The problem with Trigger Warnings is that they often exacerbate the pain than they seek to protect us from. They also propose a world where healing from many different traumas is homogenised into a synthetic mass agreement on what constitutes pain, damage, confrontation or peace. The synthesis is too simplistic and is in fact more demagogic than pedagogic: it speaks to a mass lie of consensus rather than enabling people to learn their way through their horrors.
Not Missing
You are missed You are not missing. You’re up on Cavendish Way Or School Street Or the council estate by the church. In your room, waiting. New habits come hard Developing tunnel vision You search out the light. But you’re missed You’re not missing You’re yearning for bustle In your house…
After the Doors Open Again
Crisp snow Outside Under a cloudy, blue sky With friends Vinegar fries Outside The chip shop We are drunk Loud music Inside The Social Club We all dance New baby Inside A calm hospital All renewed Quite grief Outside At the funeral Remembering a friend Together.
How to Make Risotto
This recipe was taught to me when I lived in Leichhardt in Sydney. It’s a risotto-base to which you can add whatever ingredients you like at the end. There are many risotto recipes, this is mine. TL;DR Version There is no TL;DR version. Tips Unlike other rice recipes, you mustn’t wash the rice for a…
How to Make a Good and Useful Stock
A good stock is a marvellous, beautiful wonderful liquid that you can use as the base for soups, stews, pie-fillings, risottos, pilaf/pilau. Here’s how I do it. The first and most important thing to remember is never to add salt to your stock. It’s the base for other dishes. Add salt to the final dish….
Tim’s Bagel Recipe
Once upon a time I made bagels. Actually I make them quite often. Here’s a recipe you might like to try. Basic Ingredients – makes about 12 For the dough mix 150g brown bread flour 130g white bread flour 1.5 to 2tsp table salt (about 10-12g) 10g Instant yeast (two sachets = 14g) For the…
Yeast of Eden – Bread Myths and Bread Making
A few years ago I had a bakery – I had to close it, long story. Anyway, during that time I did a few podcasts based on the questions I was asked by my customers. Here are those short podcasts, for free. Enjoy. On bread machines and other tips. Gluten, Yeast and other…
Quick and Easy Kimchi
TL;DR Version Get veg. Cut veg. Wash veg in salty water, Salt the hell out of the veg. Make a seasoning of your choice that is sticky. Leave the veg overnight in the salt. Drain the veg in clean water otherwise it will be as salty as an old seaman called Syd. Dry gently and…
Getting Back to Work – a Follow Up
This is an article about working with a team of good and decent people in a professional kitchen as the Potwash. It’s also about spurious advice and hope for the future. I will also be calling out Boris Johnson as a manipulative hack, so skip to the end for that. It is a follow-up…
Back into the Workplace
As my new and very part-time job, I’m going to be doing Pot Wash in one of my favourite restaurants starting tonight. A hot and humid night in July, with me overweight and shorn of all confidence and 55 years old. The lowest form of life in the professional kitchen, in one of my favourite…