Piggy back anyone?

Off to Margate...yep i said Margate!

So it's 7am, I've had four hours sleep and I'm off to Mark Hix's brand spanking new opening in the heart of Shoreditch. As I walk through the front door I'm greeted by a massive dead cow with a chicken hitching a ride on it's back... but don't worry, it's pickled in formaldehyde and is the Tramshed's signature Damien Hirst masterpiece. Never the less, quite a sight when you've still got half a bacon buttie hanging out of your mouth!

   
got milk?

Anyway, I'm heading down to the South East coast for the day to fill the bellies of celebrated  artist Tracy Emin and her friends, to mark the opening of her new show at the Turner Contemporary in Margate. I've got a feeling it's going to be a long day and an even longer night. 

shame about the view

So I get there after driving through Margate town centre, but the less said about that the better - one word, Grim.  To be greeted by the family dog who they have inconspicuously christened Bastard.. hmm, Rover must have been taken by the neighbours pooch. So I make my way to a kitchen which looks like a standard millionaires kitchen e.g filled with lots of expensive things that have never been used until i see probably the best kitchen window in the world, I mean look at it it could be a painting no?

WOW.

Right get set up and get cooking after all thats what Im here for so i resist the urge to grab a glass of champagne from waitress greeting people at the front door and get cracking...

Orkney scallops

Fresh and clean

Minted bean salad
(broad beans, borlotti beans, runner beans, yellow beans)

Torture rack for poultry and  lamb

"

i pop back into the kitchen to oversee the sending of dessert and its just like being back at work in london with screams of "BASTARD....BASTARD" ringing out through the kitchen as the dog starts tucking into a box of the raspberry cheese cake... fair play like, its a cracking cheese cake id be doing the same!

Spot the odd ones out

   finnished up after the cheeses now for a couple off beers then off back to the big smoke, back in work at 7am for sunday service,
BASTARD!!!!!!!

To Spain and back! (in 16hrs)

So yesterday on my day off instead of having a much needed day of rest I decided to hop on the 7am "sleazyjet" flight to Malaga, who needs sleep anyway hey !!
I was in and out before the sunset and it was hard to do, considering the amount of white wine I had with lunch, but hey ho I had a double shift today that I just would not miss for the life of me!
Here's a couple of things that I washed down with all that vino blanco.

Amazingly tender squid

Sardines with olive oil and vinager

Gambas pil-pil

Simply prawns cooked on the plancha

soft boiled duck eggs with chervil mayonnaise and asparagus

 amazing amazing strawberrys

Salt beef, green bean & dandelion salad

A negroni while ordering the meat and veg for tomorrow

Negroni

1 part beefeater gin

1 part campari

1 part sweet vermouth 

1 twisted orange rind

lots of ice

It was invented in Florence, Italy in 1919 by count Camillo Negroni by asking the bartender to strengthen his favourite cocktail. the Americano, by adding gin rather than normal soda water and has been getting people smashed ever since.