The Kitchen Blog

Cooking, Gardening, Angst and More. Including Job Search Tales and lifestyle tips about island living.

Shaw Island, PM

Okay, so it's only going to be two installments--here's the second:


1/25/2004
8:41 AM

It’s late afternoon, here.  Just back from a hectic day of looking around.  I went out this morning to take care of a few things in London and then I went off to Camden to see the Market and have lunch at a Gastropub in Chalk Farm.  The food at the pub was okay--value for money--as they say.  And it did keep me from stuffing myself with innumerable yummy smelling foods offered by countless stands at the market.  The market which is indescribably cool was a sea of humanity--today being very sunny and bright.  The world and their brother was out and after several hours of looking, and a bit of shopping, I left to come home and rest my ankle which I twisted somewhere in the course of the day.  Don’t have any plans for later yet, but Jack has just returned from Wales.

    Well, in an unprecedented move, we decided to stay in tonight.  I made a risotto from what was on hand--chorizo, mushrooms, herbs and stock.  We had this with lashings of wine as our main course.  We began with a nice New Zealand Chardonnay
Moved on to a Chatauxnuef de Pape
and Finished with a Rhone. . . .
We watched the last Batman movie which was utter crap and had a nice discussion of current chefs US and UK.

    Tomorrow I think I will take in, hopefully, a tour of the Fuller’s Brewery, and the Le Cordon Bleu cookery school.  I will have to be diligent about making arrangements in the morning.  We shall see. . . .


1/26/2004
4:27 PM
    It’s really 12:21 in the morning and I’m a bit done in.  All the endless walking around town had given me some severely blistered feet--a problem I blame on the new shoes I’m warring and that they are not as nice as my older pair.  My back is playing up a bit in the mix, which is causing my hips to ache and my feet to be out of kilter, around and around.  I am sore, but in otherwise fine spirits, perhaps it’s the brandy night-cap. . . .
    Today, Jack advised against going to Fullers--”You are in one of the best cities in the world, what go to a brewery.  Now, get out of the house and go do something interesting. . .”
    So, I went to wander around the City--the older part of London and see St. Paul’s--always magnificent.  Then I did go to Le Cordon Bleu under the premise that I was wishing to be a student there--I was not impressed, for reasons I shall not commit to here.
    I made it to Neal’s Yard Dairy to pick up some cheeses to bring home--and the bloody customs officers had better not nick it! And I wandered around SoHo a bit and ended up at the British Museum and saw a really interesting exhibit on buried Treasure found in Britain in the last 100 years.  The treasure is huge and extends from 3400 years ago, right through the Victorians.  Then I went on to see the statue collection from Ancient Greece and Rome.
    Came home and Jack and I went to the Anglesea Arms for dinner--really good for the money, but not as good as it should be.
    Tomorrow is my last full day in London.  Hopefully we will have lunch at the River Cafe.  I need to find another bag to bring all of the stuff home which I have accumulated--so much for traveling light with only one carry-on. . . .

1/27/2004
3:33 PM
11:27 pm--really.  Today was my last full day in London.  Not much went on.  Got stuck in the underground between stations for a half an hour.  Had a delay on another train on my way to lunch.  Had a bit of a stressful morning.  Didn’t really get to do all that I set out to this morning.  The weather was very cold.  I did get to the River Cafe--perhaps one of London’s finest, if not more overpriced restaurants.  Took Jack out to Lunch.  I think he’s a bit sick of my being around--who wouldn’t really, after a week.  It’s an upheaval of his life.  Well, I’m gone tomorrow.  We have plans to get up early and go to the Covent Garden flower market and the Billingsgate fish market to see what it’s all about.  We have to be up by 4am.  I’m not too sure Jack is so keen to go--he has put it off the whole week.  I really do need to get home and sort out my life.  Work wise and other wise.  Jack has helped me see that I must be a miserable sod to live with at home.  Things haven’t gone easy since my injury and career change--but three years is more than enough of that crap.  I’ve got to pull up my socks and get my finger out of it--get to work and make things happen.  I have learned a lot while I was here though.  About how to do things and make things happen.  I need to do some serious reading about management, motivation, etc.
    Tim from the Ballymaloe course came over tonight.  We had a late, light supper of Roast Baby Beet Salad, Fennel and Blood Oranges with Chevre, and parmesan and a simple balsamic and olive oil drizzle.  It was large and tasty with several glasses of wine from Jack’s cellar.  This evening has made me see what a waste my life has been.  Jack has an MBA--he’s 4 years older than me.  Tim is on his way to an MBA.  He is 12 years younger.  They are and will be both successful, while I chose the path less taken and, while I have a wonderful family, have sweet FA to show for my journey. I’m not only talking in terms of money, and things but fulfillment and dreams as well.  Perhaps this will all be clearer with the smell of the salt air in the dawn’s early light.

1/28/2004
7:00 AM
2:54 pm--skies over London
    the trip is over and I am back on the cattle-car in the sky. Jack and I were up with the Larks this morning--despite not getting any rest.  We hit the Billingsgate Fish market first.  It was huge and amazing.  Like nothing I have ever experienced--the shear mass of fish there at a given moment--species representing most of the earth’s diversity.  It was way coo;l.  Not everybody's cup of tea, but to see the beautiful shapes and colors and variety is worth it at least once.
    From there we drove to the huge Covent Garden Wholesale floral market--again, vast.  Flowers and scents from everywhere.  All the colors of roses--I took as many pictures as I could, but it was hard to capture it all.  I only hope my pictures come out..  After we got back to the house I  fell asleep for a good long while and got up just before we had to depart from the airport.  I am now flying, and praying I will land in time to make my connection with the shuttle back to the ferry. I hope so.  I will be knackered.

posted by: ChefNeal at January 29, 2004 16:26 | link | comments |

Shaw Island, AM
    I am totally in jet lag mode.  I didn't sleep at all yesterday on the way home.  Jack and I got up at 4am London time and did a tour of the wholesale markets--way cool. I didn't sleep hardly from then till I got home 20 hours later.  I got 6 hours of sleep and I am semi-wide away now.
    I couldn't believe how much the kids changed in a week.  I was completely different than when I went a way for 3 months--I am not sure I could do that again.
    I wasn't able to blog while I was in London, but I did keep track blog-style.  So I will post it now in 3 installments:



1/20/2004
7:16 PM

The skies above Seattle.

Packing into a BA sardine can I jet onward.  There is barely space to hold this laptop to write this.  Off I go. Not much planned.  We shall see what comes of this trip and the interview I need to arrange. 
I look forward to seeing Jack in about 8 hours.  I musn’t spend too much time at this thing--battery is about 3hrs of charge and I need to get some sleep if I’m to compete tomorrow.  I do want to work on my web site as well.

1/21/2004
8:29 PM
London, Chiswick

 Up with the bloody lark.
I’m wide awake at 4:20 am with nothing to do.  Driving me crazzy.

1/22/2004
4:08 PM
It is 12:02 London time--no longer the wee hours of the morning.  Had an actually great day--went to Tetsbury to an antique mall and pub.  Then out on a pub crawl for dinner--had a nice meal and saw the upscale, beautiful Hamstead heath district of London.  Tomorrow it is down to my interview--I hope.  And we shall see.  Met Jack’s friend Nicky--a nice sort.  She stayed with us through 3 pubs and 5 drinks and decided she was done in and went home.
It is up early tomorrow as Jack is leaving for the weekend and I need his help finding a few places.  Might do the Borough market and then off to Winchester.  May ring Nicky as she was up for showing me a bit of the city tomorrow evening.  I shall see what Jack thinks tomorrow when we are sober.
Went out to Barnes last night--good fun and an okay meal.

1/23/2004
3:33 PM

Today was a sort of wasted day.  I got up, got some directions from my friend Jack--who is away in Wales for the weekend--and headed out to do some of the things I came here to do.  I first went to change some money near Piccadilly Circus and the I headed to Neal’s Yard to buy some tea from this great tea shop there.  I headed over to Covent Garden to buy some Soap at Lush--another way cool shop--and then went in search of this market I’ve been dying to go to.  It is only open Friday and Saturday.  I start off by taking the tube to the wrong destination--I went to my final destination instead of where I wanted to go first.  Space Cadet!  So, no problem the market is supposed to be quite close--so I start walking, and walking and walking.  I finally get close to where I want to be and Holy Shit, I look at my watch and realize I have just enough time to catch a tube (actually two) back to where I just was, so I can catch a train south for a job interview.  I am racing around and am now hot, sweaty and tired on a cold, grey London day with get-off early Friday rush hour traffic.  I pay for my train--unbelievable expensive for an hour trip.  I haven’t eaten anything but toast all day--I was going to buy something great to eat at the market.  So I grab a pre-made baguette sandwich--their okay in a pinch.  I have just enough time to get on the platform and on a coach before the train departs.  I check out a couple of cars and everything is packed.  I am lucky enough to find a seat, but I am sweating like a pig now, exhausted and just a bit shell-shocked.  I sat there for 20 minutes before I even moved.  I put away the sandwich for later--no elbow room--and read. 
    I get to Winchester where I am supposed to be and it is freeeeezing outside.  I eat my sandwich while I wait to be picked up for the interview.  I am freezing.  The interview went well, looks like a great operation, but just as I was afraid of--the perfect job pays nothing.  I have some hard thinking to do.
    I didn’t get back to London until 7pm and was just two exhausted to do anything, so I made the 30 minute trip and 20 minute walk back here and had take away Lebanese for dinner and watched Telly.
    I think I will make a better plan tomorrow morning and actually go out and do those things I want to get done!


1/24/2004
4:06 PM

    Yes, it is midnight once again.  I am absolutely shattered.  Totally exhausted.  However, today did go better than expected.  I began the day with laundry and a bath--my mate does not believe in showers, although I tend to prefer them.  Whilst I waited for the laundry to finish, I planned the day.  Because of this, my day went forward very well.  I made it to the Borough Market, just as I wanted--more of this later.  And I was able to see an exhibition of recently discovered Roman Coins at the London Museum--brilliant.  However, all this meant a lot of walking.  I went in search of some restaurants I wanted to see up close and had a disappointingly expensive dinner for the quality of the food.
    To return to the Market.  It was everything an more than I expected.  To begin with it was a very sunny, bright, cold day.  Everyone was out.  The market was packed.  But it was worth it--I think I was there several hours, wandering around and shopping.
    I bought:  Chorizo sausage
            Saffron
            Rhubarb
            Chillies       
            Fennel Bulbs
            Smoked Mid-Back Bacon--from organic, free-range hogs
            Blood Oranges
            Five different flavored (over priced) chocolate truffles--handmade

    I also ate a grilled wild boar sausage and onion sandwich with organic wild greens on. 
    I’m not quite sure what I am going to make with the food, but I will think of something when Jack gets back.  We may go to a fish market on Monday.  I’d better make something cool, after lugging that lot around on my back all day.
After seeing the sights, sounds and smells of the market I walked up the Thames to the Butler’s Wharf to see a trio of Restaurants and Shops Sir Terrance Conran (of Habitat) designed and calls a Gastrodome.  It was cool.  I wanted to eat there, but they are a bit over priced and it was getting late, so I legged it up to the Museum of London, after a quick detour to the Smithfield Meat Market--close on a saturday, of course.
        It was nearing 6pm, so I made my way towards home, hoping to stop in to a restaurant called the Sugar Club.  I’ve seen the cookbook, I wanted to eat the food.  I went out of the way--actually more out of the way than that, because I took a trip through the Portabello Market, before making my way to where the Sugar Club was supposed to be according to my guide. Apparently Jack took the uptodate guide with him, because the place was closed.  I then beetled down to Notting Hill.
    I was a bit early for Clarke’s to be open, so I went into the pub across the road.  It was packed, but nice.  i was dead on my feet.  Ordered a pint of lager when I wanted ale.  That’s okay, I spilt it--all over some poor girls trousers.  I then had to buy her and her chap each a pint and myself a new pint--I went with Guinness based on the fact that having consumed hundred of pints of the dark brew I have never spilt a one.
    The restaurant being opened I sallied forth and was robbed blind.  If pressed I will sometime give the details of a poorly conceptualized menu, in what is a nice place with a bit of an ego problem.  I made my long way home and relaxed with a brandy, sore and tired with a lower back that is playing up.
    Tomorrow, depending how I feel--Camden Market and maybe the National Gallery in the morning.
G’night.

posted by: ChefNeal at January 29, 2004 07:43 | link | comments (1) |

Shaw Island, AM

posted by: ChefNeal at January 19, 2004 07:07 | link | comments |

Shaw Island, AM

posted by: ChefNeal at January 14, 2004 07:56 | link | comments (3) |

Shaw Island, AM

posted by: ChefNeal at January 12, 2004 07:40 | link | comments (1) |

MV Elwha, Harney Channel

       The Snow has abated,the rains begun.
          I am off the island, gone for fun.

Sorry, I couldn't resist a bit of dogeral from my poetic soul--I will spare you the haiku though.
I am off with my eldest for some shopping and fun, prisoners of the island no more (at least for 12 hours today).  I am actually also heading in to contemplate the purchasing of a new dishwasher.  As you can imagine, both with a large family and cooking jobs I do a ton of dishes.  I wish I could afford a proper commercial dishwasher ($3500) which washes stuff in under 3 minutes, but I can't.  Instead I burn through regular machines at the rate of one every two or three years.  A lot of this has to do with our dodgy power on the island, and very hard and often low pressure water.  I am also going to investigate aiding our water pressure.  Of course I don't buy top of the line machines. Unfortunately just the sort which don't pay to fix--the repairs cost more than a new machine usually.  I absolutely hate being wasteful, but I do donate our used appliances to a place which refits them and sells them on.  Funny thing though, they never have anything that I would buy myself.
    The morning is finally dawning as grey as the seas o'er we skim.  The faintest hint of clear sky hovers above ominous skies taunting us against what we know--it is supposed to be bloody awful weather today.  And yet we hope the blue will spread like a cancer across the vault and hold the rains at bay.
    Without any really shopping to do, and just some exploratory trips for business, today is a bit of a busman's.  I am regretting, at the moment, not bringing in my preliminary tax info (which I was very cross at yesterday) for my accountant to get started on.  I would like my refund--if any--sooner than later.  We shall see.

Shaw Island, Friday AM

The day ended.  Tired and exhausted we made our way home, dishwasher in tow.  Car crammed to the gills with stuff, mostly the cardboard dishwasher container.  Got home at 7pm and unloaded.  The dishwasher was running by 9pm.  Today I clean the house, and get organised for my London trip.  Bought a spendy bottle of local boutique wine for my mate that I'll be staying with over there.
    Meanwhile, on the other side of the world.  A job in Kyoto, Japan I have applied for is getting more comical.  The emails are flying back and forth.  The person in charge of translating my email for the restaurant owner keeps getting confused and asking me to repeat things I have already said.  I believe I'd have a chance at the job, but they want to meet me when they are in Ireland next week.  I had to carefully remind them that I was not going to be in Ireland, but London the last week of the month.  Needless to say, I don't think the job will work out.  The pay is what I should be making here for the same job, but probably not enough to live in Japan and work and have a family I could only see once every few months and house and mortgage in the States.  There is no chance of moving eveyone over to Japan.  It would certainly be a unique opportunity though--head chef of an Irish Pub and Restaurant in Japan.
    Probably time to send out some more resumes.

posted by: ChefNeal at January 09, 2004 07:33 | link | comments |

Shaw Island, Am

posted by: ChefNeal at January 07, 2004 07:44 | link | comments (1) |

Shaw Island, AM

posted by: ChefNeal at January 05, 2004 07:40 | link | comments (4) |