Sports and I have a very weird relationship; I hate football (soccer), cricket, rugby and golf, but I could play snooker or pool, all night long. I love to watch tennis, but must have played it less than half a dozen times. Watching badminton is like watching a pair of moths go at it over the same lightbulb, yet I played it whilst at school for at least 2 maybe 3 years.

Top to bottom: Webber/Red Bull, Massa/Ferrari, Hamilton/McLaren-Mercedes

Formula 1 doesn’t do confusion. Anybody with a pulse, who gets even mildly excited by the sound of machines consisting of millions of pounds worth of engine and carbon fiber, screaming past at speeds that slice the air around them into shreds, will like Formula 1.

This was a weekend of firsts for me - just two, actually - in that one, it was my first time seeing these cars outside of the tv screen, and two, never before had I shot anything so fast-moving; in complete contrast to the photography I - and a lot of you - do normally.

One of my first ever attempts at the panning technique; more effectively showed off by these guys.

When one of these things tears past the grandstand, your jaw drops at the incredible rawness, that comes from the interplay of a magnificently fine-tuned engine, and the brakes, which whilst reaching temperatures that exceed 1000˚C, sound like the end of an enormous fireworks display.

I knew it’d be violent, but ‘fuck me’, I almost wet myself!

Jaunty angles make stuff look faster. Fact.

The race itself was hugely exciting. Rain made staying on the track incredibly difficult, and the resulting spray made life even more difficult for anyone unlucky enough to be caught behind anyone else. Rather predictably - happily too, I suppose - Britain’s Lewis Hamilton took the win, with a lead of something stupid like a minute by the time he crossed the start/finish line for lap 68.

The food, I know. Honestly, it wasn’t really worth the camera. Think typical fair food - Burgers and Hot Dogs - all made “high-end” to fit in with the more discerning modern customer. Yeah, if you like.

Oh, the Batmobile was there too. It was made by Toyota.

Alright, no more posts about cars, I promise.

One more thing: Sabra has launched a new online portfolio, which you should all see.

Calm down, I’ve not turned completely nihilistic; just a little bit emo. I mean, how long have I been writing on here? A year just gone, and my comments rarely surpass 20. Fucking ridiculous.

I’ll be going away for the weekend with my brother on Friday, to the 2008 Silverstone Grand Prix. There’ll be tons of spectacularly amateur-looking sports shots for you when I get back; all thanks to my new - sadly only borrowed - lens. Doesn’t that just fill you with anticipation?!

So what does this photograph have to do with anything? Not a lot. It’s a photography blog, that’s what.

See y’all Monday!

I know it’s not the usual, but your weekend is not complete until you pee yourself - just a little bit. It’s almost as if when she falls, someone in the back screams: ‘NOBODY help her!’

How Dreadlocks manages to keep it together is beyond me. I already had a little laugh at the way she flip-flops down the catwalk to Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

I’m not sure how to carry on now; there’s no way you’ll be able to concentrate. Though, if you can gather yourself for five minutes - you’ll be there longer - take a look at this piece by photographer ‘Jon Huck’ entitled “Breakfast”. Huck is fairly new to me, but this project, along with ‘Couples’ (also on the site) is a brilliant and simple exploration of personal association and, I suppose, our social judgement “skills”.

(All images taken from Jon Huck.com)

At first it’s just sort of fun to scroll through the huge variety of sometimes quite bland, but often monsterously greedy things people eat first thing. Then it gets a little more interesting, as you start to decide whether or not the breakfast, matches the person eating it. You start to wonder what certain individuals do for a living - although some are more obvious than others - like the Suit with the coffee and bagel. How about the guy pictured above? What do you think he does? It’s gotta be something physical; he aint shovelling down pancakes every morning before he sits and writes memos or whatever.

Yeah. Have a look. There’s one woman, going to work on cheap black coffee and Marlboro lights - She looks fucking mental! It’s not a police mug shot, love.

I’m not really a fan of figures of speech, but I have recently seen myself jumping right onto a certain bandwagon¹.

¹ Bandwagon - The bandwagon effect, also known as “social proof” or “cromo effect” and closely related to opportunism, is the observation that people often do and believe things because many other people do and believe the same things.

One thing I think everyone is a fan of, however - Strawberries. But we’re not doing strawberries today, just thought I’d mention them with today being the start of Wimbeldon. My tennis IQ is about as flat as any other casual viewers’, but there’s no denying the technological and engineering advances the sport has undergone in recent years. Players, compared to their counterparts from forty-odd years ago are huge, amazingly powerful specimens. This evolution extends to the equipment, and even the court itself; it’s only a matter of time, and I’d expect some sort of laser beam system, deployed whenever a player hits an out.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the food. Strawberries and cream; whatever brand of dairy you like, but the berries must be glistening and sun-drenched. Of course, I would love to spend £1.00/day on punnets of berries, but that kind of thing gets you noticed for all the wrong reasons.

Instead, I decided to kit myself out for a few days, with some fresh, firm and simple market vegetables. Broccoli, carrots, onions and peppers, all roasted very simply, in such a way as to be able to create gorgeous still life photographs from them. Jumping on the bandwagon, see?

Second only to ‘lemon and cracked black pepper chicken’, there’s nothing better - to my mind - than sweet roasted vegetables, with spaghetti (preferably wholewheat), and a fresh tomato sauce. Chunks of sausage in there is great too.

Simple roasted vegetables: Incase you’re completely and utterly lost.

1. Pre heat your oven to 200˚c (390˚f)

2. Cut up a selection of vegetables into similar sized pieces; hardier ones like carrots, cut into smaller bits.

3. Transfer to a roasting tray, drizzle with some good olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic.

4. Place into the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or so, turning half way through.

5. Remove and use as desired.

I am also one of the judges for this months DMBLGIT? hosted by our friend Helen. Good luck, y’all!

Tastespotting is dead, the light keeps on changing for the worse, I’m more than just a little bit uninspired, and my housemate has lost her purse.

You all know how it is, personal armageddons, the total destruction of all the elements of your life you were trying so hard to keep in balance - when they go mad, you just don’t feel right. There’s a deep and sour feeling of loss amongst us all right now though, with the end of our beloved Tastespotting coming so unexpectedly (and on Friday 13th of all days.)

Part of my feeling a little too attached to reality - how backwards is that? - comes from the fact that since last friday (June 6th) I had worked nine days straight at work, almost entirely 10am-6pm. Not being physically able - through fear of death - to cook for myself after such a long day, I have been gleefully sampling all that work has to offer.

Bulgur wheat salad: Broccoli, orange, raisins and lemon-infused olive oil.

Sunday and today being my days off, before going back to work tomorrow, and then with work to the Lincolnshire show on Wednesday, cooking was the only thing I wanted to do with my 48 hours. The only problem being that my mind was trapped helplessly under sandwiches, paninis, lattes and muffins.

Bulgur can be quite a confusing thing; made from wheat, but not to be confused with the cracked variety, which tends to take a lot longer to cook. Just as with the beans you saw in my previous post, Bulgur is an excellent way to do great nutrition on the cheap. With 200g (cooked weight) providing over 30% of your daily fiber needs, and something in the region of 10g of protein, this alternative to rice makes a wonderful vegetarian salad.

Here’s what I threw together to add to my Bulgur; adjust as you like, omit or add. I can’t remember where I picked up the tip on microwaving vegetables, but covering them, before adding just a little water, and microwaving on high for 3-4 minutes, is a fantastic way of preserving all of the goodness, whilst phenomenally cutting your cooking time.

For 2: A couple handfuls of Broccoli, chopped • half an onion, diced • 1 clove garlic, minced •

1 orange, peeled and chopped • 1/4 cup raisins (maybe more) get nice ones, I like Flame •

Salt and pepper

1. Cook the Bulgur according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside. At the same time, cook your broccoli until almost done, in whichever way you see fit.

2. Warm some oil (I used corn oil) in a pan then add the onions. Cook on medium-low until they begin to soften, then throw in the broccoli and garlic.

3. Toss for a minute or so, and add the orange pieces and raisins. Continue cooking for a further 3-4 minutes, season, then combine with the Bulgur wheat.

4. Serve alongside chicken, pork, lamb, burgers, even sandwiches - everything goes with sandwiches. Drizzle with a little olive oil too; infused ones are nice.

It’s good to be back, and I hope to have something to show you from the show on Wednesday.

]]> http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/its-food-blog-armageddon-already/feed/ blood sugar 2.0 http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/pasta-peasantry-analytical-dictionary-stuff/ http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/pasta-peasantry-analytical-dictionary-stuff/#comments Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:34:09 +0000 gkbloodsugar http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/?p=151

Evening all. I hope you’re in need of some mental, or at least visual stimulation just before you start Dinner. If you’re not, wait a while and come back when your stomach starts to make “wah-wow-wow” kind of sounds.

As some of more regular amongst you may know, (and I mean that in a visitation sense, not…the other kind) I’m an absolute sucker for anything that links food with Author, Cook and NYT Columnist ‘Mark Bittman’. It’s his friendly, laid back, almost passively cavalier style of cooking, that really inspires me to strip everything right back to the bare essentials, and to allow myself to do fair and easy justice to the food in my hands. Bitmann’s hospitality on camera, in just the couple dozen short clips on the NYT website, have had such a massive impact on the way I now approach the whole subject of cooking and food.

‘Pasta e Fagioli - Pasta with beans.’

And so, it is with deepest pride, and greatest pleasure, that we welcome you tonight. And now, we invite you to relax! Let us pull up a chair! As Blood Sugar proudly presents…Your dinner!

That was grotesquely cheesy, I know, but I hope the Disney-adoring child in you will forgive me for that. If not, I’m sure you can find it in your heart to allow the food lover in you, to appreciate the simplicity of Butterbeans, garlic, spaghetti and chicken.

From what I could gather, ‘Pasta e Fagioli’ or quite literally “Pasta and beans”, is one of those classically unpretentious Italian dishes. Born out of necessity; conceived by the peasant population as a way of filling out pasta, whilst at the same time adding tons of good things: Protein, Manganese, Fiber and B Vitamins to name but a few. Add garlic, olive oil, (maybe chicken), garlic and/or rosemary, and you can’t go far wrong.

Pasta e Fagioli, with Chicken, tomatoes, garlic and lemon: Serves 2.

180-200g Spaghetti • 1 small can of beans (Butterbeans are my favourite) • 1 large tomato, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped • Juice of 1 lemon • 1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped • Cooked chicken thigh, shredded (optional)

1. Cook the Spaghetti according the packet instructions. Meanwhile, warm enough good quality olive oil in a frying pan. “enough” means enough to coat the pasta.

2. Gently toss the beans, chicken, rosemary and garlic in the oil until warmed and the beans are slightly browned.

3. Drain the pasta, coat with the bean mixture, then add the tomatoes and lemon juice.

4. Mix well, add more oil, or some creme fraiche if you like. Season and serve.

— Meme to follow soon, but now, I need sleep.—

With over $3,000 already raised (as of 2:00am GMT), I’m sure the majority of you are now aware of the massive effort being placed by the entire food Blogosphere, in order to provide enough money to help Bri through her treatment.

I would love to make a donation when I have enough money spare, but until then, if you would still like to contribute, please visit my Zazzle page, and just buy a Keychain or something.

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THESE ZAZZLE SALES WILL BE MADE INTO DONATIONS, ONCE THE WITHDRAWAL MINIMUM IS REACHED!

‘But for one who takes pleasure in the self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisified in the self only, fully satiated - for him there is no duty’

- Ch. 3 ‘Bhagavad Gita, As it is.’

I wonder how many of you out there believe in Karma; The belief that what goes around, comes around. I certainly do, but not in an outwardly wrath-fearing way.

Yesterday, I was approached by a perfectly normal looking guy, whilst on my way for the weekly food shopping. He was holding a sizeable pile of books, and he explained to me that he was infact a Monk. Think stereotypical orange sash and shaven head, then urbanise that view - A normal guy, but with a strong…”aura” if you like, of someone content within themselves.

Now, my religious knowledge is vague; I went to a primary (pre) school which required us to sing Christian hymns by default. One of my best friends is of Sikh faith, but I myself have never followed any strict guides to any kind of regularity.

OK. The shopping is done - I started to read the book that the Monk had sold me (Bhagavad Gita: As it is), and I began to realise how closely its teachings fitted my way of thinking.

I have a laughably simple take on the way my life is lived: Do your best by the people around you, and expect the same in return. Don’t try and kid yourself into thinking you don’t care about material possessions, just to satisfy a set of beliefs; that’s not fair to yourself, or the system you (try) to follow.

Noodles, then. The symboliser of life and longevity and all that, and a fitting accompaniment to a piece about karma, cooperation and the sharing of ideas between people of difference.

Multi-cultural Noodles: (Because it has Walnuts in it. I thought that was quite Western.)

2 “blocks” Egg Noodles • 1/3 cup Walnuts, chopped • 2-3 tablespoons chopped, pickled Chilis (Buy them, or make them by steeping chopped green Chilis in White Wine Vinegar.)

• 6-7 tablespoons light Soy Sauce • Black Pepper • 2-3 tablespoons water.

1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

2. Combine the Walnuts, Chilis, Soy Water and Pepper.

3. Drain the noodles and toss in the “dressing”.

4. Cover, and leave to settle to room temperature. This one is a lot better once the noodles have soaked up most of the liquid.

5. Serve with Lemon and Spring Onion.

Don’t worry if none of what you just read in the title makes any sense - Namely the ‘Zazzle’ part, but if you’re baffled by Potato Salad too, then that’s ok.

In months past, I would probably have saved my eyes from reading any further into a post with “Zazzle” in its title. Bare with me, it will all make sense in a couple of minutes. I first heard about ‘Zazzle’ back in November 2007, when Béa of French Super-Blog ‘La Tartine Gourmande’ used it to promote her lovely 2008 Calendar (Which I only didn’t buy because I don’t use a Calendar!)

Click the above image to visit my Zazzle gallery.

This is the sort of thing that I would normally feel pretty weird about; offering up sales of photography-based merchandise, to help support my increasingly desire for Gold and Cubans - But as a University Tutor of mine once said after letting slip an embarrassing music video he had shot:

“It’s all about the money… “

Plus, with the 1st anniversary of Blood Sugar coming this June, I figured why not start to promote these little bits of writing that we (hopefully) all enjoy, in a more proactive way?

So I hope you’ll find the time to at least take a look at the small few products available, and if something tickles your fancy, then who knows? Your Moolah could help me pay my rent next year, lol.

As for the Potato Salad - This is still a food Blog, and I do still use my hands to make things every so often. :p

I was more than a little bit surprised when the sign atop these muddy little buggers read “Jersey Royal Potatoes” - ‘Is it that time again already?’ I wondered. Apparently it is; Jerseys don’t hang around. They’re attendance is brief, but uncontrolable.

‘Killer boots, Man!’

]]> http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/zazzle-my-potato-salad/feed/ blood sugar 2.0 http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/strawberries-already/ http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/strawberries-already/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 20:09:38 +0000 gkbloodsugar http://gkbloodsugar.wordpress.com/?p=136

I’m not a Horticulturist. I’m not an Ecologist, or even a Greengrocer, so I have no idea why British Strawberries are being sold in the middle of May. Nobody’s complaining though; If flash floods pounding us in conjunction with searingly moist and unpleasant heat, means that us Brits can have these glowing red Sexberries a full three months early, then it can’t be all bad.

I don’t know, Strawberries just seem like more of a July/August thing to me, and it seems as though ‘BBC Good Food Magazine’ agrees with me at least. These ones were just 80p/Punnet (A punnet being roughly 250-300g.) As you’d imagine, my initial thought at seeing Strawberries this early, was something akin to:

“Oh, no. I wonder how far away they came from?”

But, you can’t argue with the Sharpie-written, cardboard stall sign, when it touts “British Strawberries” - Polytunnel or not, I don’t know, I told you, I’m not your average Horti-fucking-culturist!

So what do you think - Strawberries in May?

What’s your favourite way with them?