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back to school June 16, 2010

Posted by molly in : about the kitchen , 3comments

two weeks ago, i sent off my application to bauman college in the hopes of being accepted into their nutrition consultant program – and today i found out that i’ve been accepted! i will begin my course very soon, but in the meantime, i’ll tell you a bit more about it and what this means for the particular kitchen.

a family friend alerted me to bauman back when i was visiting boston in april. i immediately looked it up when i got back to london and fell in love with the program. even though they are based in california, they offer a distance learning option which is primarily online and over the phone. it is broken up into two sections: nutrition consultant and nutrition educator. by the time i complete both sections, i will be able to become a certified nutrition consultant and start my own private practice. that’s the plan, anyway!

since starting the particular kitchen back in september, i’ve really become interested in learning more about food sensitivities and hope to help people who are in a similar position to how i was six years ago, when i first heard that i had these intolerances. this course will not only give me the tools to start a career in the field but will also provide extra credentials for the blog, so it can become a serious resource for anyone wanting more information on the subject of food sensitivities.

for the foreseeable future, i’ll try to keep the blog updated as often as i have been (although i can guarantee that i won’t be posting daily any more). i’ll still be experimenting in the kitchen and will post any great recipes i stumble upon. the first section of the course takes 10 months to complete, so i’ll be updating you with my progress along the way.

i’m so excited to start this journey and hope that i can one day help YOU!

if you have any questions about this, please feel free to email me or leave a comment.

spring cleaning May 11, 2010

Posted by molly in : about the kitchen , 1 comment so far

so, instead of telling you all about my meager attempt at lemon drizzle cake yesterday (in a word: sunken), i’m just going to quickly mention a couple of changes i made to the blog.

  1. london guide – this was promised ages ago, but i finally decided to post it up here. it’s definitely a page in progress, and i’ll try to update it as frequently as possible. on that page, i have also linked to my yelp list, which features only restaurants where i have had a good experience related to my food allergies. my london guide is by no means complete or lengthy, but it’s a good starting point for anyone unsure of where to eat in the city.
  2. about & allergies – these pages have been slightly updated and moved around.
  3. recipes – finally got around to adding all of the recipes from my blog since march! have a look around on that page. the list is growing all the time!

there will be more to come, but that’s it for now!

tomorrow i’ll post a recipe that i can’t believe i haven’t posted yet (or cooked in a while) – and later in the week i’ll be working some more on my banana coconut bread. i knew i bought loads of bananas last weekend for a reason!

most hated words May 7, 2010

Posted by molly in : about the kitchen , 3comments

during last evening’s food writing class at leiths, we were each asked to come up with five words that we couldn’t stand in relation to food. it was a lot of fun, going around the room and giggling at everyone’s responses. a lot of people hate “delicious”, “tasty”, and “nice” when describing food or reading recipes/reviews. and while i can’t say i’ve NEVER used the words i now hate in food writing, here are mine.

  1. friends

    i don’t loathe jamie oliver as much as some others do, but i can’t stand when he describes two ingredients as being “friends” or “mates”. it just bothers me. i tried to find a clip on youtube, but it appears that no one has that much free time :) basically, just picture mr. oliver going, “right, so just roast your potatoes with some rosemary, yeah? cos they’re really good mates, innit?”

  2. moreish

    a distinctly british word, used to describe something you could eat over and over again. it is most commonly found in conjunction with sweet things and dessert. and it drives me up the wall! when i first heard it, it was in an episode of ‘peep show’ (find the clip here – WARNING – contains blatant drug use and references!) – i thought it was referencing the spanish moors. no wonder i was confused! anyway, it’s not even a word in my opinion. just get rid!

  3. perfect

    i admit i’m guilty of using this one – but i now know that it’s just not nice to read in relation to food. nobody is perfect, no recipe is the ultimate one. it may be perfect for me, but it may not be for you. so i’m going to make a concerted effort never to say it on the blog again!

  4. stodgy

    another favorite in british food writing and tv. even though i actually quite enjoy certain stodgy foods (roast potatoes, definitely), i hate the word. especially when it is supposed to make me LIKE the recipe in question. it doesn’t sound good to me – it sounds like a description of a short, pudgy man. unappetizing.

  5. anything added to the word “yum” (i.e. yummers, holy yum)

    while i have been known to say “yummy” once or twice (or more), i can’t stand “holy yum” or “yummers” or anything else of that ilk. yes, i am guilty of saying “yumsville” once, and i chalk that up to a superbowl-induced moment of weakness. it was all the cornbread! but they’re just a bit too rachael ray for me.

so, now that i’ve shared mine, what are your least favorite words when reading about food? and we’re not talking specific ingredients here, just descriptive words or phrases. what makes you shudder when you hear or read it?

review: the nasty bits March 26, 2010

Posted by molly in : about the kitchen , 4comments

when ashley at (never home)maker started up an online foodie book club, i was all in. not only do i love reading, but i love reading books about food. not just cookbooks, but personal accounts, methods, stories, ideas, hopes, dreams, biographies. etc etc etc. i think this is a wonderful idea and am super excited to share my review of the first book. i think i might be the only brit in the group – will have to check once everyone has written their reviews too. and by the by, if you like this idea then you should totally join!

anthony bourdain – the nasty bits: collected cuts, useable trim, scraps and bones


the first book in the club was this collection of articles and written pieces by anthony bourdain, a famous american chef who hosts the tv show “no reservations“, in which cameras follow him around as he samples local cuisine around the world. i have to confess, i’ve never ever read any of bourdain’s previous books or articles before and have never watched an episode of no reservations. i have only ever experienced him as a guest judge on “top chef”. i guess that gave me enough to work with, since he is most well known for his rough n’ tough personality and no bullsh*t style.

i really enjoyed reading this book. i love when an author writes personal accounts with conviction and authority, when they aren’t using fancy language just for the sake of it, when they come across as down-to-earth and honestly obsessed with their particular subject. bourdain does exactly this. and i love the variety of articles that have been chosen for this book – even more so that he included a notes section at the end, giving updates on his views since the articles were written.

the best example of this is in the article “a drinking problem”, in which bourdain has no problem ripping into the fairly recent british phenomenon of the gastropub. later, in his notes, he takes back what he said – noting, “i think i had my head up my ass when i wrote this thing.” bourdain seems to be into gastropubs now. but they are quite a unique concept, certainly unique to the uk. a really decent meal inside the four walls of a pub – an establishment that has historically been equated with beer, beer, beer, and maybe some average fish n’ chips. but certainly not fine dining and a pint of organic cider. or a WINE LIST. that’s different.

while, for the most part, i read through this book with a smile on my face and a growing appreciation for the bourdain, i came across a few stumbling blocks. these all relate to the fact that he HATES, LOATHES, DESPISES vegetarians and anyone who doesn’t eat “normal” food. i understand. he is a classically trained chef, and classic food (and cooking schools) is centered around a diet rich in meat and dairy and eggs and any other animal products and byproducts you can think of. it’s just a shame that he hasn’t yet begun to appreciate the evolving world of food, even with his worldwide travels and years of experience. i get it – bourdain is a guy who is stuck in his ways, who isn’t ever going to appreciate “health food” or veganism; he’s never going to accept food allergies or intolerances, and will always side with the waiter or chef who gets annoyed when a customer has to amend something on the menu because it contains gluten or dairy or eggs. that is a shame.

i do see where he is coming from. as a chef, you have put a lot of work into creating a beautiful menu that you are proud of. when a customer wants to change something that you yourself have thought up and created night after night, it can come across as rude, ignorant, disrespectful. but (and i’m only speaking for the food allergic or intolerant here – not the folks who just “don’t like” something) don’t you think i WANT to eat your dish your way? if you’re serving up a gorgeous pasta dish with cream and cheese and eggy pasta and beautiful herbs, believe me, i’m jealous of those people who get to try it. just because i’ve got a few dietary restrictions doesn’t mean i shouldn’t be allowed to dine at your restaurant. and 9 times out of 10, i will have to make substitutions and adjustments to a menu item (especially if the place in question has a michelin star). but the last thing i’d want to do is annoy the staff. this is something that i’m not alone in – feeling embarrassed, sheepish, guilty when ordering an altered dish.

so while i see bourdain’s appeal – being a tough, meat-eating, effing and blinding, mob-loving new yorker – i just wish he’d supplement that with a tiny bit of tolerance (respect may be too much to ask) for the folks who appreciate fine food but suffer from a restrictive diet. there are still a few of us who are brave enough to step inside your restaurant’s doors.

a particular plate March 20, 2010

Posted by molly in : about the kitchen , 2comments

a friend of mine recently alerted me to a very familiar looking plate from the american store pier 1 – she had seen it in one of their shops in blue and white, exactly like my logo – and i had to have it! so my mom went on a bit of a mission to find them, and totally succeeded. i am so excited to have two plates that are almost identical to my ‘particular kitchen’ plate!

i need to get some of those wire plate hangers. i’m looking forward to moving in a few months so we can start over and decorate a whole new kitchen!

it is phil’s birthday on wednesday, so we are celebrating all weekend – today his parents are coming to london and we’re all going out for a beautiful thai dinner tonight. cannot WAIT – it’s been a while since i’ve had thai food.

last night was lots of fun – friends from all over town came to a pub near us from some friendly drinks to celebrate phil’s birthday – and i decided to bake a cake yesterday for the occasion. knowing how much he loves cheesecake, i decided to go with that. knowing full well that there would be no way i could possibly eat any of it. the things we do for love, eh?

so i did a little hunting for a plain baked cheesecake, something that didn’t require millions of ingredients or hours of setting. and i’m pretty sure i found a winner: bbc good food’s baked vanilla cheesecake. it’s super simple and doesn’t require that much effort or time. yet the results were pretty good – at least, that’s what all the folks who tried it told me anyway! were they just being nice?? i guess i’ll never know :)

obviously there is nothing ‘particular’ about this cake at all – and i doubt there are any recipes for cheesecake that are dairy-free, egg-free, AND soy-free. but i shall leave you with a photo of my creation and a fun fact: in america, cheesecake usually has a graham cracker crust but in england they like to use digestive biscuits. and in my ingredient shopping yesterday, i found that many brands’ versions of digestives are vegan! hooray! so, there IS something particular about that cake after all :)

(topped with fresh raspberries – because they look pretty, definitely NOT to hide a big crack in the cake, nope definitely not)