Sorry it's been so long!

I am really very sorry that it has been this long since I have last made entry, but as usual time has passed extremely quickly and I have been very preoccupied. However, I intend (again) to make more frequent use of this sight and hope that you will continue to check from time to time.

Thanks for keeping in touch!

Education= Bits of PAPER?

Today I was speaking to a friend about a new course I begin on Thursday with the John Hopkins University School of International Public Health, in USA via the internet. The course will last the Autumn semester and is in International Food Security, Production and the Environment. He asked me why I would want to do this particulalry when I expalined that I didn't think there was certification at the end of it. I said, 'But education isn't all about bits of paper!'. He replied, 'Of cause it s!'. I retorted, 'No, education is about aquiring knowledge', he replied, 'No, it's all about getting bits of paper'. We had to agree to disagree on this one.

The certificate is surely irrelevant. Do I study a degree for the letters after my name? Well, yes, that is a big part of it! It certainly adds credibility, prestigiousness, but in itself that is the wrong way to go about things. Education, in its purest sense is about gaining increased understanding and applying what you learn to become wiser, more knowledgeable, in affect- better at what you do. That is why I study and seek to gain more education. A certificate at the end of the process is a bonus. A nice thing to have, but by no means at all, is it a requirement.

So, life at Uni? I have to be honest and say that I am continually dissapointed. Possibly because I am not putting in all I should, but mostly because I simply do not think I am being stretchted to capacity. I am simply not learning enough- not hearing enough new things, not being challenged sufficiently. I expected to be stretched and I have no doubt that will come. For the time being I am busy enough with other things to do the miniumum and wait until I need to work harder. Possibly not the best approach but at the moment- the most practical one.

I am learning. If I wasn't I wuld not be here. But I have to wonder, I am learning enough to make this all worthwhile? Who knows?

Possibly only time will tell?

Waterside Lunch!

Sometime ago I meant to post this entry about my visit for lunch at Alain and Michel Roux's 'The Waterside Inn', Bray. Just before I left the Fat Duck in August, I decided to dine at the village's other three Michelin starred restaurant, 'The Waterside Inn' and I arrived with great expectations.

The Waterside Inn calls itself 'un restaurant avec chambres', in typical French style- literally, a restaurant with rooms. Not that I could ever afford to stay there, mind you. As I arrived, slightly early, I was warmly greeted by a tall French man with thinning white hair and suddenly I realized that I was shaking hands with Michel Roux himself. I was invited to sit in the lounge area beside the reception desk and sat back in a large comfortable sofa. I began to speak to a well-dressed American couple sitting just opposite me. I asked them if they had travelled far and they 'matter of factly' detailed how they had last night been staying in Hamburg on the Queen Mary, a luxury cruise and were due to fly back to New York at 4PM. It was already nearly 12:30PM and they were still at least an hour away from Heathrow. They told me that since they were in London, they thought that they would come for lunch. But I mean, why not?

I ordered an aperitif and began to read the Lunch Menu. Inside, the first page, reads a message from Michel,

'Whatever the meal, we believe in cooking and eating the best produce available. Usually this is as simple as respecting the seasons and the result of a good working relationship with a supplier. Now that summer has arrived, we cook inhaling the aromas of English tomatoes and peas, asparagus grown in the salt marshes in Cornwall, peaches and strawberries from Kent, each served with delicate light sauces. Rose petals from our neighbour Mandy's garden flavour the sorbet. Scallops, lobsters and wild salmon arrive from Scotland daily. We source our oysters from Colchester, Aberedeen Angus beef from Speyside and New Season lamb from the West Country, usually flavoured with herbs from our garden...
We should follow nature's recommendations, as there is no doubt that she knows best!'

When shown to my table in the airy, spacious restaurant area, I was almost immediately presented with a large dish of delicious canapes. These included a delicate cheese brioche, Melba toast with chicken liver pate and sultana, filo pastry with broccoli, green beans, cauliflower and celery wrapped in a slightly spiced tomato dressing, fresh Halibut with horseradish carefully enveloped in bread and a baby courgette with mixed vegetables. This impressive selection was accompanied simply by a small Beetroot masterfully sculpted in to an elegant flower and a single piece of flat leaf parsley. It truly needed no other work.


Parts of the hotel and restaurant are distinctively traditional, fairly elaborate and formal in decor, whilst the restaurant itself is surprisingly different in ambiance. It is extremely simply in furnishings- plain white table cloths with small floral decorations and simple wooden chairs. There are no exaggerated fittings; I sat at a small circular table beside the window and yet nothing needed to be overstated.

The General Manager had spoken to me briefly earlier and when discovering that I was a Catering student, he had declared in a heavy French accent, 'Well then, let us surprise you!'. No order was taken, I simply received course after course.

I began with a Chicken Consomme garnished with a fine julienne of chicken breast, diced red and green pepper, tomato and herbs, including fresh tarragon and chive, with a swirl of truffle flavoured cream. The clear, translucent soup was chilled and slightly set, so that when cut with a large silver soup spoon, the consomme flowed gently into the cream. And when tasted, each flavour could be appreciated collectively and a lone. The consomme was filled with subtle flavours and left a clean, smooth taste and texture in the mouth. This was a superbly light and enjoyable beginning on a warm, late summer afternoon.

Next, I was presented with a small silver tureen resting on a little porcelain dish. The waiter removed the lid to reveal a lobster tail and claw, sitting in a port and vegetable sauce with a slight hint of ginger. The tail was meaty, slightly chewy, but well cooked. At first, I was uncertain how to tackle the claw (this isn't really the kind of place where one can use your hands, is it?). But I discovered that it was so well prepared and cooked, that by simply inserting my knife carefully between the shell and meat, it pulled easily and cleanly away from the claw, revealing a tender and equisite pink piece of fish. There was a marked distinction in both taste and texture between each piece of fish, with the claw being significantly more tasty and firm.

I gazed out of the window over looking the River Thames and a large weeping willow gently swaying in the breeze. Occasionally a small boat would pass by, birds glided through the sky, the sun reflected on the rippling water, the setting was perfect.

Several minutes later, I enjoyed a single seared Scallop accompanied by a small herb salad of parsley and coriander with baby squid, accompanied by a refreshing seaweed tartar dressing with a few toasted sesame seeds. The scallop was an attractive golden brown and when cut revealed a soft, delicately cooked centre. There were no dominant flavours- everything seemed well balanced and in perfect proportion to each other. There were subtle after-tones and interesting combinations of taste.

I sipped on a refreshing Pink Fruit Cocktail, served with straws, ice and thin slices of orange and lime. I sat back, relaxed and paused.
Service at the Waterside Inn is personal and attentive. Each dish is not only carefully placed, but explained at length. At times it may have felt to me that there were slightly too many waiters hovering around, however this feeling may have been increased because I was eating alone and slightly more aware of their presence. This being said, the ambiance of the restaurant is certainly comfortable, relaxed, friendly- yet slightly formal.

My main course (also a complete surprise) was served on a large glistening plate with a huge silver cloche. Once removed, I was presented with thinly sliced lamb, slightly pink, served on a sweet tasting vegetable puree, surrounded by carefully turned carrots, halved broad beans and mange tout, with a crispy golden rosti, watercress and a thin jus.Everything here was again- absolutely delicious! The lamb was perfect- cut easily with the edge of my fork. The vegetables were just cooked, soft, yet maintaining all their beautifully bright, natural colours and taste. The rosti was a perfect accompaniment, offering something slightly crunchy and crisp, to an otherwise delicate, soft dish.

A young couple in a table near by to me ordered a whole French Duck which was presented on a trolley, then carved and served at their table by two waiters. The young man made me smile, as he exaggerated his reaction to each course. Whenever asked, the food was always, 'Fabulous..magnifacent..marvelous..wonderful!'. I wanted him to declare that it was 'stupendous', or to use a long string of compliments in one full swing, sadly (to my extreme disappointment) he did not.

I chose desert from the Menu Gastronomique and thoroughly enjoyed a dark luxurious Chocolate and Raspberry roulade. Following dessert, I was presented with an impressive array of petit fours including soft peppermint marshmallow, fruit jellies with sugar, toffees, nougats and tartlets filled with patisserie cream and passion fruit. At least 10 sweet delights, sadly far too many for one! I left at least half of them.

Following my meal, I sat reflecting for a minute or two, before leaving the table and sitting outside on the picturesque decking beside the water's edge.

It was really a wonderful ending to a fabulous, magnificent, marvelously stupendous lunch!

So what do you think, Gordon?

What a humbling experience it is to come face-to-face with a Grand Master and find yourself wanting. So it was, when I presented my chosen dish to Gordon Ramsay on Saturday afternoon.It had been a horrendously busy preparation in order to be ready for the audition at Hammersmith and West London College.

I had been working all day at the restaurant in Birmingham on Friday and went shopping quickly for ingredients in my afternoon break. Finally, I was able to get away from the kitchen at about midnight and got home to begin cooking my dessert until about 5AM.This enabled me two hours sleep until I needed to get up again, tidy the kitchen (a little), pack the car and get on the road to Central London.

I arrived at Hammersmith, just after 12:30, in plenty of time for the audition.Gordon had already spent the morning with the other half of the contestants and now had to judge our own group of about 50 entrants. Many of those taking part were Chefs or catering students, but there were also a large number of amateurs. In fact, I don't like to use that word 'amateur'. Rather, they were not emplyed in the industry, they were simply driven by a love or sincere interest in good food. They were no less qualified for entering than anyone else!Gordon made a brief introduction to us before the competition began. He literally ran into the room, briskly striding into the hall, followed by two large television cameras and a man carrying a huge microphone. Wearing an immaculate white chef's jacket, with blue jeans and black trainers and his blonde hair swept accross his forehead, he said, 'Welcome' and then dispensed with any more pleasantries and got straight down to business...

"What I'm looking for..is (like) a needle in a haystack..And I've got to be brutally honest about this becuse we haven't got much time. Who's gonna cut the mustard? I'm not gonna mess around with any of you..It's very hard to say what makes a talented Chef?
Enthusiasm, energy, passion!
We're not going to spend much time together today- minutes, seconds...
I hope that we find that special person- whose got that little bit of 'wow'!
A little magic!
Remember one thing- you're here because you're good! Enjoy it!"

When it came to being judged, each of us lined up to present our dishes to the camera before making a long walk through the college to the audition room. The film crew followed us through the dimly lit corridors as we filed through the building.

In the room, were two rows of small square tables. We were asked to stand behind a designated table, with our dish infront of us and waited for Mr Ramsay and the judges to arrive. One by one, he and a few of his brigade, stopped at each table and inspected the food, whislt Gordon interrogated the contestant. We watched on as he made his feelings very clear...

"I don't believe you made this?" he remarked to one 21 year old Chef, "Swear to me on your mother's life that you made this pate!".
"Gordon, on my mother's life, I swear that I made this pate!".
"No, look into my eyes when you tell me" remarked Gordon.
"Chef, I swear on my mother's life that I made this pate!".
"No you didn't look into my eyes", replies Gordon, as the chef is distracted and glances away.
He moves closer, so that by now their faces are only inches away and the young man raises his voice and with a little desperation, exclaims, 'Chef, on my mother's life, I swear that I really made this pate!!"
"Say it once more, louder!".
And for a final time he shouts, "Chef, on my mother's life, I made this!". Finally, Gordon walks away, adding with a little saracasism in his voice, "Yes, but I still don't believe you!".
By this time, any small amount of confidence I had left, was very quickly dissapearing and I would be last, wouldn't I?

'it was my turn in the furnace..'

Well Gordon approached my table and we briefly shook hands and then it was my turn in the furnace. He suddenly picked up my dish from the table and raised it to his eye level. And then he began, first he took a spoonful, ate a rose petal (or at least took a bite). I plucked up the courage to ask, 'So what do you think, Gordon?'. Well, that was a mistake. For I don't remember him saying one positive remark. His final comment was, 'Basically, you just didn't light my fire!' and with that he just looked at me in silence and I looked back at him. And for what felt like a very long time, the cameras simply rolled on...

My 'Autumn Berry Pavlova' with fresh vanilla double cream, served with strawberry coulis and crystalised rose petals, created for the Cook Off competition of Channel 4's forthcoming series, 'The F Word', co-presented by Gordon Ramsay and Times Food Editor Giles Coren. To be screened from October 27th.

The next Jamie?

Recently I had the opportunity to meet Gordon Ramsay at the College of Food, whilst we hosted the National Semi Finals of the 2005 Ramsay Scholorship. Gordon spoke publicly at the awards ceremony and surprisingly demonstrated himself as a highly articulate, sensible and educated individual. He only swore on about two occassions!

Tommorow, I have been invited to take part in the First Round Cook Offs for a new television production hosted by Gordon Ramsay and Giles Coren, Time's Food Editor/ Restaurant Critic. The show, which will be aptly called, 'The F Word', is to be shown in the nine weeks leading up to Christmas on Channel 4. Part of the hour long program (I believe to be scheduled on Sunday evenings, just before watershed at 8PM) will be dedicated to Ramsay leading a kitchen brigade serving members of the public and VIPs. The competition tommorow is to select twelve places on the kitchen brigade.

I was asked to apply in writing, including a photograph of myself and was then interviewed informally by telephone on two ocassions by members of the Production Team. They received almost 1,000 applications nationwide and have selected just 100 individuals to present a dish to Ramsay and other judges at the Hammersmith and West London College, Central London. The dish needs to be pre-prepared and served cold. In my case, it will need to travel over 100 miles with me to London, from Birmingham, before it will be briefly assembled and presented. The judges will select from this round, a group of cooks who will compete on Sunday for a place on the show. The entire audition process will also be filmed, for potential broadcast.

Even if I am unsuccessful, it is exciting to be involved at such a competitive level!! Watch this space!

Reflective Learning!

Hi! I have decided to begin a new way of keeping up to date with you via this site. From today I will be posting a daily entry (at least Monday-Friday) which will reflect upon my learning here at Birmingham College of Food. It is hoped that this will be of particular interest to any one in education, but also to those interested in the industry and food in general. Whilst it is likely to focus on education and academics- this will by no means reduce the value and interest of the entries. I still hope to write in a light hearted, easy to read manner which appeals to a general audience, as well as others with a specialist understanding.

This reflective diary will include my personal, emotive response to lectures, practicals and other assesments here at Birmingham College of Food. It will also set out to continue informing you of things I have been doing at work and in general.

It should be said, that it in no way represents Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies. It is not an official or approved site. However, it will present an honest, personal impression upon what I experience throughout my studies and work. Happy Reading!!

Sorry, it has been so long!!

I am so sorry that it has been so very long since I last posted an entry here. As you can imagine I have been tremendously pre-occupied with other things, but I do hope to now post more frequently at this address.

I have such a lot to up-date you on, that this could take some time. I intend to send a new post in the next few days. However, for now it suffices to say, that I am now re-located to Birmingham and enrolling at the Bimingham College of Food. I am working part time with two local companies and becoming increasingly involved in a Community Kitchen Project in India, which is likely to lead to a visit to India later next year.

Well, I have finally posted something and will write again very soon. Please keep in touch.

Michael

NEW WEB SITE NOW ACTIVE!!

I am pleased to tell you that the new domain is now on line and can be found at

www.thelittlechef.org

This new site will contain longer articles and papers that I have written in recent months and will continue to be up-dated regularly. The blog at this address will also be up-dated, however, this may become less frequent. For general information about my where abouts, this will continue to be the best site to use and can be found also through a link at the new site. With this in mind to save confusion, it is suggested that you work through the new site, or continue to use this current address at blogspot.com

Thanks.

I can't buy a single English apple!

Monday 18th July 2005:

This morning whilst shopping at Sainsbury’s I tried to make a conscious decision to buy only British fresh fruit. I chose some loose fresh cherries, only to discover that they were I fact from Turkey. I returned them and decided to choose a small pack of English cherries from Kent. Trying to find an English apple proved far more difficult. I couldn’t believe that it was in fact impossible to buy a British eating apple in the middle of summer. The only English variety available was a Bramley apple- Golden Delicious from South Africa, Fiji from China, Braeburn from New Zealand. Eventually I had to settle for a small rustic looking eater from Holland. Of cause bananas came from Costa Rica, but you cannot have everything, can you?

The cleaner was actually scrubbing the pavement!

Sunday 17th July 2005:

Today, we only had a few of us in the prep kitchen during the morning. Every morning the restaurant is cleaned by a professional contract company. This morning, I even watched one of them mopping the pavement outside the restaurant. I would understand if it was marble, tiles or stone, but is it is just your average balck tarmac and it was being srupilously cleaned. Another sign of the prestige of this establishment. After our lunch, one of the stagieres helped me with the last few tasks, before he returned to the main kitchen to observe restaurant service and I could finish early for the day at about 1PM. At last an actual half-day.

When I left there was quite a lot of renovation going on in the house. The main stairway and landings are being re-carpeted, as well as a floor for the new chocolate room up-stairs (attached to the lab). On monad, the prep kitchen and fruit & veg. stores will be fitted with new air conditioning units as well. This is an area that is impressive- Heston is continually re-investing and putting money back in to his successful business.

I drive home and fell a sleep watching the television. About an hour later I woke up and was so disorientated that I couldn’t even remember for a few moments what day it was.

Later in the early evening I drove out to the small riverside village of Cookham and discovered a trendy little pub/restaurant called, ‘The Ferry’. I’m going to write more about this place later, but I automatically thought that it had successfully created the kind of atmosphere I would like in my own restaurant. Young, fresh and stylish.

So, you want to be a Chef?

Thursday 14th July 2005:

This morning, I awoke to my alarm on time, but soon fell back to sleep and woke up again to find that my slot in the bathroom had been lost. I washed quickly, but didn’t have time to shave and boy did I get it when I got to work. The Head Chef asked me this morning, ‘Michael, have you lost something today?’. The Sous Chef endlessly remarked about it every time he saw me, asking, ‘Do you want to be a Chef?’. My response was, ‘Are you saying I’m not a chef?’. To which he responded, ‘Do you want to be a good chef?’. I was quickly running out of ammunition.

Despite, my slightly dishevelled appearance the day went well. I was assigned to the pastry section and spent most of the morning preparing ice cream mixes- cracking dozens of eggs and weighing out ingredients. The afternoon and early evening was spent doing similar things- to be honest, nothing very interesting to tell you.

The following short discussion is the first of a series of articles I am writing about some of my experiences at the Fat Duck and my personal research into this exciting area of food. So far, I have one other such article completed, which is about 800 words long. This will be the first paper to be presented on my new domain site next week- entitled, 'A Matter of Taste?'.

Please note- that this web site in no way reflects the opinion of Heston Blumenthal or the Fat Duck Ltd. It is not an approved or official site and is not associated with the Fat Duck.


‘Gastronomic Alchemy- understanding Molecular Gastronomy’

It has occurred to me lately that I may have been a little too critical of Heston’s work in my last few entries. Earlier today Heston and I discussed briefly ways that I could learn more whilst I am here. One thing that we talked about made me think- we decided that I should definitely ask more questions about why we do certain things, because there are reasons behind everything. Whilst I still do not think that this sort of food is the style I would choose to adopt, it is masterfully carried out and there are many techniques and methods that I could apply. I thought that during this posting I would discuss further some of the key principles behind some of Heston’s work.

Firstly, it should be realized straight-away that despite Heston’s extensive scientific research, he insists that he remains first and foremost a chef, who cooks food. Of cause beyond this statement we can see clearly that Heston is not just any chef and he is even more than just one of the world’s best chefs. He is a chef heavily engaged in the pursuit of understanding what happens to food when we prepare it and with this increased knowledge about the chemical composition and structure of certain ingredients, he is making ground breaking developments.

The Royal Society of Chemistry said in an official statement in April that, “We are delighted with Heston’s success. His work at the Fat Duck using scientific principles to create new and exciting combinations of flavour and taste has raised the awareness of ‘molecular gastronomy’ in the UK. Heston’s curiosity to investigate the fundamental processes behind cooking and thereby push the boundaries of the culinary art is an inspiration..”.

This quotation triggers several other thoughts- but to discuss them all now would become a distraction to this present idea about ‘molecular gastronomy’. I will briefly mention them now though to remind us to return to them later-

Firstly, Heston is creating new and exciting combinations of flavour and taste, (What new combinations have been created and how many of these have been successfully implemented in to the Fat Duck’s menu?)
Secondly, This idea of cooking as an art-form (In what ways is cooking an art form and how does it compare with other arts such as painting, music or literature?).

Many think that ‘molecular gastronomy’ is little more than a fictional buzz- word. But it is much more than that. In many ways is not really anything new. After all molecular gastronomy is (in part) simply investigating the scientific processes that go on with food. For example, we have been roasting meats for hundreds of years, molecular gastronomy has looked at cooking times of meats and told us that by checking the temperature of the core of the joint of meat whilst cooking we can more accurately control how long it should be cooked for. Domestic recipes often increase the cooking time depending simply on the weight of the joint, but commercially this is unhelpful, particulary with large pieces of meat and can result in the meat being over-cooked. So we see, that ‘molecular gastronomy’ is helping us not only create new flavours and combinations, but is also dismissing old wives tales and helping us perfect more traditional cooking methods.

We should not think that Heston is the first to become interested in the science behind cooking and by no means is he the creator of molecular gastronomy. He would be the first to admit this himself, however, he should be credited with the title of ‘pioneer’ and is leading the application of academic theories here in the UK.

We will return to this discussion about molecular gastronomy soon and don’t forget to remind me to chat more about- new combinations of flavour and cooking as an art.

Next- 'Molecular Gastronomy- A Matter of Taste?'

Flower Power!

The couple I am lodging with in Maidenhead have an impressive garden with some beautiful flowers and the other evening I decided to take a few pictures using my digital camera. I am very pleased with the results and thought that I would enjoy sharing them with you. They also may add some colour to the blog. Unfortunately, we are discouraged to take photos at the Fat Duck.

Below is a view on the near-by River Thames...

To me, these photographs, whilst not professional by any means, reflect a little of the beauty of nature and the magnifacent landscapes that surround us. I was really pleased with the flowers in my land lady's garden, notice the little drops of water collecting on the petals and the vibrant colours. The river scene, despite the poor light, has come out quite well, with the passig boat and the ripples of the current. The final image is (I think) a globe artichoke? The artichoke is possibly my favourite, pobably beacuse of its sheer simplicity.

Exciting news!

I am pleased to tell you that I have just registered my own new personal domain and very soon there will be a new face to 'The Little Chef'. Surprisingly, this was actually not very expensive to do. The process takes a little while to register, but there should be a new official site for Michael Little on-line withinthe next week. However, this blog will continue to be present at the current address-
www.thelittlechef.blogspot.com

The reason for creating a new site is that I have decided to make further information available on-line, including several papers I have recently authored as part of my course with Hastings College of Arts & Technology. I have also begun to write several lengthy pieces about my experience at the Fat Duck which are difficult to post using this facility and may distract from the purpose of this journal.

I still encourage you to follow this site as well as the new one, if you are interested in folowing my daily activities at the Fat Duck and the Birmingham College of Food (BCFTCS).

Details of the new site will be anounced as soon as posible.

The Dali of Gastronomy?

Friday 8th July 2005:

Heston Blumenthal has been called recently the Dali of gastronomy and the Frankenstein of food. The Salvador Dali reference seems more favourable than the other analogy. Heston certainly is creating masterpieces of unique style. However, there is a price. I not only refer here to the monetary value of dining at the Fat Duck, but the preparation and ingredients involved. You could not find a more contrasting restaurant tot eh ethos of Raymond Blanc anywhere, despite Blumenthal’s frequent reference to Blanc’s influence.

This week, I began to note the source of many of our ingredients- I note only a few which included, fresh almonds from Spain, Braeburn apples from New Zealand, pigeons from France and fresh asparagus from Peru! It seems unfortunate that so much of the produce used here, which is of a superb quality, is often imported from all over the globe. I recently authored a paper on obesity and part of this study recognised the removal of seasonality in foods, particularly due to the increased use of imports. This forces greater pressure of local farmers and agriculture, as well as other more complicated implications, including public health. Blumenthal is offering an amazing array of dishes, using some of the very best ingredients, but very few of these are native to British soils. This seems a terrible shame, added by the Fat Duck’s location in an idealic English village setting. Later, I will continue to discuss this topic, as I have yet made no mention to the artificial flavourings and chemicals, Blumenthal incorporates in to many of his dishes.

What I should make clear here, is that many of these ingredients are also naturally present, they are artificial, in the sense that they have been researched, studied and re-created by human efforts. By chemicals, I am not referring to pesticides or harmful substances (athough this may be debated), rather I am making reference to various powders and solutions that are used in the cooking or preparation process.

Wednesday 6th July 2005:

The restaurant is always closed all day on Mondays, so yesterday was our first working day of the week.

Today, was spent in the preparation kitchen, mostly preparing ingredients for the pastry section, including ice-cream mixes, vanilla sticks and rose petals. I also helped a few of the other sections prepare certain ingredients.

When using the impressive oven up-stairs in Heston’s lab, I took a peek at his book shelf. Titles included several books on ice-creams, chocolate and academic texts about taste and perceptions of flavour. I also met Chris Young, an American, who is employed as the Fat Duck’s Food Research Manager.

After work, we strolled down the High Street to discover Bray’s second pub, The Crown at Bray. As you bend your head to enter through the front door, you almost travel in time. The main part of the pub is dark, but cosy, with plenty of traditional features, including oak tables, elaborately furnished chairs and beautiful dark stained beams. A walk outside through a small door beside the bar, takes you out in to a back yard with picnic benches and beyond this, opens up an entire field of beer gardens with further seating.

Never say never!

Day Three: Sunday 3rd July 2005

Never say Never!

This morning, we met for a weekly kitchen meeting in the back-yard at 7:40AM. Today, I worked in the main kitchen at the Fat Duck site and was able to observe actual service. I helped on the mis-en-place section, preparing dishes like oysters, sardines on toast sorbet and mustard iced cream. As well as preparing some of the basic dishes, I also ran the finished plates to the waiter’s area. It was great to be able to be so close to the action.

'close to the action'

The Head Chef was off work today and Heston was directly in charge of the kichen. He was also often asked to sign menus and books by guests at the restaurant. Despite having seen him in passing over the last couple of days, today was the first time I met him personally. My first impression was that he seemed much smaller than I had imagined. Not small, but just an average man’s height. We shook hands and he asked me a few general questions, expressing a genuine interest. Every one he spoke to, he seemed to have an instant rapor with, probaby helped by the way that his audience naturally seems to admire or respect him.

Heston is currently working on a new idea to serve his scrambled egg and bacon iced-cream. I don’t want to give away too much, until he does it, for two reasons- firstly, because, I don’t want to give away his idea and secondly, because I am concerned that by telling publicly how something is done, part of the magic is lost. A magician never reveals how his tricks are actually created and Heston is a culinary magician in every sense of the idea. But, something that I overheard Heston say was interesting- he remarked confidently, ‘In 10 years, we have never said that something that something couldn’t e done…Never say never!’ This philosophy is reflected in so much of what Heston and his team create. Almost every dish requires hours of careful, meticulous, precise preparation. Most people might never think of the idea, many who do think of it will decide that it simply cannot done- because it requires too much, but Heston is not like most people. Much of his initial success must be owed to the fact that he pushes boundaries in a unique and imaginary way and is prepared to do what ever it takes to achieve the finished result.

Another Day

Day Two: Saturday 2nd July 2005

Another Day

Another busy day today- I was assigned to help on the pastry section in the prep. Kitchen. Surprisingly, this meant more preparation of vegetables. I helped to prepare butternut ice-cream, chocolate sorbet and parsnip milk & flakes. The butternut squash iced cream is a good one. After all, if you can have pumpkin pie as a sweet, why not have an ice-cream also made from a squash. The squash is pureed and added to a basic custard, using milk powder, instead of fresh milk, to help stabilise the mix. I wonder if you could try this with swede, pumpkin and other kinds of squash or subtle vegetables?

The parsnip milk and flakes, is an incredibly fascinating idea and probably only one Heston could think of! Baby parsnips are peeled and very thinly sliced, before being soaked in a sugar stock; drained and then carefully laid out on a baking sheet covered with greased proof paper. These slices are then slowly dried in an electric dehydrator, but I should think that you could use a very low oven. The flakes are then added to a parsnip infused milk. This course becomes a variation of breakfast cereal on the degustation/ taster menu.

Today, I was asked to go up stairs to the ‘lab’, to find a ruler and humbly entered Heston’s own kitchen. The lab is the same room I had seen from a distance through the window yesterday. Heston’s domain was, just as I had imagined it. Full of complicated looking apparatus and equipment. Everything was immaculately clean and nothing was left put of place. There was what seemed to be a huge microscope in one corner and several other large pieces of equipment. I sneaked around quickly as I looked for the ruler, like a young child trespassing before they get caught. As I left the laboratory, I noticed a large book case, by the door, which included Heston’s own book and a large hardback entitled, ‘Flavourings’.

Day One!

Day One: Friday 1st July 2005:

The Story begins...

This morning, I awoke early at 4:00AM. It was already beginning to grow light and I found it hard to get back to sleep. I dozed on and off, until about 6:30 AM when I staggered out of bed, feeling a little worst for ware.

'we get changed in a garden shed'

I left the house at 7:30 AM and arrived in Bray by about 7:45. There were only a couple of chefs already there and I waited for a few minutes until some one else arrived. The main kitchen is as small as I had envisaged. The whole building is not particularly big and even the tables in the restaurant it self seem a little close together. This impression is possibly increased by the low beamed ceilings and dark windows which make the room seem even smaller. At the back of the restaurant is an area for the wine bins, coffee machine, electronic till and the entrance to the kitchen/ wash up area. Beyond this is a door to the back yard, which contains about 6 wooden garden sheds. These sheds are used for storage and the furthest shed away from the restaurant is even used as a changing room. I don’t think I have ever worked any where, that used a shed to get changed in.

I spent the whole day working in the preparation kitchen. This kitchen is situated across the road from the restaurant, at the end of a short drive off the main road. This two storey building has two kitchens and a large storage area with chest freezers and walk in fridge. About 7 of us worked together in the one kitchen downstairs. Space was very limited with this many people and at times there were 4 people working to one small bench. This area only just allowed 4 chopping boards to fit on the surface next to each other, with about a couple of inches in between.

‘every thing has to be perfect’

I was kept fairly busy all day- preparing certain ingredients for other dishes. This included chopping vegetables, preparing pancetta and duck foie gras. I am always frustrated by my poor knife skills. The quality of preparation has to be perfect. For example, I was asked to re-dice some carrots, which had to be about 1 mm square each. Each piece had to be roughly the same size and had to be square. OK- may be that sounds obvious, but when you had to prepare carrots, celeriac and button mushrooms to the same specification, you may begin to appreciate the challenge. After all how many mushrooms and carrots are square? I am also always surprised working in these kinds of places, by the huge amounts of waste. I watched another chef prepping some beautifully fresh spring onions with about 2 feet of green shoots above the bulbs. The restaurant only required the bulb and about 2 inches of the shoot. I watched everything else be thrown away. However, often trimmings and spare food are used, especially for staff meals.

We stopped briefly for lunch at about 11AM and then continued with various tasks during the afternoon, until another brief break for dinner. As I walked back to our kitchen, I noticed the kitchen above ours on the first floor of the building. I think this room is used mainly by Heston and through the window I could just make out a row of clear glass conical flasks and other scientific looking apparatus.

By about 8PM we were winding down, whilst at the Fat Duck, the main kitchen was only in the middle of service. One thing that also impressed me at Ramsay’s Boxwood is the high standard of cleanliness. It often reminds me of a hospital surgical room. Everything is stripped down, work surfaces were moved, even the skirting boards were scrubbed and stainless steel surfaces sanitised and polished. We finished just after 9PM, over 13 hours since I had first arrived for work. I was pleased with the day’s activities, but pretty tired.

Here at the FatDuck!

Well, my experience at the Fat Duck has now truly begun and what an experience it promises to become. I have plenty of information to download on to this site, as I intend to keep a daily record on my lap top which I can then put on line on my days off. Unfortunately, I am entering this at the public library, which has no facility to enable me to download the necessary files. I will try to access the internet at a local internet cafe later today, so that you can read more about what I have been up to.

Lunch at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

Today, my brother-in-law and I visited Raymond Blanc's elegant country hotel for the launch of his new Malaysian garden. We left home early at about 7.30 AM and arrived at the hotel in good time.

Le Manoir is situated a few miles outside of Oxford, near the village of Great Milton. As soon as you arrive and approach the rather grand looking entrance, you instinctively begin to realize what is in store. Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons is everything you might anticipate and probably more. If you park in the side car park, the reception and main entrance to the hotel are reached by a short walk through gravel paths, lined by rows of flowering lavender, gently perfuming the warm summer's air and attracting occasional butterflies and other insects. You are greeted at the main entrance at least once and from here on, service is impeccable. Nothing is too much trouble.

We joined about 100 guests for the launch of Le Manoir's Malaysian Garden, as it returns from its award winning success at the Chelsea Flower show. From 11 AM guests begin to take their seats and mill around the lawns at the back of the hotel, where we enjoyed champagne or freshly squeezed orange juice and some delightful canapes, including a marinated crab claw, tempura of frog and baby aubergine with a spicy tomato sauce. This was accompanied by a live performance of traditional Malaysian dance and music. Following the reception, Tom Lewis, General Manager, welcomed everyone formally and introduced Monsieur Blanc (who probably needed no such introduction).

Following this, we were guided through an open gate which revelaed the main herb gardens. Blanc spoke about his interest in Asia and his motives for creating a unique, oriental garden in the heart of Oxfordshire. He spoke passionately and generally without refering to any notes, except to make mention of certain people he wished to thank. Raymond Blanc is the sort of man you instantly warm to and who seems to pocess a charisma and charm that appears natural and far beyond his almost celebrity status in the world of food. He said, 'no longer are the French in their berets and garlic breathe, or the English buttoned up, with their emotions fastened inside...I am a modern French man..'. He spoke about food and plants and his wish to create a 'voyage of discovery'. He reiterated several times that Le Manoir would continue to serve French cuisine, but that these dishes would be 'enriched' and influenced widely by other cultures. Following his remarks, we heard from a representative of Malaysian Airlines, who sponsored the garden and a member of Malaysian Tourism. After Raymond Blanc had hurridely planted a tree and smiled for photographs, we proceeded to lunch in the hotel's restaurant, but not before Blanc insisited on eating some of the soil, remarking on how good Malaysian earth was!

'Blanc insisted on eating some of the soil..'

We enjoyed lunch in a small room extended on to the main dining areas. The menu began with a chilled essence of tomato served in a small espresso cup with a baby plum tomato placed on a coctail stick and balancing on the saucer. The slightly coloured essence was..interesting, but to be honest not really to my liking, or anyone else's on our table for that matter. To me it resembled what I would imagine the remainders of an opened tin of plum tomatoes to taste like, when the tomatoes have been discarded and you are left with only the juice. Okay, it was a refined flavour and probably masterfully created, but it was not doing anything for me. I must admit that I took a few painful gulps and was forced to leave the rest.

The next course was a sald of fresh Cornish Crab with lemon grass jelly, curried yoghurt, citrus dressings and mango. This was a masterpiece to look at and equally impressive to taste. Every unique flavour could be appreciated and married perfectly together. I less enjoyed the pan fried foie gras with caramelised pinepapple which followed, but it was still perfectly presented and simply probably just not to my taste.

The main course was a small fillet of monkfish served with citrus leaves, on a bed of wild rice with alomds, cinamon and lemon confit. This was by far my favourite course. The monkfish was delicate and perfectly cooked, accompanied by the lemon dressing, wild rice and green beans. The colours reminded me of late spring and early summer, with beautiful pale green beans and pak choi.

'this was by far my

favourite course'

For dessert we enjoyed summer fruits in cabernet sauvignon with Vietmenese mint and basil, with pink champagne. However, due to my guest and I being teetotal, Blanc's team had kindly provided an alternative to the set menu, of pinepapple parfait with a pineppale flower and several fruit sauces. Both desserts were again incredibly presented and we reluctantly buried our spoons in to the work. I say reluctnatly because we did not want to ruin the canvas, but as soon as it touched our mouths, we felt little further guilt for our indulgence. Dessert was followed by coffee and petit fours and another gentle stroll around the grounds.

Monseiur Blanc made a point of thanking each guest personally as we left and I could not help but think that this hotel restaurant was worth every penny we spent and is entirely deserving of its many awards, including two reverenced Michelin stars.

Getting a little Nervous!

Today, is my last day at work in East Sussex, at the public house/ restaurant that I have happily been employed at for about 3 years. I will miss the familiarity and home comforts- but I also realize that I have a new adventure ahead of me, at the Fat Duck and beyond.

However, I am now becoming a little nervous. I want to do well, but also fully understand that I lack experience working in this type of establishment. Apart from my one day's trial at Ramsay's Boxwood Cafe, London, I have never worked in a restaurant of this caliber, let a lone one with three Michelin stars and an accolade of the best restaurant in the world. I will give this my best shot and after all, what more can I give, than 110%.

Sunny day in Royal Maidenhead

Today, I drove up to Royal Maidenhead and Windsor, to try and secure some where to stay whilst I work at the Fat Duck. The journey wasn't too bad and I viewed several places. It has been a little difficult to find someone willing to let for such a short period, as I am only there for 4 weeks. However, I did manage to get three possible places. One was a complete dive. The other was more suitable, with an en-suite bathroom and television. However, I have decided to lodge with an elderly couple on the outskirts of town, in a small house which backs on to the river. The room is small, but has a fridge and microwave and will only cost £70 a week.

I also drove into Bray which is only a 5-10 minute drive from the outskirts of Maidenhead. To my surprise it is quite an attractive little village. Today, it was a bright sunny summer's afternoon and there were plenty of people milling around. As I drove in to Bray, there were a few teenagers kicking a football around on the green and behind them was the village cricket team, playing in their pristine whites. An idealic village scene. The Fat Duck is situated directly on the main road, which unfortunately is quite busy with passing traffic. It is quite a plain building from the outside, altough I didn't venture inside. Despite its humble appearance, it is overlooked by the local parish church and several attractive little cottages. I only had time to catch a few snapshots on my camera, before driving on to another viewing and then rushing back to Sussex, via the M4, M25 and M23 southbound in time for work. Yes- I was late!

Where it all began?

I have always been interested in cooking. One of my first Christmas presents as a child was a toy cooker that my Dad built for me out of chipwood. It was painted white, with a door for the oven and other dials and rings glued or painted on.

Then as I became older I enjoyed cooking for real and would often bake cakes at home. At secondary school, I competed twice in the BBC's Junior Materchef competition in the regional heats and began to think about a career in the industry. In 1996, I completed two week's work experience at a local tea-rooms. At 15, I was then offered my first job at a local pub, as a waiter and was involved in some food preparation at the Star Inn, Norman's Bay. During this time I also worked as a casual employee at Eastbourne's five star Grand Hotel.

Following this experience and after leaving school, I began a full time course at Hastings College of Arts and Technology. After leaving the course, with a GNVQ Advanced in Hospitality and Catering, I worked as a waiter at the Langham Hotel, Eastbourne. I also worked briefly for TV Chef Tony Tobin at the Dining Room 2, Haywards Heath and at Tesco's as a wines and spirits General Assistant.

Me at work

About Me

Hi- welcome to my new blog, The Little Chef. I am currently a second chef for a pub restaurant in East Sussex. I am also studying an Access course to Humanities and have recently accepted an offer to study full time at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies from September 2005.

I am passionate about cooking and love experimenting with new flavours and combinations. I am inspired by many other chefs and often take ideas for dishes at work from people like
Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Gary Rhodes.

I am keen to share my love for good food.