Tech: Raspberry Pi

The Rapberry Pi is British engineering at its best - sure a lot of the tech-hype has moved to the US and Silicon Valley, but there are still ground breaking companies making amazing tech products here in the UK (lots of them too!), and Raspberry Pi is one such product. Since it first arrived on the market, at less than £30 for what is essentially a handheld computer it has taken the hobbyist and technology markets by storm. It has gone on to inspire hundreds of kickstarter projects, thousands of hobbyist projects (home webserver to host your own website, TV smart device, home smart hub.. you name it, there is probably a tutorial and some code on the internet to make it happen) and several other commercial products and companies (Kano, for example, is an accessible, child-friendly learn how to code/use computer kit that is basically just a re-branded Pi with some additional hardware & software to make things look a bit prettier).

You can use it to control your home lighting, or to try and control lego robots with your kids (or on your own, which is probably the easier and more enjoyable option!).  It's affordable, easy to use and fun to start a range of projects. Furthermore, at that price point, you can use it for silly projects and just mess around with it as it really doesn't break the bank.

Book: Let there be meat (BBQ)

This one is much more of a straight forward BBQ book - low-n-slow BBQ, where meat is smoked over a low heat for hours (upwards of 5, often 12+ hours).

I have mentioned elsewhere about the more fancy BBQ books, or the more story-telling BBQ books, but this one is a lot more straight forward - it starts with recipes about rubs, then meats (and the usual meats you'd expect - pulled pork, varieties of ribs, brisket, burgers etc), before going into normal sections for sides, drinks, deserts etc. It's an accessible read - and unlike the more fancy BBQ books,  it has lots of recipes that you might turn to if you were having friends and family over. It does have the same issue (I'm reluctant to call it an issue - its more of a feature of the BBQ book genre - besides any specific rub recipe, its just one person's - or group of people - opinion on what works for them with regards timing and temperature.

Their brisket recipe, for example, is quite a bit more detailed than the Pitt Cue recipe of cook it until its about 86 degrees internal temperature and has a sexy wobble - they recommend coffee + olive oil with the rub, and have directions how to apply the rub, as well as recommending wrapping the meat after a few hours - but ultimately, cooking slowly is a lot more forgiving, so you can do what you like - if you want to wrap it, then go ahead, and honestly, the window to wrap it is pretty big (hours) so you don't need to worry about exact timings - basically try cooking a few times, if you find something that works, stick with it! That said, their burnt beetroots are something that I have since tried (and can recommend) - again not following the recipe as much as having never really thought about sticking beets straight into the coals, I did that, and it worked well!

It is another aesthetically pleasing book - the pictures are all really appetising and a good balance between rustic/dirty and delicious!

Overall, it's a fun BBQ book, thats good to read and a good coffee table book, that non BBQ fanatics can happily pick up and browse.

Book: Hamburger Gourmet

Ok, so I have to be honest, this one is kinda half in here based on aesthetics. Its another lovely looking book, with great images. Its entirely about burgers, and is from the chefs from a Parisien burger joint called Blend, and is what it sounds - a recipe book of burgers.

As has become trendy over the last decade or so, it features a range of more adventurous burgers, with different meats, avocados, etc. It dedicates a couple pages to equipment, to the different components (cheese, buns, sauces) but the bulk is just the burger recipes. I have read it, several times, although honestly not followed any of the recipes (I'm more of a smashed beef, salt, pepper kinda burger guy), but its fun to read none the less (and I have kept it).

It's hard to really see that it offers much more beyond what you'd find on the internet, but if you know someone who is really into their burgers (making their own beef blends at home, which honestly, I have been more than a bit tempted to do) then this would be a nice gift.

Book: Franklin Barbecue

Lets get one thing straight, first of all. Whenever I talk about BBQ on here, its almost certainly going to be referring to the low'n'slow style that is more commonplace across the US, as opposed to the hot'n'fast sausages and burgers that we are more used to over here in the UK.

I am a big fan of BBQ, have grown up on summers full of hot'n'fast (not just burgers and sausages though - fish, pork chops, lamb cutlets etc) and have since got into smoking food, that is the US, low'n'slow, pitmaster BBQ approach of cooking large, relatively tough cuts of meat for long periods of time (hours). For this, I own a Weber Smokey Mountain, which is a large smoker that is capable of easily holding a decent low temperature for hours, and have cooked a range of things (pork ribs, beef short ribs, pork shoulder etc).

To be honest though, BBQ books are a bit of a strange one. I own several BBQ books (including Aaron Franklin's book), and regularly pick them up and peruse them, but the thing is, there isn't that much to it, and whats more, lots of the books will give you quite different, often contrasting advice. Really, when it comes to low'n'slow BBQ, its not so much about recipes, its about technique, experience and patience - stuff that a book can't really teach you. Most BBQ recipes you might see, let's say for beef brisket, will follow something along the lines of: trim the fat off the meat, salt + season the beef with a preferred dry-rub (this is where there maybe some variation, everyone will have their own special dry-rub ratio, but it will likely be some variation of each other), cook for some hours (they might recommend anything between 10 and 18 hours). They might also recommend wrapping it mid way through, but really thats all there is to it. And given the contrasting advice, and the differences in BBQs, pieces of meat, etc,  I have concluded it comes down to experience. Cook a piece a few times and you will get to recognise the feel, look and temperatures that work for you.

But that said, I still enjoy reading my BBQ books - both for inspiration, aesthetics and to get into the mood to BBQ!

This book, specifically, has some nice history and Aaron talks about how he first got setup by cooking for the neighbourhood, and challenges the restaurant has faced (it got burnt down), along with some recipes and techniques. Not my favourite BBQ books, but there is no denying he knows his stuff - and he comes across nicely, so its a nice addition for a BBQ fan (not necessarily a good first book for someone starting out in BBQ) - if you want quicker insight into the how-to of BBQ, Aaron has published lots of videos on his Youtube channel of him actually cooking stuff, which are worth a look.

Book: Pitt Cue co

This is it.

This is the book that is responsible for me dropping hundreds of pounds on a Weber Smokey Mountain.

Again, its a BBQ book, again, in the sense of low-n-slow, smoked food BBQ (not hot-n-fast we are more used to in the UK). Its from a popular London restaurant Pitt Cue that serves, low-n-slow BBQ food.  And again, its not really one I have followed recipes for, then the bulk of the recipe is cook it for 8+ hours, its not really something you necessarily follow. I mean, I don't really think any BBQ books are really step-by-step guides. They are good to read, and understand the steps people take in cooking things, and they are useful to get an idea for the range of temperatures and times that people usually use (temperature guidance can vary up to 150 degrees fahrenheit variance, and cooking times can vary by hours between acclaimed, often competition winning, chefs), but experience is king - and I think any given recipe may work or fail disastrously depending on a whole host of factors, not least of all: the piece of meat that you have, your individual BBQ & setup, the ambient temperature outdoors. So really, they are good to read, but practice and repetition are the only ways it seems to get good BBQ. For example, their brisket recipe above simply says to cook the brisket at 115 degrees, until an internal temperature of 86-88 degrees, and when its ready if you prod it, it should have a "somewhat sexy wobble" - and thats basically the recipe.

However, as I said, this is the one that converted me. I first bought the book when the hardcover suddenly appeared on Amazon for £10 (I don't know how I came across it, but it seemed like a good price, so went for it). All the recipes are either pretty complicated (several recipes rely on the product of other recipes in the book - there mac'n'cheese recipe sounds amazing, but includes smoked pork offcuts and their bacon rub) or are long cooks, and me, not having a smoker had to sit there dreaming, and working out how I could get around the need.

Its a good book to skim, for inspiration and to get in the mood for BBQing, although I haven't directly attempted the BBQ recipes* it did send me towards beef short ribs (which at the time, weren't as trendy as they are now - you can get mac'n'cheese with beef short rib in high street sandwich chain Pret these days!). Given their restaurant is owned by proper restauranteur-chef types, it might be no surprise that this leans more into fancy-experimental dining, rather than just meat (lots of BBQ books are just variations on pieces of meat) - featuring recipes like fennel cured scratchings, or pulled duck and caviar buns - they sound (and look) very tasty, but not the kind of recipe you are likely going to be reaching for if you are planning a large family/friends BBQ gathering.

*Whilst I haven't tried the BBQ recipes, or at least following to any real detail, the first 60 pages or so are dedicated to cocktail recipes, which I have tried a couple of, which are also great - both reading for inspiration (if you have the ingredients, or are a regular cocktail maker) and trying. My favourites were their Cherry cola, Hard lemonade and their Trash cocktail, which are also (relatively) easy to try at home.

BBQ: Barbeskew

For my 30th birthday, as a surprise gift (having witnessed me spending all my time in garden centres playing with the display models), my wife bought me a BarbeSkew - I believe the product was originally launched on Dragons Den (don't quote me on that), and its USP is that it has a rotisserie function (3 main spits across the top, supporting both a normal spit and several cage spits).

If hot-n-fast is your thing (or relatively fast at least - I regularly cook whole chickens or joints of meat that cook for a couple of hours), then this is a great addition to your outside eating setup. It has a normal grill and can easily operate as a regular BBQ for grilling, but because of the rotisserie, it doesn't have a sealable lid, so can't really be setup for indirect cooking (if you wanted to start experimenting with low-n-slow, for example, this wouldn't be so good). I use this along side my Weber Smokey Mountain - cooking whole chickens (or any chicken really) this is still my preferred option - and cooking for a crowd, you can easily setup the two cages with sausages/burgers/chicken and leave it to cook not having to worry about it burning or turning it.

Honestly, there is something special about rotisserie chicken over hot coal - succulent, moist with beautifully crisp skin, perfectly seared over the high temperatures and direct heat of the coals.

Book: The Foodlab

By some way, my favourite food-science author, chef and general internet personality, Kenji Lopez-Alt, has written what is going to be the first in a series (of at least two, lets hope more!) books The Foodlab (his online moniker writing as himself and on the popular SeriousEats site).

The introduction, although it goes much further, and longer, than a regular introduction, covers a range of topics - heat exchange in cooking, the importance of saucepan material, the importance of experimentation and control - the list goes on, and its a fascinating read. As a nerd/foodie/hobbyist cook this book is one of my favourites to read, you can pick it up and flick to pretty much anywhere and you will find an engrossing long-form discussion on some dish or technique.

It's not all theory, of course, but what makes the book great, is before each recipe, or category of recipes, Kenji breaks down the components, why they are important and how he ended up on the recipe. Take his chilli-con-carne recipe, for example - preceding that, there are several pages of detailed discussion of the why and the how of the recipe, along with explanation as to his journey to get there (how long should you soak the beans? can you use any variety of chillis? what mean should you use? how can I make it more meaty?). That is just one example - but nothing is left un-answered, is there a quicker way to cook risotto? (do I need to keep stirring it? can I add all the liquid up front rather than bit-by-bit), when should I salt the meat for my burgers?

The reason this is all so useful, is not just that it makes for an interesting read whilst lounging on a Sunday morning, but in understanding the building blocks, which parts are important and which parts aren't, where you can make substitutions, then it helps you understand your cooking, other meals you might make or other recipes you might come to interpret. You may find yourself reading other recipes and thinking I don't have that ingredient, but it doesn't batter because I can change it for X, or I don't really need to do that part.

Even if you don't get the book, following him online (his writing on SeriousEats, twitter, instagram, his youtube videos) you will become a better home cook.

Book: Ruhlman's Twenty

Probably my second favourite of my food-books, at least those to just pick up and read.

Let's get this out the way first of all, its a beautiful book. The typography, the colours, the blocks (its almost like it anticipated the flat-design trend that we have seen the last few years). Visually, all the little touches are a delight.

But that's not the only reason I enjoy it. It's another book that nicely combines readable and accessible food science theory along side recipes (like The Foodlab). The book is broken down into 20 different techniques (maybe thats a bit of a stretch - its broken down into techniques and large/core ingredient groups) - covering water, salt, onions, acid, butter etc - a bit like an extended run on Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (the book, more recently made famous through its Netflix series - it covers these, in specific forms, but also covers other core areas).

Each section starts with an overview of the area, and ends with a handful of recipes. Easily readable and just simple things will stay with you and improve your cooking (the stage at which you salt & his tomato experiment - the implications of over-bubbling/spilling a liquid when you are supposed to be reducing it etc)

BBQ: Weber Smokey Mountain

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I grew up on summers of BBQ, and with very fond memories. Not sitting outside with the British summer weather eating suspect looking sausages and burgers for me, we had BBQs with chops, cutlets, fish, butchers sausages (award winning, of course, but what butcher doesn't have award winning sausages?) along with a wealth of sides - potatoes, ratatouille, salads, breads. 

Then, I think it might have been my 30th birthday that my wife bought be a Barbeskew - it was a traditional hot-n-fast BBQ (its not a kettle setup, and not really practical to setup for indirect cooking) but its unique selling point was it had a rotisserie (hence the skew in the name), but that was the first step towards my journey to a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM).

These BBQs are not cheap, and you should expect to spend £200-500 depending on the size and sale you get, but they are a cornerstone of the BBQ market, and you probably won't get a more synonymous brand in the UK with BBQ than Weber (Traeger is growing in popularity, but still doesn't have the market penetration), and with good reason. They are good, reliable pieces of kit - they can hold a steady temperature for prolonged periods of time, have good customer support (and replacements/garden centre stock). It was my first foray into smoking, and whilst I am now looking at getting an additional BBQ to supplement it, I'd still not hesitate to recommend it as a smoker for someone who wants to get started.

There are easier options for BBQing (the aforementioned Traeger grills offer much more convenience and a set-and-forget option) but its easy enough to get started, and helps get a decent understanding of what is going on, and how to bbq. 

There are also a range of additional gadgets that you will want to get, such as thermometer probes (for both meat and smoker temperature, rather than relying on the lid) and mods such as a hinge for the lid, and a better door.

Chef's Knife: Misen (US version)

I am something of a knife nerd. For some reason, unknown to me, knives and saucepans both excite me! At the moment I have a great chef's knife, which is almost a reason in itself to cook, but that doesn't stop me getting unduly excited over the Misen knife.

It ran a successful kickstarter campaign and is now in production, and promises scientifically engineered quality at a decent price, and with endorsements from The Foodlab, what more could you want!


Even if you missed the kickstarter campaign you can still order via their site - they have also since extended into a whole range of saucepans, so between that and Foodlab's recommendation, it basically ticks all my boxes! However, here's the bad news.. its mostly US focussed, and it's not entirely clear how easy (or costly) it would be to get them imported into the UK - I'm holding out for a distributor in the UK to pick up their products rather than gamble with import duty and shipping fees (which would likely push it from an affordable to un-affordable pretty quick)

Book: Modernist Cuisine at Home

I love cooking. I try to do it whenever I get the chance (which, between kids and work, is mostly just the weekends).

I'm also a programmer, so I like logic, science and generally understanding what is happening under the hood, and that applies to food - If you know what is going on when you cook, then you can change things without ruining your food!

And thankfully, over the years this concept, that of food-science for hobby-ist nerds, has become quite a big thing. And that's what this book is all about - food science. There is a bigger set of books, but at approaching £400 I consider the price prohibitive.  This one can still set you back around £80, but its a decent size and if you are interested in science its worth a look (although, honestly, the Foodlab book probably takes my number one spot, if you were looking to buy just one book).

Movies: Pi

This one is not as well known as some of the others in my classics list, but it is a true nerd cult classic for a few reasons:

1. It is an early film directed by Darren Aronofsky, of Black Swan fame
2. It is a FILM ABOUT MATHS - specifically about the Golden Ratio, and how it appears in nature and everywhere (trust me, once you have watched this, you will want to find out more! Its an amazing phenomona)
3. It's soundtrack was done by awesome electronic artists in the 90s including Roni Size and Aphex Twin
4. A central theme is the game "Go" which is heavily in the news at the moment, as Google's AI AlphaGo has beaten Lee Se-dol three games in a row

Blade Runner inspired T-Shirt

If we are talking Blade Runner, then lets talk lastexittonowhere.com - they are an awesome site with loads of great movie-nerd clothing stuff.

Their angle is they take logos/themes/signs from movies and make the into a t-shirt, so only the most dedicated movie fan can notice. I would have the entire catalogue if possible, and already own several (including a yellow variation of this t-shirt) and the collections just keeps on growing - including t-shirts based on the sequel Blade Runner 2049.


(in case you were wondering, the design is based on the origami unicorn that Harrison Ford's character made several times in the film)

Movies: Blade Runner

Whilst a lot of people were (quite rightfully) raving about the more recent sequel Blade Runner 2049, there is no denying the cult status of the original. A sinisterly dark, futuristic sci-fi thriller in which Harrison Ford's character has to hunt down any rogue humanoid robots (robots that are pretending to be people, who have since been outlawed). In a future where it is permanently raining, Harrison's adventure focusses on bringing in three criminal Nexus 6's (Fun Nerd Fact: Nexus 6 is the name of the model of the robot that Harrison Ford has to hunt down, which Google gave a knowing nod to, when it released it's first foray into the tablet market with its Nexus 7 device)

Its surprising when you stop and think of the number of iconic roles that Harrison Ford has had over his career, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Blade Runner are some of the biggest cult classics and I'm really not sure I can think of anyone who has that kind of cult standing?  And that's before you get into the rest of the impressive back catalogue with films like The Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger, etc