New Beginnings 2: The Magdalen Arms

During the dark, dingy and sometimes desperately miserable times of Winter, my younger sister; a new resident of Oxford and my best friend Tat and I took to meeting up and eating out. As a rule we tried to go for somewhere that would be reasonably priced, tasty and preferably not a chain, as my fellow Oxfordians know, this can be quite a hard task.
One rather cold and grey Sunday lunchtime in November we decided to take a chance on a new and promising sounding pub, The Magdalen Arms. Later that week, we went again and sampled the dinner menu which was just as delicious and surprising as the Sunday menu. Before we knew it we were eating there several times a week, the menu changing everyday, to accommodate seasonal vegetables, game and fish. The board outside invited allotment owners to swap their produce for drinks. The food simply cooked and finished to reflect the quality of the produce itself. The friendly staff engaged us in witty banter and suddenly: we were home.
In early January, we popped in for a little snack, as a starter I believe I had the woodpidgeon breast, served beautifully rare, with a sweet onion puree and a marvellously salty and savoury duck scone. As I finished my rich, tender and moist ox-cheek-and-dumpling-main-course, I popped up to the bar to get a drink. Whilst it was being made, I showed Florence Fowler, the owner, a review I had read by a foodblogger I follow on Twitter, Dos Hermanos and after she had shown Tony Abarno and the other chefs she asked me about myself. I told her that I was passionate about good food, but I scooped salad for a living and that the learning curve had quickly turned into a flatline.


"Why don't you come and work for me?"


So I did. After a week of trial shifts I quit my salad scooping, gave my notice and became part of the front of house team. An advocate for the kitchen, it felt good to be so close to food that amazing. As Florence and I were sorting out the paperwork for my employment she asked me where I would most like to be as part of the Magdalen Arms team. I think she probably meant the bar or the floor. I misunderstood, and replied,


"The kitchen"


And so it was. I started off just one shift a week. On my first shift, I was introduced to a whole world of raw meat as Tony (mostly!) and I processed twenty rabbits, fifteen wood pigeons, ten chickens, broke a haunch of venison down into individual muscles and last but not least, made the game terrines. I worked incredibly slowly and carefully, asking endless questions, "Like this?" "Should I keep this bit?" "Cut here?" every question was met with patience or calm demonstrations. 
I can't imagine how frustrating my presence must have been for Tony and the other chefs and when, after a month in the kitchen Tony asked me if I would like to start in the kitchen full time, I was absolutely terrified. I felt like a hinderance rather than a help. My lack of training was so apparent, no amount of passion could counteract the fact that I had almost no idea what I was doing. 


"Forty hours a week babes"


I accepted. And the learning began. Intense, stressful, sleepless yet incredibly satisfying and rewarding learning. As I write this I have been working full time in the kitchen for two months. I'm pretty sure that I learn new and surprising things everyday. About food, people, business etcetera ad infinitum. I still have to ask questions and I still make mega fuck-ups, but as we welcome new staff into our kitchen I realise this isn't such a bad thing, if you don't ask, often you won't ever know and I definitely learn from my mistakes. I'm very glad I took a chance on this opportunity and I'm extremely thankful that Tony took a chance on me. I think I'm just about starting to make it worth his while!


To read a wide range of reviews look here 
Or just see for yourself and book a table at The Magdalen Arms, call 01865 243159

New beginnings; 1. The Covered Market, Oxford.

This post should probably written in about four separate sections. Since September and my last post, a lot has changed, for the better and it'd be very tempting to do a full blown brain-sick on the page. But I'll be a good little one and give you all the goss in chewable chunks. Here's the first part....


At the end of my last post, I hinted at a new career opportunity and promised to tell you more. So lets ree-ree-rewind.


Those of you who are familiar with Oxford will know The Covered Market, its packed little lanes, once almost entirely food and produce shops, now with clothing shops and other independent delights thrown into the mix. There are at least four different butchers, all specialising in different things. To name but two; David John with his fantastic range of not only meat sausages but gluten free and vegetarian offerings too. And M. Feller, Son and Daughter, with their eclectic staffing (The old guy who shaves pieces off the bacon and steak for a mid-morning snack and the ironically named 'Tiny' who must be about 6' 9") and local organic meats as well as their beautiful selection of game, which hanging, usually still feathered or furred outside the shop, proved amusing and at times difficult for the customers of my new employment at vegetarian/vegan salad haven 'The Alpha Bar'.


The Alpha Bar is a small part of the Pouget 'empire', also including Oxford Sauce, Oxford Cheese Company (also in The Covered Market) Woodstock Road Delicatessen and of course, The Vaults.
I was attracted to Alpha by the obvious positive environmental decisions that had obviously been taken by the owners. Wooden Cutlery, recycled napkins and biodegradable boxes, as well as a great reliance on local and organic suppliers. The vegetables that make up the infamous 'Roasted Veg' are from an organic farm near Cassington and all salads that are not produced on site are made in a small production kitchen off Cowley Road, by talented and passionate staff. The salads are reasonably priced and based on portion sizes, my favourite salad of marinated tofu, carrot and seaweed, cous-cous and roasted veg with a dollop of vegan green pesto sets me back a mere £4.50. Seasonal, vegan and downright delicious soups are available in the colder months and toasted ciabatta or wheat-free spelt slices filled with a combination of salads make a nice change from salty, greasy, generic paninis (sounds a bit like penis?) that you seem to find everywhere else in Oxford.


I worked as a salad scooper for four months, my passion and faith in food re-igniting after nearly two years in the dusty Bodleian library. I learnt how to work fast, under pressure, in minus temperatures, and as an assistant manager I also gleaned a whole lot of business nouse. I loved my quirky, fussy and sometimes socially awkward and often cute customers, and the food, but the feeling of repetition and standing still was starting to come over me. As the learning curve mountain calmed down into a small molehill my attention started drifting towards my new favourite eatery 'The Magdalen Arms' and following a post-ox-cheek-dinner conversation about reviewers, food blogging and Twitter with the owner, I was offered a trial shift as a waitress.......

What are we going to eat in Cornwall?

What are we going to eat in Cornwall?

Preparation...

So I found myself in Cornwall with a family of intolerants* intolerance, to be more specific: gluten, lactose and ‘The Wrong Type of Fibre' (no pips and seeds or skins). I'm used to cooking gluten free, but all of these combined just seemed like a nightmare.

'What are we going to eat?' I asked a friend.

'Dust' she replied. I sighed.

 The night before we left, I prepared myself the most wheat-y, raw-ish vegetable-y and dairy smothered ‘Last Supper’ I could.

Just in case.

Of course, I needn't have worried.

Dinnertime...

Over the first few days we took it in turns to cook from the selection of supermarket products purchased under the effects of extreme travelling based lethargy and the supplementary things brought from our homes; fruit and vegetables from the Hampshire Riverford Organic farm, some homemade jams, scrumped pears. Meals were, simple and tasty; sausages and mash, spanish omelette and baked potatoes, pleasing everyone eating them. Each evening meal sandwiched between my gluten and lactose free sweet treats; lemon drizzle cake, naughty peanut-butter cookies*, scones. Everything was fine! Panic over!

Rewards...

After a particularly hard slog on bikes up to the ancient dwellings of Carn Euny and it's fogou we were rewarded by some crumpet-like treats called bannocks. Stodgy and delicious, perfect after our battle with overgrown hedges, holy wells and soupy streams, slathered with homemade bramble jelly and I think, by the more gluttonous, clotted cream too!

Bedtime reading...

Struggling with an uncomfortable pillow/bed combo one night, I reached into the bookcase of fun for a nosey, finding mostly jigsaws with bits missing, sloppy literature and kids stories and one cookbook which kept me entertained for DAYS. I've got it on order now! OK, so I admit that all those simple recipes were comitted to memory years ago, but it's good to free up a bit of space for new things and a directory of basic recipes that have been thoroughly tested is a blessing. It also means I stand a good chance of being cooked things I like by other people too...

Penzance surprises and delights...

Towards the end of the stay, having finished a gluten free cream tea at The Sail Loft* on the beautiful St Michael's Mount, we ventured into Penzance for some supplies. Having been told Penzance was a 'dump' we weren't expecting much. But we were pleasantly surprised. We flitted between a well stocked whole food store boasting local vegetables and eggs (as well as homemade vegan and gluten free savouries) and a family owned grocery shop with adjoining butchers and fruiterers, continuing to the many delicatessens boasting local ciders and cheeses. We purchased a chunk of Old Smokey which turns out to tastes uncannily like smoked salmon. Weird. Anyway, all these shops were within a short walk of each other and although there was a high street where the 'usual suspects' had begun to take over, at least the main supermarket was a Co-op, with an admirable 'local' section. I pleaded with my companion,

'Why isn't Oxford like this?' 'Why can't WE have shops like this?' (foot stamps and fist shakes)

Of course, the answer is simple: in Oxford, as in so many towns and cities around the country, the 'usual suspects' HAVE taken over, raising rents so that small artisan producers have little or no chance of starting a business. Whether Penzance had managed to retain good community shops through sheer determination and good shopping habits, or merely that local produce IS the easiest and cheapest option due to the poor transportation route into Cornwall, I don't know, but I was inspired and envious all at once.

But there's still hope for Oxford...you just have to start small

There are people who provide a platform for the small food businesses in Oxford as well as promoting a sense of community, to name but one: the East Oxford Farmer's Market. It's a way into the food producer's market for people who are passionate about their craft but lack the financial backing or business experience. Having received the most gentle and polite kick-up-the-backside/invitation email from my talented friend and administrator of the market, I will hopefully take up a stall as soon as I can!

More on that and Oxford and my new (and VERY EXCITING!) job later...

*A mean joke really. Very, very tolerants would be more appropriate!

 

* I used Meridian crunchy peanut butter instead to avoid the icky/environmentally naughty palm oil found in most PB.

*The Sail Loft also boasted g/f cakes and soups as well as bread rolls priced the same as standard wheat rolls.