The Foodie Diaries: Amyn Murji.

Yay! So this segment is finally gaining momentum and here's my second this year.

So this guy is one of the funniest people on Twitter. He's studying medicine in the US so that's pretty cool. Why him? Cause this isn't just about celebrity chefs and what they know but also about people like you and me, who love food and love to cook it. I also chose him so that he inspires guys to get off their assess and cook. Yes girlfriends, you can thank me later :)

I love how prompt he was in sending me this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did-

AMYN MURJI.

I hate cooking with other people. Sure, it’s cute making brownies with a significant other because one thing inevitable leads to another and both of you are smeared with brownie mix and coated with cocoa powder, giggling inanely at each other. But that’s not cooking in my book. I take pride in what I make and borrowing the adage my beautiful mother loves to quote, if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself. Other people just screw things up.

Apart from being therapeutic and even artistic, cooking is practical. After spending hundreds of dollars a month eating at fine restaurants and questionable fast-food joints I realized I did not have the means to carry on living so profligately. I reasoned that spending thirty dollars on the ingredients to make a splendid roast would feed me for at least half a week and no amount of leftovers from any restaurant could top that. So I learned to cook.

I started easy, obviously. I wanted the deposit back on my apartment. College economics demands that sort of foresight. Crock-pot cooking, in my opinion yields the highest return; after all, it requires the least amount of preparation and attention but leaves you with a hearty meal. So stews and roasts and casseroles were the first recipes I mastered. I learned to branch out, however, because I am a man with an adventurous palette.

Concerning cooking, if there was something else you should know about me other than my preference for solitude in the kitchen it’s that I am a foodie. I didn’t know a word could perfectly describe my culinary pretentiousness until Meghan Markle (Rachel Zane) mentioned it on Suits (USA) but it… suits…me. I dig finer foods. 

Okay guys, hope you've found someone to relate to, finally. So hopefully I'll have Amyn come and continue this section but this is a stellar start, what to you think? Let me know in the comments below. You can also follow Amyn on Twitter and Instagram where I've seen the amazing stuff he cooks @amynoacid. Hope you enjoyed my second Foodie Diary of 2014. Woohoo!

xoxo

D

Postcards from Dublin.

So I had a great summer this year working at the Dublin Cookery School in Dublin, Ireland. 9 hour shifts with no breaks and lots to learn. It was a great experience and I'd like to share it with you via these pictures I took:

BOOTERSTOWN, DUBLIN
My walk on the first day of work. You can't tell, but there's a spring in my step as Bad Blood by Bastille plays on my iPod :)

One of the 'presses' (Irish speak for cupboard) at the school. I could live in here. So organized and so varied.

Filleting some sea bass for Ed who's teaching Fish En Papillote to an evening class of 4 at the school. I remember this night vividly cause Ed and I were the only 2 staff members at the school so we had to do everything. Wait, serve, pour, wash up and lock up. I also remember being wrecked after this shift. Oh well, nothing a glass of white wine can't fix ;)

FISH EN PAPILLOTE
-French for fish cooked in a bag, these are ready for the oven.

GRUB
Richard, one of the brilliant chefs at the school made us some gnocchi with leftovers. How good does it look? There's pesto, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and rocket in there. Just... love.

FINANCIER
Richard's recipe, the 1 month students made these and brought some over for us to taste. The 2 kinds are poached pear and honeycomb; and mixed berry.

ROAST LEGS OF LAMB
I got 3 slices from these. Chefs don't eat as much as you'd suppose.

FISH & CHIPS
This is the ultimate meal. Bought this from Marks & Spencer without which I would have perished most definitely. A quick spell in the oven and it's just like eating it at the chippy. Although I like the beer battered fish more, crumb fried isn't half bad!

DUCK BREASTS
These are some beautiful duck breasts marinating in some freshly chopped thyme for the One Pot Wonder class.

LAKSA PASTE
This is some freshly made laksa paste for the Mussel and Hake Laksa; again a One Pot Wonder.

FOUR CHEESE RAVIOLI
This is my favourite meal from M&S. This tomato sauce is just unreal. What I did was tossed a  bunch of rocket leaves in extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and built it on top. The perfect meal.

MUSSEL AND HAKE LAKSA
These mussels took me half an hour to clean but were gone in seconds. Sigh.

BANGERS AND MASH
After the amount of work you do in a kitchen, comfort food is a must. Another meal courtesy Marks & Spencer.

CARAMELIZED CHICKEN WITH ORANGES
A recipe from Lynda Booth's cookbook, this one umm tray wonder is so yummy!

STAFF NIGHT OUT!
LIME GINGER SPRITZER
Hard work needs some reward and this was ours. Pub-Dinner-Pub= FUN

ED'S SOUTH AMERICAN CLASS: BEEF EMPANADA FILLING
This was just so yummy, beef cooked in stock and shredded, loads of chilies, onions and some boiled egg stuffed into an empanada and deep fried. YUM.

VEGETARIAN EMPANADA FILLING
Mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, pimento peppers

CEVICHE
I love ceviche and this was as good as any!

ED'S CHIMICHURRI

CHURROS
I thoroughly enjoyed piping, frying and ultimately rolling these beauties in cinnamon sugar ready for dunkage in chocolate sauce and dulce de leche. Mmmmmm

CARROT CUPCAKE
Another Marks & Spencer wonder. My favourite cupcakes.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND GOAT'S CHEESE QUICHE
Let's just say I took more than my designated slice of these lovelies.

SALMON, NEW POTATO SALAD WITH WHOLEGRAIN MUSTARD
Thanks M&S, on your day off, all you need is some Gossip Girl and this outrageously tasty salad.

BAKED PHILLY CHEESECAKE WITH GLAZED BLUEBERRIES
This is one of my favourite pictures this trip. I'm not a cheesecake person but I roamed around with a spoon in my apron pocket and sneaked bites of this the whole day. NOMNOM.

CANAPES
As I was leaving after my shift, I saw Maria and Ed making these. Chicken liver parfait with a cucumber relish, onion marmalade and whipped feta and parma ham wrapped around torn mozzarella, basil and pimento peppers. I wish I was on this shift!

PRAWN DIMSUM
Courtesy M&S, dim sums are my absolute fave; especially on a day off :)

TEMPURA CRAB CLAWS WITH FRIED SPINACH AND SWEET CHILLI DRESSING
Indian day at the school with Chef Sunil Ghai from Ananda, Dublin. Incredible food.

CHICKPEA AND SPINACH PATTIES WITH RAITA

CURRIED PRAWN BISQUE

CHICKEN TIKKA
The classic looking classy.

ROAST GUINEA FOWL WITH AUBERGINE CRUSH (BAINGAN BHARTA), CARROT PUREE AND CHILLI OIL

COCONUT AND PECAN TART
This is, hands down, one of my favourite tarts. Gooey, chewy and unbelievably rich.

CINNAMON PULL APART BREAD
The aroma this bread gives while in the oven is the best whiff in the world.

LAST DAY. LAST WALK.

SYRUPY BLOOD ORANGE CAKE
Perfect cake for my last day.

MANGO SORBET WITH A FRUIT SALAD AND ALMOND TUILLE

DUBLIN COOKERY SCHOOL
Had to turn around and take one last shot of the school that gave me 2 great summers, so much to learn and great friends.

LEMON MADEIRA CAKE
When you live with a Culinary Arts student, this is what you get for dinner on your last night.

CHARLIE
One of the best friends I made in Dublin. Followed me around the house, waited at the bottom of the stairs when I went upstairs. jumped to play with me and growled cause he thought he could make conversation. What a beautiful person.

I hope this play by play didn't bore you too much! Now that I'm back home and in the heat, life isn't so poetic and picturesque. But then again, who could live in a fairy tale forever anyway?

xoxo

D