Hell Week

“Hell Week consists of 5 1/2 days of cold, wet, brutally difficult operational training on fewer than four hours of sleep. Hell Week tests physical endurance, mental toughness, pain and cold tolerance, teamwork, attitude, and your ability to perform work under high physical and mental stress, and sleep deprivation.” Source NavySeals.Com I had my Hell [...]

The Food Writer Song

I got bored on the bus home from work so I wrote this Sung to the tune of The Wild Rover The Food Writer I’ve been a food writer for many a year And I spent all my time reviewing whiskey and beer I’ve had tours of breweries been shown round grain stores And I [...]

Recipe: Fantastic Fish Cakes

I love fishcakes, real fishcakes not these hockey pucks of stodgy potato containing roughly half a goldfish fillet worth of fish hidden away inside. Proper fishcakes should have a 2 to 1 fish to potato ratio. The mix should be a little wet and a  little difficult to work with, this will cause it to [...]

I Told You I’d Be Back

It’s a whole week since I arrived back in London. I left Ireland on the type of bright clear January morning that makes you realise just how beautiful and special a place my country is. I have left Ireland many times, hopped on flights to destinations near and far but there was a finality about [...]

Why we do that Voodoo that we do

Anthony Bourdain is a hero of mine, he is the epitome of the balls to the wall, adrenaline (and other substances) fueled, hardcore school of cheffing that has intrigued me for years,  but I’m afraid I am going to have to disagree with him for once. Lennie Nash, a kindred spirit or possible cell mate [...]

Recipe: Cola Cake

Ok to start with take a litre of Coke and reduce it by around half, this will intensify the cola taste in the final cake, which is kind of the point. Here is what you will need, remember the quantities for the cola refer to the reduced liquid. For the cake: 250g of flour, use [...]