You’ve wandered into this Best Pizza and Kebab Palace

apparently by accident

and now you’re surrounded

by a cackle of lads

throwing up casual bigotry in the air

as if it where confetti

made of all the ripped-up pages

of the  books they’d never read

So you sit down heavy

as the make-up of the girl sat in front of you

who appears to have caked over her sadness

with enough foundation to support a city with

but that city’s Atlantas – no more than a sinking myth

And you notice she’s perfumed as heavy as a foxglove

as if to try and ward off

the unwanted attention

of the type of men she’s spent a lifetime escaping

and failing

as they always flock back to her

like this one

but he’s no humming bird

more a one-tonne boiled ham

stuffed into a tight Primark jumper

who hovers too close over her

chirping out nasty compliments, like:

‘nice tits love’

reaking of the same aftershave

of overconfidence, fosters and threat

as his old man did

And yet

like any good Samaritan

you do nothing

just sit there

look ever-more intently at your meal

become increasingly suspicious of the species of the chicken wings you’re eating

as they where that cheap

But then you thinks it’s fitting

as everyone in here is just poultry dressed as a peacock

so say you’re free-range

when you’re battery fed

all your hand-me-down opinions

the odd paradoxes in your behaviour

the incongruity between your morals and what you do

You know you’re about as free in your actions

as the swallow nested on that dick-heads neck

who’s still continuing to p-p-peck at her discomfort

egged on by that pack of boys

as she sits there stunned

And you

my friend

continue to do nothing

as this is the place where apathy has won

Have you noticed those faces

upholstered in the leather

of too many a Spanish summer

Their cheeks and noses a cracked

purple-red road map

to every vineyard in France

Angry flat caps

sat in big-bullying cars

shouting out the corner of their immaculately kept gardens

to stir up the pub chorus

of the young and disenfranchised

with a copy of their Daily Telegraph

Conductors of the

late night rawkus

10 pint fighter

too fat to not topple over in high heels

wankered on half a weeks minimum wage

Slurred frustrations

taken out on takeaway accents

too thick to understand

that salt and spices are both ways

of masking the taste of shit meat

‘See, where’e all the same boat here’

croons he

who hiding behind Guardian

delivers diatribe kindly

from astride his

jam-jar of flat white IPA

Chooses with a considered irony

to piss away his protests to porcelain

by scrawling pithy paraphrases

of someone obscure

to a Shorditch toilette

where activism is now no more than

an aesthetic

Bumps Ket off keys

to a house worth the GDP of

whichever small country’s problems it is

he has resolved

from the comfort of an armchair spliff

and fair-trade cup of coffee

Like there’s some guarantee

that blood is hasn’t been spilt over either

Breakfast tings

Here are a few easy and tasty idea for your breakfast.

I thought you might want to have the recipe for Lebneh, as it’s a perfect addition to some of these breakfast and that extra source of protein. If not, you can always just mix up some Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and few herbs when you’re doing your prep of a Sunday. It’ll last the week. – https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/greek-yogurt-labneh-51134560

Garnish is extra fresh flavour. Go the extra mile, it makes all the difference.

Some I’ll give you some options for things that may take more time n- you can either do them of a weekend, or ignore them. See how it goes.

Shakshuka:

Ingredients:

• Mix taken from tagine (see tagine recipe)
• Eggs
• Za’tar
• Parsley
• Pomegranate
• Lebneh/yogurt mix

1. Heat sauce on high heat for 2 mins, stirring.
2. Crack in as many eggs as you like. More eggs = more time.
3. Place in bowl or on plate, scoop on Lebneh or yog mix, sprinkle wit above garnishes.

Spiced beet rosti/crisps, wilted spinach and poached (or fried) egg.

Ingredients:

• l large Beetroot – fresh, peeled. Grated in food processor, by hand. If can’t be arsed, just cut finely into crisp-type things
• l large carrot Carrots – fresh, peeled. Grated in food processor, by hand. If can’t be arsed, just cut fineley into crisp-type things
• 2 Eggs
• 2 large handfuls of Spinach
• 50g Butter
• scoop of Lebneh/yog mix
• desert spoon of Cumin seeds
• Teaspoon of Fennel seeds
• Teaspoon of turmeric
•  slat and pepper
• Parsley
• Pomegranate
• Lebneh/yogurt mix

1. Either grate beet and carrot in food processor, by hand or slice. If grated, strain as much liquid by hand or through kitchen paper. After doing so, mix with spices in a bowl and season. form into patties. If sliced, don’t.
2. Heat 30g of butter in pan. When melted, put in patties. If just cut, put them in with the above mentioned spices. At same time heat water in pan to poach eggs.
3. Heat oven to 100c
4. When veg browned off, after about 3-4 mins put in oven to hold. Start to poach/fry eggs.
5. Keep residue from cooking veg. Add in rest of butter and melt. Throw in spinach and season. Mix around and wilt
6. Serve with garnish and scoop of lebneh.

Omelette enchilada

Ingredients:

• Chorizo (or tablespoon of smoked paprika, if wanting to be veggie). Chopped.
• Spinach
• 1 Lime
• 1 red chilli chopped.
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped.
• 1 bottle of pasata
• Bunch of coriander. Chopped, keep stalks.
• 1 can/packet of pre-cooked black beans (best), or pinto, or black-eye, or kidney.
• Cheese. Preferably Manchago, but cheddar or other hard cheese would do. Grated. As much as you fancy.
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper.

1. Whisk eggs together, season and put to one side. Turn on grill nice and high.
2. Fry off chorizo, onions, chilli (keep some for garnish), garlic, stalks, beans. Add a 2 tablespoons of pasata. Cook for 5 mins. Season and add lime juice + half the chopped coriander. Put to one side.
3. Make omelette. When flat, add above mixture and fold over to form half moon. Cover in rest of pasata and add cheese to the top. Put under grill for 1/2 mins.
4. Garnish with coriander and chilli.

Beef, lamb or aubergine tagine, with shakshuka variant

This includes a way take out enough sauce to make a shakshuka with. All you need do is take the sauce of in the early stages and then put it in a pan and poach some eggs in it… Then you get you’re brekky in under 10 mins as it’s basically the amount of time it takes to cook ya eggs.

You can literally use this sauce with any meat and it’s banging with aubergine. It’s all about the low and slow… if you can. leave it all day and do your portioning in the evening.

For optimum flavour, try and get your meat with some fat on it. Use chicken thighs… Unless you want to be healthier, but if you’re using chicken breast use super gentle heat or it will dry out… With the Aubergine char it on your gas hob before cutting it up. Gives the tagine a richer flavor.

Garnish ain’t just to make things look pretty, it gives things so much more flavour and freshness. Especially with this stuff. Prep it or the week, or some each night when you eat it for dins, it should last a few days. It will make the difference.

To safe time, if you have a food processor, use it to do all your shopping. Especially the base – garlic, chilli, ginger, onions, coriander, mint and parsley stalks.

I like this with fresh ginger, but it’s not that authentic, so you can omit if it’s not to your taste.

You can always bulk this out with chick peas… But I know you’re not the biggest fan.

For your greens, I’ just steam some broccoli, wilt some spinach with some butter and seasoning and have it along side… Though you could wilt in the spinach into the Tagine.

Ingredients:

• 1.6kg of diced beef, lamb or boneless chicken or breast. 100g per person for 14, taking into account fatty meat.
• variant 1.5 kg of aubergine – Charred and cut  into large chunks.
• 2 red, 2 orange/yellow, 2 green peppers. Chopped roughly into large chunks. add another 1 of each pepper if doing Shakshuka  
• 4 red onions, diced in food p or chopped in as easy a way as possible. Save time. Add another onion if doing Shakshuka  
• 1 head of garlic diced in food p or chopped in as easy a way as possible. Add 4 more cloves if doing Shakshuka  
• 250g of fresh ginger. diced in food p or chopped in as easy a way as possible. Add 50g more ginger if doing Shakshuka   
• 2 red and 2 green chilli. diced in food p or chopped in as easy a way as possible. Add another of each chilli if doing Shakshuka  
• 500/600g of chopped tomatoes (depending on tin size). Add another 300g if doing Shakshuka.
• 1 tube of tomato puree.
• 1 bunch of coriander. Chopped, keep stems and put to one side.
• 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley. Chopped, keep stems and put to one side.
• 1 bunch of mint. Chopped, keep stems and put to one side.
• 2 tablespoon of cumin seeds (ground will do but not as good)
• 2 tablespoons of tumeric + pinch for meat.
• 1 tablespoon of ground coriander + pinch for meat.
• 3 pieces of cinnamon or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon + pinch for meat.
• 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds + pinch for meat.
• 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika + pinch for meat.
• 5-6 bay leaves
• 1 pomegranate, or just get a few packets of seeds (to garnish)
• Tahinni (to garnish)
• 300g of dried apricots, chopped.
• 300g of dated, chopped (get these pre-chopped and de-stoned if possible)
• Oil (use whatever you want with this) + 150 g of butter of ghie if doing aubergine.
• Seasoning – salt and pepper.
• 100ml of stock, to suit whichever meat/veg you are using.

For meat and aubergine:

1. Heat enough oil/and butter if aubergine to coat bottom of deep saucepan in 1/2mm.
2. Put in meat/aubergine. Season. Add a good pinch of all the above spices. Add half the tomato puree. Add apricots and dates. Add the stalks of mint, coriander and parsley.
3. Brown off and put to one side.

For sauce:

1. Heat enough oil to coat bottom of pan in 1/2mm.
2. Add the bay leaves, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Cook until the aroma is strong
3. Add chopped garlic, chilli, ginger, onion. Cook for 5 mins on medium heat – remember to add additional ingredients if doing sauce for Shakshuka
4. Add peppers and smoked paprika. Cook for 10 mins. Season well at this point.
5. Add Chopped tomato and half of the tomato puree. Simmer for 10 mins.
6. If you are doing the sauce for Shakshuka, this is the point you take it out. Remove 1/5 of sauce and put to one side. Make sure you get all the goodies from the bottom!
7. Now add sauce to meat/aubergine. Add turmeric and cinnamon. Put to simmer or put in oven at 100-120c (depending on oven and how long you’re going to leave it for) for at least 2 hours, though the longer the better.
8. 10 mins before service, add the chopped hers and leave to sit. Keep a bit of each of them to garnish with
9.  To serve – sprinkle herbs, pomegranate and a drizzle of tahini 

Italian Red Lentil & Tomato Stew, with Lemon and Thyme Chicken:

This is quite versatile inasmuch as the same flavour combos from the chicken can be transposed to white fishes (such as sea bass, cod and sea bream) and mushrooms, for variation on your source of protein. And you can bulk out the stew with things like kale, any type of broccoli, romanesco and asparagus.

You can either get ready to cook red lentils, soak them over night, or first thing in the morning. It’s not a big task and worth doing rather than paying extra for strait to pan stuff.

You can also choose to go for less fat with chicken breast, or more flavour with chicken leg and thigh. You can also choose to mix in your protein or store it on top.

Keep some basil back, and make sure you’ve got some parmesan knocking about as it makes the difference to garnish with a fuck tonne of it at the end.

This is also a good one for knife skills – use that swanky Japanese knife of yours and cut the lemons as fine as you can, in whole slice… They are edible and take on loads of flavour when cooked!

Cooking hack: if you haven’t got time to chop your garlic, onion and celery, use the pulse on a food processor to roughly chop it. It’s going in a stew. No one cares and it will save you 5-10 mins!

Ingredients:

• 100g chicken breast/150g chicken thigh & leg per portion. This recipe is for 14 with thigh and leg: 2.1kg. If fish 150g per portion. If mushrooms, go by instinct/sight as they all behave differently when cooked.
• 1kg of red lentils (un-soaked). Soak in 2ltr of water. Red lentils don’t need so much time, and if you cook the stew for longer if you have only soaked them for a few hours, you’ll be fine.
• 1kg of tomatoes. Cherries best. Mixed colours even better! Half cherries / quarter normal / rough dice big ones.
• 500g of tinned chopped tomato
• Tomato puree – though if you are trying to go easy on sugars you can omit this.
• 1 large head of garlic for stew, diced. 1 large head of garlic crushed with skin on by flat of knife, for chicken.
• 3 large supermarket bags of basil, or equivalent. Chopped.
• 1 – 1.5 ltrs of good, GF veg or chicken stock.
•  500 – 1kg of spinach depending on what variant you’re doing.
• 500g of kale, if wanted
• 1 head of celery.
•  8 bay leaves, 24 if fish.
• 4 large lemons. Sliced very thinly.
• Fresh thyme (though can use dried), around 4 tablespoons worth, which should be a supermarket bags worth. If using dried thyme, halve amounts.
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 300ml white wine (400ml if having to do in 2 batches/in 2 roasting trays)
• Alternate – 1kg of the above mentioned veg, i.e. broccoli etc.

Instructions:

Chicken  / fish / Broccoli (do first):

1. If chicken breast – in roasting dish, put a good 4 tablespoons of olive oil, wine, 2 tbl spoon of thyme, crushed garlic and chicken. Season well and then massage all together. Seal tight with foil. Place in oven at 170cm for 30-45 minutes (cut one open and check after 30m)…
2. If chicken leg and thigh – in roasting dish place wine, olive oil, 1 table thyme, crushed garlic and lemon in roasting pan. Place chine leg and thigh over – without mixing in, to keep skin dry – then season skin well, and sprinkle table spoon of thyme over skin. Place in oven without foil for 30-45 (cut one open and check after 30m).
3. If fish – same process as 1. However omit garlic and replace thyme with bay leaves. Also, cook for 15-25 mins, check after 15.
4. For Broccoli same as 1. However, use only about 100ml of wine and roast without foil for 20-30 mins. Check after 20.
5. Mushrooms: fry off in olive oil with garlic heated in it on a high heat. Add 200ml wine (use sherry for more flavour) and thyme. Season. Omit lemon. Cook in butter if more flavour wanted…. Cook this while stew is simmering.

Stew:

1. Coat deep saucepan in 2 ml of olive oil, put on low heat and sweat garlic, onion and celery for about 10 mins.
2. Bring up to a medium heat and add in fresh tomatoes. 1 packet of Chopped basil, don’t waste stalks, and the other 2 tablespoons of thyme, don’t use stalks.  Cook for 10 mins.
3. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and lentil. Season at this point. Go under, as you will season to taste at end. Cook for 10 mins then add in at least half the stock. Cook for further 10 mins adding stock when needed. Season to taste.
4. Add another pack of basil, the spinach, and any other veg you want to wilt, mix in and simmer for 10.

To serve:

1. Place chicken, fish or broccoli on top of stew
2. Grate a liberal amount of parmasan and sprinkle chopped basil on top
3. If you want to mix the meat, fish, broccoli mushrooms, you can. May be easier to freeze. Don’t freeze fish, broccoli or mushrooms separate

Pork, Pak Choi & Miso Broth

I have to admit, I don’t know how this will freeze. It re-heats beautifully though, so keep at least a few days in fridge if you can… Though as there are no needle it should be fine.

I have also included 2 alternatives – sage and szechuan meat balls (more interesting; more fiddly), and Tofu (veggie).

The great thing about prep for this is you slice the ginger and garlic in to fine slices, not diced which saves time.

One thing that I HIGHLY recommend doing with this dish is keeping some of the cut up ginger, chilli, spring onion and radishes to put on fresh when you serves. Keep them in a Tupperware with a damp piece of kitchen roll in it. makes the difference. Same with the toasted sesame seeds.

There is not much cooking time on this, only about 45 mins all in all. So more time for prep!

Ingredients:

• Diced pork shoulder, not too big so cooking time is diminished: 130/150g per portion; Alternative 1 – 100g minced pork shoulder; for this recipe – 2kg for 14 portions
• 1.5g of Tofu alternate 2. Cubed
• 1 pak choi per person; 14 pak choi for this recipe; if no pak choi then use sweetheart or white cabbage, about 3 sweetheart or 2 white. For pak choi just take the end of veg and separate 
• 5 punnets of of mixed oriantal mushrooms (make sure they shiitake in), or 3 packs shiitake and 2 oyster. If you can’t get them just use the best mushrooms you can find. Chopped into large pieces 
• If you an get samphire & mixed sea veg then that goes well, but not essential. 300g if you do
• 500g of kale. Take off large 
• 2 bunches of spring onions. Sliced
• 2 bags of radish. Sliced into rings
• 1 large head of garlic, 1 1/2 if small/medium. Slice the garlic the same as the radish
• Large knob of ginger, around 300g. Sliced
• 5 red chilli. Sliced
• 1 300g gluten free Miso paste
• 1 300ml bottle of tamari or GF soy sauce
• 2 tbl spoons of diced sage for alternative 1. 
• Oyster sauce for alternate 1
• Black pepper, ground
• Szechuan pepper, ground
• Toasted (if you can’t get them toasted, normal is fine sesame seeds.
• Cooking oil (don’t use olive oil as flavour is wrong)
• 1.5 ltr of water. May need more.

Intructions:

1. Coat deep, large saucepan in 2ml of oil. Bring to a high heat.
2. Add heaped tablespoon of Szechuan and sesame seeds to oil (if no szechuan, then normal pepper).  Fry for 30 seconds then add in pork and mushrooms, heaped table spoon of miso and 1 tablespoon of tamari. When meat is browned, cover with boiling water. Leave to simmer for 30 mins.
3. In frying pan/wok (if too small, may need to do in batches) on high heat, coat in 1ml of oil and add all veg, garlic, chilli, ginger etc… Remember to keep back 1/4 of ginger, chilli, spring onion and radishes for garnish. Then add 1 table spoons of tamari, desert spoon of miso. Fry constantly stir/toss until pak choi is wilted, things are browning. Around 3-5 mins. Keep eye on garlic – take off heat as soon as it looks on the cusp of burning.
4. Take content of frying pan/wok/other pan and place in pan with meat and mustrooms. Add water to cover content. Add rest of miso. Simmer for 10 mins. Season with tamari and black pepper to taste.
5. To serve – Garnish with radishes etc and plenty of sesame seeds. Do this from frozen too. It will make a large difference.

Alternate 1:

1. To make meat balls – add 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce and sage and 1 heaped tablespoon of szechaun pepper to pork mince. Mix well and shape into golf ball sized portions.
2. Fry of in same manner as above, though omit the szeschaun pepper.
3. All other steps are the same as above – be aware that the oyster sauce is salty, so don’t add all miso and taste before adding in lots of tamari.

Alternate 2 (Veggie):

1. Follow stage 2 of main recipe, putting in tofu instead of pork. Do not cover in water. Instead, add in more oil and move to stage 3. Be more gentle in your mixing as tofu is pretty soft.
2. Follow rest of stages as above.

OsNosh – OSWESTRY’S FOOD CYCLE AND COMMUNITY KITCHEN PROJECT

At OsNosh our mission is simple: to cook FREE community meals for everyone who is hungry, struggling or just in need of some company, using food that would otherwise be wasted. Working in partnership with Chalk, our food recycling project aims to create an inclusive, warm and friendly environment where all are welcome. Enjoy seriously good food, and get involved with the whole joy of cooking a simple and healthy meal.

Eat for free at weekly

Come by to OsNosh each week. All you need to bring is yourself, and we’ll keep those bellies full with an exciting and ever-changing menu.

Fundraising events

Come and enjoy a 3 course meal using the same produce we use at our community project. We think you’ll be pretty amazed at what you get.

Looking to the future

We want you to help us prepare basic yet delicious meals and pick up some great skills along the way.

Now check out this menu from our incredibly successful fundraiser at Treflach Farm

Ben Wilson | Culinary CV

An inventive and intuitive cook with experience in running small kitchens, large events and creating original yet balanced menus. Flavour and presentation obsessed, I can match bold and exciting flavours with striking and colourful presentation. Served alongside an attention to detail, good organisation and an inclusive approach to kitchen management… Feel free to check out some examples of my work.

Achievements:

• Co-founder & head chef at OsNosh – Oswestry’s Community Kitchen. Taking food waste and cooking it for those who need it.
  Specific achievements:  Successful execution of a large outdoor fundraiser – running a kitchen team of 4 to deliver a 3 course meal, utilising food-waste and donated local produce to 50+ covers, whilst also managing logistical tasks outside the kitchen.
• 3 years as chef and manager at Skibug’s flagship luxury chalet.
  Specific achievements: the attaining of a 5 star rating on Trip Adviser with mention of the exceptional quality of the food and originality in the menu.
• Leading a small team producing canapes and light bites for Red Chutney film & location catering.
  Specific achievements: running said team to cater for over 500 cast and crew on films such as Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Work – Current & Past:

C0-Founder, Co-Director & Head Chef at OsNosh | June 2018 – Current

• Catering specific roles include: all cooking, kitchen & team management, produce procurement, menu setting & budgeting.
• Other roles include: events management, logistics, web and marketing design & management, fundraising… And something new every day.

Guest chef at Fat Rabbit | June 2018 – Current

• Main roles: menu development & kitchen management. This is a single cook role, with no team to manage and a tiny kitchen. So personal kitchen management is essential
• Specific achievements: the running a successful spoken word and vegan buffet event, as a collaboration between Fat Rabbit and Edible Words.

Chalet Chef  & Chalet Manager at Skibug | November 2013 – February 2018

• Chalet roles: cooking, menu, kitchen, chalet and staff management, guest organisation & front of house.
• Company roles: training, website creation, pre-season set up & other logistical roles.
• Chalet Cookery School, subsidiary of Skibug | July 2017 – September  2017: Tutor – cookery skills, budgeting and food hygiene.

Caterer at Red Chutney Location Catering | April 2013 – July 2014

• Catering roles: devised and cooked canpes and light bights, also comi, KP and prep-chef roles in main kitchens.
• Other roles: logistics and driving (vehicles include long wheelbase and tail lift vehicles).

Private Chef | September 2014 – Current

• Roles include: speaking with client to devise menu, produce procurement (including foraging); wine, beer & spirit paring, setting decor and front of house roles.
• Specific achievements: creating menu for shoot syndicate based solely on foraged and shot foods.

Other relevant interests & work

• The organisation, running and promotion of 2 separate spoken word events Oswestry.
• Freelance web developer – creating quick build WordPress websites.
• Keen forager and wild camper.
• Part of project management team for new refurbishment venture.

The sum-total of somethings is still something

Yet the sum-total of nothings is always nothing

It’s always nothing

So fight even to loose

As the blood from your knuckles will still stain the future

March angry

Inactive sat on your sofas

To the beat of News

Which speaks loud enough to

Double-times your heart’s fear – go on, run now, leave

But He’s tied your shoe-laces, too

With tales as tall as West Bank walls: the world is burning out there

An invasion of alien ideals has landed

On the beaches beneath those white cliffs

Your forefathers and forefather’s father fort to keep clean

Though the irony it was for those exact same ideals

Is lost on you

In lay-byes

At least this knowledge weighs heavy on my chest

And is not the empty weightlessness of an ignorance

Who’s bliss will only last as long a

The tyrant takes to wake you from it

We will probably die before my parents

A high fall

haplessly losing our footing

distracted by something wonderful

We’ll smile back kind

but apologetic

through over-filtered photographs

defragmenting

bit

by bit

by bit

into dementia

Relatives too difficult to visit

skin like old paper with

fading letters

to all of you

hesitating hearts

too tentative to confront

these patients

as they speak in the wrong tense

Living fragments

of what happened

caught and captured

and woven into a tapestry of

Dancing calamities

casualties of the evening

collapsing happily on

grass

roots

moss and

mountains

knotted flesh fucks

with a passion that splits rock

sun-soft and snow-topped

we drop in to

and float

down the unknown

As we are only moments now

not a person