mwnch

Over the past few months I’ve become aware of a potential health threat that I may be suffering from. I may even have discovered a new disease for the 21st century….

I think I could be suffering from curry addiction…

Friday night is curry night which placates the urge, the urge that builds in my subconscious over the weekend, until it becomes a pang usually around the time I’m driving to work on a Monday morning. This pang grows over the course of the week in intensity to leave me day-dreaming of jalfrezi and keema nan by Thursday lunchtime … then at long last comes Friday night and my weekly fix…

Can you become addicted to curry?

Should I consider going cold turkey? (Turkey curry … yumm!)

Despite recent strange diversions Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is one of the pillars upon which my culinary world is built.

I loved his early adventures in cooking rooks and placentas on Cook on the Wild Side and TV Dinners, River Cottage as a concept is close to my idea of heaven and his recent exploration of sustainable fish stocks is admirable and thought provoking.

Of all of Hugh’s work, his thoughtful writing on animal husbandry, care and the symbiotic relationship between people and domesticated livestock has informed and reinforced my farmer’s son attitude to this thorny subject.

The River Cottage website forum is a good source of gossip and like-minded individuals.

You can find a number of Hugh recipes for free on the BBC website including a favourite of mine pumpkin risotto. Hugh’s own site River Cottage also has some great seasonal recipes. Finally, Guardian Unlimited has a very attractive selection of writing and recipes, including a very topical one given my new blackberry based theme on mwnch, an article on Black beauties.

Then of course, there are his books, all of which I thoroughly recommend.

Just one piece of advice, stop hanging around in the play-ground with that bully Ramsay and his blubbery lipped side-kick Oliver and find some nice, sensitive friends of your own.

Whilst I don’t think I’ve ever followed a recipe to every ingredient, weight, measure or direction, like everyone with a love of food I seek inspiration from books, TV and the ‘net.

In homage, respect and sometimes ridicule of our kitchen messiahs I’m going to write a series of posts on cooks, chefs and other kitchen botherers … keep reading …

Coming soon ~ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall …

My word, how TV cooks have changed.

The heritage of Fanny and the Galloping Gourmet has somehow led to Gordon Ramsay frying scallops and steaks with an incompetent DJ and a liberal sprinkling of F words (not the TV show this time). Add the whole confused chicken hypocrisy of Jamie O (who spoke out against his Sainsbury’s paymasters only to apologise like a scalded prefect threatened with loss of his fag) and throw in Hugh F-W’s (who frankly I expected better from) involvement with the gang of three and I find myself shaking my head in dismay and confusion. I just can’t join together the jokey TV trailers, Ramsay’s novelty cock-a-long (sic) and the plight of factory farmed chickens – and I think Channel 4 expect me to.

This whole factory chicken issue isn’t one that should be handled with prime-time TV and one assumes prime-time TV pay-packets for the participants. Perhaps free-range chicken sales will increase in-light of the series of shows, but as soon as T*sco or As*a run a 50 for 50p on chicken nuggets I’m sure things will go back to where they were. This is an issue for politicians and legislators … if Gordon, Jamie and Hugh could elbow their way past Beckham and get through the door of 10 Downing Street then perhaps some real progress could be made in the name of animal welfare.