Introducing Pea #1

I have always been passionate about food (as evidenced by my waistline). Food, for me, has always been a fully immersive experience. It is not just about taste but texture, background, and the experience of eating. As a child I used to drive my parents crazy by eating with my hands, saying it 'tasted better' when I used my fingers. My strongest memories of our family trip to Europe when I was six were not the sights or even Disney Land but eating a whole chicken with rolls in the hotel room, the fact sugar came in lumps, and the size of the apples. 

I wish I could say that I come from a culinary family where we celebrated food at every turn but the reaility is Lizzy, our domestic and my second Mum, did all the cooking in my family (with the exception of camping trips where dad would haul out the skottle and potjie pot). My fondest home cooked food memories where always at Lizzy's hand; golden roast potatoes that we would fight over and a sausage gravy that I still strive towards. Now, while Lizzy is a dab hand in the kitchen the reality of feeding a family on a budget and a rather set in his ways father meant food was more utilitarian than exciting. Despite this somewhere along the way I started to be interested in cooking and so I learnt to cook; half taught by Lizzy, part self-taught experimentation and part thanks to the various food channels on TV. 

My favourite part of cooking has always been the celebration of feeding people.  In fact my 27th Birthday included a full-on Christmas in July feast for forty-five people comprising three turkeys, a gammon,  a kilogram of sausage stuffing, four kilograms of roast potato, various trimmings and an enormous salad. It may  be true that we ran out of plates, Potato stole half the roast potatoes off the table (Cannibal!) and my friend set fire to the oven but it was worth the three days of cooking just to see everyone eating and being happy. 

A  (small) Sample of the Birthday Christmas in July 2014 Spread

And therein lies the crux of it all. When I cook for people it doesn't feel like work. I can spend days tied to the stove in preparation of a single meal and feel only happiness. Basically I want to work in food, for food and with food.