Personal page of jamestorr.comhttps://jamestorr.comhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20251128_brighton-volunteeringhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20251128_brighton-volunteeringA list of volunteering options in Brighton.Fri, 28 Nov 2025 15:58:50 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20251018t092316_epilogue-day-2https://jamestorr.com/blog/20251018t092316_epilogue-day-2I start writing this sitting on the cold stone of Santiago in the morning, waiting for an old cafe to open, waiting for a plane to fly me home.Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:23:16 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20251018t085417_epilogue-day-1https://jamestorr.com/blog/20251018t085417_epilogue-day-1Today is my Santiago rest day. My chance to rest, relax, recover from the hundreds of kilometres that have passed underfoot in the last 16 days. I should have a lie in. Instead, I'm awake before six.Wed, 01 Oct 2025 08:54:17 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250930t081139_day-28-mon-30-sep-o-pedrouzo-santiagohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250930t081139_day-28-mon-30-sep-o-pedrouzo-santiagoThe last day. The final 20 km. 675 km walked in 28 days, two parts, over two years.Tue, 30 Sep 2025 08:11:39 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250929t081139_day-27-mon-29-sep-arzua-o-pedrouzohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250929t081139_day-27-mon-29-sep-arzua-o-pedrouzoI awake in the dorm, my mind skips around in the dark, the muffled light snoring entering my ears through my plugs is a comforting sound, but not enough to send me back to sleep. The last few days have seen our little group become very close. Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of that particular form, and the end of 28 days of walking for me. The thought of this starts some waves of overwhelming emotions.Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:11:39 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250928t155850_day-26-sun-28-sep-palas-de-reihttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250928t155850_day-26-sun-28-sep-palas-de-reiToday is the last big day before arriving in Santiago. 29 km, 6 hours walking straight. With breaks, it ends up being more like an 8 hour day. Breakfast in cafe central from the night before is a "Napolitano": a pan au chocolat, and a cafe con leche, with milk always because the Spanish coffee is, let's be charitable here, more drinkable with milk. Our small group joins up with the Spanish couple from the previous night who are having breakfast outside their hotel, a place that looks like The Overlook Hotel had a lovechild with a brutalist Soviet block of flats.Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:58:50 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250927t161108_day-25-sat-27-sep-portomarin-palas-dehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250927t161108_day-25-sat-27-sep-portomarin-palas-deMy French walking companion and I decide to leave early to avoid the crowds. It takes us about an hour to pass most of them in the dark before we're ahead of the pack. Like the Tour de France, but with trekking poles, backpacks with shells hanging off them and dorky outdoor clothing. When we finally get to the top of the hill, we're almost at the sunrise, it's marvellous view, and we're almost on our own. We stop at a cafe for breakfast, others catch up.Sat, 27 Sep 2025 16:11:08 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250926t042121_day-24-sep-sarria-portomarin-22-km-ihttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250926t042121_day-24-sep-sarria-portomarin-22-km-iI'd heard about the crowds starting in Sarria, and to some degree I was prepared mentally for it. I'd not walked the three plus weeks that the full-timers had, but it was a stark contrast between the quiet Galician countryside today. The walk is pretty our little group leaves after 8, and there are dozens of fellow pilgrims on the way out of Sarria. The vast majority are tourists, starting from Sarria. A beautiful sunrise passing through a pine tree is punctuated by dozens of photographers, including myself of course.Fri, 26 Sep 2025 04:21:21 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250925t200045_day-23-thu-25-sep-triacastela-sarria-18https://jamestorr.com/blog/20250925t200045_day-23-thu-25-sep-triacastela-sarria-18Sarria, my French walking companion and I decide, is the beginning of the end. For him, this is much enhanced, he has been walking since early September. Even I feel this, eleven days into my trip. The tourist pilgrims start in Sarria. They arrive en masse, and walk the bare minimum required to get their pilgrim certificate in Santiago.Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:00:45 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250924t051911_day-22-sep-o-cebreiro-triacastela-21-kmhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250924t051911_day-22-sep-o-cebreiro-triacastela-21-kmToday is the first day I get to take it easy for the entire trip. There's a convergence of factors that allow this. Firstly, there's no "beat the heat" early start, as the temperature in the hottest part of the day is early twenties. Secondly, I'm not racing to get a place in a municipal albergue. My French walking companion and I have a date with a mother/son from Utah to watch the sunrise from the mountain in O Cebreiro.Wed, 24 Sep 2025 05:19:11 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250923t193547_day-21-tue-23-sep-villafranca-del-bierzohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250923t193547_day-21-tue-23-sep-villafranca-del-bierzoToday I slept in. For some reason, I've been waking up really early almost as long as I've been doing this. Three times now. We go to bed early.Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:35:47 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250922t191020_day-20-mon-22-sep-molinaseca-cacabelos-31kmhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250922t191020_day-20-mon-22-sep-molinaseca-cacabelos-31kmAfter yesterday's intense climb and descent, today's walk is a relatively easier 31km, but mostly on flat. After walking along a road for an hour or so, I enter one of the many Camino scenic route "diversions". It's pleasant enough, with a view over Ponferrada as the sun is coming up. After another hour or so, my French friend catches up with me, and we spend the rest of the day walking together. We stop for evening primrose, cat cuddles, stork nests, mimosa flowers, cottonwood groves, run down houses, broken balconies, scarred grey poplar.Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:10:20 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250920t140913_day-19-sun-21-sep-rabanal-molinaseca-24https://jamestorr.com/blog/20250920t140913_day-19-sun-21-sep-rabanal-molinaseca-24Today I crest the hill I started climbing up yesterday. It might not seem like much of a climb, 400m, but when I start walking up it at just after 6am, the conditions are hard going. 7 degrees, and some extra from the wind chill. My head torch guides me up the hill. I'm not prepared for these conditions, so every layer I have is on me, including my rain jacket.Sun, 21 Sep 2025 14:09:13 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250921t200258_day-18-sept-20-leon-bus-astorga-astorgahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250921t200258_day-18-sept-20-leon-bus-astorga-astorgaThe bus journey to Astorga takes me past pilgrims walking along the road. There's a lot of that on the Meseta, particularly the second half. Maybe I'll come back and check that box, for now, let's skip ahead to the good bits. Leaving Astorga, a pretty town centre with a cathedral and Gaudi designed building in the centre, I see the countryside start to transform.Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:02:58 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250919t073336_day-17-terradillos-sahagun-bus-to-leon-13https://jamestorr.com/blog/20250919t073336_day-17-terradillos-sahagun-bus-to-leon-13My 'rest' day involves only a 13 km walk to the next town to catch the 921 bus to Leon. I wake at 4am, and due to the nighttime chorus, only drift for an hour. I walk in the dark, mostly with the torch off, when the path is wide and straight. It's exhilarating, being alone in the dark.Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:33:36 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250919t120352_day-16-carrion-terradillos-de-templarios-26-6kmhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250919t120352_day-16-carrion-terradillos-de-templarios-26-6kmToday, there's a 19km stretch without any town. We've been told there's stop trucks along the way, but still, it's a long way. I had thought to do this stretch in addition to the previous day, making a gloriously batshit crazy 38 km hike. My foot grudgingly thanks me for not doing that.Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:03:52 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250917t154337_day-15-fromista-to-carrion-de-los-condeshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250917t154337_day-15-fromista-to-carrion-de-los-condesToday is the day I slow down and walk with people. I wake up at my usual time, five something. Then I realise I have to wait for over an hour before even thinking about getting up. OK, it's fine. I'll wait for the chance to share my day.Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:43:37 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250916t200622_day-14-hontanas-to-fromista-36km-0600-1330https://jamestorr.com/blog/20250916t200622_day-14-hontanas-to-fromista-36km-0600-1330I'm in a dark dormitory room at 2200. The lights went out half an hour ago.Tue, 16 Sep 2025 20:06:22 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250915t153035_day-13-burgos-to-hontanas-31km-today-ishttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250915t153035_day-13-burgos-to-hontanas-31km-today-isToday is the start of my second Camino leg. It's also the start of the Meseta: the 180km flat, featureless stretch from Burgos until just after Leon. I wake up at 615, and I've had a good rest. I pack my bag and realise my sun hat is missing.Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:30:35 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250914t145131_recap-i-walked-12-28-days-on-thehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250914t145131_recap-i-walked-12-28-days-on-theI was asked whether I was excited about the trip, and unable to give a fully positive answer. I think being wrapped up in preparation, the logistics of a very early flight and onward travel to Burgos had muted my anticipation somewhat. In the end, with a few minor hiccups, everything, as it often does, worked out just fine.Sun, 14 Sep 2025 14:51:31 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250913t094314_medium-firm-tofu-trial-i-wanted-it-ahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250913t094314_medium-firm-tofu-trial-i-wanted-it-aMedium firm tofu trial. I wanted it a bit firmer but I think the mould (a ricotta cheese mould) was a bit all for the correct pressure. The individual steps for making tofu are relatively simple, but there are quite a few: Soak the beans for 8hrs, liquidise with a set quantity of water, strain in a nut milk bag, heat up to around 80C, hold for 30 minutes, add gypsum (or another coagulant), stir, ladle into a mould lined with cheesecloth, press. I made some mabo dofu (pictured) and some home style tofu. I'm not saying I won't do this again, but it's probably on the rainy day side of the food projects I've done as it's relatively simple and cheap to buy locally.Sat, 13 Sep 2025 09:43:14 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250913t093300_rather-enjoyed-seeing-the-defiant-grasses-and-wildhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250913t093300_rather-enjoyed-seeing-the-defiant-grasses-and-wildRather enjoyed seeing the defiant grasses and wild clematis erupting from these traffic bollards on a road siding.Sat, 13 Sep 2025 09:33:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250910t123819_as-some-folks-may-know-i-m-ahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250910t123819_as-some-folks-may-know-i-m-aAs some folks may know, I'm a big advocate of repair not landfill. So, I darned my first sock! It's ugly as buggery but I don't really care. I'm unlikely to take this next week on the Camino as I've no idea whether it'll last! This guy got a small hole burned in it from a San Juan festival pallet burning on the beach in Brighton.Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:38:19 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250906t110201_it-was-only-supposed-to-be-a-traininghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250906t110201_it-was-only-supposed-to-be-a-trainingIt was only supposed to be a training walk! Turned into a bit of an epic 26 mile (42 km) hike from my house in Brighton to Eastbourne via the South Downs Way. I picked a rather splendid day for it, and took a few nice shots on the way. I'm not usually one to post miles, but thought this was noteworthy, it's the longest walk I've ever done in one day, and the south downs isn't exactly light going, especially at the end. I'm off to finish the Camino Frances on Sept 14, so I thought I'd test and warm up the old pins.Sat, 06 Sep 2025 11:02:01 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250819t135143_i-ve-been-eating-a-lot-of-ricehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250819t135143_i-ve-been-eating-a-lot-of-riceI've been eating a lot of rice bowls lately and I thought I'd share some basics that I've learned since eating them. I started with some of the donburi style Japanese rice bowls. Oyakodon is lovely, simple chicken vs egg with dashi, sugar and soy, likely ginger and garlic. Gyudon is thin sliced beef with something similar. Korean rice bowls (Bibimbap) are a bit more relaxed and have more variety of toppings.Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:51:43 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250727t100500_this-echinopsis-is-quite-spectacular-never-had-twohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250727t100500_this-echinopsis-is-quite-spectacular-never-had-twoThis Echinopsis is quite spectacular. Never had two flowers before. Smells amazing, unfortunately the bloom will be gone quite quickly.Sun, 27 Jul 2025 10:05:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250719t092420_urban-foraging-with-some-added-bonus-pics-thishttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250719t092420_urban-foraging-with-some-added-bonus-pics-thisUrban foraging with some added bonus pics. This is a Nicotiana, probably alata, aka Persian tobacco. The leaves are a bit sticky and the flowers are often trumpet/horn shaped. The rest of the shots are from around some Brighton mews in Kemptown. Very cool little spot, and nice to see this city still has some surprises left for me after all this time.Sat, 19 Jul 2025 09:24:20 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250716t162655_my-first-ever-ripe-fig-pity-not-allhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250716t162655_my-first-ever-ripe-fig-pity-not-allMy first ever ripe fig. Pity not all of them are as ripe as this. Picked and enjoyed today. All the sun we've had this year must have pushed this to be edible, and monstrous too. And delicious it was.Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:26:55 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250708t164817_urban-edibles-amongst-the-excellently-named-mint-familyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250708t164817_urban-edibles-amongst-the-excellently-named-mint-familyAmongst the excellently named mint family black horehound, next to a tree stump on Ditchling road in Brighton, are some potato plants. At the bottom of the pic. They've been growing here for some years apparently. Who knows how they got here?Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:48:17 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250703t125501_in-a-little-series-of-urban-edibles-thishttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250703t125501_in-a-little-series-of-urban-edibles-thisin a little series of urban "edibles". This is prickly lettuce, Lactuca serriola, closest known wild relative of cultivated lettuce, L. sativa. Wikipedia describes it as having a "fetid" odor. That doesn't exactly sound appetising.Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:55:01 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250625t130606_little-experiment-this-year-with-a-tiny-crophttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250625t130606_little-experiment-this-year-with-a-tiny-cropLittle experiment this year with a tiny crop of barley. I found some growing last year, so I've used them and some harvested from fields to create a little square metre patch in my garden. If I have a bit more space next year, I'll use these to seed hopefully enough for a small batch of beer from home harvested wheat, hops and some wild yeast. Though it may very well not be enough for even that!Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:06:06 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250623t104812_there-s-a-stunning-field-of-wildflowers-andhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250623t104812_there-s-a-stunning-field-of-wildflowers-andThere's a stunning field of wildflowers and poppies just north of Ovingdean if anyone is in the Brighton area. Just head up and have a look. Someone has planted the borders up with tons of them. If you walk from the bottom up towards the golf course, there's a really fantastic border full of all kinds of stuff. They've definitely been planted (or seeded) there as there's a few species you don't usually see in the wild.Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:48:12 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250501t070954_woke-up-this-morning-to-a-noisy-squirrelhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250501t070954_woke-up-this-morning-to-a-noisy-squirrelWoke up this morning to a noisy squirrel carrying a piece of plastic on my neighbour's roof. Turned out she was unable to get inside her drey due to it being blocked off by my neighbour. Fair enough, sounds like they've been a bit of a nuisance, scratching and tearing up insulation. I saw a bit of movement behind the caging, and by the utter distress of the squirrel, it must be young. Funny how some things are universal.Thu, 01 May 2025 07:09:54 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250426t081545_great-night-out-at-worthingtto-last-night-somehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250426t081545_great-night-out-at-worthingtto-last-night-someGreat night out at @worthingtto last night. Some very decent beers at @the_tasting_room_by_mbc, @theseldenarmsworthing and many others. Worthing has some pretty cool drinking and eating spots these days, but one does wonder walking around. Time to get the In Bloom 2026 calendar ready? Bruce Willis' head, the famous Texas pizza, shocking store displays, it does seem like you're on another planet sometimes.Sat, 26 Apr 2025 08:15:45 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250424t115744_yikes-that-was-a-close-onehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250424t115744_yikes-that-was-a-close-oneYikes! That was a close one.Thu, 24 Apr 2025 11:57:44 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250420t110655_urban-edibles-brighton-brassica-oleracea-cabbage-found-outsihttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250420t110655_urban-edibles-brighton-brassica-oleracea-cabbage-found-outsiUrban edibles, Brighton. Brassica oleracea (cabbage) found outside a betting shop on London road. Dark fennel growing by a drainpipe in the North Laine.Sun, 20 Apr 2025 11:06:55 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250420t110122_elm-flowers-are-out-in-full-force-athttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250420t110122_elm-flowers-are-out-in-full-force-atElm flowers are out in full force at the moment. They're not the most distinctive trees, and somewhat under threat. I noticed these in a car park a few days ago, then driving down Stanford Avenue, saw that the whole road was lined with them.Sun, 20 Apr 2025 11:01:22 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250419t164344_one-of-the-downsides-to-owning-a-cathttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250419t164344_one-of-the-downsides-to-owning-a-catOne of the downsides to owning a cat is occasionally this. Fortunately, it's pretty infrequent. This baby wood mouse was a tiny little thing, and still alive, no visible breakages. I wasn't sure what to do, as it was still suckling, and eyes were closed. This would mean feeding every two hours or so, which left me in a bit of a pickle.Sat, 19 Apr 2025 16:43:44 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250413t071546_a-lovely-day-out-in-the-woods-yesterdayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250413t071546_a-lovely-day-out-in-the-woods-yesterdayA lovely day out in the woods yesterday making a beer heated entirely with stones. This is I think the fifth time we've brewed in the woods. The first 3 or so times we were direct heating over the flames, only last time my friend suggested we try the old method of using stones. They work like a dream, no nasty soot or smoke to worry about, pretty good temp control. We didn't get up to a rolling boil, but got pretty close to it.Sun, 13 Apr 2025 07:15:46 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250403t111802_one-person-s-trash-and-all-that-dumpedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250403t111802_one-person-s-trash-and-all-that-dumpedOne person's trash and all that. Dumped @dualit_ltd toaster find. It took a few hours to strip and clean, some lessons learnt, but it's a more or less working toaster now. Dualit are a legacy UK brand who build their toasters to be repaired, maintained and to last a lifetime. Funnily enough, they are assembled just up from me in Crawley.Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:18:02 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250213t135204_i-m-appreciating-a-long-black-from-thehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20250213t135204_i-m-appreciating-a-long-black-from-theI'm appreciating a long black from the espresso machine this last week or so. It's basically a short Americano, as a flat white is to a latte. This has come from Down Under, as the flat white did. I find the espresso over a bit too quickly, and the Americano can be a little weak, so this is a perfect middle ground. Lightly roasted, natural process and Colombian beans can sometimes be a little acidic, so the extra dilution takes the edge off that a little.Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:52:04 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241102t095647_kratky-method-hydroponic-watercress-it-s-very-easyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241102t095647_kratky-method-hydroponic-watercress-it-s-very-easyKratky method hydroponic watercress. It's very easy to get sucked into internet rabbit holes, some you find are deeper than others. Hydroponic growing is one of those deep ones that I think appeals to a certain type of "technical solutions" person. Fortunately, I didn't have to go too deep for this project. Bernard Kratky was a researcher at the university of Hawaii, and he developed a low tech hydroponic growing system that didn't require any electricity or moving parts.Sat, 02 Nov 2024 09:56:47 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241029t123910_most-of-the-tobacco-leaves-from-this-yearhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241029t123910_most-of-the-tobacco-leaves-from-this-yearMost of the tobacco leaves from this year's crop have turned a lovely brown colour during the curing process. They've been hanging in my kitchen for 8 weeks now. During this time, they've slowly dried out and changed colour as the chlorophyll has broken down. This method is known as air curing, and will leave you with leaves with a low sugar content and higher nicotine levels, more commonly used for cigars and pipe tobacco. After this, generally the leaves are fermented aerobically, in the presence of oxygen.Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:39:10 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241024t102004_yakitori-time-unfortunately-we-were-too-busy-eatinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241024t102004_yakitori-time-unfortunately-we-were-too-busy-eatingYakitori time! Unfortunately we were too busy eating the skewers for me to get any good shots. I've used a small portable BBQ (Weber Go Anywhere) with some lumpwood charcoal (Big K Restaurant grade) to grill these. As some of you may know, the Japanese use a special grade of oak charcoal called binchotan. This burns for a very long time and provides a certain type of radiant heat.Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:20:04 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241002t161923_here-we-have-a-butterflied-salted-and-driedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20241002t161923_here-we-have-a-butterflied-salted-and-driedHere we have a butterflied, salted and dried Indian mackerel, known as aji no himano in Japan. Traditionally eaten for breakfast, however, I ate it for a late lunch today. It was accompanied by smoked salmon skin, crisped up in an air fryer, and some fried rice. The mackerel process is relatively simple once butterflied, and would work just as well on filleted mackerel or sardines. I soaked 4 in 100ml of 10% alcohol (sake or 1 part gin/vodka diluted with 3 water) for about 15 minutes.Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:19:23 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240911t155250_umeboshi-japanese-fermented-salty-sour-plum-these-arehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240911t155250_umeboshi-japanese-fermented-salty-sour-plum-these-areUmeboshi! Japanese fermented salty sour plum. These are a Mirabelle/cherry plum growing close to my house, local as it gets. They're used in dressings, cooked in a sardine stew, or eaten with rice in Japan. Super salty and a bit sour, best not eaten on their own.Wed, 11 Sep 2024 15:52:50 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240902t150944_not-a-smoker-but-i-grew-some-tobaccohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240902t150944_not-a-smoker-but-i-grew-some-tobaccoNot a smoker, but I grew some tobacco plants. Currently colour curing in the kitchen. Hoping they actually turn yellow to indicate chlorophyll degradation, then a nice shade of dark brown. At some point I believe I'll need to ferment them as well.Mon, 02 Sep 2024 15:09:44 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240811t123523_slightly-scary-looking-sunflower-face-i-tried-tohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240811t123523_slightly-scary-looking-sunflower-face-i-tried-toSlightly scary looking sunflower face, I tried to mimic those I saw in Spain, but it ended up looking more like Tim Burton than Walt Disney!Sun, 11 Aug 2024 12:35:23 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240805t144333_day-12-atapuerca-to-burgoshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240805t144333_day-12-atapuerca-to-burgosMy last day of my camino stage starts with a dull, throbbing, itchy awakening from slumber. Did I get sunburned yesterday evening? I thought I stayed out of the evening light.Mon, 05 Aug 2024 14:43:33 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240805t092530_day-11-belorado-to-atapuercahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240805t092530_day-11-belorado-to-atapuercaAfter a warm, humid night in a packed 20 bed hostel room, punctuated by nocturnal utterances from my roommates, I'm awake at 4am. I try to sleep for an hour but I'm out of the hostel just after 5, alone, passing by locals still enjoying the fiesta. This is my second to last day on the Camino, and the scenery has been a little disappointing for the last few days.Mon, 05 Aug 2024 09:25:30 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240802t203313_day-10-granon-to-belorado-15-kmhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240802t203313_day-10-granon-to-belorado-15-kmToday was a 'rest' day with only 3 hours walking. I planned a lie in, but I'm in the habit of waking up early, so I was awake before 5. The church bells in the village we're staying in go off on the hour through the night, and the locals party late. Everything seems geared to late night life here, a side effect of hot days and balmy nights.Fri, 02 Aug 2024 20:33:13 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240801t191850_day-9-najera-to-granon-27-km-another-long-dayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240801t191850_day-9-najera-to-granon-27-km-another-long-dayAnother long day today, but temperatures have cooled down somewhat, and they'll be positively fresh tomorrow. We arrive in Grañón around midday, and investigate the donativo albergue. There's three types of hostels on the Camino: municipal, parochial and private. Municipal (or multiprinciple as my walking buddy calls them) are fairly basic, very affordable (€6-10) hostels run by the local council, mostly quite clean, but basic and can be a bit noisy.Thu, 01 Aug 2024 19:18:50 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240731t204226_day-8-larrasoana-to-najera-27-km-peak-temps-todayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240731t204226_day-8-larrasoana-to-najera-27-km-peak-temps-todayPeak temps today were 40C at around 5pm, and unlike yesterday, no cloud cover, so another early start to beat the heat. Fortunately, this is the last of the heatwave, and tomorrow will be relatively cooler. I'd heard some folks complain about sections of the Camino being a bit ugly, and for the first week, I think it has been mostly beautiful with occasional ugliness. Some of those areas have been quite spectacularly ugly, but thankfully short.Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:42:26 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240730t150951_day-7-los-arcos-to-lorana-27-km-the-penultimatehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240730t150951_day-7-los-arcos-to-lorana-27-km-the-penultimateThe penultimate day of the hot weather today. We calculate around 6 hours of walking, plus breaks, so 7 in total. 6 am wake up is planned. I'm covered in sweat sleeping all night without a breeze, so I'm awake by the time the first alarm goes off at 450am, and getting ready shortly afterwards, despite the general agreement for six.Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:09:51 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240729t203116_day-6-estella-to-los-arcos-21https://jamestorr.com/blog/20240729t203116_day-6-estella-to-los-arcos-21Things are heating up, a heatwave is blasting through northern Spain right now. But we only have four hours walking to do today. We set off at 715 and take the forest route when presented. Before the path splits, there's a wine fountain for pilgrims.Mon, 29 Jul 2024 20:31:16 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240728t202532_day-5-cirauqui-to-estella-14-kmhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240728t202532_day-5-cirauqui-to-estella-14-kmWe set off relatively late today, as we only had 3 hours to walk to Estella, a small town. Our small group became a bit larger today, picking up a few people from the hostel on the hill. Early in the morning, one of our group goes to check out a young Chinese pilgrim sleeping in a covered area in a public space. She arrived very late the night before, after dinner, during a light summer thunderstorm.Sun, 28 Jul 2024 20:25:32 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240728t160904_day-4-pamplona-to-cirauqui-32-kmhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240728t160904_day-4-pamplona-to-cirauqui-32-kmToday was the longest walk of the trip, so I had to start early. I got woken up in the hostel around 530 am by some South Koreans also getting an early start, so decided to get out a little before my alarm. The weather is hotting up in Spain, with the afternoon getting up to around 36C today. Morning is much cooler so it pays to get as much hiking done before midday as possible.Sun, 28 Jul 2024 16:09:04 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240726t201939_day-3-larrasoana-to-pamplona-15https://jamestorr.com/blog/20240726t201939_day-3-larrasoana-to-pamplona-15The extra hour in the sun yesterday meant I had a "rest" day today, walking only 3 hours to get to Pamplona. Arriving at 1030, I bumped into an older Swedish lady Kirstin who I met on the train to the start.Fri, 26 Jul 2024 20:19:39 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240725t202520_day-2-today-27km-450m-ascent-roncesvalleshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240725t202520_day-2-today-27km-450m-ascent-roncesvallesThe hostel wakes you up with lights on at 6am, then pumps out religious chanting 15 minutes later. Weirdest snooze ever.Thu, 25 Jul 2024 20:25:20 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240725t161625_day-1-camino-frances-27-km-walkedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240725t161625_day-1-camino-frances-27-km-walkedstarted with the first train from Bayonne into the Pyrenees, a very beautiful ride along a river valley, with lush, verdant foothills sweeping past us. Credencíal (stamped pilgrim passport) acquired in the small village of Saint Jean Pied du Port, Lorenzo and I started out on a long 20 km upward march to the top of the Pyrenees, crossing into Spain on the first day. It's said to be the biggest day of the Camino Francés, and proved to be one of the harder days of walking I'd done so far. The climb was gradual, on fairly easy terrain, but quite relentless.Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:16:25 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240723t090502_day-0-pack-ready-a-few-lessonshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240723t090502_day-0-pack-ready-a-few-lessonsPack ready, a few lessons from the Camino Portuguese, managed to get the pack down to a bit over 3kg since 2 years ago with @luishntattoo and @flavioamiel Bom camino!Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:05:02 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240721t094911_no-idea-how-they-got-here-but-ithttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240721t094911_no-idea-how-they-got-here-but-itNo idea how they got here but it looks like I've got some barley randomly growing in my garden! I'm kind of wondering whether to preserve the seeds and sow them in a small patch next year, then do the same till I get enough to malt for a batch of beer. Commercial yield is about 600g/m2, so I'd need 10m2 to even think about it. Anybody got a bit of allotment space free in a few years?!Sun, 21 Jul 2024 09:49:11 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240628t194912_simple-and-quick-chicken-shoyu-tonight-medium-boiledhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240628t194912_simple-and-quick-chicken-shoyu-tonight-medium-boiledSimple and quick chicken shoyu tonight. Medium boiled eggs, purslane, sous vide pork belly and noodles both from the freezer. Decoration spring onions and borage, seasoning soy and chicken amino.Fri, 28 Jun 2024 19:49:12 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240531t230753_pork-and-chicken-broth-ramen-for-home-datehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240531t230753_pork-and-chicken-broth-ramen-for-home-datePork and chicken broth ramen for home date night tonight. That's sous vide chasu pork belly, with homegrown komatsuna (a great, easy grow green leaf veg), steamed and seasoned with soy, sesame oil and seeds, ajitsume tamago (soy and sugar cured egg), homemade ramen noodles. Broth was a bit low on fat so I blended it with some garlic infused pork fat, and some rendered chicken fat to make it a bit more like a tonkotsu broth. Topped with chili and allium infused oil, black garlic oil and Spring onions from the garden. This may look like it took ages, it kind of collectively did, but not today.Fri, 31 May 2024 23:07:53 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240531t143138_cheese-unveil-this-is-a-washed-rind-agedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240531t143138_cheese-unveil-this-is-a-washed-rind-agedCheese unveil. This is a washed-rind aged ricotta, which isn't really a thing, just something I made. Ricotta isn't usually aged due to the fact that most of the bugs and enzymes are killed due to it being nearly boiled. However, I wanted to try it, and added some back in after the curds had cooled down. I also ended up washing with some brined whey, basically brushing some on during the early ageing process.Fri, 31 May 2024 14:31:38 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240304t195159_holy-hell-batman-that-s-a-lot-ofhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240304t195159_holy-hell-batman-that-s-a-lot-ofHoly hell batman that's a lot of dandelion root! Pull this up from my neglected "wild flower" lawn the last few days, question is whether it's worth bothering to clean and process for er, what? Anybody used this for coffee, tea, wine? Is it gonna be worth an hour of my time?!Mon, 04 Mar 2024 19:51:59 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/form-choiceshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/form-choicesBuilding a simple selection form component in SvelteThu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240219t142622_another-amino-post-this-time-koji-soy-nothttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240219t142622_another-amino-post-this-time-koji-soy-notAnother amino post, this time koji/soy. Not a super glamorous pic I'm afraid! My first time attempting a koji culture for ages, and while it started off fine, it started sporulating quite quickly, within 36 hrs. See the green colour in the third pic. This happens for a variety of reasons, but in this case it was either too dry or too hot.Mon, 19 Feb 2024 14:26:22 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240218t194018_garum-time-well-not-strictly-garum-as-thehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240218t194018_garum-time-well-not-strictly-garum-as-theGarum time! Well, not strictly garum as the method is very different. They were traditionally made around the Roman empire as a by-product of the fishing industry where fish guts were added to vats with salt and left to digest themselves for months until all that was left was a liquid full of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Nowadays Asian fish sauce is the nearest equivalent, though we have Worcestershire sauce, something quite similar. Both are packed with aminos and salt.Sun, 18 Feb 2024 19:40:18 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240216t174406_and-i-just-happened-to-have-everything-tohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240216t174406_and-i-just-happened-to-have-everything-toAnd I just happened to have everything to hand in the fridge/freezer for a fish and chips meal this afternoon.Fri, 16 Feb 2024 17:44:06 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240215t183220_ensenada-fish-tacos-for-valentine-s-lunch-thankshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240215t183220_ensenada-fish-tacos-for-valentine-s-lunch-thanksEnsenada fish tacos for Valentine's lunch. Thanks to super friendly and helpful Gabriel @casa.azul.brighton for the blue masa harina. They turned out great after my rather shoddy first attempt with masarepa. I hope to get a bit more knowledge on this deep and eclectic cuisine, it's quite a lot though! While reading around, I learned a little bit about a very interesting British author called Diana Kennedy, who lived until 99, in Mexico since the 1950s.Thu, 15 Feb 2024 18:32:20 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240208t201120_hadn-t-prepped-this-before-but-i-dhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240208t201120_hadn-t-prepped-this-before-but-i-dHadn't prepped this before but I'd heard great things. We cooked mapo tofu today for lunch. Freshly ground pork loin, silken tofu, dashi/soy/sugar/gochujang sauce, wild garlic and spring onions. Donburi style on some rice. Super simple and really delicious.Thu, 08 Feb 2024 20:11:20 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240201t190712_this-is-the-follow-up-to-the-caerphillyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240201t190712_this-is-the-follow-up-to-the-caerphillyThis is the follow up to the Caerphilly cheese. Looks and tastes pretty delicious: rich, a little funky, creamy. Super happy with it!Thu, 01 Feb 2024 19:07:12 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240131t135612_fresh-pasta-making-afternoon-yesterday-these-were-busiatehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240131t135612_fresh-pasta-making-afternoon-yesterday-these-were-busiateFresh pasta making afternoon yesterday, these were busiate shapes. Sauce was puttanesca, it came out very rich and slightly over seasoned. The dough was the southern Italian style: 100g flour, 50g water per person. I made this in my food processor but it's a funny dough, starting off very crumbly, like sand, then coming together after a bit of a rest and some encouragement. I'd be tempted to mix for a few minutes in the processor then hand knead next time.Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:56:12 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240115t202711_i-bore-the-freezing-cold-and-made-myselfhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240115t202711_i-bore-the-freezing-cold-and-made-myselfI bore the freezing cold and made myself a pizza. Turned out rather well! Probably didn't need so much on top, but apart from that, good stuff. Homemade mozzarella and feta-like cheeses, as well as some nice salami my buddy Evan made in Italy. Happy Monday folks!Mon, 15 Jan 2024 20:27:11 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240113t130840_nice-natto-idea-from-nattodad-toast-rubbed-withhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240113t130840_nice-natto-idea-from-nattodad-toast-rubbed-withNice natto idea from @nattodad. Toast rubbed with garlic after toasting with some rapeseed oil. Natto mixed with a tbsp of home fermented whole grain mustard, a tsp each of cider vinegar and soy. Yum! The home made batch wasn't at all slimey after a few days in the fridge.Sat, 13 Jan 2024 13:08:40 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240112t105947_my-recent-foray-into-cheesemaking-from-top-lefthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240112t105947_my-recent-foray-into-cheesemaking-from-top-leftMy recent foray into cheesemaking. From top left in the cover photo: Bel Paese, Caerphilly, Marcellin. There's a nice book called The Art of Natural Cheesemaking that I started with. His approach is very much avoiding the sterile modern approach, also found in modern beer making, and using diverse microbial cultures found in raw milk and kefir to produce interesting and characterful cheese. I used my "house" amasi culture which I've had for 18 months or so now, a South African lacto ferment that has seemed to have survived better than any other I've used.Fri, 12 Jan 2024 10:59:47 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240112t104615_this-rather-sticky-looking-stuff-is-natto-fermentedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240112t104615_this-rather-sticky-looking-stuff-is-natto-fermentedThis rather sticky looking stuff is natto. Fermented soybeans with Bacillus bacteria. It's chock full of some pretty healthy nutrients (Vitamin K2, nattokinase and others), and is traditionally eaten for breakfast in Japan. Just a few tablespoons mixed with a tare (sauce) of soy, mustard and mirin. The latter can be subbed with a pinch of sugar, msg and a tsp of water.Fri, 12 Jan 2024 10:46:15 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240102t201019_salmon-on-offer-as-is-often-the-casehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240102t201019_salmon-on-offer-as-is-often-the-caseSalmon on offer as is often the case in the winter, so I picked up a couple, cured and smoked them. Beech, cherry and hickory smoke for 12hrs. We ate one for NYE and the rest will go in the freezer. I made cream cheese and some crackers (not pictured) to go with them. Once I'd stripped the rest of the flesh after filleting them, the head and bones were roasted (12 mins air fryer max) and made into stock with a slice of konbu for some extra umami.Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:10:19 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240102t200041_little-pastry-treat-of-pasteis-de-nata-overhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20240102t200041_little-pastry-treat-of-pasteis-de-nata-overLittle pastry treat of pasteis de nata over the holiday period. Pastry is a little arduous, but you can freeze into individual portions so you don't have to do all of them at the same time. Custard keeps for a week or so in the fridge too, haven't tried freezing yet but I'd have thought it would be stable. This cooked for 12 mins on full in the air fryer and came out cooked pretty well. Bit of butter leakage as I'd defrosted too quickly, but other than that, super happy with them.Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:00:41 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231223t120422_picked-up-some-discount-milk-during-the-holidayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231223t120422_picked-up-some-discount-milk-during-the-holidayPicked up some discount milk during the holiday insanity and have been at it for a few days, reading and learning about cheese. On the left here are quite a few mozz balls, which I've frozen for pizza. On the right is an Italian Ligurian cheese called bel paese. The curds are pretty firm and they're not pressed. This will age in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.Sat, 23 Dec 2023 12:04:22 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231103t143308_first-go-on-the-outdoor-oven-in-quitehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231103t143308_first-go-on-the-outdoor-oven-in-quiteFirst go on the outdoor oven in quite a few years, quite happy with the results. The base needed more preheating but I ran out of patience after wind kept blowing the gas out. This is 62% hydration blue Caputo, home made mozz and some German style mortadella. Took about 100s. I installed a lazy Susan and a circular stone, both worked excellently and reduced my stress levels considerably.Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:33:08 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/sveltekit-vs-wordpresshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/sveltekit-vs-wordpressWant to know the fundamental differences between Sveltekit and Wordpress. This article outlines the basic differences between the two systems, and hopefully gives you a better understanding of which one you should choose for your website.Fri, 03 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231102t182035_it-s-not-picture-perfect-a-little-roughhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231102t182035_it-s-not-picture-perfect-a-little-roughIt's not picture perfect: a little rough, but that may just be my folding technique. The texture felt decent, proper stretchy. For lack of decent mozzarella available commercially, I figured I'd give it a go. Technique, I used mostly @frenchguycooking's recipe. As usual, I'm always surprised how little yield there is with milk products.Thu, 02 Nov 2023 18:20:35 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/vanilla-projecthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/vanilla-projectBuilding a recipe website using Svelte and SveltekitMon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231025t214333_an-old-fashioned-with-marmalade-in-place-ofhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231025t214333_an-old-fashioned-with-marmalade-in-place-ofAn old fashioned with marmalade in place of the sugar syrup, and distilled water ice. Was aiming for clear, but this is rather funky.Wed, 25 Oct 2023 21:43:33 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231020t074035_my-pizza-oven-stone-got-broken-by-myhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231020t074035_my-pizza-oven-stone-got-broken-by-myMy pizza oven stone got broken by my cat making a particularly adventurous leap onto the greenhouse shelf. She got a nice hour or two in the sun, my pizza oven hasn't been used since. I bought some Caputo flour recently and after a couple of failed BBQ pizza attempts, I went back to the method of pizza I used when I got started on the journey. The method is simply: preheat a griddle pan over the gas for 5 minutes or so, when it's ready, turn an oven grill on too. Stretch the pizza dough (it doesn't have to be fully), and drop it on the pan.Fri, 20 Oct 2023 07:40:35 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231010t190034_managed-to-find-some-sea-urchin-at-brightonfishsaleshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20231010t190034_managed-to-find-some-sea-urchin-at-brightonfishsalesManaged to find some sea urchin at @brightonfishsales. Third time I've eaten them. This time raw. You remove the mouth with scissors and either split with two spoons or cut with the scissors. Scoop out the orange roe, or remove the black stuff which you don't eat.Tue, 10 Oct 2023 19:00:34 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230924t160637_thought-this-was-worthy-of-a-post-brothhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230924t160637_thought-this-was-worthy-of-a-post-brothThought this was worthy of a post. Broth is light chicken with sea bream dashi and a dollop of the thick chicken broth. Seasoned with soy tare and some of the juice I cooked the pork in. Handmade Tokyo style alkaline ramen noodles. Pork belly chasu sous vide for 12hrs @78C.Sun, 24 Sep 2023 16:06:37 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230923t123132_tokyo-style-ramen-noodles-made-this-week-basedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230923t123132_tokyo-style-ramen-noodles-made-this-week-basedTokyo style ramen noodles made this week. Based on the legendary @ramen__lord's recipe. Subbed soy protein isolate in for the egg white powder. No idea whether this will make much difference but they turned out nice! Broth was a blend of fish / dashi and rich chicken.Sat, 23 Sep 2023 12:31:32 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230922t085130_i-made-tonic-water-one-of-my-keghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230922t085130_i-made-tonic-water-one-of-my-kegI made tonic water! One of my keg lines is now a carbonated water line, so I've made some syrup to add on serving rather than faff around with preservatives. The recipe is from @kevin_kos on YouTube. Cinchona bark is ground and simmered for about 20 minutes with some citrus zest, then strained and sugar is added. The ratio is quite high: 45ml of syrup in 200ml of carbonated water, but I've found 15-20ml can make for a nice refreshing and light soda.Fri, 22 Sep 2023 08:51:30 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230922t084324_a-bit-of-stock-making-over-the-lasthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230922t084324_a-bit-of-stock-making-over-the-lastA bit of stock making over the last few days. Made three in total, one fish/dashi and two chicken. Fish was just a left over sea bream after filleting. I roasted the remains in the air fryer for 8mins or so, apparently this helps reduce the fishiness. Next day, covered with just over a litre of water, and added a few pieces of konbu (Japanese kelp).Fri, 22 Sep 2023 08:43:24 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230826t084142_for-some-crazy-reason-we-decided-to-ridehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230826t084142_for-some-crazy-reason-we-decided-to-rideFor some crazy reason, we decided to ride home from our Old Winchester Hill Fort wild camping pitch along the South Downs Way. Nearly 12hrs, 80km and 2000m of mostly off-road climbing later, we made it to @thebrznarms for beer and food. Feeling proud but a bit broken today, what a stunning ride.Sat, 26 Aug 2023 08:41:42 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230817t134458_excuse-the-blur-but-this-is-arctia-cajahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230817t134458_excuse-the-blur-but-this-is-arctia-cajaExcuse the blur, but this is Arctia caja, the garden tiger. Pretty little red sections underneath those leopard wings as well. Lovely. Thanks @inaturalistorg for the id!Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:44:58 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230812t120805_another-round-of-kimchi-this-morning-sweetheart-savoyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230812t120805_another-round-of-kimchi-this-morning-sweetheart-savoyAnother round of kimchi this morning. Sweetheart, Savoy and Napa cabbages in the mix with some pepper, onions, carrots and garlic. Fish sauce, rice porridge, gochugaru pepper flakes to season, add creaminess and spice respectively. Just scaled up Maangchi's ratios for the porridge and chilli flakes and went with 2% by weight of the total for the salt. This will likely be pushed up to around 2.3% due to the fish sauce, which is an acceptable amount for a ferment.Sat, 12 Aug 2023 12:08:05 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/get-started-website-with-astro-tailwind-csshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/get-started-website-with-astro-tailwind-cssStart your web journey with AstroWind – harness Astro and Tailwind CSS for a stunning site. Explore our guide now.Sat, 12 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230809t104925_inspired-by-the-bear-s-rather-expansive-cookinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230809t104925_inspired-by-the-bear-s-rather-expansive-cookingInspired by The Bear's rather expansive cooking bookshelves, here's a pic of the one close to hand in my kitchen. These I think are a mix of often used and "want to read" books. There's about four more shelves of books that I've not posted here. What do your shelves look like? Please share in the comments!Wed, 09 Aug 2023 10:49:25 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/useful-resources-to-create-websiteshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/useful-resources-to-create-websitesExplore vital tools and resources for a sleek website. From design to functionality, our guide elevates your online presence.Wed, 09 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/how-to-customize-astrowind-to-your-brandhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/how-to-customize-astrowind-to-your-brandPersonalize AstroWind template for your brand. Our guide unlocks seamless customization steps for a unique online presence.Sun, 06 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230731t135320_after-a-slightly-disappointing-couple-of-trips-tohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230731t135320_after-a-slightly-disappointing-couple-of-trips-toAfter a slightly disappointing couple of trips to fishmongers on a recent trip (West bay and Kings bridge), albeit on a Sunday, we finally hit the jackpot and found a local fisherman. Big Dave operates out of Hope Cove in SW Devon and has done all of his working life: 30 years plus. I made the drive from our accommodation after being told the day before he came back around 11am from checking his pots. He supplied me with 2 decent sized live lobsters, fresh from the pots that morning. Fortunately, our Airbnb host was able to supply a large pot and we simply boiled them in seawater level salted water for 15 and 17 minutes respectively for the smaller (600g) and larger (660g).Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:53:20 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230731t134525_as-an-alternative-holiday-souvenir-i-decided-tohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230731t134525_as-an-alternative-holiday-souvenir-i-decided-toAs an alternative holiday souvenir, I decided to collect ingredients for a foraged herb bitters. From top left, clockwise: mugwort, clover, rock samphire, yarrow, rosemary, spruce, meadowsweet, wild carrot, tansy, sage. Collected around south Devon and Dartmoor. I've added some bitter and sweet orange peel (we took a few with us!), as well as gentian root (to up the bitterness quotient a bit. I'll leave this to infuse for a month, strain and simmer the dry ingredients with a bit of water, which I'll add back to the alcohol.Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:45:25 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/deep-copyinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/deep-copyingCopying JS objects isn't as it first seemsThu, 20 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/beer-is-water-projecthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/beer-is-water-projectMoving some of the Brewbat recipe calculators to a modern frameworkWed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/brewbat-projecthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/brewbat-projectBuilding a brewing recipe siteWed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/flowhackers-projecthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/flowhackers-projectBuilding a simple web directory using SveltekitWed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/wordpress-workhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/wordpress-workA list of the Wordpress work I've done over the yearsWed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/astrowind-template-in-depthhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/astrowind-template-in-depthWhile easy to get started, Astrowind is quite complex internally. This page provides documentation on some of the more intricate parts.Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/landinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/landingEver clicked on an ad and found yourself on a page that seemed to really want you to do something? Congratulations, you've landed on a Landing Page!Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/animated-svelte-logohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/animated-svelte-logoWriting a minimal animated line draw logo in SvelteMon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230708t172917_kimchi-gyoza-yum-hand-ground-pork-shoulder-homehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230708t172917_kimchi-gyoza-yum-hand-ground-pork-shoulder-homeKimchi gyoza 🥟 yum. Hand ground pork shoulder, home made kimchi, soy, sesame sauce, I think that was about it. Mix well till pasty, fill wrappers. Freeze. Cooked in the usual way: pan fry for a few mins, add water then cover for 4 mins or so, when the water is evaporated enough that it's quite thick, take the lid off and wait till it's dry.Sat, 08 Jul 2023 17:29:17 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230708t105941_super-juice-experiment-been-making-a-few-cocktailshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230708t105941_super-juice-experiment-been-making-a-few-cocktails"Super" juice experiment. Been making a few cocktails recently, and have been getting through quite a few citrus fruits in the process. Kevin Kos has a video on super juice, a technique used by some of the modern cocktail makers to save money, time and waste by stretching citrus fruits much further than their usual yield. You zest, weigh the zest, add a ratio (1x) quantity of acid (citric, malic) to the zest and leave it to macerate for several hours. You then blend this with a quantity of water (16x the weight of the zest).Sat, 08 Jul 2023 10:59:41 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230708t084416_japanese-stewed-sardines-picnic-on-brighton-beach-yesterdayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230708t084416_japanese-stewed-sardines-picnic-on-brighton-beach-yesterdayJapanese stewed sardines picnic on Brighton beach yesterday. The oysters (not pictured) were also excellent. The cocktail is a barbotage: fizzy white wine, simple syrup, (super) lemon juice.Sat, 08 Jul 2023 08:44:16 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/making-leaflet-searchhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/making-leaflet-searchLeaflet-search was broken, I decided not to wait for a fix.Mon, 03 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230606t183532_mirto-bramble-twist-on-the-classic-blackberry-cocktailhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230606t183532_mirto-bramble-twist-on-the-classic-blackberry-cocktailMirto bramble. Twist on the classic blackberry cocktail using myrtle berry liqueur. This is a Sardinian drink that was first brought to me by an Italian couchsurfer 10 years ago. I didn't forget it and planted a tree about 6 years ago that was nearly destroyed when part of my wall fell down in a storm. Thankfully it didn't and I'm now able to enjoy a delicious summer cocktail with the fruits.Tue, 06 Jun 2023 18:35:32 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230605t081125_lovely-sunday-afternoon-dinner-bbq-grilled-sea-breamhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230605t081125_lovely-sunday-afternoon-dinner-bbq-grilled-sea-breamLovely Sunday afternoon dinner. BBQ grilled sea bream and razor clams, rice and salad with red mizuna (mustard greens), red lettuce, chives, spring onions from the greenhouse. Campari soda on the side to add a touch of class.Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:11:25 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230605t080843_this-is-shichimi-togarashi-a-japanese-spice-blendhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230605t080843_this-is-shichimi-togarashi-a-japanese-spice-blendThis is shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice blend you may not have heard of. Typically it'll have nori seaweed, bitter orange peel, sesame seeds and dried chili. I think other 3-4 ingredients are changeable. Due to my supply being a bit old, I omitted the nori in mine and went for red/black/Sichuan pepper and dried ginger. Normally the sesame seeds are a bit less ground up, but my hand blend was a bit more effective than I thought.Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:08:43 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230602t174323_loads-of-these-rose-chafers-around-this-yearhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230602t174323_loads-of-these-rose-chafers-around-this-yearLoads of these rose chafers around this year. Found three growing on my horseradish patch just now. You can't see it in the pic but they have a lovely metallic green colour on their backs.Fri, 02 Jun 2023 17:43:23 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230601t152841_trying-my-hand-at-an-angostura-style-bittershttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230601t152841_trying-my-hand-at-an-angostura-style-bittersTrying my hand at an Angostura style bitters. Rough ingredient list: 1 tbsp bitter orange peel dried 1 orange zest 1/2 tsp gentian root 2 cardamom pods crushed 4 cloves 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 1/2 cup of feverfew, tansy, sweet cicely and artemisia herbs from the garden. Covering this with about 250ml of vodka. Recipe (from Parsons 'Bitters' book) says to strain, boil the ingredients and steep in water separately for another week. Then I'll filter, add to the alcohol, and add a sugar syrup.Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:28:41 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230529t205619_garden-snails-v5-i-think-5-days-fedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230529t205619_garden-snails-v5-i-think-5-days-fedGarden snails, v5 (I think): 5 days fed on carrots. Fridge for 4hrs. Blanche for 2 mins. Wash, remove from shells. Remove the small brown spiral at the top.Mon, 29 May 2023 20:56:19 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230524t143612_seafood-bbq-yesterday-leeks-razor-clams-and-babyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230524t143612_seafood-bbq-yesterday-leeks-razor-clams-and-babySeafood BBQ yesterday. Leeks, razor clams and baby octopus (both frozen) from Fish in Hove. Chili salt, Vietnamese dipping sauce (fish sauce, sweet chili, cider vinegar, water: roughly equal parts) to garnish.Wed, 24 May 2023 14:36:12 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230524t132149_chard-processing-day-lots-of-stuff-in-thehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230524t132149_chard-processing-day-lots-of-stuff-in-theChard processing day. Lots of stuff in the garden to do this time of year. Unfortunately being away for a month meant I missed the ideal time to harvest the chard that was growing through the winter. All was not lost and I managed to get a decent enough harvest. Clean, remove snails, steam, put into small moulds, squeeze out some water, then freeze for later use.Wed, 24 May 2023 13:21:49 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230411t102238_captured-a-hummingbird-hawk-moth-in-the-gardenhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230411t102238_captured-a-hummingbird-hawk-moth-in-the-gardenCaptured a hummingbird hawk moth in the garden over the weekend. Feeling less bad about the copious amount of dandelions on my lawn. Quite amazing to see, and stunned at how good mobile camera tech is these days. They're migratory, and fly up from Southern Europe during the warmer months, not being able to survive the Winters here. This is super early, so I wonder if the warmer climate has allowed it to survive.Tue, 11 Apr 2023 10:22:38 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230408t084003_slightly-unconventional-toppings-for-this-ramen-2-partshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230408t084003_slightly-unconventional-toppings-for-this-ramen-2-partsSlightly unconventional toppings for this ramen. 2 parts tori (chicken) paitan (milky/rich) broth mixed with 1 part niban (secondary) dashi. Pork chasu slices pan fried. Ajitsume tamago (cured soft boiled eggs). Grilled tomatoes, leeks and pak choi.Sat, 08 Apr 2023 08:40:03 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230403t152131_first-outdoor-dinner-of-the-year-chicken-stockhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230403t152131_first-outdoor-dinner-of-the-year-chicken-stockFirst outdoor dinner of the year. Chicken stock with simple chasu/tare seasoning. Dried wheat noodles (commercial), thawed pork belly chasu pan fried, micro-poached egg, grilled leek and tenderstem broccoli, chili oil and black garlic oil. Looks like a lot but almost everything was prepped beforehand.Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:21:31 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230403t121942_this-year-i-m-fermenting-my-wild-garlichttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230403t121942_this-year-i-m-fermenting-my-wild-garlicThis year I'm fermenting my wild garlic. I won't do a long ferment, just enough to stop it going bad in the fridge too quickly, which has been a concern in the past. I used to make pesto with cheese and pumpkin seeds, then just added salt and oil to finely ground wild garlic and froze. Making this for a ferment is a very simple process. Wash, squeeze dry, shred (I used a mixer, but it won't take long by hand), weigh.Mon, 03 Apr 2023 12:19:42 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230402t170728_wild-garlic-time-gonna-play-around-a-bithttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230402t170728_wild-garlic-time-gonna-play-around-a-bitWild garlic time! Gonna play around a bit with gentle fermentation for these, but for now, steamed on top of rice with some beef bits from a recent stock, micro-teamed then grilled leeks, broccoli, parsley on top of rice. Sauce is chicken stock, tare (ramen seasoning with soy, msg, salt?), chili oil and some pork chasu drippings. Yum.Sun, 02 Apr 2023 17:07:28 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230401t191246_dumpling-weekend-pork-shoulder-chasu-filled-yeast-bakinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230401t191246_dumpling-weekend-pork-shoulder-chasu-filled-yeast-bakingDumpling weekend. Pork shoulder chasu filled yeast/baking powder leavened dumplings on Saturday night. Lazy Sunday and gyoza with pork and veg fillings: minced shoulder, ginger, soy, garlic, chives, chard. Wrappers were all done from scratch through an Imperia Restaurant pasta machine with the help of my lovely assistant. I don't have all-purpose flour (my usual caputo rosso), so I'm blending low protein Italian 00 and some strong bread to get the same effect.Sat, 01 Apr 2023 19:12:46 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230329t134906_bit-of-a-broth-blitz-the-other-dayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20230329t134906_bit-of-a-broth-blitz-the-other-dayBit of a broth blitz the other day. Beef and chicken. Ramen results. Made a base stock of roughly one part each of homemade (frozen) dashi, chicken and beef broth. Tare (seasoning) was soy, salt, water and msg, I went at about 3/4 usual strength.Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:49:06 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/markdown-elements-demo-posthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/markdown-elements-demo-postSint sit cillum pariatur eiusmod nulla pariatur ipsum. Sit laborum anim qui mollit tempor pariatur nisi minim dolor.Mon, 02 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221214t094335_fermented-butter-forgot-to-take-pics-of-thehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221214t094335_fermented-butter-forgot-to-take-pics-of-theFermented butter. Forgot to take pics of the process, so sorry about that, this is the final result! Super simple, and about the same price as normal butter, and takes a few minutes if you're using a stand mixer. 1. Grab some high fat cream.Wed, 14 Dec 2022 09:43:35 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221118t103020_thanks-to-aaron-for-making-this-mattarello-forhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221118t103020_thanks-to-aaron-for-making-this-mattarello-forThanks to Aaron for making this mattarello for me. Had a piece of oak lying around for years that wasn't a proper cylinder, finally got it running for some hand rolled pasta action today. Hopefully a bit more practice to get the timing down a bit, took about 20 minutes to get this sheet into shape. 3 eggs + 300g of caputo rosso. Half of the batch for some pappardelle, and the other half for some farfallone.Fri, 18 Nov 2022 10:30:20 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221117t142553_full-volume-water-pasta-method-seen-a-fewhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221117t142553_full-volume-water-pasta-method-seen-a-fewFull volume water pasta method. Seen a few one pot pasta dishes around, I personally don't think they give you that much control over the sauce, so I do them separately. Italians may not appreciate this, as the traditional method is 1 litre of water for 100g of pasta (10:1). I used to use about 5:1, lately I've been playing with about 3:1. It works, is much more energy efficient, and helps make starchy water - great for sauces.Thu, 17 Nov 2022 14:25:53 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221116t130043_this-is-my-new-favourite-way-of-preparinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221116t130043_this-is-my-new-favourite-way-of-preparingThis is my new favourite way of preparing eggs. @frankprisinzano's method. I hope I have done it some justice. It is super simple and a lovely combination of textures, and relies on it being hot enough to crisp up, something a lot of home chefs seem to be afraid of. Heat up a stainless pan for 3-4mins, check its hot enough with a splash of water - they should bead, and roll across the surface.Wed, 16 Nov 2022 13:00:43 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221115t210622_tantanmen-ramen-pork-broth-from-the-freezer-chinesehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221115t210622_tantanmen-ramen-pork-broth-from-the-freezer-chineseTantanmen ramen. Pork broth from the freezer, Chinese wheat noodles, sesame tare (flavour), beef soboro, spinach, boiled egg and some mayu (black garlic oil). Bit simpler prep than the classic tonkotsu this one, but super rich and delicious! Made this from scratch tonight (not the broth) in about 45 min. Enough for a few more portions later in the week as well.Tue, 15 Nov 2022 21:06:22 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221006t105817_my-summer-outdoor-furniture-projects-larch-supplied-byhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221006t105817_my-summer-outdoor-furniture-projects-larch-supplied-byMy Summer outdoor furniture projects. Larch supplied by the fine folks at Copford Sawmill. Table, benches, chair and smaller table.Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:58:17 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221005t142204_nothing-super-fancy-but-this-is-a-kubbhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221005t142204_nothing-super-fancy-but-this-is-a-kubbNothing super fancy but this is a kubb set I made. Mostly oak, except from the batons which were beech.Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:22:04 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221004t093950_been-resuming-the-woodwork-stuff-over-the-summerhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221004t093950_been-resuming-the-woodwork-stuff-over-the-summerBeen resuming the woodwork stuff over the summer. This was one of the more complex pieces, larch and sapele laundry basket.Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:39:50 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221003t205047_autumn-harvest-time-bit-later-than-usual-ashttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20221003t205047_autumn-harvest-time-bit-later-than-usual-asAutumn harvest time. Bit later than usual as I've been away for a few weeks. Have some now 7-8 yr old hop plants that are doing pretty well. It's a bit of a process but you basically take them down, chop them up, strip, dry, vac pack and freeze them. I get about a 1-1.5kg of dry hops from them, enough for 100 litres or so of beer.Mon, 03 Oct 2022 20:50:47 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20220930t144706_garden-snails-yup-you-can-eat-them-youhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20220930t144706_garden-snails-yup-you-can-eat-them-youGarden Snails. Yup. You can eat them, you might even enjoy it. Done 4 batches now, so can share some experience. Some of the thinking points on this project are: 1.Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:47:06 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20220928t184737_excellent-if-slightly-messy-penultimate-day-in-santiagohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20220928t184737_excellent-if-slightly-messy-penultimate-day-in-santiagoExcellent, if slightly messy penultimate day in Santiago de Compostela hanging at the market in the afternoon eating gooseneck barnacles, razor clams and scallops, and rather a lot of ablariño (Galician white wine). Great food, wonderful company and a fantastic end to the camino Português.Wed, 28 Sep 2022 18:47:37 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20220928t183829_more-waste-meat-stuff-the-average-butcher-throwshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20220928t183829_more-waste-meat-stuff-the-average-butcher-throwsMore waste meat stuff. The average butcher throws away most of their pork bones and will be happy to give you a bag or two for free, happier if you buy some other stuff from them. Beef and chicken tend to be more in demand, and you'll sometimes pay a little for them. Making the broth is a little more involved than chicken bone broth, but worth the effort. Pressure cooker I'd say is a must, 18hr stove time is reduced to 3.Wed, 28 Sep 2022 18:38:29 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200516t101328_tonkotsu-ramen-last-night-didn-t-go-thehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200516t101328_tonkotsu-ramen-last-night-didn-t-go-theTonkotsu ramen last night. Didn't go the whole 9 yards but some 6 or 7 of them. 5 hr pressure cooker pork shoulder and hock bone broth. About 4kgs of bones with 4 litres of water the final result, so 1:1 dilution was fine, it was quite concentrated. Reheated, added to some chicken stock I had, and blended to make emulsion (white colour).Sat, 16 May 2020 10:13:28 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200515t185612_job-lot-of-scissors-off-ebay-in-tipshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200515t185612_job-lot-of-scissors-off-ebay-in-tipsJob lot of scissors off eBay. In tips for restoration, cloud mind?Fri, 15 May 2020 18:56:12 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200510t175359_tsukemen-ramen-of-sorts-high-for-ramen-40https://jamestorr.com/blog/20200510t175359_tsukemen-ramen-of-sorts-high-for-ramen-40Tsukemen ramen of sorts. High (for ramen: 40%) hydration dough, blend of medium and low protein flours, 1% salt, 2% baked baking powder. Mixed for about 5 mins, then rested for 90 mins in a dehydrator at about 30C. Did wonders for the gluten development. Large pasta machine pressed then cut by hand.Sun, 10 May 2020 17:53:59 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200410t123332_farinata-genovese-chickpea-flatbread-low-supply-of-flourhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200410t123332_farinata-genovese-chickpea-flatbread-low-supply-of-flourFarinata: Genovese chickpea flatbread. Low supply of flour about, so thought I'd try to diversify the staples a bit. 300g chickpea flour, 900g water, mix well, leave for 5-10hrs. Add 50ml oil, 10g salt before baking, mix well. This quantity will fit on 2x rectangular 30x40cm well oiled baking sheets, but if you want it thicker just one (like this one).Fri, 10 Apr 2020 12:33:32 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200407t211019_after-an-intense-brewday-what-could-have-gonehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200407t211019_after-an-intense-brewday-what-could-have-goneAfter an intense brewday (what could have gone wrong, went wrong), managed to find the strength to make some curry katsu. Aside from the rather average pork loin, everything else was pretty damn tasty. Calrose rice, my first bag. Pretty good stuff. Medium grain, somewhere between long and short.Tue, 07 Apr 2020 21:10:19 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200406t154424_bacon-not-something-i-ve-done-a-lothttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200406t154424_bacon-not-something-i-ve-done-a-lotBacon. Not something I've done a lot of but we do get through a decent amount of it, and often disappointed by butcher purchased bacon, even Dave "Bacon King" Ovett, (Open Market) of Brighton isn't their best product. Their cheese is amazing value though. Just happened to have some mosaic pellet hops ground down in the mortar, added some juniper berries and black pepper, roughly crushed. Flakes of laurel brought back from Croatia were added, even though we've a ton left over from the wall falling off our house a few months ago onto a laurel tree out the side.Mon, 06 Apr 2020 15:44:24 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200402t195650_back-to-pizza-after-a-bit-of-ahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200402t195650_back-to-pizza-after-a-bit-of-aBack to pizza after a bit of a break. This is Caputo Rosso flour, 60% hydration on the Uuni with gas adapter mod. Cooking quite nicely after a bit of practice.Thu, 02 Apr 2020 19:56:50 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200330t083505_panko-breadcrumbs-great-for-japanese-deep-frying-ahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200330t083505_panko-breadcrumbs-great-for-japanese-deep-frying-aPanko breadcrumbs! Great for Japanese deep frying a la Tonkatsku. Actually quite expensive to buy here in UK. Make about 2 litre's worth from a loaf of white bread. Shred in a mixer and bake for 20-30 mins at 100C.Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:35:05 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200327t215037_shoyu-ramen-3rd-bowl-proper-ramen-egg-thishttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200327t215037_shoyu-ramen-3rd-bowl-proper-ramen-egg-thisShoyu ramen (3rd bowl). Proper ramen egg this time (soft boiled and cured in the chasu broth) and blowtorch finished pork chasu, home made ramen noodles. Shredded chicken left over from the broth. Whole chicken carcass pressure cooked for 90 minutes with dried sardines and prawns, carrots and probably a few other goodies I can't remember right now. Aside from being a little cold it was rather lovely.Fri, 27 Mar 2020 21:50:37 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200326t162531_ramen-noodles-100-wheat-flour-45-water-3https://jamestorr.com/blog/20200326t162531_ramen-noodles-100-wheat-flour-45-water-3Ramen noodles. 100% wheat flour, 45% water, 3% baked baking soda. About 80-100g per portion in a soup. Bake baking soda in oven at 120C for an hour. This will help with the texture and colour the noodle yellow.Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:25:31 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200325t091859_kimchi-beef-pancakes-with-homemade-dough-used-ahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200325t091859_kimchi-beef-pancakes-with-homemade-dough-used-aKimchi beef pancakes with homemade dough. Used a pasta machine to roll the dough out which turned out to be quite easy. Pleased with how they turned out. Fried/steamed in a pan, gyoza style. Accompanied with foraged sea beat, which are excellent.Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:18:59 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200322t184014_don-t-forget-if-you-can-t-findhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20200322t184014_don-t-forget-if-you-can-t-findDon't forget, if you can't find food at a supermarket or your local shop, you can still go for a walk and grab something from the local fields or shoreline without getting in close proximity of other folks. Today we picked a huge bag of nettles, sea beet (sub in any spinach recipe) and some limpets (!). Apparently the limpets aren't super tasty and a bit tough, so I've parboiled for 5 mins, food processed to small pieces/paste and added them to some mushroom, bacon and wild garlic pesto with a bit of oregano and thyme. Will put them into puff pastry parcels tomorrow.Sun, 22 Mar 2020 18:40:14 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20191029t183925_foraged-sumac-not-much-out-this-time-ofhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20191029t183925_foraged-sumac-not-much-out-this-time-ofForaged sumac. Not much out this time of year apart from sloes and rosehips. First time processing these, around about 10 quite large buds filled a jar, took about 1hr total to get through.Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:39:25 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190827t114919_shea-butter-with-citrus-actually-it-s-morehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190827t114919_shea-butter-with-citrus-actually-it-s-moreShea butter with citrus. Actually it's more like a mayo than butter! Funny making skincare products when you don't actually like the bowl after whipping it up, you just scoop it out with your hands and smear it over yourself!Tue, 27 Aug 2019 11:49:19 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190811t115454_holy-shit-we-managed-25-of-these-badhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190811t115454_holy-shit-we-managed-25-of-these-badHoly shit we managed 25 of these bad boys on the gas modded 3 yesterday!Sun, 11 Aug 2019 11:54:54 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190810t203728_not-one-for-beer-porn-normally-but-reallyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190810t203728_not-one-for-beer-porn-normally-but-reallyNot one for beer porn normally but really did live up to expectations. Not such a fan of the geuze normally but this was great.Sat, 10 Aug 2019 20:37:28 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190722t183123_first-pizza-on-the-gas-fired-uuni-forhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190722t183123_first-pizza-on-the-gas-fired-uuni-forFirst pizza on the gas fired Uuni for quite a long time. As I was a bit out of practice, made three for two of us, and used a lower hydration (50%) to reduce splitting, which ends up most of the time with a ruined pizza all over the stone. This is 2/3, turned out well I'd say. Think making the first pizza without too many toppings as a test run was a good idea. Will try slightly higher hydration next time (55%) as it'll make the dough a little lighter.Mon, 22 Jul 2019 18:31:23 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190313t123034_totoro-dude-you-comfortable-in-there-not-likehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190313t123034_totoro-dude-you-comfortable-in-there-not-likeTotoro dude, you comfortable in there? Not like you have no other boxes to sleep in.Wed, 13 Mar 2019 12:30:34 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190310t110956_side-by-side-flemish-red-comparison-with-ahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190310t110956_side-by-side-flemish-red-comparison-with-aSide by side Flemish red comparison with a yeast capture at the last homebrew meet @brewdogbrighton. Tried: Vanderghinste, Vichtenaar, Ichtegem and @struisebreweries Dark Horse (dark sour aged in Bordeaux barrels for 4 years). The Vicht had malt aroma only and quite sweet tasting, low acidity. Vand more balsamic aroma, similar sweet/sour balance. Icht more balsamic, more sweetness, more vinegar.Sun, 10 Mar 2019 11:09:56 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190305t170737_so-as-not-to-leave-out-kaia-playinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190305t170737_so-as-not-to-leave-out-kaia-playingSo as not to leave out Kaia. Playing with boxes, something we take a week or two to get rid of in our house, before the cats get bored of them.Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:07:37 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190305t170452_a-rare-moment-of-calm-between-siblings-totorohttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190305t170452_a-rare-moment-of-calm-between-siblings-totoroA rare moment of calm between siblings Totoro and Kiki.Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:04:52 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190305t170308_kiki-aka-princess-fluffikins-yesterday-at-the-heighthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190305t170308_kiki-aka-princess-fluffikins-yesterday-at-the-heightKiki aka Princess fluffikins yesterday at the height of her Winter coat. Troppo fluffy!Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:03:08 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190227t122621_blackberries-and-wine-made-by-myself-from-sussexhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190227t122621_blackberries-and-wine-made-by-myself-from-sussexBlackberries and wine made by myself from Sussex dornfelder grapes. About to blend these with 2 different portions of my 2018 solera sour. Nearly wrote the dornfelder off as it had quite a musty aroma 4 months ago but that has rounded out and turned into spicy/leathery aromas. Will bottle some of the straight wine and blend the rest 1:3 with the solera.Wed, 27 Feb 2019 12:26:21 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190217t114506_home-batches-21-23-250g-each-of-brazilianhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190217t114506_home-batches-21-23-250g-each-of-brazilianHome batches 21-23. 250g each of Brazilian, Guatemalan and Papua New Guinean beans. As we drink mostly , I try to get them to the point where they have some body, reduced acidity and some varietal character too. This is called city or city+. Bit of a tightrope, as if you go too far, you just get chocolate and char.Sun, 17 Feb 2019 11:45:06 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190130t113212_garlic-honey-ferment-started-hot-pepper-sauce-srirachahttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190130t113212_garlic-honey-ferment-started-hot-pepper-sauce-srirachaGarlic honey ferment started, hot pepper sauce sriracha style 9 month ferment ready for serving.Wed, 30 Jan 2019 11:32:12 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190121t132816_corner-is-looking-and-tasting-better-than-everhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190121t132816_corner-is-looking-and-tasting-better-than-evercorner is looking (and tasting) better than ever with recent arrivals and . The grinder in particular has completely transformed coffee for us. Levelling tools, declumping the grounds and good fit tampers also help a lot with even extractions.Mon, 21 Jan 2019 13:28:16 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190117t133847_home-made-after-last-night-s-meal-nothttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190117t133847_home-made-after-last-night-s-meal-notHome made . After last night's meal, not totally convinced about the work-payoff ratio, but I have a kg or so to play with so that may change.Thu, 17 Jan 2019 13:38:47 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190117t133651_big-lump-of-36hrs-after-the-start-decidedhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190117t133651_big-lump-of-36hrs-after-the-start-decidedBig lump of 36hrs after the start. Decided to use the same perforated tray as the last koji batch, seems to have done pretty well aside from a few spots in the corners where I assume I didn't mix the spores in well enough, and the oxygen couldn't penetrate. Cut them off and we're good to go. That's quite a lot there, will try to freeze some.Thu, 17 Jan 2019 13:36:51 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190117t133417_duck-breast-about-to-get-cured-2-withhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190117t133417_duck-breast-about-to-get-cured-2-withDuck breast about to get cured. 2 with juniper and bay, 2 with Chinese five spice. They've now been wrapped in muslin and are hanging in the beer fridge drying out.Thu, 17 Jan 2019 13:34:17 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190107t171451_basmati-rice-first-ferment-in-the-new-chamberhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20190107t171451_basmati-rice-first-ferment-in-the-new-chamberBasmati rice . First ferment in the new chamber setup. Got a useful stainless perforated gastronorm pan for this job, taking it out and resting on an aluminium baking sheet when the temp started spiking about 36hrs in.Mon, 07 Jan 2019 17:14:51 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20181221t190550_japanese-gyoza-looking-forward-to-a-handful-forhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20181221t190550_japanese-gyoza-looking-forward-to-a-handful-forJapanese gyoza. Looking forward to a handful for dinner. Yum! Rest going in the freezer.Fri, 21 Dec 2018 19:05:50 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20181008t180808_cheeky-haul-on-the-way-back-from-workhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20181008t180808_cheeky-haul-on-the-way-back-from-workCheeky haul on the way back from work. Crab apples (for use in a Brett saison) and a nice big parasol mushroom.Mon, 08 Oct 2018 18:08:08 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180926t194029_pizza-after-a-bit-of-a-hiatus-andhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180926t194029_pizza-after-a-bit-of-a-hiatus-andPizza! After a bit of a hiatus (and a few flops), back on it.Wed, 26 Sep 2018 19:40:29 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180823t150005_cats-not-really-helping-much-with-my-fauxhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180823t150005_cats-not-really-helping-much-with-my-fauxCats not really helping much with my faux-gruit. 1.050, 15 IBUs Magnum hops (just in case of LAB infection), Muri kveik due to be pitched when down to 32C. 80% pale, 8% aromatic, 8% wheat, 4% carabelge. List of herbs: mugwort, mint, tansy, wild carrot seeds, salad burnet, lovage, wild marjoram, feverfew. All taken from the garden or foraged locally all pretty easy to find in the UK.Thu, 23 Aug 2018 15:00:05 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180822t135400_today-s-haul-from-the-community-orchard-uphttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180822t135400_today-s-haul-from-the-community-orchard-upToday's haul from the community orchard up at race hill, Brighton. 2hrs picking, 2kg blackberries (for adding to a lambic style beer), 300g elderberries, mugwort, tansy and mint (for a gruit style beer I'll be brewing tomorrow).Wed, 22 Aug 2018 13:54:00 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180821t180913_another-black-hole-to-fall-into-coffee-reallyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180821t180913_another-black-hole-to-fall-into-coffee-reallyAnother black hole to fall into. Coffee really is one of those worlds you can just dig deeper and deeper. Home coffee roasting starts with a cheap popcorn maker. This one works actually quite well and roasts a lot slower than some of those other models out there. First batch turned out surprisingly well.Tue, 21 Aug 2018 18:09:13 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180821t180819_cured-and-fruit-wood-smoked-mackerel-fillets-freshhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180821t180819_cured-and-fruit-wood-smoked-mackerel-fillets-freshCured and fruit wood smoked mackerel fillets fresh from the sea today. Thanks Sean!Tue, 21 Aug 2018 18:08:19 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180804t111659_first-attempt-at-malting-had-some-wheat-berrieshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180804t111659_first-attempt-at-malting-had-some-wheat-berriesFirst attempt at malting. Had some wheat berries. Wanted to try something that wasn't commercially available so I've gone for a light smoked Munich wheat. Smoke comes from a fruit wood blend. Photo is from day 3 or so during the germination period.Sat, 04 Aug 2018 11:16:59 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180803t142837_so-this-is-how-to-make-butter-doublehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180803t142837_so-this-is-how-to-make-butter-doubleSo this is how to make butter. Double cream. Beat the shit out of it for 5 mins or so, it'll whip, then it'll curdle, then you're close, another 30 seconds or so and the fat just falls out of solution. Squeeze out the buttermilk with your hand (great for scones) and press it into a container before refrigeration. If you want, mix in 1% salt for longer shelf life, if not it should be ok for 2 weeks.Fri, 03 Aug 2018 14:28:37 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180724t101809_guess-what-i-be-doing-with-trenchmore-farmhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180724t101809_guess-what-i-be-doing-with-trenchmore-farmGuess what I be doing with @trenchmore_farm wheat? I won't keep you. The plan is to make some Munich style wheat malt, kiln it in my smoker and hopefully make some amazing grodziskie, since we kicked a keg in on afternoon the other day.Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:18:09 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180520t190003_great-weekend-judging-with-some-lovely-people-athttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180520t190003_great-weekend-judging-with-some-lovely-people-atGreat weekend judging with some lovely people at . Even bagged 2 rosettes for my sour quad and my whiskey barrel quad. Judgingwise, dark and amber lagers flight yesterday, session stouts yesterday. Did a talk on the theme of the comp coming up in August: Brew Local Brew Brighton. Got to meet and chat with Lars Garshol the kveik researcher.Sun, 20 May 2018 19:00:03 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180518t125019_bloody-hell-i-ve-finally-gone-and-foundhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180518t125019_bloody-hell-i-ve-finally-gone-and-foundBloody hell I've finally gone and found one. Found a very fresh roe deer carcass on the way home yesterday. Bled and gutted yesterday evening, hung with the help of some friends, 6am start this morning to skin and butcher it. All in the freezer by midday.Fri, 18 May 2018 12:50:19 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180506t154516_hay-and-dandelion-or-should-i-say-57https://jamestorr.com/blog/20180506t154516_hay-and-dandelion-or-should-i-say-57Hay and dandelion , or should I say . 57% pils, 21% Vienna, 10% wheat, 7% carabelge, 4% oats, oh and around 400g of hay, presoaked. 6.5kg grains total. EKG bittering 15 IBUs. All non hop plants taken from my garden.Sun, 06 May 2018 15:45:16 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180506t154040_got-the-tail-end-of-the-wild-garlichttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180506t154040_got-the-tail-end-of-the-wild-garlicGot the tail end of the wild garlic season. Bit more crud to clean off but picked 3kg or so in under half an hour. Pesto style paste. 2 garlic: 1 nuts: 1 cheese, 1% salt. Picked up a lovely block of manchego at Ovetts at and subbed in almonds and cashews for the usual pine nuts.Sun, 06 May 2018 15:40:40 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180423t145207_beer-in-the-wild-primitive-beer-v2-thishttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180423t145207_beer-in-the-wild-primitive-beer-v2-thisBeer in the Wild! Primitive beer v2. This year, our woodland project was simplified somewhat from the previous year. All fuel to heat the brew came from the local woodland, all cooling was done in a stream adjacent to the brewing site, all water was filtered from the stream. We used smoked malt, but only 1/3 of the grain bill, the rest was based on the Red recipe.Mon, 23 Apr 2018 14:52:07 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180421t191007_busy-day-in-lab-mountfields-processed-3-lotshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180421t191007_busy-day-in-lab-mountfields-processed-3-lotsBusy day in lab Mountfields. Processed 3 lots of : borlotti bean, marrowfat peas (aka mushy), pinto beans. On the table also are dried aspergillus sojae rice left over from the miso batch, some soy miso I made a few months ago and some I've finally put into brine with dried chili and red dates.Sat, 21 Apr 2018 19:10:07 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180419t133205_brisket-and-dried-with-the-help-of-10https://jamestorr.com/blog/20180419t133205_brisket-and-dried-with-the-help-of-10Brisket and dried with the help of . 10 days drying in myThu, 19 Apr 2018 13:32:05 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180409t154604_fermented-cured-brisket-pretty-happy-with-the-resultshttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180409t154604_fermented-cured-brisket-pretty-happy-with-the-resultsfermented cured brisket. Pretty happy with the results as this was a new fermentation chamber (water bowl inside a picnic hamper with a heating pad and a temp probe in the water). Now for drying.Mon, 09 Apr 2018 15:46:04 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180302t160326_daikon-in-the-snow-smells-amazing-super-easyhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180302t160326_daikon-in-the-snow-smells-amazing-super-easyDaikon in the snow. Smells amazing. Super easy ferment to make and very tasty.Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:03:26 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180222t145518_first-time-doing-soy-bean-using-rice-madehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180222t145518_first-time-doing-soy-bean-using-rice-madeFirst time doing soy bean . Using rice made at home. Now all I have to do is wait 6 months till it's ready. Yes that's a bag there!Thu, 22 Feb 2018 14:55:18 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180220t131811_so-attempt-number-4-at-rice-and-ihttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180220t131811_so-attempt-number-4-at-rice-and-iSo attempt number 4 at rice and I think I've mailed the process. Previous versions suffered from poor temp and humidity conditions, as well as overcooking the rice. This white powdery surface texture is exactly how it should be. Now to figure out what I'm going to do with the stuff! Meat curing, sake, mirin, soy, miso, cheese...Tue, 20 Feb 2018 13:18:11 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180216t090943_is-there-anything-better-than-fried-chickenhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180216t090943_is-there-anything-better-than-fried-chickenIs there anything better than fried chicken?Fri, 16 Feb 2018 09:09:43 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180215t141958_making-something-a-bit-more-industrial-todayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180215t141958_making-something-a-bit-more-industrial-todayMaking something a bit more industrial today....Thu, 15 Feb 2018 14:19:58 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180213t142058_got-the-full-chocolatehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180213t142058_got-the-full-chocolateGot the full chocolate!Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:20:58 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180209t112055_yep-that-s-4-fingers-thick-picked-thishttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180209t112055_yep-that-s-4-fingers-thick-picked-thisYep that's 4 fingers thick. Picked this amazing book after watching @magnusfaviken in the excellent doc series @chefstablenetflix. Can't begin to say how much respect I have for the work put into this by everyone involved. Wouldn't it be great to have a tome like this for the British isles before it all disappears into gastropub uniformity?Fri, 09 Feb 2018 11:20:55 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180206t172257_it-s-not-often-we-get-all-ourhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180206t172257_it-s-not-often-we-get-all-ourIt's not often we get all our amazing pack together on the same sofa.Tue, 06 Feb 2018 17:22:57 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180206t171816_3-litres-of-koji-rice-yeast-bubbling-awayhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180206t171816_3-litres-of-koji-rice-yeast-bubbling-away3 litres of koji rice/ yeast bubbling away about to go into a / hybrid made with 45% pils/45% raw Sussex heritage wheat berries/10% melanoidin and around 3kg of rice. @sillymoorachel this is the first beersperiment with the wheat.Tue, 06 Feb 2018 17:18:16 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180131t153913_its-barrel-time-this-virgin-barrel-will-needhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180131t153913_its-barrel-time-this-virgin-barrel-will-needIt’s barrel time! This virgin barrel will need some hot water and clean beers run through it to reduce the oak character before running any sour beers through it.Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:39:13 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180109t144406_dude-you-re-looking-a-little-anxious-therehttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180109t144406_dude-you-re-looking-a-little-anxious-thereDude you're looking a little anxious there. Try to relax a bit more.Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:44:06 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180109t142706_korean-fermented-fish-jeong-eo-ri-jeotgal-usinghttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180109t142706_korean-fermented-fish-jeong-eo-ri-jeotgal-usingKorean fermented fish (Jeong-eo-ri jeotgal). Using sprats which are a kind of large anchovy quite easy to get hold of in UK unlike anchovies. Never tried this before so I'm a bit excited + nervous to see how much stink this is going to kick off! thanks for the recipe from your lovely book @maangchi!Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:27:06 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180108t171114_woah-what-is-that-white-furry-tasty-stuffhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180108t171114_woah-what-is-that-white-furry-tasty-stuffWoah what is that white furry (tasty) stuff on those beans!!???Mon, 08 Jan 2018 17:11:14 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180106t152028_pizza-made-in-the-outdoor-oven-yesterday-gashttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20180106t152028_pizza-made-in-the-outdoor-oven-yesterday-gasPizza made in the outdoor oven yesterday. Gas modded myself. Pepper, salami, mozzarella and basil.Sat, 06 Jan 2018 15:20:28 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20171219t003530_christmas-turkey-came-early-this-year-brined-withhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20171219t003530_christmas-turkey-came-early-this-year-brined-withChristmas turkey came early this year. Brined with whiskey and molasses for 36hrs then smoked with fruit wood on the pellet grill for 6hrs. Yum yum.Tue, 19 Dec 2017 00:35:30 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20171216t002747_me-and-my-main-dude-totoro-top-lefthttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20171216t002747_me-and-my-main-dude-totoro-top-leftMe and my main dude Totoro (top left) waiting on 10 litres of unfermented wort (bottom right, plastic bin) to catch a few microbugs from the air. My first attempt at 100% spontaneous. This went into glass and started fermenting after 6 days or so. You'd expect a normal fermentation to begin after 12-24hrs.Sat, 16 Dec 2017 00:27:47 GMThttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20171215t141413_bit-of-norwegian-forest-cat-cuteness-overloadhttps://jamestorr.com/blog/20171215t141413_bit-of-norwegian-forest-cat-cuteness-overloadBit of Norwegian forest cat cuteness overload.Fri, 15 Dec 2017 14:14:13 GMT