The Ties That Bind

Before I start realise that a lot of what I am going to say is undeniably hypocritical but I don't care, it needs to be said.

Life rewards those who push boundaries, who take risks and are true to themselves. Most of the time anyway. More and more our lifestyles, our families and above all convention dictate the direction we take in life. I've begun to dislike Britain and especially London for the unrelenting grip it holds on our lives, those who refuse to conform are punished. Our civil liberties are slowly being eroded, but such is the British nation that its inhabitants sound little more than a whisper in defiance.

I think many would agree with me in saying that London is a difficult and stressful place to live, merciless and unrelenting. I see homeless on the street and wonder what their stories might be, of course I am not naive, drugs/alcohol etc are major causes but our government continues to be reactive when they should be tackling the issue proactively. Here is an interesting article on homelessness in London and just goes to show how government pressure on local councils produces less than accurate figures. Oh well, if the goverment says the figures are down then they must be down. It's the same story for hospitals too, failure to meet superbug figures means less funding for the council and in turn the trust. It is evident the motivation for the doctoring of these figures is great.

No doubt another factor that leads to people living on the streets is mental illness, but the government has another answer for this, it's favourite get out clause. Cannabis. Noone can deny by now that cannabis has the potential to exacerbate mental illness in the predisposed but it's in the paper every fucking day. Drugs are a huge problem in this country and i'm including alcohol in my definition, the question is what is driving people to this increased drug use. This is the question that the government needs to tackle and how can it be tackled while it remains both illegal and a taboo. The north Wales police commisioner was right to suggest the legalisation of drugs (heavily regulated of course). To be honest i'm surprised the goverment have thus far passed up the opportunity to implement a cannabis tax.

London tends to suffocate its inhabitants, unhappiness is rife and in order to escape people drink, smoke and inject themselves into oblivion. Of course, I speak of London because I am a Londoner but don't be fooled into thinking this is a unique case. Research has shown that towns recovering from the depression had significantly higher levels of alcohol consumption compared to more affluent areas.

So how does this relate to taking risks, pushing boundaries and being true to yourself. Well, I think too many of us think "this is it", when really life is what you make it. So get the fuck up off your couch, sober up and ask yourself what you want in your life and actually make a step towards making it happen, 1 step at a time.

Move the fuck out of London if you have to :)

Catharsis in the Kitchen

Every once in a while I like to get out a huge stock pot and put together a mean Chili Con Carne, why? Well I think I have recently discovered that cooking in this way (which I shall get into later) is very theraputic. In the same way that a casserole or a stew is conceived so is the Chili, a group of ingredients that if added just right can create something really special.

Now dont take this as some misguided metaphor for ending world hunger and bringing harmony to the universe because I dont expect that actions in my kitchen will have any impact on the outside world. However the act of making something greater than the sum of its parts is something very special indeed, be it with food or with people what you have essentially created, if you get things just right, is unique, intangible and unquantifyable.

I can fully understand how some people get carried away with this, the Chili cookoff is big in the States. Groups of Chili enthusiasts get together and set up stalls with their very own interpretations of the classic dish, drawing inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, using beer instead of stock, different types of chilis, the use of venison or turkey instead of beef etc, the list is endless.

But why do I feel it is theraputic? I guess I figure if I can put a little bit of myself into something as small as a recipie for chili con carne and get such tasty results then there is limitless potential when applying those skills to other areas. A warming thought indeed. Try putting a little passion into something in your life, look at it in a different way and make it your own. Start with a chili, go nuts!

... And for those of you who are interested the recipie for the one I cooked today is as follows:

750g Pork Ribs
500g Turkey Breast Steaks
1 V Large Onion
5 Cloves of Garlic
2 Cans of Kidney Beans
2 Large Green Peppers
2 Tbsp Cumin
2 Tsp Oregano
2 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Tins of Good Quality Chopped Tomatoes
2 Tbsp TOmato Puree
1/4 Bottle of Tabasco
8 Birdseye chilis

Fry the onions and garlic in olive oil, soften and add the green peppers. Add the cumin, oregano, chilis and then the pork ribs. Brown these nicely. Add the kidney beans (including the water from the cans) the tomatoes, the puree and the chicken stock. Add salt, pepper and nthe Tobasco. Give it a nice big stir and place in a 150 degrees C preheated oven. Leave partially covered (I covered in foil and pricked some holes in it) for 1 hour 20 mins.
In the mean time chop of the turkey in to square chunks and place in the chili once the time is up. Mix then place in the oven for another 1/2 hour at the same heat.

And here's one I made earlier: