The World of 2013 according to Blogger Kev !

Summer lasts forever in your heart. The warm evenings of  staying out late playing Hide and Seek and Hedge hopping or in my case Hedge ploughing forever lie in my memory. As childhood then moves from the light of Summer to the cold darkness of winter and adulthood you start to weave your own world of twists and complications caused by yourself and some of the people you encounter on the way  ! ( ha ha)
I was going to now go on about one of the sad jobs I did this year. A job I had always wanted, but a job that in the end just made me fade into the darkness of anger, hurt and in the end just total sadness of losing a friend. That's it now. I have said all I want to say about this job and in life you have to learn by your mistakes and move on stronger the trouble is for a long time I have not moved on. I have not got stronger I have just ploughed on doing jobs here and there working like a Mercenary Chef just sent in to sort the walk in fridge out and cook a bit food. I have not developed my career as hoped. As in the realities of a Head Chef job I started last year as soon as the going got tough I hid back into the darkness and my friend beer and just wanted the easy Chef cop out of being 'away from the Monster'. I look back now and realise I was stupid. I should have just accepted the 7 day weeks, the long days, the late drive home and totally embraced the Head Chef gig for the whole of the 12 months. And if at the end of the year it was time to leave then at least I had the satisfaction of seeing a job through to the end and build something for my CV but when it got tough instead of showing some 'Cojones' I decided I was ill and wanted away. I thought when I left I had no one to answer to, no one would really care, just another Chef leaving a kitchen in an Industry where even as I write this a few chefs will have either been sacked or walked out of a kitchen somewhere in the world.
I was so wrong though. I did have to answer to someone and that someone was me. It effected my confidence and love of cooking. I thought about changing careers again. Maybe gardening ???  how about a Plumber anything that was Monday to Friday and finished by 5.30pm just in time for my tea and being ready in front of the TV for 'Eastenders'
You know what though I have decided that in 2014 I am not going to change careers, I am going to write another post in 12 months time where I will talk about being a Head Chef in a good kitchen where my love of food, testing my cooking skills and knowledge of food to 'Infinity and beyond !!' and bringing enjoyment to the many people who are going to eat it is just part of my average daily mission !
The Word 'Stronger' is 2014's buzz (lightyear ha ha !) word. I wish everyone who reads this blog a very prosperous New Year !

Heres some of my favourite pics I took this year…..enjoy !

A bit of a sweet tooth,

Melting Chocolate pud, Tiramisu, Lemon and Raspberry Possets, Baked Blueberry Cheesecake !

Pea, Spring Onion, Mint, Ginger and Coriander Soup……Fab !

Pulled Pork, Cider Gravy in a bun, Stilton and Spinach Quiche, A simple but delicious Pea Risotto and the most succulent Feather blade of Beef, Swede Puree, creamy mash and Red wine Gravy !

Meldon Parks wonderful bountiful supply of seasonal Wild Garlic was often a sign that Winter was over and Spring would start singing it's wonderful song. Put it in some Mash, Pan Fry some Chicken Breast, stick it on top and maybe a bit of Cider and Mushroom sauce ! Love it. Simple cooking with bold flavours !

Chocolate Flake Flapjack.

Eldelberry and Ginger Ice-Cream

Beef Ribeye with Roasted Pepper and Mascapone Sauce.

The Ultimate Veggie Burger.

King Prawns with Washabi Creme Fraiche.

Pastel De Carne ! Jose Style !

Roastie !

Turkey Burger

Anti-Pasta on a Summers Day.

Parma Ham.

Pancetta

Tuna, French Bean, Pancetta and Passion fruit salad.

Passion….makes your world worth living.

Asparagus.

Prep

Dauphoise Potato.

Pigs in Blankets are not just for Xmas...

Hello Mr Honey Roasted Parsnip

Aubergine Chutney.

Feta and Date Bites.

Lamb Rump with Spicy Sauce.

And a few Smudges from the year !

Colour brings erh……colour to your life !

A Leaf on the beach, Northumberland.

Spooky goings on at Newton Hall in Northumberland

Early Morning colours in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Statue, Newbiggen by the Sea

Holy Island.

The Beach. Cresswell.

Fishing wire on the beach.

Windy Woooooo !

Impressive sight of Warkworth castle. 

Wellie on the beach……honest. Northumberland. 

Bumble Bee Cam !

Gritty and Desolate and could be on the Moon but its near Lynemouth.

Its hard to believe that the beach at Cresswell has offered me so many pictures this year !

And a few kitchen journeys !

The kitchen Goddess that is Rachel at the Treehouse. Poor thing burnt herself this year. Fair play to her though when they prized the melted chopping board from her arm she didn't wince once ! She did get wrong though because she was dealing with cooked meat when she burnt herself and should have been using a yellow chopping board and not a green veg one !! lol love you Rachel x.

And then Stewie decided he would fry his arm in the pan that is known as Black Bertha at the Treehouse to prove on his application to join the Royal Marines that he was 'hard' ! Stewart has form for doing silly things in the kitchen to keep us all entertained ! like trying to get a very tightly fitting bin bag out of the bin and then watching as the bag split and the contents of the bag spilled all over the floor ! tee hee !

By day Lee is a mild mannered Superstar, sex bomb chef ! But by night he is club singer Lee Leg-end and with his backing group the Moppettes they are stars of the Social Club Scene around the North-east  go see them soon !

John gave up being a Chef some years ago to pursue a job as an Undertaker……I will resist doing a joke about the great man and his new profession……but he was kind enough to volunteer me to help a mate of his out doing a dinner for 60 people from a domestic kitchen ! (Never again !!??!!) Still after main course went out the door he was kind enough to perform a Break dancing route to keep my sprints up ! Chefs Bad Back a common complaint used for a few days off, Usually the spasm starts early on a Friday morning so you can get out the kitchen in time to go out on the Friday as well as the Saturday…and then Sunday lunch….and

A few snaps from the London Food Show !

I loved this pic of Antonio so natural !

And back to the kitchen !

Poor Jose was going for a world record for juggling milk bags (!!!) but unfortunately his attempt didn't get past one ! He blamed me and my cameras flash for disrupting his flow ! I just think he was crap at it ! lol

This is to prove that Top Head Chef Manger Megalomaniac Phil Elliot did make coffee once ! But he was pretty crap at it ! Well done Phil you top Chef you !!!!!

Brain Ewok ! still makes me laugh !

Top kitchen Totty !

Undercover Alnwick Cops Crockett and Tubs ! You decide who's who's !

I sometimes wonder if I would ever have a blog without the great Chef Billy B giving me so much material ! Thank You Billy because of you the Blog goes on ! This is Billy's take on the term 'Chefs Table' ! ha ha ha !

An interesting Job !

Reading the small print on this job made me think who the company was. As part of there duties to carry out I don't mind doing the Hygiene etc but…terrorist activity !!!! I know the job was in Ashington but really !!!!!

And so another year ends a new one begins. Life goes on and life is precious so seize every second of it I know I am !

This blog is dedicated to my much loved Cousin Nigel Smithers who was taken from us before his time this year. I miss you but will always remember you my brother. x