Foodies chat with Simon Boyle
Chef Simon Boyle, founder of Beyond Boyle, answered your questions on all things culinary.
Jim_V: Hi Simon, welcome to the chat.
Simon: Hi everyone.
Sam: Can you recommend a decent, affordable chef's knife? Ideally a bit of an all-rounder that's suitable for chopping vegetables and meat.
Simon: My advice is that you need at least three or four knives in the kitchen. I would recommend a good 10 inch knife, a vegetable knife, a filleting knife and a boning knife. A good brand is Victorinox. They're not too expensive but very hard wearing. With those four knives you should be able to do anything.
Katralla: How can young single mothers/fathers get work in the food industry when most of the working hours are outside of normal childcare hours?
Simon: I think a good thing to do is to start to look at daytime operations such as cafés, department stores and schools. You should also consider organisations that look for a multitude of staff in different areas where there might be job sharing opportunities with parents in mind. You could also look at charities, as they often need to provide food for what they do. For instance homeless charities often provide food within the nine-to-five working hours. You can find these in every single town.
I'm with stupid: Can you recommend a book on cooking in the Indo-China region (particularly Vietnam) that doesn't assume that you have a full modern UK kitchen?
Simon: First off there's a book called Practical Cookery (Hodder Arnold, £20) which is a great all round kitchen book and is good for any young cook who is learning as it has great basic recipes. In terms of the Indo-China region, there's a book called Thai Food (Pavilion Books, £25) by a chap called David Thompson and it's a great all-round Asian cook book. It's really fantastic as it's very simple and you don't need a special kitchen at all.
Jarvey of Suburbia: What is your opinion on Subway, their "eat fresh" slogan, and are they a heathier option to other fast food?
Simon: No, I don't think it's that fresh at all. I'd like to see Subway make fresh sauces as I'm pretty sure they come straight from packets. Also the meat is frozen. However, when you look at packet sandwiches in supermarkets, they're not fresh either and they're often gas filled to keep freshness. There's nothing better than buying fresh veggies and ham to make your own sandwiches if you want quick food. I share you frustration at not being able to get fresh healthy food on the go - it's just not easily available!
Dr_Pirate: There's nothing quite like a foot-long meatball sub with black olives and barbecue sauce though. :p
Simon: Have you ever tried to cook one yourself though? I'm sure you'll find it much tastier.
Katchika: I'd like to know what I can do with beetroot. I've recently started liking it.
Simon: Beetroot ketchup is one of my favourites. To make it you need to boil the beetroot in salted water until it's very soft. Next place it into a blender with honey, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper and blend it until it's very smooth. It's great for cheese on toast, as a dip or even on your chips.
The other way I like to beetroot is by peeling, chopping and cooking it with water, butter and sugar to serve with any meal - glazed beetroot is really tasty. Finally, you can grate raw beetroot into risotto half way through cooking.
Dr_Pirate: So how would I go about making my own meatballs/tomato sauce in a Subway-esque fashion? I've tried in the past and failed miserably.
Simon: Fantastic - just the question I was waiting for! Take your favourite minced meat, half a chopped onion, a touch of garlic if you have some spare, fresh thyme if you can get some, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients together and form some small balls using your hands then drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven. Cook a little bit more onion and garlic in a pan with some olive oil, add a tin of chopped tomatoes and cook for five to ten minutes on a medium heat. When the meat balls are cooked add them to your tomato sauce and continue cooking for another five minutes. If you like spice, throw in some chopped chilli too. For the perfect subway, make your own bread. But if you haven't got time for that use as fresh bread as possible. Finally, use real cheese!
Dr_Pirate: I'm gonna try and make those tomorrow.
Sid: Should there be health warnings on fatty foods?
Simon: I think as with anything that can harm us, we need to be able to make informed choices, so warnings can be necessary. But, the most important thing to remember is that we need to eat a balanced diet. That means we can eat a mixture of foods, including some that are not so good, but in balance. In my opinion good food should be inspirational, tasty and fun and generally this means balanced with good vitamins and nutrients. If the food isn't inspirational then generally it's not good for you, but that doesn't mean you can't have something naughty every now and again. You can very often see me running up and down the stairs a couple of times after I've had a doughnut.
Katralla: What can we put in our lunch boxes that is cheap and interesting for vegetarians and meat eaters?
Simon: The most important thing for lunches, especially with kids, is to get them involved with the creation. As frustrating as it is to have children in the kitchen, it's a great way to get them to eat. You can show them how to make shapes out of sandwiches and get them to help cut vegetable sticks to have with small pots of houmous, flavoured mayonnaise and yoghurt dips. Always put something that's nice and sweet in the box otherwise they'll turn their noses up at the whole lunch. Make your own crisps out of vegetables and make freshly squeezed juice at home as it's cheaper.
Jim_V: What is the best meal you've ever had, and where was it?
Simon: One of the best meals I've cooked was a risotto in Sri Lanka one week after the Tsunami. The meal was for 25 people who had helped build a relief hospital. The man I made it for was a Sicilian American film director who had inspired me during the day and I made the risotto in his honour. Another good meal would be any Sunday at home with my family which is all about sharing, having a good chatter and the occasional argument. We call it footsie and fighting - it's OK to do these things around the table.
Dom: What are the healthiest takeaways to eat - when you just can't be arsed cooking?
You need at least three or four knives in the kitchen. I would recommend a good 10 inch knife, a vegetable knife, a filleting knife and a boning knife.
Simon: I'd say Thai food is generally very healthy and so is sushi. If you eat fish and chips you can make it healthier by not eating the batter around the fish. Italian food is generally good, but there's a lot of cheese. Hamburgers and kebabs are terrible if you're watching your waistline. Also, ready meals, in general, are not as good for you as you may think. It's better to take a little time and cook something simple for yourself so you know what's in your food. Meat is particularly dubious. Finally, ready meals and fast food kill the art of conversation as generally people sit in silence while they're eating, just watching TV. On the other hand, people tend to talk while they cook.
Jim_V: I know I'm not going to get the answer I want here - but where does fried chicken come in the table of bad takeaways?
Simon: Pretty high up I reckon, but you know, every now and again it's fine to eat fried chicken - who can stop that finger licking stuff? But it is full of saturated fats.
Jim_V: I know, I was hoping for a miracle, anyway on with another question.
I'm with Stupid: I'd like to know whether you have any tips for people moving abroad and having to learn a whole new load of things to cook.
Simon: I think the best advice is to embrace the culture. Don't be afraid of what the locals eat as it will generally be eaten for the right reasons. For instance, curries in India can keep away harmful bacteria in the waters and in the air. They also keep you cool. Never forget your old favourites though - you don't have to change absolutely everything. Nostalgic food moments can help when you relocate.
Katralla: It seems there are more men in top cooking positions than women, if this is so, what are the causes and do any steps need to be taken to address this?
Simon: Generally this is still a problem in the catering industry and it's because many women don't see it is as a long-term career path due to heavy work pressure and future family planning. The view that the best chefs are men is not correct and I know many chefs who would like more women to work in their kitchens. The number of hours and level of pressure in kitchens is coming down and work conditions are getting better and better - so it's never been a better time to come into the catering industry. If you are female and looking for an opportunity to start, there are some great partnerships in colleges to help young women come into the catering market. You can look at www.academyofculinaryarts.org.uk - they run a Specialised Chefs course which is sponsored by Waitrose so you can also go to the Waitrose website. I was on that course about 20 years ago and it's still the best in the country.
Minimi38: Have you got any good recipes for roasted steak?
Simon: The best way to cook a steak is in a hot pan. Season the steak with salt, pepper and oil, keep the pan very hot and keep your windows open (and the fan on) place your steak down onto the hot pan for two to three mins on each side making sure you've got lots of colour. When it's medium rare, take it out, chop some onions and garlic, mushrooms, a drop of white wine and a little cream or creme fraiche.
Another, healthier, way is to seal the steak in the same way with a hot pan, take out without cooking it any further and poach it in a little beef stock and then serve with a tossed salad. I like to put hemp seed oil, mustard, honey and raspberry vinegar mixed together and drizzled over a salad
DG: Is it OK to send food back in a restaurant? Is it something you'd ever do and how do chefs react to this if it happens?
Simon: Of course if there's something wrong with the food you must send it back. Always be polite and inform the restaurant staff in a way that you'd expect to be spoken to yourself. If you feel that you're within your rights then you don't have to pay for a meal that's not satisfactory. But, in most cases, they should be able to rectify their mistake.
Dom: What do you recommend for Christmas dinner if you're a vegetarian?
Simon: Change to being a meat eater ;-). I would recommend a chestnut and leak soufflé with feta cheese. You will need: a handful of canned chestnuts, one leek, a quarter of a pack of butter, two tablespoons of flour, 100g of feta cheese, half a pint of milk and salt and pepper and four eggs.
CheeseOnToast: That sounds interesting. You'll have to give us a recipe or link. I usually end up with a Quorn roast which is, well, average.
Simon: To prepare it you need to cut and wash the leek and cook it in the butter so it becomes soft. Crumble the chestnuts in the leeks and stir on a medium heat, sprinkle in the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the milk a little at a time, mix well and simmer gently for five to 10 minutes. Take the pan off the stove, season with salt and pepper, add in the egg yolks, separate from the eggs whites (for the soufflé) crumble in the feta cheese and gently mix in (lumps are OK).
Fifteen minutes before you're ready to serve, butter four ramekins and sprinkle in some bread crumbs to line each ramekin. Whisk the egg whites until light and fluffy, stir one third of the egg whites into the chestnut mixture, gently fold in another third and gently fold in the final third. Spoon the soufflé mixture into the ramekins, not quite full. Place in a medium oven about 180 degree centigrade for about 10 minutes. Serve with the usual Christmas trimmings - in the dish - or turn them out. If the current British farming carries on the way it is we may all be eating soufflés this Christmas!
CheeseOnToast: Yum, sounds very nice, I'm salivating J. Simon, how do you view the average British diet in general and if you were to recommend an ideal diet to someone would it be of any particular culture, e.g. the heavily pushed Mediterranean or an Indian diet or a mix?
Simon: I think in general I have mixed feelings about the British diet. I have great feelings of excitement over British food culture because we're very open and have a huge range of restaurants up and down the country, which is fabulous. However we have the largest consumption of ready meals and fast food in the world which contributes to high levels of blood pressure and heart problems. A good way to eat is to make sure our food is colourful, has texture and is inspiring at all times.
If I was to suggest one culture's diet I'd say Mediterranean. This is because those countries eat a lot of fish, fresh vegetables and use olive oil. This also encourages conversation and entertainment around the dinner table and good family values feed into this.
CheeseOnToast: For me as a vegetarian, the British diet is vastly un-rewarding compared to others, but even meat eaters share the same view.
Simon: As a chef, and not being veggie myself, I'm always looking for new ideas as it's pretty hard. So if you'd like to help me with ideas that would be great.
CheeseOnToast: I have some great recipes, a lot of them centred around high protein/decent fat meals and using different things like Textured Vegetable Protein etc - I will send a few over - Cheers for the answers.
Simon: Just remember guys - good food can nourish relationships and feed your body and cooking good food for people you don't like can build bridges - so keep cooking. Cheers CheeseOnToast! Bye :-)
Jim_V: Bye.
Foodies chat with Simon Boyle
Chef Simon Boyle, founder of Beyond Boyle, answered your questions on all things culinary.
Jim_V: Hi Simon, welcome to the chat.
Simon: Hi everyone.
Sam: Can you recommend a decent, affordable chef's knife? Ideally a bit of an all-rounder that's suitable for chopping vegetables and meat.
Simon: My advice is that you need at least three or four knives in the kitchen. I would recommend a good 10 inch knife, a vegetable knife, a filleting knife and a boning knife. A good brand is Victorinox. They're not too expensive but very hard wearing. With those four knives you should be able to do anything.
Katralla: How can young single mothers/fathers get work in the food industry when most of the working hours are outside of normal childcare hours?
Simon: I think a good thing to do is to start to look at daytime operations such as cafés, department stores and schools. You should also consider organisations that look for a multitude of staff in different areas where there might be job sharing opportunities with parents in mind. You could also look at charities, as they often need to provide food for what they do. For instance homeless charities often provide food within the nine-to-five working hours. You can find these in every single town.
I'm with stupid: Can you recommend a book on cooking in the Indo-China region (particularly Vietnam) that doesn't assume that you have a full modern UK kitchen?
Simon: First off there's a book called Practical Cookery (Hodder Arnold, £20) which is a great all round kitchen book and is good for any young cook who is learning as it has great basic recipes. In terms of the Indo-China region, there's a book called Thai Food (Pavilion Books, £25) by a chap called David Thompson and it's a great all-round Asian cook book. It's really fantastic as it's very simple and you don't need a special kitchen at all.
Jarvey of Suburbia: What is your opinion on Subway, their "eat fresh" slogan, and are they a heathier option to other fast food?
Simon: No, I don't think it's that fresh at all. I'd like to see Subway make fresh sauces as I'm pretty sure they come straight from packets. Also the meat is frozen. However, when you look at packet sandwiches in supermarkets, they're not fresh either and they're often gas filled to keep freshness. There's nothing better than buying fresh veggies and ham to make your own sandwiches if you want quick food. I share you frustration at not being able to get fresh healthy food on the go - it's just not easily available!
Dr_Pirate: There's nothing quite like a foot-long meatball sub with black olives and barbecue sauce though. :p
Simon: Have you ever tried to cook one yourself though? I'm sure you'll find it much tastier.
Katchika: I'd like to know what I can do with beetroot. I've recently started liking it.
Simon: Beetroot ketchup is one of my favourites. To make it you need to boil the beetroot in salted water until it's very soft. Next place it into a blender with honey, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper and blend it until it's very smooth. It's great for cheese on toast, as a dip or even on your chips.
The other way I like to beetroot is by peeling, chopping and cooking it with water, butter and sugar to serve with any meal - glazed beetroot is really tasty. Finally, you can grate raw beetroot into risotto half way through cooking.
Dr_Pirate: So how would I go about making my own meatballs/tomato sauce in a Subway-esque fashion? I've tried in the past and failed miserably.
Simon: Fantastic - just the question I was waiting for! Take your favourite minced meat, half a chopped onion, a touch of garlic if you have some spare, fresh thyme if you can get some, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients together and form some small balls using your hands then drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven. Cook a little bit more onion and garlic in a pan with some olive oil, add a tin of chopped tomatoes and cook for five to ten minutes on a medium heat. When the meat balls are cooked add them to your tomato sauce and continue cooking for another five minutes. If you like spice, throw in some chopped chilli too. For the perfect subway, make your own bread. But if you haven't got time for that use as fresh bread as possible. Finally, use real cheese!
Dr_Pirate: I'm gonna try and make those tomorrow.
Sid: Should there be health warnings on fatty foods?
Simon: I think as with anything that can harm us, we need to be able to make informed choices, so warnings can be necessary. But, the most important thing to remember is that we need to eat a balanced diet. That means we can eat a mixture of foods, including some that are not so good, but in balance. In my opinion good food should be inspirational, tasty and fun and generally this means balanced with good vitamins and nutrients. If the food isn't inspirational then generally it's not good for you, but that doesn't mean you can't have something naughty every now and again. You can very often see me running up and down the stairs a couple of times after I've had a doughnut.
Katralla: What can we put in our lunch boxes that is cheap and interesting for vegetarians and meat eaters?
Simon: The most important thing for lunches, especially with kids, is to get them involved with the creation. As frustrating as it is to have children in the kitchen, it's a great way to get them to eat. You can show them how to make shapes out of sandwiches and get them to help cut vegetable sticks to have with small pots of houmous, flavoured mayonnaise and yoghurt dips. Always put something that's nice and sweet in the box otherwise they'll turn their noses up at the whole lunch. Make your own crisps out of vegetables and make freshly squeezed juice at home as it's cheaper.
Jim_V: What is the best meal you've ever had, and where was it?
Simon: One of the best meals I've cooked was a risotto in Sri Lanka one week after the Tsunami. The meal was for 25 people who had helped build a relief hospital. The man I made it for was a Sicilian American film director who had inspired me during the day and I made the risotto in his honour. Another good meal would be any Sunday at home with my family which is all about sharing, having a good chatter and the occasional argument. We call it footsie and fighting - it's OK to do these things around the table.
Dom: What are the healthiest takeaways to eat - when you just can't be arsed cooking?
Simon: I'd say Thai food is generally very healthy and so is sushi. If you eat fish and chips you can make it healthier by not eating the batter around the fish. Italian food is generally good, but there's a lot of cheese. Hamburgers and kebabs are terrible if you're watching your waistline. Also, ready meals, in general, are not as good for you as you may think. It's better to take a little time and cook something simple for yourself so you know what's in your food. Meat is particularly dubious. Finally, ready meals and fast food kill the art of conversation as generally people sit in silence while they're eating, just watching TV. On the other hand, people tend to talk while they cook.
Jim_V: I know I'm not going to get the answer I want here - but where does fried chicken come in the table of bad takeaways?
Simon: Pretty high up I reckon, but you know, every now and again it's fine to eat fried chicken - who can stop that finger licking stuff? But it is full of saturated fats.
Jim_V: I know, I was hoping for a miracle, anyway on with another question.
I'm with Stupid: I'd like to know whether you have any tips for people moving abroad and having to learn a whole new load of things to cook.
Simon: I think the best advice is to embrace the culture. Don't be afraid of what the locals eat as it will generally be eaten for the right reasons. For instance, curries in India can keep away harmful bacteria in the waters and in the air. They also keep you cool. Never forget your old favourites though - you don't have to change absolutely everything. Nostalgic food moments can help when you relocate.
Katralla: It seems there are more men in top cooking positions than women, if this is so, what are the causes and do any steps need to be taken to address this?
Simon: Generally this is still a problem in the catering industry and it's because many women don't see it is as a long-term career path due to heavy work pressure and future family planning. The view that the best chefs are men is not correct and I know many chefs who would like more women to work in their kitchens. The number of hours and level of pressure in kitchens is coming down and work conditions are getting better and better - so it's never been a better time to come into the catering industry. If you are female and looking for an opportunity to start, there are some great partnerships in colleges to help young women come into the catering market. You can look at www.academyofculinaryarts.org.uk - they run a Specialised Chefs course which is sponsored by Waitrose so you can also go to the Waitrose website. I was on that course about 20 years ago and it's still the best in the country.
Minimi38: Have you got any good recipes for roasted steak?
Simon: The best way to cook a steak is in a hot pan. Season the steak with salt, pepper and oil, keep the pan very hot and keep your windows open (and the fan on) place your steak down onto the hot pan for two to three mins on each side making sure you've got lots of colour. When it's medium rare, take it out, chop some onions and garlic, mushrooms, a drop of white wine and a little cream or creme fraiche.
Another, healthier, way is to seal the steak in the same way with a hot pan, take out without cooking it any further and poach it in a little beef stock and then serve with a tossed salad. I like to put hemp seed oil, mustard, honey and raspberry vinegar mixed together and drizzled over a salad
DG: Is it OK to send food back in a restaurant? Is it something you'd ever do and how do chefs react to this if it happens?
Simon: Of course if there's something wrong with the food you must send it back. Always be polite and inform the restaurant staff in a way that you'd expect to be spoken to yourself. If you feel that you're within your rights then you don't have to pay for a meal that's not satisfactory. But, in most cases, they should be able to rectify their mistake.
Dom: What do you recommend for Christmas dinner if you're a vegetarian?
Simon: Change to being a meat eater ;-). I would recommend a chestnut and leak soufflé with feta cheese. You will need: a handful of canned chestnuts, one leek, a quarter of a pack of butter, two tablespoons of flour, 100g of feta cheese, half a pint of milk and salt and pepper and four eggs.
CheeseOnToast: That sounds interesting. You'll have to give us a recipe or link. I usually end up with a Quorn roast which is, well, average.
Simon: To prepare it you need to cut and wash the leek and cook it in the butter so it becomes soft. Crumble the chestnuts in the leeks and stir on a medium heat, sprinkle in the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the milk a little at a time, mix well and simmer gently for five to 10 minutes. Take the pan off the stove, season with salt and pepper, add in the egg yolks, separate from the eggs whites (for the soufflé) crumble in the feta cheese and gently mix in (lumps are OK).
Fifteen minutes before you're ready to serve, butter four ramekins and sprinkle in some bread crumbs to line each ramekin. Whisk the egg whites until light and fluffy, stir one third of the egg whites into the chestnut mixture, gently fold in another third and gently fold in the final third. Spoon the soufflé mixture into the ramekins, not quite full. Place in a medium oven about 180 degree centigrade for about 10 minutes. Serve with the usual Christmas trimmings - in the dish - or turn them out. If the current British farming carries on the way it is we may all be eating soufflés this Christmas!
CheeseOnToast: Yum, sounds very nice, I'm salivating J. Simon, how do you view the average British diet in general and if you were to recommend an ideal diet to someone would it be of any particular culture, e.g. the heavily pushed Mediterranean or an Indian diet or a mix?
Simon: I think in general I have mixed feelings about the British diet. I have great feelings of excitement over British food culture because we're very open and have a huge range of restaurants up and down the country, which is fabulous. However we have the largest consumption of ready meals and fast food in the world which contributes to high levels of blood pressure and heart problems. A good way to eat is to make sure our food is colourful, has texture and is inspiring at all times.
If I was to suggest one culture's diet I'd say Mediterranean. This is because those countries eat a lot of fish, fresh vegetables and use olive oil. This also encourages conversation and entertainment around the dinner table and good family values feed into this.
CheeseOnToast: For me as a vegetarian, the British diet is vastly un-rewarding compared to others, but even meat eaters share the same view.
Simon: As a chef, and not being veggie myself, I'm always looking for new ideas as it's pretty hard. So if you'd like to help me with ideas that would be great.
CheeseOnToast: I have some great recipes, a lot of them centred around high protein/decent fat meals and using different things like Textured Vegetable Protein etc - I will send a few over - Cheers for the answers.
Simon: Just remember guys - good food can nourish relationships and feed your body and cooking good food for people you don't like can build bridges - so keep cooking. Cheers CheeseOnToast! Bye :-)
Jim_V: Bye.