your struggles. Though you may not be the most intimidating of individuals, you are not weak - far from it. People are constantly trying to put you down in life, and you always manage to prove them wrong; Sometime even finding yourself on top. Life has taken you some very strange places, and you've developed a taste for the fantastic in the process. You're determined, driven, and have a penchant for the surreal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who needs the Chinese take away?

Had a great dinner of Stir fried whole wheat egg noodles with carrots, onion, red pepper, mussels, king prawns, peach, kimchi, smoked bacon, garlic, ginger, chilli, hoi sin, dark soy, Worcester sauce, wasabi peas, edamame and chestnut mushrooms. I'm calling the dish WHOLE WHEAT 18!

Just watching Food(ography) on Food Network UK. They are discussing ice cream. It is interesting to discover that the idea of savoury ice cream is not as new and trendy as we are led to believe. Three hundred years ago Chefs were making ice creams with the likes of Foie gras, curry and asparagus. And  Heston Blumenthal got the inspiration for Bacon and egg from watching a Two Ronnies sketch.

Research and development.

As a chef, I feel that it s very important to be constantly experimenting and developing new ideas. after all, as the musician, Jon Anderson once said,'you are only as a good as your last record'! It is my believe that the same philosophy can be applied to the food of a Chef in that you are only as good as your last meal. Here are a few ideas that I have been developing this week.

Anti pasto platter (featuring)........Serrano ham, crispy chorizo, a cauliflower/ white chocolate/ black pepper panna cotta, Carrot/ wasabi pea jam, Heritage tomatoes, tomato/ white balsamic chutney, pea mayonnaise, spiced pickled onions, extra virgin olive oil + Parmesan shavings.

Chilled Soba noodles in a wasabi/ basil mayonnaise, Soy cured salmon, soft boiled egg, Kim chi, Fresh lemon/ ginger curd, chipotle chilli jam & hoi sin.

A crispy potato cake redolent with Persian spices ( coriander, cumin, fennel, chilli, turmeric, aniseed, nutmeg, dried pimento, mace, cardamom, cinnamon + cloves). Accompanied by a fricassee of cabbage, chestnut mushrooms, smoked bacon, cottage cheese, ginger, garlic & chilli. Finished with a mango foam.

Red wine and chilli glazed pear, peanut butter/ mascarpone gel, nutella/ yogurt powder, lemon foam, bitter chocolate sorbet.

Food philosophy!

As a chef I am tired of the constraints and restrictions that working for others places on me. I want to break free from these enforced restrictions and just having to do the same old thing time and time again. I need the freedom to fully explore, develop and utilise my skills, talent and natural creativity. This is why I am looking for potential backers for my own restaurant. Anyone who can help let me know.

Eating my food is akin to entering a magical world. My world of fantasy and imagination.

It is a cuisine that travels the globe in search of flavours and ingredients but without pre-determined direction or destination. This is food constructed with a travelling character, finding and discovering unique flavours with no ties or restrictions and definitely no starting points.......this is my world.

It provokes intense feelings and unconditional, single minded sentiments. Sweet, acid, bitter, spicy, hot, sour and smokey will be the pieces of the puzzle in one or more bites within the same canvas of emotion. Similar sensations achieved with different products. Different uses and different contexts but all with the same feeling of the immense. A wealth of infinite possibilities and new scenarios.

New uses of animal protein which may not be what they seem, acting as a secondary element to the various other elements or simply acting as a condiment. They will stand together in a single canvas with no apparent order or hierarchy but as a harmonious and irreverent conceptual masterpiece.

This is ultimate cooking, it is straight cooking with no surrounding elements. This is a single medium establishing the canvas as the keystone of 360 degree experience. A downhill roller coaster ride with no brakes or stop. What are the limits?

This is exciting and creative food that is in a constant state of flux, evolution and development on a three dimensional level. Height, length and width. The elaborations are progressive and continually changing. A total interaction, my world, my show.

And there are no desserts, just things with a higher level and degree of sweetness than preceding offerings. Ready to enjoy the ride?