White Rhino and other fables.....

Last week saw the appearance of the fabled 'white rhino' of Melbourne, otherwise known as chef and former colleague Marty, with wife Selma. These guys were only going to stay a couple of days but ended up staying for nearly a week, something to do with a  cheesecake they discovered. In this photo we are in Plaza Constitucion celebrating Selma's birthday, was quite a pleasant afternoon.

Arzak's influence starting to show in my cooking - this is a pintxo I made this afternoon with some squid, fresh guindillas and morcilla. As you can see the squid is bright orange - courtesy of some paella colorant I picked up. Saffron is a luxury over here and so typically people use colorant to achieve the same affect, minus the flavour of course. I don't know what it is made from but I foolishly got some on my hands so now they are stained yellow, like scurvy!

Now the weather is warmer I am managing to drag my arse out of bed for 'the early'. This out of focus picture is a fair representation of my vision at that hour - 6AM. Nice going to work having already got a couple of rides. Bounce through the door at work and announce in a fashion not dissimilar to Mark 'fluffy' Favaloro "Goooood Moooooorning Looooooosers!!!!!!!"
Usually get a few strange looks from tired looking faces, but its hard not to feel a little contemptuous of my unsalted kitchen brethren. Speaking of such, this weeks spotlight is on......

Johnyyyyyy! Half Mexican, half American and 100% Jewish, the amount of shit I give Johny is outstanding, I really can't help myself. Take this photo for instance, I believe I just said something like "so, chargrilling lemons are we? chargrilling....."
I really don't need to go on do I. His response was, as it usually is, "great, and now i'm gonna have to kill ya" ah yes, the kitchen; a little microcosm of the world at large. Currently I am observing the goings on of a not-so-secret bizarre love triangle in my section. It is really juicy - I see lust, jealousy, anger and deceit needling away at peoples psychology, in fact I can't wait for tomorrows episode!
Adios!