The Kitchen Chronicles

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

Foreword: Welcome, discerning diners, to Fox's Kitchen Chronicles. Yep, I'm starting a monthly food-and-drink blog! I really don't know how many of you are aware of my interest in all things culinary... I might have mentioned it on the chatbox once or twice. If you don't want to hear the mandatory but boring backstory of how I got into this, skip to the next section now. Razz

I've always enjoyed the freedom to create (something I'm sure most people on an RPG site can appreciate), but struggled using my creative streak in what school taught me were the available outlets - art, music, drama, textiles etc. So when I began to learn basic cooking from my family, followed by a glimpse of what advanced skills could accomplish, I was hooked. Then almost exactly five years ago, I was introduced to cocktails. Like most people who hear this word, I had assumed (and continued to do so for a while after) that cocktails were a basic spirit with a few fruit juices. To this day, I fight to break this assumption. But it was something that really grabbed me, and I started digging up information on the practice. As it turned out, the mixology business was far more an expert craft than I had first imagined. Complex flavours, amazing technology, a huge variety of techniques - even glassware selection was open to interpretation. Now, five years of practice later (including many failed attempts), I'd consider myself good enough to work behind most high-end London bars. Anyway, enough about me.

NB: For future reference, the foreword will be less Fox-centric and hopefully funnier in subsequent blogs. Also, I'm totally aware that not everyone will be 'foodies' (for which this blog will appeal most). I won't be offended if what I'm writing about just isn't your thing, I promise!

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A Taste of the Season: [LAMB] – [PUMPKIN & SQUASH] – [FIG & QUINCE]
Though I can only speak for us over here in Britain, the transition from September into October puts the nail in the coffin that was our summertime. While the lighter, brighter days have taken their equally light and bright produce with them, the beginning of autumn heralds some fantastic flavours that should not be passed up. I’ll be offering up recipes including these ingredients later in the blog.

[LAMB] took some time for me to come around to. As a child, it was always the thought of eating the animal that put me off. Indeed, I was ‘white-meat only’ for thirteen years (no jokes – I’m looking at you, Adam). A pity, because it’s one of the most flavoursome meats on the market. It’s also one of the few ingredients that allow us to cling to the hope of the good weather returning, as it’s been in season for much of our beloved summer too. My suggestion? Keep it fairly simple. A good cut of lamb really benefits from slow-cooking, giving you succulent and tender meat. TOP TIP: Never cook lamb straight from the fridge. It comes out of the refrigerator at about 4°C, but needs to reach room temperature before cooking. This can take up to three hours, depending on the size of the joint.

[PUMPKIN & SQUASH] are the poster-boys for this time of year. Especially with Halloween on the horizon, they become mainstays in many shopping trolleys across the country. The squash family all tend to have a deep, sweet flavour to their flesh and make wonderful additions to soups, pasta dishes, roast meats, pies, stews – even cakes! Traditionally, they’ve been paired with sage, sometimes thyme and often orange or ginger. But don’t be afraid to experiment; pumpkins and squashes will take on a huge variety of flavours and won’t leave you disappointed. TOP TIP: Choose smaller pumpkins that feel heavier than they look. These tend to hold more flesh than their oversized counterparts. Don’t think the skin is inedible though! Roasted until soft, it too can be rather pleasant.

[FIG & QUINCE] give me little chills of excitement. Yes, they have unique and heavenly flavours. Yes, they let me look forward to the end of summer and coming of autumn. No, that’s not why I love them. I can cook, sure, but my main love is mixology and these two fantastic fruits set my mind buzzing with drink ideas. Fig preserve, shaken with a good mixing cognac and a dash of apple… yum. Or as I discovered when visiting Mark Hix’s Soho establishment last year (Mark’s Bar, beneath Hix), the simple delights of infusing good-quality gin with freshly-foraged quince. The bartender was kind enough to allow us a complimentary taste, and I cannot speak highly enough of it. Sweet but not sickly, interesting but not obscure, warming but not too powerful. Not the drink-aficionado that I am? Try fig with goat’s cheese, maybe a little rocket. For quince, go the Spanish route – manchego cheese with quince paste (Membrillo). Try figs, try quince. Please. TOP TIP: Make sure any fresh figs or quince that you buy are properly ripe when cooked/eaten. Under-ripe quince especially, is quite bitter. Be warned, fig ripens very quickly.

Recipes: From today’s seasonal ingredients.
[LAMB] Slow-roasted shoulder of lamb, braised summer vegetables.
[PUMPKIN & SQUASH] Pumpkin and ginger tea-bread. // Butternut squash, chickpea and spinach curry.
[FIG & QUINCE] Fig tart (w/fig jam)*. // Quince paste (Membrillo), to be served with manchego cheese.
*Pictured here.

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In Fox’s Kitchen: Though this section will really be whatever I’ve been cooking lately, it’s fortunate that after so much food talk, I’ve been busy creating drinks. We had guests down for a weekend recently, and while my Mum produced a fantastic meal, I chose to cover drinks. But accompanying dinner, no one wants a platter of different concoctions to imbibe. Instead, I offered just each drink at individual points in the meal. This was strategic, so that each cocktail served a specific purpose.

NB: Every single one of these was conceived, designed and created by me, using my own personal ingredient cupboard.

Pre-dinner ‘amuse-bouche’: “Beefeater 24, gooseberry preserve, jasmine blossom tea and lime; served with elderflower pearls.” I should point out at this point, that I’m quite interested in scientific methods, so these ‘pearls’ were created using sodium alginate and calcium lactate. As far as science-y procedures go, this one’s quite simple. You end up with the liquid encased in tiny, gelatinous capsules that burst the liquid out when bitten. They also float nicely in drinks. Sadly, I didn’t get photos of the finished product for this one.

Spoiler:

Post-main course palate cleanser: “Frozen cocktail spaghetti (cocktail that was made into spaghetti then frozen: Tanqueray no. 10, Père Magloire Calvados VSOP, Poire Williiam liqueur, pear juice and lime. Infused with kaffir lime and star anise).” This was particularly good as a palate cleanser, as the cold but small portions melted on the tongue and cleared the mouth in anticipation of dessert. The spaghetti making process involved agar agar, a syringe and plastic tubing.

Spoiler:

Post-dessert indulgence: “Black cherry liqueur, cherry juice, hibiscus tea and Mackeson stout. Served with a chocolate and stout foam.” Again, really successful. Taking a bite of the unbelievably light foam and following it with a sip of the drink… divine. The foam was make using an iSi whip and nitrous oxide canisters.

Spoiler:

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Kitchen Calendar: This one, I’m afraid, is exclusive to those of you based in Britain. After all, I can’t be expected to keep abreast of everything ‘over the pond’ too! London Cocktail Week is coming up soon, running from 7th to the 16th October. A fantastic chance to partake in a few mixology events around London, including hundreds of bars selling bespoke drinks at a greatly reduced price to those who have signed up. Expect libations worth about £9 to be showing up at £4 if you’ve registered (which is free to do). Check it out. Fox’s top tip? Drop by Callooh Callay in Shoreditch. 21s and over only, but a fantastic drinking experience.

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Fox Meets… This section of this monthly digest will cover a short but illuminating interview with one of US’ very own members. This month, I’m going to go ahead and get myself out of the way. Also, I didn’t really plan ahead for this blog entry, so I’ve no time to interview someone. Embarassed

Who taught you to cook?:
I suppose it started with my Mum. She’s always loved cooking, so the enthusiasm to learn came from her, along with a fair few fundamentals. My Grandma too, who is very much a ‘wartime cook’. I learned all the basics I needed from them. But to take it further? My Uncle, good enough to work in a professional kitchen, inspired me. Beyond that, I’m self-taught. No one taught me kitchen chemistry, that’s for sure!

Do you have a favourite recipe?:
No, absolutely not! I’m an inventor really, so I’m always coming up with new ideas. Basically, I’m constantly excited by something new – I’ve no time for favourites.

Is there a dish you’ve never mastered?
For the most part, I’ve stayed away from cake baking. I suppose I might have been afraid of the stereotype! There’s plenty of other things I’ll have trouble with I’m sure. My strength is flavour, not technique…

Weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Snails? They were okay, actually. I’ve eaten ostrich and buffalo too, but I suppose they’re becoming fairly normal now. Black pudding was a big deal for me, because I wouldn’t eat red meat for 13 years. It’s a blood sausage, so I guess that’s weird. I’m looking forward to trying snake when I go to Vietnam next year.

So what about drinks – what was the first cocktail you ever made?
This won’t look too good on me, really. At 17, I wondered how to fit Sambuca into a drink. I had some lemonade spare, so… Eugh. I’ve come a long way, obviously!

What new flavour have you discovered recently?
I’m getting stuck into the world of teas. There’s such a huge variety, from calming green to the smoky notes of Lapsang Souchong. Fascinating.

Guilty pleasure?
Sausage sandwich. Not very ladylike, is it? Razz

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Final Word: And so, in conclusion… *yawn* I’mma quite tired now and not sure what else to write. I wanted to include more sections, such as a “mythbusting” section where I reveal common cooking beliefs that do not hold true and explain what to do instead. Or perhaps a “cool kit” section, about new kitchen tools that are worth a glance? I don’t know. So my conclusion is really another question – should I continue writing these and if so, what else should I be including? PLEASE TELL!

Best,
~Fox/Sophie.

Age : 29 Posts : 49

Hey Sophie, great blog! I love the look of your frozen cocktail spaghetti, it's such a cool idea Very Happy

Wish I'd known about London Cocktail week earlier, sounded like fun (ignore the fact I'm underage lol) :3