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Pigs Can’t Look Up & Other Weirdness
The Home of Ikigai Newsletter: August 13, 2023
James Noble
August 12, 2023
Pigs Can’t Look Up & Other Weirdness
A letter from Chef James Noble
Good morning from The Home of Ikigai in a very, very wet Chiang Mai. If we didn’t know already, we certainly know now — the green season is upon us!
As chefs and culinary creators, I believe we need to embrace this season with recipes that use the goodness of above-ground leafy vegetables and embrace the vitamins they bring.
Before I jump into my weird synopsis of the past week, I would like to humbly thank you all for the support and enthusiasm you have all shown by subscribing to our newsletter, in such difficult times it shows me how much support I have and also the need for such a link between us and our global and domestic friends. Much love from me and the girls.
Being a single dad and raising my flock while experiencing the healing process I’m going through makes life very insular. Knowing you're all out there engaged in our mundane lives brings joy, and happiness and enhances my personal ikigai. Thank you.
The Home of Ikigai Update
The wheels are turning and the project is coming along with great gusto and excitement. The apparel shop is nearly ready to stock with culinary items and its own brand of aprons. Plus, the library is filling up with some amazing, donated cookbooks and the sofas arrive tomorrow to sit and read them over coffee and more!
The knife smith is here and honing his skills on no less than 8 whetstones and diamond steels. It’s a skill I have loved and admired for years but never have had the opportunity to learn as a chef until now.
I always remember being told by my militant first head chef, “Chefs only cut themselves on blunt knives, sharp knives only knick you.” It’s true, I guess. You push harder on a blunt knife so the cut is deeper when you miss!
Chefs only cut themselves on blunt knives, sharp knives only knick you.
The kitchen is being delivered and the work surfaces with wood tops have been artisanally made and are going in today. I’m poised with the bee’s wax.
We have pickled, preserved, and dehydrated 50% of our items ready for October. We have engaged a potter to make the plate ware, the cutlery has been ordered, the material for the cushions has been chosen, and above all the most amazing art has been painted on our walls by the understated but highly talented Sue Stuart, a friend and fellow artist.
This truly is a journey of faith, love, and hope. Doing what we are doing engages skills, creates jobs, and makes for a more interesting future.
Remember this. It may be wet, and the skies look overcast, but rain makes rainbows and rainbows bring joy. Mother nature is our guide.
Seasons bring different bounties and the green season brings the best vitamins with items only available during this season, such as the Dok Dara, or the seasonal mushroom. These kinds of items should be heavily reflected in menus from September to December in Thailand. If not, ask why not!
The 5 Blue Zone Countries
Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, California
Let’s focus on Greece this week: With her abundance of fresh, organic, local produce Greece has one of the freshest cuisines in the world.
Cooking with animal fats and getting omega from the sea and vitamins from the fertile soil this country excels in a balanced diet, using pickling, preserving, and a slant to plant with pulses and nuts and of course, the uber olive oils.
Greek cuisine with its no-fuss style of plate truly is a force to be reckoned with and has influences all over our menu at The Home of Ikigai.
Fun Food Fact #2
Raspberries are a member of the rose family.
Oh, a random thing just popped into my wooly head. Did you know pigs can’t look up?
The Weekly Recipe
Email me pictures of your mackerel dish and we will reveal how we serve ours, best-looking plate gets an apron from our apparel range.
A Note from Chicken
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Nancy says hi! She’s a little fed up with the rain as she can’t go rollerblading, but happy football season starts soon. And she is looking forward to Xmas! She already picked the spot in the new house for the tree with 20 weeks to go!
