…with delusions of opening my own food business – a deli to be precise.  I’ve bored everyone rigid with the finer details of my imagined emporium – still haven’t got it going though. On this long journey of not really doing much but cooking, eating and travelling when I can, I thought I’d share my gastronomic ramblings, and particularly my passion for British seafood and the industry. I might share a restaurant tip or a recipe along the way…

I’d say that my love of all things culinary goes back to a large extended south London family, who for high days and holidays liked to shove the boat right out – I still enjoy cine films where those filming…. ‘Uncle Islington’ and ‘Uncle Enfield’ (they were posh in North London with their fancy cameras) used to focus on a large array of trifles and black forest gateau instead of filming the people at the ‘do’.

Family aside, I seem to have fallen amongst a very greedy (and some would say thirsty) band of friends – some of their hints and tips for the perfect cheesecake or a stonking curry may also feature – who knows?

I received some great seafood training at Billingsgate Seafood School and they are really the inspiration for my blog, these waters hold some real treasures and the UK fisherman have such a challenging job – but what would happen if they didn’t do it – I can’t even think about it!!

The title of my ramblings refers to a  trip to Thailand (celebrating a special birthday for my friend The Marmoset) and a recommended restaurant that we consistently failed to find until the last day…when we struck gold. If ever you are in search of a fantastic Massaman Curry, and you happen to be in Phuket, why not go in search of the catfish café yourself? Only don’t tell anyone I told you about it because we don’t want to spoil it!

One of the crazier decisions of myself and ‘Cherished Rocket’ (my other half) was to buy a broken down property in the French Pyrenees 12 years ago – in a fit of “we can’t afford to buy in London we might as well go to France” a decision that has been yet another saga in our ramshackle lives – but oh my god the food, the produce, the markets, the crazy neighbours, eccentric builders….read on?