Author: nickhemptonband

Australian jazz musician in New York City. Writing about travel, food, drink, music, books- the stuff that makes the other stuff bearable.

The Dough Knows: Steak and Kidney Pudding

What the hell was I thinking. Clearly a string of at least moderate kitchen successes had gone to my head, and I thought I was untouchable. But deep down in my soul was a fear, an awareness of my many shortcomings, a gaping hole papered over with minor victories. But the dough knows. I’ve never … Continue reading The Dough Knows: Steak and Kidney Pudding

The Wonton Assassin

Back in my dim dark past, my pre-viral salad days, I was a hired gun. A heartless mercenary offering my services to the highest bidder, performing often gruesome tasks without remorse; ruthlessly and efficiently making the hit then silently packing my equipment and disappearing back into the night. Over a period of eight years I … Continue reading The Wonton Assassin

Hempton & Henderson #1: Grilled Marinated Calf’s Heart

An irregular series in which I attempt to cook every recipe in Fergus Henderson’s “The Whole Beast,” in the style of that daft movie about Julia Child. I was thinking that what this blog needs is to be more relevant, to be part of the zeitgeist, to resonate with the youth and their pop-culture savvy. … Continue reading Hempton & Henderson #1: Grilled Marinated Calf’s Heart

Escape On The Legs Of A Duck

Late last night, for maybe thirty minutes, the AHAM kitchen table– one end of it neat and tidy, the other end a chaotic mess of books, unopened mail, wine corks, forgotten fruit– was transformed into a cool, marble-topped cafe table tucked into a corner of a cosy Parisian neighbourhood bistro. I agree it sounds unlikely, … Continue reading Escape On The Legs Of A Duck

Start The Year Off With A Bung: Haggis

If I’m going to persist with cooking this weird stuff, I’m going to need some kind of hookup. A connection, you know? I’m never that guy– the guy who knows someone doing shady deals out the back of the pub and can get whatever you need for a tenner. Like a schmuck I’m going through … Continue reading Start The Year Off With A Bung: Haggis

Let’s Face It: Salmon Head Soup

Let’s get one thing straight. If you’re looking for smut, cheap laughs, double entendre, innuendo, you’ve come to the wrong blog. This is a place for mature, sober examination of sensible food. Please enjoy. In moderation. In my former life as a swashbuckling jazz musician, I used to undertake financially disastrous tours of Asia, swinging … Continue reading Let’s Face It: Salmon Head Soup

A Rabbity Reward

Being a jazz musician is no bed of lollipops. We make no money, we get no respect, and the general public has a special brand of disdain reserved just for us, which frankly is fair enough, considering our hunted look and indifferent attitude to personal grooming and hygiene. And then there's all the berets and … Continue reading A Rabbity Reward

Discovering Wild Food– Lights Out, Blinds Drawn

I’m not a weirdo. Honest I’m not. But we all have those moments of weakness, don’t we? It’s late, you’re tired and hungry, sitting in the dark, scouring the internet for some kind of solace, when you see an ad. Normally you’d give a derisive snort and scroll right by, but tonight you’re vulnerable, and … Continue reading Discovering Wild Food– Lights Out, Blinds Drawn