Chicken Shop ...... food for thought

Adding to the wave of focused menu offerings within the restaurant sector popping up all around London is the newly opened Chicken Shop in Kentish Town, North London - a venture executed by the Soho House group. If in doubt of who they are - remember Geri Halliwell's cameo in the Sex and the City film where she talks of going to Soho in NYC for cocktails, yep, well that's them! Just after their first week of opening I popped in for a bite to eat ........... 

walking north from Kentish town station up Highgate Road with it’s blocks of industrial style buildings and scattered run down shops, which for the most part seemed only to be ventured up by myself and an ex-colleague and good friend , I anticipated turning a corner momentarily, upon which would be a newly redeveloped section of street with a selection of cool bars and restaurants serving the local, albeit very hidden, residence. Alas no; a lone restaurant on the far corner drew near, with it’s al fresco dining and large awning, like a mirage in the desert, which on closer focus was Pizza East. Through quick memory shuffle the dots joined and I thought it odd to have two restaurant of the same company so close, in such an apparently barren part of town. 

How close I didn’t realise until I caught the most indiscrete signage for the Chicken Shop, on a planter outside the most rustic set of open doors just left of Pizza East itself. Nothing else to draw your attention to it and had it not been my mission, the entrance and restaurant itself would easily have fallen by the waist side.

This rustic feel continued down the stair case with ceiling tiles reminiscent of an old student house with leak staines and rust encrusted. But there was a warm feeling to it as the anticipation grew to see what lay beyond the corner at the bottom of the stairwell. As we turned and entered it felt as though we had just stepped out of Marty McFly’s time travel machine arriving at some time in the 50’s, possibly somewhere mid State.

A warm welcome greeted us at the foot of the stairs, from the waiting maitre’d, with a back drop to tightly placed, off white lacquered, diner style tables and leather padded chairs and an open plan kitchen - now when I say open I mean open. A ‘Churrascaria” style rotisserie, housing up to 25 chucks, adorned the back wall, with solid fuel flames bitting at the rotating rows of birds, filling the room with the most mouth watering, home cooking aroma. 

Dividing the diner seating area and the open kitchen was the most magnificently large farm house kitchen table; with it’s multi functionality, it did it’s craftsmen proud - though I failed to see the tie between essentially the american diner seating area and the almost european country style kitchen table. Serving as the main work station for the open kitchen at the centre, a bar a one end and a service station at the other and both theatrically and purposefully utilised as additional seating, kitchen facing. 

Dim lighting, low ceilings and dark interiors, coupled with being in a basement gave merit to it’s opening hours of 5pm to midnight, 1am at weekends.  

With chefs chopping up steaming hot, fresh from the fire chicken and apple pies sporadically placed in front, the kitchen table seating instilled fond memories of family meals at my grandparents house, deep in the heart of the Irish country side.

Service was friendly and attentive, though with a 50 seat restaurant and 12 waiting staff anything less would be shameful. The menu, set on a wall at an eligible angel, was delivered verbally by our waitress. As a virgin customer, though expressed with confidence, the service lack direction and clarification and took longer than usual to order, albeit, on a second visit it would be a much faster process due to the simplification of the menu offering. Of which consisted of chicken, sold in 1/4, 1/2 or whole though served in pieces of 3, 6 and 12 in mirrored price banding of £4, £8 and £14.50, respectively. Four sides were on offer, corn on the cob, ‘slaw, crinkled chips and a salad, all at £3 a go with the disappointing exception of the salad at £4. 

We ordered a 1/2 chicken to share and one of each sides, 1/2 pint of draft beer and a glass of wine. Bottled, both still and sparkle were offer though the adequate thames water label was ordered. Each table is supplied with Chicken Shops own brand condiments, a hot sauce and a smoky sauce. Ketchup and aioli were brought separately with our food.

Though the visual implications are that of being served rotisserie cooked chicken the reality is far from. Marinated for 24hrs in 3 differing paprikas and oregano with the addition of a secret something the chicken is then steam cooked before being finished on the open fire: a very theatrical finishing touch, creating this mouth water aroma which touches the most intimate of senses though personally fails on delivering a finish that on feasting is as appetising. As I bite though the burnt skin and though outer meat, my mouth filled with charred skin, found memories of good ole home cooking disappear, quickly replaced with those of burnt dinners prepared by a younger sibling  through their student days. The corn was on the tough side, the crinkly chips reminiscent of adverts for McCanns oven chips, were about all that, and the salad, at £4 a plate, consisting of whole layered lettuce leaves with cubed avocado drenched in a mustard dressing, seemed excessively plain both for a salad offering and the price. 

Camping bowls, or jail bowls as my friend referred them to, though I have no knowledge of her experience of the such, were quirky alternatives to serving dishes, though lean towards the cheap side. The apple pies, constantly in view on the kitchen table in front of us, kept my "sweet tooth alert" on high throughout our meal and when it came to the desert offer, it was in addition to chocolate brownie or cheese cake. My friend opted for the chocolate brownie whilst I ordered the apple pie. “would you like vanilla ice-cream with this” my waitress asked, “what choices do I have” I replied to her in my cheekiest tone, on which she picked up on and replied back in form, as though competing for the driest humour, “with or without”. With ice-cream it was to be as we shared in her celebration of winning the competition with laughter that filled half the kitchen table, unbeknownst to her she had also won best waitress award.

With the highlight of a 3 cover turn day within it’s first week, chucking out 130 birds - 2 diners sharing a whole chicken with 3 sides was not out of the norm and what you don’t finish, on request, can be packed up for take away - it had caught the attention of local media and residence. Arriving at 6.30pm the restaurant had equal amount of customers to diners and the ambience lacked, though it filled up quickly and maintained momentum throughout our visit, which lasted until 8.30pm, with a constantly flow of chicken rotating, chopping and plating going on in impressively timed execution.

A launch party on it’s second night of 300 guests, coupled with visits from the likes of John Torode to Richard Bacon and Jamie Teakson, it was more shoreditch hype infiltrates north west london than quality local eater.

All in all, service was spot on, relax, informal yet efficient, the ambience was alive when full and though the menu was focused in terms of simplicity it lack in quality. 

Would I return? Probably not, mainly due to it's location not being en route to other destinations, e.g. a cinema, and the food not qualifying the restaurant as a destination feature - unless of course you want to join the celebrity watch

Bolognese recipe

ooh the aromas filling my kitchen and mu subsequent senses are tantalising to say the least! My bolognese has been on the stove no for, oh .... 40 mins or so. One of my favourite slow cook dishes, especially for large batches as it's just so versatile to use, spaghetti bolognese, shepards pie (well a beef version), stir in some dark chocolate (yes I said it!) and some kidney beans and serve with nachos or simply eaten with flat bread over a bottle of fully bodied red wine with friends :)

Everyone has their own version of this great classic and here's mine, in bulk version of course - it's a great dish to freeze and use later.

some ingredients;

2 big carrots (finely chopped)

2 large onions (finely chopped)

3 celery sticks (finely chopped)

2 bay leaves

a glass or 2 of red wine ;)

1.2kg mince beef

1.6kg chopped tomatoes (I prefer this to passata)

ooh and a nice big knob of butter

Now, in a big pot over a medium heat melt the butter

add the onion and let it soften, almost translucent

add the carrots and celery and stir over the heat for 3/4 mins

turn the heat up high!

break in the mince beef and seal it all over

In goes the tomato and your wine - give it a good stir and then some

in with the bay leaves

pinch of salt to enhance those

another big stir, lid on, reduce the heat to a low

the longer the better but a good 3 hrs will do ...... if you're anything like me you'll be nibbling away throughout so have some bread :)

Oh, don't forget to remove the bay leaves when you're done! :) 

Honey glazed duck breast recipe

Family celebrations are one of my favourite of occasions. Though my roots are across the Irish sea and therefore I miss many of them, mainly because I'm just not that strong of a swimmer, I'm lucky to have half my family hear with me in London and we more than make up for it here! Recently we celebrated my eldest brothers finest hour of leaving behind his thirties and entering into his glorious forties! :) What better way to note this special moment than to have a dinner party. The initial idea was to have a conventional dinner party at his house, where I was going to cook dinner with the strong assistance of my wonderful sister in law Maria, whom shares my love of food and cooking. This idea was quickly thrown from the hot pan into the fire when my youngest brother, with his adventure seeking nature, suggest we all cook separate dishes in the style of a cook off!! So a cook off it was, with each guest sampling 3 different starters and 3 different mains. Surprisingly enough it all went very smoothly in the kitchen that evening, with 3 chefs cooking 3 different meals, creating an array of beautiful dishes.


To start I served a salmon tartar in cucumber with rocket, as shown

and for main I served honey glazed duck breast, potato puree (it is an Irish family after all) and roasted plums on oat cakes - the flavours were just divine!! Now the following recipe was for 8 guests however because of the cook off, each dish was a small portion so this is more accurate for 4 guests.


You'll need;
for the duck
3 Gressingham duck breasts - roughly 240g each
2 Tbs honey
200ml port wine
50ml beef stock
for the potato puree
3 large potatoes, peeled and halved
knob of butter
milk
for the plums
8 plums
1 tsp sugar
pinch of cinnamon
for the oat cakes
100g oats
100g plain flour
130g sugar
140g butter (softened)
Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon


Prep'
Start with the potatoes, putting them in a large pot of lightly salted water, bring to the boil and simmer


Now, turn to the duck. Place a frying pan on a low heat. 
Season the duck breasts with salt then place skin-side down in the dry pan. 
Allow the fat to slowly render off, tipping off the excess a couple of times. 
Cook until the skin has browned and the majority of the fat has rendered off (this should take around 15 minutes).

Pour off the fat, then add the honey to the pan with the duck and allow to brown. 
Turn the breasts on to the flesh side for around four minutes then remove and set aside to rest.

For the oat cakes - preheat oven to 160C

Mix all the ingredients together so they are fully incorporated.

Spread mixture out on a parchment lined baking tray, it should be biscuit thin.

At the same time prepare your plums by halving them, removing the stones and on a baking tray sprinkling them with some sugar.

Bake the oat cakes on the middle shelf and the plums on the lower shelf in the oven for 15 mins.

Bring the duck back over a low heat
Add the port wine and slowly cook until port is reduced
Add the beef stock and again reduce it to really concentrate the flavour
I like to thicken my sauce by adding a good knob of butter


Now everything should come together.
Remove the biscuit and plums from the oven, cutting the biscuit into squares whilst still hot.
Drain and mash the potatoes, when you think you've mashed them enough, mash them some more - add a knob of butter and mash that in - only after all this can you add a dash of milk and mash it through. Never add the milk to your potatoes before you add the butter when mashing - It's a serious Ciaran's Kitchen sin!! :D


Then we assemble the dish and are ready to serve, et voila!!

Lamb Ragout recipe

The rain starts to fall, a drop at a time but before long it's bucketing down as if gods sink had blocked and in a desperate attempt not to flood the heavens he's got every saint and sinner chucking buckets of water on to earth - so I cook and let him get on with it.

Lamb is, it has to be said one of my favourite meats. I wasn't too keep on it as a child but I can still remember where and when I feel in love with it. For those who know me and have dined with me know I love small, quirky, independent restaurants, especially French ones. It was in one such restaurant on Berwick street in London where the love affair began and in no better format than that of a shank. Lamb is at it's best around early summer, after giving them time to graze (at their on pace), allowing their meat to develop flavour. So when it's "out of season" slow cooking is my preferred method as it really draws out the full flavour. My executive decision of the day, there has to be one in every day, was to have lamb on the menu. This is a great winter warmer, simply yet full of flavour and mmmm oh so moreish!!

You need;
1kg lamb shoulder
4 medium onions
small glass of white wine - keep the rest for dinner ;)
4 garlic gloves
2 large tomatoes
400g white beans (or similar)
1pt water
bouquet garni - I like to use it fresh from my herb garden but I also have the bought version in my cupboard for the winter months when my herb garden has wilted - which I used today
olive oil

Prep
Tim the lamb of excess fat and cut meat up into chunks
Slice up the onions
Chop the garlic cloves
Peel, seeded and chop the tomatoes - if you want to know the best way to do this check out instructions on my post "homemade pasta with sausage and chili tomato sauce"

Heat 2 Tsp of oil in a large pot then add the chunks of lamb and brown all over
Remove lamb for pot, reduce heat and throw in the sliced onions
cook onions until they are soft, stirring regularly - 10 mins or so
Add the wine and water (sounds like something from the bible)
Add the chunks of lamb again, with the bone - this helps give a great flavour and it's also a special treat for my dog :)
Add the garlic, bouquet garni and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper
Sit back with a glass of wine and let it simmer for an hr or so.
Then add the beans and again leave to simmer for another hr or so.
Remove the bouquet garni and your ready to serve.

This is great with rice or mashed potatoes but equally as good on it's own

Why January is not the month for dieting and extreme detoxing

After weeks of celebrations - work do's full of over indulgent nights of festive meals and copious alcohol - time with friends, utilising the season of goodwill to celebrate what we should all year round, with shopping, shots, suppers and for those who are inclined or profusely drunk, singing galore, and this is all before we get to sit down with family for what includes 3 days of none stop drinking, eating and for most fighting. Then with the week build up to new years we continue the indulgence in part because the country seems to come to a halt with the exception of the same heart-beat increasing activity of exercise; January sale shopping!!!Then comes the ultimate in celebrations, the end of one and the beginning of a new year. A night that is celebrated to the max - though whether this is for a fantastic year just gone, a year best left behind or the beginning of something new, a new beginning, a new start, a once in a year chance to start to follow our dreams and live a happier existence - is purely dependant on the individual. No matter what the reasons, the celebrations are just as extravagant and indulgent.

Though, in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day has been and gone - 21st December, which in 2010, due to the lunar eclipse, was the shortest day in nearly 400 years - spring is far from here. The cold wintry days of northerly winds and icy rain will undoubtedly continue through January and into February. With no "reason" to celebrate, the self induced pressure to change for the new year and the continued darkness in the days it is now that we need to love our bodies more than ever. Tiredness, lack of motivation, extra weight and forms of depression or SAD are all too common. Starving our bodies or putting them through extreme changes in diet is a recipe for disaster. January is a month of re balance and nourishment, both for our bodies, which have gone through weeks of debauchery, and our minds, which with the continued lack of sun light, rolling bills, vast drop in celebrations, increase in VAT, etc, need essential nutrients to cope. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming the cure for depression or financial pressures, I'm just sharing, from personal experience, how food plays an important role in helping us cope through.
February, for all those who wish, with the longer days and warming sunny mornings, is a better and albeit more likely to succeed time to alter your diet.
So for now, let's re balance our bodies and fuel our minds with some good wholesome food recipes for January

On Sunday I roasted a chicken for dinner, stuffed with chunks of onions and whole garlic gloves and plugged with an apple which was accompanied with mango rice - I was a bit over the veg after the Christmas feasting and there was a mango sitting in my fruit bowl staring at me for days, wondering if I was ever going to take any notice of her. Well I did and she married very well with the rice :)

As if by magic, Monday morning I wake with the sniffles!! I had watch over the previous month as everyone close to me fell foul to one bug or another, sympathising with their pain but not daring to empathise for fear of tempting faith! Alas, it had caught me but really at no better time, as the chicken carcase was still fresh and on the verge of chucking to be made into a wholesome heart chicken soup. As much as I love home made chicken soup and swear by it's miraculous powers of well being I was wanting for something different. Without a further thought out came some pine nuts, which I began to roast in my big boiling pot, as they were I quickly chopped up some onions in large chunks and just as the nuts began to golden and their sweet nutty aroma filled the room in went the onions on top, where I allowed them to soften, almost caramelise, a little bit of water added to deglaze the pot and lock in those flavours and them the chicken carcase which was then covered with water and seasoned, lowering the heat I left it to simmer away for a few hours. After a few hours, with the carcase fallen apart I began the rather boring task of "de-carcassing" the broth. So with my delicious chicken soup base which I brought back to a simmer I added what was left of some frozen veg (which I always have in the freezer in case I ever get snowed in) and noddles which I had a the back of my cupboard - even I get surprise at what I find back there sometimes!! 5 minutes later I was serving up the final dish, with it's subtle nutty flavour it  was divine, totally wholesome and ultimately body loving - Perfect January food!!

Arroz al Horno - rice in the oven

The last week or so has been inspiring, supporting and nothing short of exciting!!

Firstly I have a Spanish tenant - when building your own business you need to be very resourceful and I decided to rent out my spare room. Susana, my tenant, is a true joy to have around. Not only does she love food and consequently my cooking but she also brings a different dimension to my life. Never before have I had someone stand behind me, watching and taking notes of every dish I prepare. To add to this, as she is here learning English, I also need to describe what I'm doing in the clearest way possible so that she understands the recipes. She has said that she came to London to learn English but is delighted to have not only learned English but also had copious cooking classes too!! Though I wasn't letting here away with just taking my recipes, I wanted some of hers too!! :) Not only to learn some of her national and regional dishes but also to savour the beauty of being cooked for - it's a rare treat for me and were it not for my sister in law Maria (who's south American cooking I adore) it would be rarer than rare - blue in fact!! Under my watchful eye, Susana has prepared the classic Tortilla de Patatas Fritas, Arroz al Horno and, uncharacteristically, a Lasagna. Susana is a self professed disaster in the kitchen but I found her care free "add some of this to a bit of that" attitude to cooking rather intriguing and I must confess all dishes were simply delicious!! The Arroz al Horno - translated means "rice in the oven" - is a dish from Valencia, Susana's home town. Don't let the name fool you, this dish is more than just rice! I wanted to share this wonderful recipe with you but Susana doesn't work with quantities so I need to prepare it myself and write down the correct quantities before I share it with you :) I'll post the recipe in a few days

I wish I could say with all sincerely that life as a caterer was a glossy as cooking up some delicious dishes for people and tasting other peoples food creations but, alas, it is far from that. There have been many weeks trying to build or follow up on leads for events with what initially appears to be little response. It's to be expected, calling in the caterers is not something that you do every day. However by the end of this week I was genuinely humbled by the support of those I had discussed Edesia Caterers with and their proactive interest in building the business, drawing on their own contacts and embracing me and Edesia Caterers into their circles. Frances who runs Sanglier Wines, a wine merchant dealing directly with wines from the south of France and in particular the Languedoc region, was just one. Our businesses share the same business ethics which is why we are affiliated. If you care for good wine, responsibly source from a wine merchant with personal relationships with the vineyards then Frances at Sanglier Wines is definitely someone to keep in mind. She has an offer on some wines at the moment which I'd highly recommend, check out this link if you're looking for wines with a difference http://www.sanglier-wines.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=Special002

One special thing that came out of this week was that Edesia Caterers will be getting involved in our first charity event. The event, held on the 31st October, is the first of it's kind in London. Cupcake Camp London, is an open to the public event with what will probably be the biggest cupcake event ever!!! (don't quote me on that :) ) From Edesia Caterers, I'm donating cupcakes for the event which is to raise money for the North London Hospice. There is also a cupcake competition, with 6 different categories to enter into which I'll be submitting a special entry for - I think I've a winner on my my hands but I'll reveal what it is the day of the competition :) Check the event out at www.cupcakecamplondon.co.uk - put it in your diaries and make sure you get down there!! It's a very worth cause and bound to be a lot of fun and really!!?? who can resist a cupcake camp!!!

Speaking of which, back to my mixer I go to get the perfect cupcake!!

Quiche Lorraine recipe

It's been a busy two weeks, for many of us. What with the August holidays coming to an end, getting ourselves back into the swing of our work routines and dropping the kids off to the first day of school term, transport strikes and the likes.  I laughed when I heard one friend describe the reaction of her son as she drove up to the school front, "oh no, not this place again", he moaned! A classic line, I had felt the same, deep in my gut at the beginning of each school term but had not the courage to ever let it pass my lips - or did I? No doubt my mother could recall, though the advantage to being from a large family of 8 is that as adults, though she remembers things being said or happening, more often than not she can't recall exactly who where the culprits :)

As for not being able to recall things, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep tabs on who comes and goes from my house. The thought of putting a sign-in sign-out book had crossed my mind but then again how anal can someone really get!!! Don't get me wrong, that is in no way a complaint, I love a full house. The hustle and bustle, the constant chatter and laughter and of course, food being prepared and eaten!! Take last Friday for example where I had a busy morning costing out some recipes for Edesia Caterers with full expectation of having a friend pop in for afternoon tea and later family over for dinner. It was to be a simple Quiche Lorraine and salad for dinner and I thought I should whip up something sweet at some point too, considering I had a stream of visitors over the next 24 hrs. There had been a carrot cake on my mind for the past 3 days. You know that constant niggling feeling, that little craving deep inside, the one the harder you try to push away the strong it comes back, eventually resorting to playing visual mind games with you, where by the book you are reading suddenly becomes a carrot cake, moist and rich with the sweet aroma of carrot, cinnamon and walnut filling the air you breath. Well that's what I had, and no longer could I put up with the embarrassment of longing looking at a book while sitting in my local cafe, mouth open, on the verge of salivating (had I not forgot my manners) so carrot cake it was going to be.

Now the art to life is timing. From being in the right place at the right time with the right attitude, albeit not always an easy feat but that's why it's so important to start each day focusing on the positive we have been blessed with. The same goes for food and my day had been planned out to incorporate my guests timings and my own work. However, flexibility in life, especially in a cosmopolitan lifestyle, is also key, as I undoubtedly found out this very day. A panic phone call from my afternoon tea guest profusely apologising but in desperate need of a cake, as she herself had a dinner party to attend after our catch up. Well I knew what I had to offer and that it would go down a treat at her dinner party but to have it all ready, including cooling time for icing the cake so it could travel and stay in one piece plus have dinner ready was going to be a challenge. I couldn't leave a damsel in distress, now could I!?

I would like to be able to say it all went without a glitch but I would be lying. In a desperate attempt to get the cake to cool down as quickly as possible so I could ice it and have it set and ready for travel I removed it far too soon from the cake tin and it FELL APART!!!!!! Needless to say my guest, who had arrived at this point, was in fits of laughter at my miss fortune - and what could have been hers!!! But here's the beauty of icing!! it can cover up a million sins, and create a few new ones too. So like a child's big piece jigsaw I pieced the cake back to one and let cool on a wire rack. A while later it was iced and boxed and ready to go and no-one, except myself and my friend (and now you incidentally), knew any different. I hear it went down a treat at the dinner party. Hurray!! :)

Now in between all this I had a Quiche Lorraine  to prepare, which needed use of the oven 3 times!!, twice for blind baking the pastry and once for the final bake, at a different temperature to the cake too, so they had to play musical ovens, so as to speak. But all in all it was a success. The quiche was divine, here's the recipe so give it a try.

Quiche Lorraine recipe - serves 4

Shortcrust pastry recipe (or you can buy ready made shortcrust pastry)
You need;
170g plain flour
100g butter - at room temperature
salt - just a pinch
1 egg yolk
ice cold water

Sift flour with salt in a large bowl
With your fingers rub the butter through the flour until all the butter is incorporated - it should then look similar to a bowl of breadcrumbs - kids love this part so get them involved!
Beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of  the water
Pour the egg/water mixture over flour/butter and mix to a firm dough
Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins
Roll your dough out and line your flan tin (8 inch) with it - again refrigerate until dough is firm
In a preheated oven of 200 degrees blind bake your pastry

wet

For the filling you need;
a nob of butter (roughly 10g)
1 large onion - sliced
80g of bacon - roughly cut
150ml milk
150ml single cream
2 eggs - beaten
1 egg yolk
60g cheddar cheese - finely grated
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
salt and pepper to season

In a sauce pan over a low heat melt the butter and add the onion
Cover with a lid and cook until onions soften - do not over cook the onions
Then add the bacon and cook through - but again do not over cook the bacon, they should be cooked through but not browning
When cooked remove from the pan
In a bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients and season
Put bacon and onions into your baked pastry case and pout over the egg/cream mixture, filling it to the brim
Place quiche in lower part of a preheat oven at 170 degrees for 40 minutes

tip: different ovens vary so make sure the filling has set

Great served hot or cold with a fresh salad

Home made pasta with sausage and chilli tomato sauce recipe

Monday has been and gone and I was asked, after last Monday's blog, what happened this Monday? no blog? no recipe? My apologies to those who were expecting a laugh :) Here it is, the shenanigans of my Monday night dinner. Though first .......

Last week I held a little competition on Ciaran's Kitchen page, on facebook, so that I could give some of my delectable Baileys Truffles out to people who kindly support me. Simply put, when the page reach 80 "likes"(it had 59 then and over 100 now) the first person to write "I want my truffles" on the wall were sent a sample of truffles. As a surprise for the 80th person a sample of truffles were also sent. With making up a new batch to send to them, cooking breakfast Saturday morning for a dear friend of mine; french toast with goats cheese, crispy bacon and maple syrup, sausage and herb scrambled egg with freshly brewed coffee, what a great way to start the weekend :) I digress, so whilst packing up and sending out the truffles to my competition winners I also sent another package with my delightful Baileys Truffles to the manager of a trend bar in Soho, who, I learnt while I was down there having a great the other week, was introducing a "tea room" at the weekends and was looking for someone to cater them with an array of sweet desserts. I had left my Edesia Caterers business card for him with the staff member who had told me about this but thought what better way than to follow up by sending him a sample of my treats - and really? what better treats are there but Truffles!? So off they went with a cover letter and ...... fingers crossed :)

With all the hustle and bustle of the weekend's goings on - I was also treated to a dance show at Saddler's Wells, a love story through the sensual form of Tango :) - Monday's dinner was again last thing on my mind! Admittedly, it amused me. I'm sure there was some subconscious part of my mind which kept me from doing my weekly shop on Saturday so I would be faced with the challenge of a bare kitchen again. But how bare, I really was not prepared for!!

So picture with me, if you will, for a moment. Walk into my kitchen. On the kitchen table sits a large glass fruit bowl, in it are 3 perfectly ripe bananas, 4 red juicy apples, oh roughly 8 sticks of crunch celery, 1 large firm carrot, a red hot chilli and a couple cloves of garlic. In my fridge, as much to my surprise as to your shock were 1pt semi skimmed milk (for my weetabix in the morning), 2 pts of full fat milk (for cooking), 2 onions, some nutty chestnut mushrooms, half a red pepper (that most probably should go into the compost bin), a good few juice tomatoes, 2 trays of eggs, a few packs of butter and different cheeses ..... oh and 4 Actimel (my all important friendly bacteria :) ). oh and one more thing, sausages! SAUSAGES!!!!! oh good lord! what has become of me .........

Well, in my defence, the sausages I had bought from the local butcher in readiness for making breakfast for my dear friend on Saturday. A dear friend who rocked up to my door after only getting 4hrs sleep. Breakfast started, just to put some perspective on this, at the very decent hour of 10am (it was Saturday after all)

So there I was, stumped. If I wanted to make an English breakfast (for dinner granted) I was missing ingredients, if I wanted to make a bolognese ... well I had celery, the carrot, garlic and I suppose the tomatoes but erm .... what's a bolognese with out the beef!! Oh mama would turn in her grave with the thought of it!! (that's no reference to my mother of course, who is thankfully alive and well - she even posted a comment on my blog recently, which really touched the cockles of my heart). However, the thought of something Italian, maybe pasta, all of a sudden really appealed. Now I know it's not exactly summer food but let's be honest here, we create these labels like "summer food", on the assumption that we have summer weather!! Yeah, well mother natures playing funny games with us here at the moment and I wanted something warm and hearthy to go with her joke.

Out came the tomatoes, the mushrooms, garlic, an onion, the chili, olive oil, butter and the Sausages!! That wasn't too difficult, pasta with chilli tomato sauce and sausage, perfect!! Now where's my pasta? hmmm, none in the cupboard!! ah, but there is the spaghetti jar but on closer inspection it was a spaghetti jar alright and only a spaghetti jar! There was no spaghetti left in it! How could this happen?! Running out of dry goods didn't even happen during the blitz for goodness sake!! Well, I was left with the option of going down to the local shop or going hell for leather and making the pasta myself. Something crazy inside me said "make it yourself". Not that making pasta is crazy by any means however when a man is hungry a man is hungry and as any of my close friends will tell you this rule is magnified when it comes to me. Grumpy is generally the word used when I get hungry. But I was going to persevere. I had the eggs and the flour so after I quick but thorough clean down of the counter the process began.

For the pasta - this makes enough for 2
200g of plan strong flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sift flour into bowl. Make a well in the centre and put the eggs and oil in it
Using 1 hand gradually mix the eggs, oil and flour by drawing in the flour from the side of the well until a stiff dough has formed
Place dough on clean surface and kneed dough until smooth and elastic, roughly around 15 mins. When done, wrap dough in cling film and leave aside in a cool place for 1 hour
After an hour tear dough into small pieces and roll each one out until paper-thin. It is very important that you get the dough as thin as possible.
With a sharp knife cut the rolled out dough into long strips, go for the tagliatelle style
Let strips dry for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the fresh pasta until al dente

For the chilli tomato sausage sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
knob of butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
500g of fresh tomatoes - skin off* and chopped, which is roughly 6/7 plum tomatoes (if using tinned tomatoes change quantity to 400g)
4 sausages, cut into thick slices

*To take the skin off the tomatoes, place them into a saucepan of boiling water, sing happy birthday really quickly or give them 10 seconds, then plunge into cold water - cut into quarters and easily peel the skin off.

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat
Add the onions, fry for 10 mins until soft and golden
Add the sausages, fry for 5 mins until lightly browned
Add mushrooms, fry for 3 minutes
Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli and garlic
Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper
Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes

Pour the sauce over the pasta, mix in some chopped parsley and serve with grated Parmesan.

Yummy!! Home made pasta with sausage and chilli tomato sauce

Majadra and roast balsamic chicken recipe - the perfect Monday dinner

The weekend is over and whether it involved taming the family or untaming your friends, if you're anything like me you won't have put much thought to what to make for dinner. It is, after all, Monday, right? Right!

So I went to the ktichen this evening in full knowledge that, apart from a lot of random ingredients for baking, there was really nothing inspiring for me to choose from. There were some chicken thighs in the fridge for sure and though I do love the simplicity and basic scrumptiousness of roast chicken, this evening I wasn't quiet satisfied with the idea of roast chicken and salad - generally a Monday favourite of mine. Opening up the cupboard I stood there and just this once I wish I had thought about Monday's dinner. It's not so much that I couldn't come up with something out of whatever the cupboard had to offer it was more the fact that, it was Monday!!! and I really didn't want to think about cooking, hence why roast chicken and salad is my favourite Monday dinner :) Alas, there in front of me, well not quite as it was actually at the back of the cupboard however there was very little in it's way to block our meeting, were some lentils!! I know, I hear what you say, "lentils!!" not really something to get excited about. However, since my days of traveling to and from Israel they have a similar resonance for me as (being Irish) potatoes do. I know, I know, snigger as you may but it's all about homeliness, wholesomeness, almost comfort food - though granted most of us go for ice-cream or chcocolate these days for comfort food, as do I, but this is something with a longer last effect, this is a meal. This, in essence, is what Monday's need after all!!

Now all I needed was rice, bingo! there it was; although to no surprise as there is always rice in my cupboard - it's dried so it keeps much longer than potatoes do ;) So that was it, Majadra it was going to be. Majadra a middle eastern dish made primarliy up of rice, lentils, onion and some spices. That, with the roast chicken was the perfect answer to my Monday dinner woes.

Now, don't get me wrong, when I say it's a perfect Monday dinner I do not mean it to be bland! quiet the contrary. It can just be rather simple to put together and, as I have just figured, it's always good to have rice and lentils stored somewhere at the back of the cupboard.

This dish has many different variations depending on the country and even region within the middle east, even the name can differ - mine is an interpretation from an Israeli friend

All you need is:
Chicken thighs - I use 2 per person
Rice (I prefer brown but it's Monday, right? so what ever is there) - 1 cup
Lentils - 1 cup
Onion - 1 large cut into slices
Cumin ground - 1 tsp
Cinnamon ground - 1/4 tsp
Paprika ground - 1/4 tsp
olive oil
knob of butter
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

For the Majadra
cook the rice (as per instructions on pack)
cook lentils (again as per instructions on pack)
Caramelise the onions - it's common to lightly fry the onion for this dish but I prefer them caramelised for  extra flavour.
Take onions off the heat and season with spices.
Mix lentils, rice and onions together and season with salt and pepper (traditionally the onions are set on top of the lentil and rice mix but again I prefer to just mix it all together, to work the flavours through
There is your Majadra!!

For the roast chicken
Place chicken thighs in a bowl, drizzle balsamic vinegar over them to coat, season with salt and pepper and mix with your hand to evenly coat the thighs.
Put thighs on to a baking tray and place a knob of butter on each thigh.
Cook in a preheat oven at 190 degrees C and cook for 40 mins

and there you have your roast chicken with majadra

Secret underground dinner parties

It's been far to long, I know. So much time has passed, how could I possible fill in all the gaps in one blog? I couldn't!! So let's just say it's been a busy few months and business, for Edesia Caterers still needs a good boost but as the age old saying goes, no pain, no gain.

So let me explain the title of today's blog. I'm finding that when you are offering, primarily, a service it's more difficult to get your message across to people. Though it still has it's challenges, granted, when you have a product it is easier to get people to notice you. You have something to give them, sell them, something they can hold in their hands, put in their mouths, taste with their taste buds. Though I have a product, that product is only accessible via a service, that service being catering. So I said to myself as I sipped my coffee one morning (it's the most inspirational time of the day for me) "Ciaran", I said, "you have to bring the people to your product to experience your service". And so with that the idea of holding secret underground dinner parties was born.

Now this is no new thing, in London it has been growing steadily over the past few years and ultimately reverts back to the day when "restaurants" actually began. The oldest running is arguably the Sobrino de Botin, Madrid, Spain Though the main difference today is that women and men can participate. Thank goodness for those women who rallied up for the first wave of women's liberation at the beginning of the 18th century. The idea is simple, a cross between a dinner party and a restaurant.

Obviously these are not your everyday run of the mill events and therefore have to be promoted in an altogether different way. "Ciaran's Kitchen" facebook page is my main way of getting the word to spread and the more underground dinner parties I do the more the word will spread - well that's the theory anyway :) so if you have a facebook account please feel free to "like" the page and keep updated with future dinner parties and general food stuff from my test kitchen. Click on the title of this blog and it will take you directly to the page.

Speaking of dinner parties, I recently got acquainted with a very intriguing young man by the name of Alan Rosenthal. He founded and runs a company call "Stewed!", which are one pot stews which are available for sale in some major supermarkets. If that wasn't impressive his first cook book, by the same name, is out in October and already on sale through Amazon. What intigued me most about Alan is, despite his success, he is an extremely modest man.  I've had the pleasure of a sneak preview of his book and must say it's a must for any kitchen, even the Irish Stew recipe was spot on. If you wish to purchase the book copy and paste this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewed-Alan-Rosenthal/dp/0091938023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274372524&sr=1-1
Anyway, so back to the story, Alan invited me over for dinner for some food talk. Now when you get two food lovers together there is a common wish to share, so I offered to take over dessert with me. Great idea until I was faced with the dilemma of what to make!! Well, to be honest, it didn't take me that long to decide. I had recently persuade my mother to part with her recipe for "Tarte de pommes a la Normande" (Normandy apple tart) with frangipane and a touch of mothers little secret. I loved this tart as a child, both for it's visual effect and sumptuous flavour. Here's a picture I took. It seemed to work a treat on Mr Rosethals taste buds and I'm sure it was the reason behind the bonding of a good friendship :) 

So that's my update for now, got to dash but will be back sooner than later for more :)

Edesia's first menu

Dear readers,

What a day!! It was supposed to be the official launch of Edesia Caterers today but it didn't quite make it. I'm not disheartened though, apart from the odd lost day :) I've been making good progress. I am however beginning to really feel the self induced pressure, especially now I have missed my launch deadline. Pressure that makes you go into 6th gear, a gear that actually doesn't exist but is kept lock away in the reserve cabinet. A reserve that most of us humans rarely use, leaving it for those very special occasions, occasions that for some never appear but for others do. Occasions sometimes noted as fight or flight, the gentleman who's physical strength is put to use protecting his loved ones from a violent intruder, the girl who every day of her life ran at an average pace on that one day when being pulled from behind pulls away and runs faster that one could ever dream imaginable, to safety. Quickly assessing the situation in a millisecond you decide to go ut of your norm to stand and fight or run for you life. But I do not sit here in fear like many who do unconsciously step into 6th gear, this 6th gear is formed from a slight sense of disappointment and a huge sense of excitement. Working on a project that initially has no effects on anyone else requires much self motivation. Working on a project that initially has no effects on anyone else needs a tight time frame to work within to help maintain the self motivation. Working on a project that initially has no effects on anyone else can run over time because it was to tightly set to maintain self motivation.
WARNING: creating tight time lines to keep yourself motivated could back fire if you set the time lines too tight. A sense of humour is advised.

Today saw a first mile stone for Edesia Caterers, though not officially running you may remember that we took on our first job last week. Three menu options have been finalised for this event and it's quite a mouthwatering selection, if I do say so myself. My only problem now is, have I made the choice to difficult for my client :) Some of the items on the menu selection are, Salmon caviar sushi rice balls, Mussels with salsa cruda, Cucumber cups with smoked trout mousse, lemon and dill, Gingered chicken cakes with coriander-lime mayonnaise, Asian pork salad, brown and wild rice salad with dried cranberries, mini tuna burgers with wasabi mayonnaise and pickled ginger, Asian fruit in champagne jelly and of course Edesia Caterers very own gluten free Saffron and lime, white chocolate mini cakes. The client asked for an Asian theme as you may have gathered from this sample, which I hope will satisfy them. Admittedly, sending through your first menu options to your first client is .......... oh, like going down to the roughest pub in the neighbourhood, dressed in a mini skirt, 6 inch heels and pink glittered lip stick to ask one of the locals for a kiss under the mistletoe. You're clenching in readiness to feel the punch.

Just gone midnight and I must dash to send off two emails and get some sleep. There's something about getting to sleep before midnight, it could be psychological but don't you feel so better rested, regardless of how early you rise?

So we'll chat soon

spanish inquisition

Hola hola!!

I've spent the weekend in Valencia, Spain. Visiting my very old and dear friend, Alberto, has been a treat. The people I've come into contact with in Valencia have been nothing but exceptionally hospitable. Their generosity of spirit flows as the wine does, splashing into the decanter, kick starting the aeration process so vital to disperse the sulphur compound, releasing the fresh fruit aromas locked deep within. From the airport's passport control officers to the shop keepers, the lady on the orxata stand to the dancers from the show I was introduced to after, I was met with friendly faces, warm embraces and genuine words. What a pleasure. And it didn't stop there, home cooked meals were in abundance and created with such ease, as though everyone in Spain is a cook. The food on offer was mouth watering, moreish, almost seductive in it's effect and more so enhanced by the constant chattering of stories being shared, the explosions of laughter and the flowing juices of the grape. I watched with intrigued as the huge paella pan was set on the open fire, as the process of adding ingredients transformed a once empty pan in to a feast fit for a king. Learning the tricks of the perfect Spanish omelette, which are being put to the test this evening, a Spanish twist to tagliatelle carbonara and orxata, a sweet milk like drink made from Chufa (a root) and water were just a few of the delights of my trip.

And so, back to the vibrancy that is London town I put focus once again to the launch of the business which is fast approaching, a week from now.

Ciao ciao

Melon and Cumin, in a cake?

My dear readers,

As another week edges to a close the summer has finally manage to show up for the show. I sit and review my diary, with it's lists of crossed out action points and contemplate the ever extending "to do" list ahead. With only 2 weeks left to the launch of Edesia Caterers I take a moment at the beginning of each day to push away the nerves, fears and doubts that I know if were allowed to absorb my day would only deter me from my work and in a milli second without notice I would be running around in circles like a little hamster in his cage, running and running, around and around on his little wheel, going ever so fast, as fast as his little legs can take him but ultimately not moving an inch in the process. I take the little hamster off his wheel and let him run, run around the room, out into the hall, up the staircase and down again with purpose, with intent, with direction and ultimately with reason and a sense of achievement because we all need to find our reason, our purpose, identify our personal achievements. And so begins my day with purpose, to finish the day with an achievement.

Yesterday saw the biggest leap in the construction of the website, the "look" was finalised (thank you HRH QR for assisting), Edesia's wording was finessed and visuals were uploaded, even my sis was impressed ...... until I showed her how simple it was to do :) if you ever want to build a website and like me are ignorant to the whole process get one from www.weebly.com The branding in general has been decided from the colours used to the look of the logo, which should all be finalised in the next few days ...... thank you Josie ;)

Now you know the old age saying "all work and no play makes xxxxxxx a dull boy" or something to those words, well quite frankly I couldn't agree more. So last night my friend Debi and I went to a gig and saw the coolest band I have seen in a long time. Their music is described as "space age gangster soul" and they are called "The Future Shape Of Sound". Not usually my kind of music but what really had it for me was this, their sound is original but most importantly they were really engaged, engaged with each other on stage, engaged with their music and engaged with the audience. You wanted to date the drummer, hangout with the female vocalist she was so cool, you wanted the lead male vocalist as your brother and the guitarist you'd be happy to introduce to your sister .... they were all so unique and true to their individual identities but combined they were ... The Future Shape Of Sound .... check them out on myspace.

Tomorrow I'm off to The Gluten Free show and am hoping for some real inspiration, it should be a treat and I'm aiming to pick up some good tips to share with you, in the form of a new kick ass recipe :) I did concoct a lemon and cumin creation a few days ago but it's not yet worthy of the Edesia stamp of approval and still needs finessing before I share with you any further ..... stayed tuned though :)

I hope you all have a purposeful day!!

so we'll catch up soon

My pitching for the Barclays One small step business competition

Barclays one small step competition

Hey people of the world!! :)

WOW!! 2 weeks have literally flown by and each day has brought with it a new adventure. I must say it's been a lot of fun :) The business has now been registered. Edesia Caterers is now an official venture of it's own, the website is under construction, the legal and financial aspects have been sort, and many contacts have been made. The best news of all we have our first booking!!!! To be quite honest this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is still so much to do before launching in June not to mention from then on.

There is so much to consider when creating a business. For me most recently the question of why, why am I creating it. What does it mean for me and what will it mean for everyone else? What is Edesia Caterers? Why ask for our service over someone else's? What makes Edesia Caterers different, better, unique ......... ultimately more chosen. I've got to be really honest with you here, this was really difficult for me to get to grips with and to answer. There is competition out there, a lot of competition. From people who have established themselves in the market for years now. They have what I have, a belief that they can provide great service with great food. As I do, they hold the determination to stay passionate and innovative with their food. I researched a few catering companies, bluff calling to establish how they go about their customer service, pricing, offering and hoping to identify their unique selling point. I didn't find it (their unique selling point) unless I read their website testimonials but it wasn't coming through in they way the spoke with me. I didn't feel comfortable that they had my "party" interest at heart. So it was back to chopping board and back to the question, what is Edesia caterers all about? Will you have to read it on my website, through my blog? No, I want you to feel it from me when we speak.

Last night I completed and submitted my application for a business competition run by Barclays bank. It's called Barclays one small step competition and the winners will receive £50,000 to invest in their new business - you can check out and vote for me through this link

https://www.takeonesmallstep.co.uk/Entry/View/5863

It was a last minute addition to the application which my good friend Debi encouraged and videoed for me. I wouldn't say I'm ready to take over from Larry King but it's nots so bad. There were 5 shots at this video, just to give you a laugh I'm sharing the ones that didn't get through on the link below .......... enjoy!!! I did :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J95D78ag89k

Ok, when you've finish picking yourselves up off the floor :) let me just tell you a lot of focused work went into my pitch to win the competition however if nothing comes of it, it was a great exercise. Through this I wrote down, in a coherent fashion, exactly what Edesia Caterers is about, what it means for me and my customers. In essence this is Edesia Caterers story .....

Edesia caterers strives to incorporate the best of old fashioned values with modern techniques, from where we source our produce to the way we cook, from our level of service to the people who work with us, to provide excellence at your fingertips.

Our slogan “excellence at your fingertips” is not just a catchy phrase it is the essence by which the business was born and is run. As a small catering business we provide a comprehensive catering service to both private and corporate clients. We offer an array of delicious savoury foods from canapes and finger food to buffets and barbeques to formal dining. To enhance these choices we also provide a mouth watering selection of sweets to compliment, with some amazingly moreish gluten free alternatives like our very own Strawberry and Rosemary cake or our own spin on the classic Lemon Meringue Pie. To top off any event we provide a beautiful selection of southern french wines, a mixologist with an exciting cocktail menu and a personalised floristry service.

So 2 weeks have past but as you can see it has not been spent idly sitting around sipping champagne and nibbling on delectable canapes, that job I leave totally to my customers ....... ;)

Now back to the kitchen.

Focus

Dear reader :)

I hope on reading this you are as well (if not better) than I am today. I awoke with a real sense of excitement, I wish I could pin point why but I can't exactly. I just felt elated with a sense of wanting to achieve things. Unfortunately looking out the kitchen window as I write to you the weather doesn't seen to be in the same frame of mind. All morning it has schizophrenically jumped from clear blue skies with beautiful bright raze of sun shinning down on my herb garden to large billowing clouds of grey, gently spraying mist through the cool breeze which becomes more apparent with the lack of heat from the then cloud covered sun. The herb garden may be dampened but I shall not, not today.

Self awareness and the ability to manage yourself with this awareness is an important trait to have when starting a project on your own. Know your strengths and weakness, build a team around you that compliments you so as to enhance the strength of your team where by increasing your chances to succeed. The list goes on and on I'm sure. I will not claim to have the self awareness of a Buddha but do take some comfort in the fact that I have made mistakes and appear to have learnt from them. In this vain I have an understanding, which I hope you can appreciate, that when I feel very excited with so much adrenalin going through my blood stream, so much so there would not be a milli second of surprise if I took to flight right now, and have this yearning to achieve so much in one day, procrastination generally enters the room and sits right beside excitement on the feelings board. But I have much to do and am determined not to let procrastination beat me :)

So 2 days ago I sat and wrote out a rough business plan, so rough it makes Oliver Twist look like prince William but I got it out none the less. 7 pages of notes, what, where, when, why and how, through to the 5 P's, profit, people, promotion, product and property. It helped a lot. It made me ask myself questions I hadn't thought about before and have to answer them too :) Today take 2 factors into consideration 1. I'm in a want to achieve mood 2. Structuring a business plan is not the most exciting project in the world (for me :) ) I will put a structure to this business plan, clean my 7 pages of thoughts up like gathering a ball of dough and rolling it out flat ready for the purpose it was intended :)

Without further ado, keeping Mr procrastination at the door (outside the door) I shall sign off, hoping we all have a fun and productive day ........... just because it's a bank holiday doesn't mean you can't be productive :)

So we'll catch up soon

Gluten free contact

good morning :)

Ok, so yesterdays' business planning was side tracked slightly, mainly due to suffering a second day of a hangover - why does it take longer to recover as you get older? are there any scientific reasons for this? Wednesday evening my sister and brother, Sinead and Cormac and Sandra, Cormac's girlfriend came over for a canape sampling session. Cormac, being a mixologist, is creating a cocktail menu for me which he also had samples for. Needless to say, the cocktails went down a treat!! Luckily I got my samples and feedback in before the alcohol had a chance to gate crash the party. Admittedly, I'm still suffering today. I'm thinking definitely next time to get other people to sample the cocktails :) any offers?

While I didn't format the business plan I did sit in Starbucks and think about it a lot. Conseqeuntly I woke this morning feeling rather anxious, a sign I thought to myself that I probably really do need to get this business plan down on paper. Any help on this is most openly and gracefully accepted ;)

So here's the thing right, when you start out on a journey you start making connections with people you would never have previously made contact with and the most wonderful things can happen. Only last week I had met an old friend of mine Cat for breakfast and while we were discussing the business I explained to her I was experimenting with gluten free ingredients and the troubles it is to source these. Well, low and behold she tells me of this friend who set up a businesses selling gluten free ingredients after becoming herself so frustrated with the lack of availablity on the market. So I got in touch with her and though disappointly she had stopped selling the gluten free ingredients she credits herself with being a keen baker who has a wealth of experience with gluten free recipes, due to her partner being coeliac. She is in the middle of writing a business plan herself to start her own business catering specifically for coeliacs and wished to meet to discuss ideas and maybe even business partnerships. Well one can only speculate, and speculate I did all day yesterday, where this could go but one thing I know for sure is that I need to meet this woman.

OK, so today is back to the drawing board, back to the business plan and to get it down and out of my head where it's living a very introspective and at times daunting existence. The idea is to not let it ovewhelm me, just take it piece by peice and after my fourth cup of coffee I'm ready for it!!

so we'll catch up tomorrow

The beginning

Dear reader,

This is my first time to write a blog, I haven't even ever read a blog before and while it's a little daunting it's also got a chill of excitement to it :) like starting anything new for the first time.

So here I begin the story, if you are reading this I suppose you've joined in on the story so thank you and welcome - it's good to have some company along life's journey's and this is what this is all about for me. I'm on a journey, one which I need an outlet to communicate, which is where my blog comes in to help.

I'm Ciaran, and while I will no doubt share a lot more about myself through the course of my blogging the first thing I want to share with you is why I'm here. I've been in the catering industry, mainly restaurants, my whole life and recently I have decided to start my own catering business here in London. I've spent the last few weeks researching, testing, eating, feeding and experimenting trying to find what I want my business to mean, for me and for my customers because it is the ultimate reflection of who I am - in an abstractional, eat me I'm the ultimate rich, moist, mouth watering, spine tingling chocolate cake, kind of way. Hmmm, excuse me, time for a muffin I think ;)

Today I spoke with a wonderfully support friend of mine, Harris, over skype. He was very excited, which seems to be a natural state for Harris, for me to speak with a friend of his, Jossie. Jossie works for St Johns Ambulance in Australia, in the marketing department no less, and seemed equally as excited about my catering business and to share her expertise. Which is where the idea about creating a blog came up. Starting anything up on your own, as I'm sure many people have experienced, can feel rather isolated at times. Add this to working with food which, like my beautiful canine Jerome, can be a little none responsive and you can find yourself showing signs of early dementia or plain insanity. Neither a state I wish to enter voluntarily.

So the rest of today will be spent formally creating my business plan. I need to have it to show Jossie and Harris as they are helping me out with the branding of my business, logo, colour scheme and that kind of stuff. Harris is in "Visual", something about making things look good - he does a pretty good job on himself so I'm sure he's good at his job too. For me though this part can be the most difficult part, especially where you have to identify your potential client base. Hmmm, let me think, people who eat?! :) maybe not that simple then, eh?

so we'll catch up more tomorrow