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- 15: Mildwave Bumper Edition
15: Mildwave Bumper Edition
I've cooked Pad Krapow twice in five days, and I'm thinking of making it again tonight. It's not really Pad Krapow anymore though. It started off that way, about two years ago, when I first got a craving for something I'd eaten on holiday. I was pretty faithful to the most authentic-sounding recipe I could find back then.A few months later I went vegetarian for bit, so I used soy kibbley bits instead of pork mince. Of course, it's hard to find Thai holy basil in the Ribble Valley, so I swapped it for regular basil and a couple of crushed fennel seeds -- apparently that's a good approximation, according to a recipe I read on the internet that I've never found again.Online recipes are like horoscopes to me. I live them and I love them, but essentially I just search for one to tell me what I want to hear, so that I can go about my life with confidence. It's nice to read that I'm heading in the right direction, even if I might as well have written the predictions myself. So, if a total stranger on the internet writes that today I should "take chances" and another says "forget the basil, use dried oregano instead", I'm not completely ruining a classic Thai dish. I'm simply living my life according to Fate. (For what it's worth, and if you're as haphazard a home cook as I am, Quorn mince works really well, especially if you use some Kecap Manis to thicc-ify the savoury-sweet oomph.)Other StuffGod there's so much this week, hence the warning in the subject/title. Deep breath.
Fuck it, let's go. Chef Mark Spence talks about his life, and his life is pressure, heat, flame and food. I fuuuckiinnnggg loooovveeddd eevverrryyy wooorrdddd."I need life that blisters and scars. I spend enough of my day-to-day trying to avoid doing something wrong; I need an outlet that lets me create something great."
An estate riven by one of the busiest motorways in the north. I love reading pieces about communities and this is a good one.
Life lessons from John Waters. I don't need to say any more. This is wonderful.
Mark Johnson's latest blog post on supporting local football and visiting pubs as you do so is great, and struck a chord, because Tom and I are doing this very thing for the first time this weekend! Stanley here we come.
A true-crime-style article from the MEN about a pub landlord in Oldham who also happened to be a local executioner known as one of the best in his field.
There's a doc about chef Gary Usher (Sticky Walnut/Wreckfish) on Ch4 tonight (Thurs 19 Sep). To prep, here's a great feature-interview about it with director Dan Burns. (It's an advertorial, if you mind about those things.)
Lily Waite's latest piece on Berlin and it's craft beer scene made me desperate to go there. And you know what? About a million people have told me to go to Berlin and I've never really fancied it. So this is actually a massive endorsement.
Lily was also mentioned in Vinepair's 10 Biggest Beer Stories of 2019 and named an "LGBTQ Icon". Absolutely yes, Lily.
Cooking a one-pot masterpiece in the forest on a canoeing adventure on the Root River, Minnesota. Beautiful stuff from JD Fratzke -- and there's a recipe too.
Does a het audience dilute drag? Follow Cheddar Gorgeous around Manchester and its rich drag scene that straddles "bills" and "art" gigs in this brilliant piece (for Vice, a pre-warning if you're boycotting). Although the writer calls Albert Schloss' lager "overpriced" "craft" which I'd have to disagree with. It's copper tank Urq!
Rodney Mullen on Bath Salts Pt.3. Found by Jonny Hamilton, I must have watched this mesmerising, brain-melting skate video a dozen times by now. Just watch it. It's unbelievable. It's pure creativity. It's art. And the music is lush too. (Also take a look at the comments underneath, there are some real heart-warmers.)
Even more skating: This oral history of Tony Hawk Pro Skater is completely stuffed with details and anecdotes and it's absolutely amazing. Did you know it started out as a Bruce Willis franchise?
My Stuff
Nowt to report published-wise, but plenty going on behind the scenes.
Working on a mega-monolith of an article about bread which is taking up a great deal of my time.
I'm also reading A LOT of books about wine because I'm heading to Mosel in two weeks to help with the harvest and I'm suddenly aware that I know SO VERY LITTLE.
I read Convenience Store Woman on Monday and I need everyone else to read it so I can talk endlessly about how weird it has made me feel.
Don't send me links about the Bourdain auction because I thought I was fine and then I thought about someone buying his knife and not using it and letting it go blunt and it made me cry.
Something from the archives: Sam's heading over to Burgundy soon to harvest and vinify his 2019 vintage. Here's my piece on Black Hand Wines from when I visited him back in freezing, frosty February. See you next week.