Good Evening.
Whenever I write a post I never quite know how people will read it. Last night’s post was not supposed to be really negative but perhaps it came across that way. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I suppose sometimes my writing may reflect my mood. The important thing to mention is it would be very false of me to make out that I am swinging from the trees everyday and singing myself to sleep at night. I do have days when I find it a struggle and I want that to be captured on the blog. It is ultimately about the highs and lows of a carp angler and the successes and failures. I want the blog to be a real representation of how I am feeling.
After I read some of the comments posted this morning I decided to go and gather some wood. I started the morning with my customary coffee and handful of Italian pastries and then got wrapped up warm, put on glasses to protect my eyes from flicking branches, and went for a wander up the shoreline to my left. It is truly littered with dead branches, driftwood and logs of all sizes and descriptions. I dragged most of it back to my swim and it now resembled a good morning’s work. The next job involved snapping and cutting the branches, and as the borrowed chainsaw is now in need of resharpening, the majority had to be done with the bowsaw; what a great way to warm up though!
My friend arrived for his usual lunchtime walk and coffee, so he helped out a little as I got my Mocha coffee maker on the stove. Charley was busy selecting her own pile of twigs, as she normally does, and everytime I put a few onto a pile near my fire, she would have a quick look, select one she liked and take it off to her own collection that she guards very closely. If Flash goes near her pile of sticks, she bears her teeth and gives him a look “Just you dare!”
"Now...which one shall I take!"
"That's better!"
After Marco had left and I had finished my morning chores I was quite hungry. I remembered the tomatoes that Emanuele had bought me on Saturday. I fancied some energising pasta so they were perfect for my intended dish. A small onion, some garlic, the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, chillis, with spaghetti for energy and tuna for protein were the humble ingredients. I spent the next fourty five minutes preparing and cooking a classic dish any Italian would have been proud of!
The magic tomatoes, an onion and garlic.
Softening the onion and garlic in of course...Olive oil
Grandmother's secret tomatoes!!
25 miutues of simmering and softening to a pulp.
Chilli for fire...
Roughly chopped with my Spyderco Rocksalt knife.
The all important spaghetti is dropped into salted boiling water.
Tuna is added for protein.
The al dente pasta is added to the sauce.
and gently stirred in...add more Olive oil according to taste.
"Bellissimo!"
My fire is all ready to be lit in an hour or so. The rods have remained the way they are and I have added no more bait into the equation. I don’t think lack of bait is the problem – just the lack of feeding carp. My friend is returning later with a nice bottle of red wine and I gave him some Euros earlier to buy some Parma ham. An evening in front of the fire beckons, sipping on fine red wine, and enjoying slithers of Parma’s finest produce. Sounds like a perfect night to be honest.
My friend Matt Dent emailed me yesterday after I posted the blog. The subject of the email read ‘One to slit ur wrists too!’ Attached to his email was a YouTube clip of Coldplay’s – The Scientist; his message read ‘you and the carp’! I have one thing to say. Nothing is ever that bad my friend!
Have a good Evening.
Jake and the dogs.
Tags: Coldplay, jake langley-hobbs, Parma ham
January 26, 2010 at 6:59 pm |
Dam im hungry now……
….maybe you could do a cookery show next Jake!
All the best
Geoff
January 26, 2010 at 7:37 pm |
It worked…brilliant!!! I wanted you to be salivating at your pc screen at my creation…positive pasta is what I have named it!
January 26, 2010 at 7:24 pm |
Keep year chin up mate, I’m stuck in Germany, it’s -12 at the moment, my legs are getting sore from going down the celler to look at my gear all ready to go ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, mightmare mate. Keep smiling, keep fishing and keep us intertained with your anticks my friend. Hey I didn’t know you were and ex leturer in catering………you might have said something I’ve been a chef for 27 years now I could give you a few tips about your pasta, but I will keep them to myself now LOL. You take care mate and “Get some in!”
January 26, 2010 at 7:35 pm |
yeah…how is that hole in your groundsheet Rodders!!! You should put a Stannah stairlift on your basement steps mate and then you could whizz up and down to your hearts content!!
Cheers mucker!!
January 26, 2010 at 7:26 pm |
Hi Jake and the dogs,
how are you? You’ve cooking a perfect pasta for a cookery man. Well done! I’ve writing on the last blog (the Weekend Draw to a Close – January 24 2010) abuot your new next water. Today i’m a little flu and fever because in the last weekend i haven’t fishing. Fishing is my favourite doctor! Excuse for my bad english…
Enjoy your meal, good evening.
Emanuele with his lucky hat!
January 26, 2010 at 7:40 pm |
From an Italian that is quite a compliment my friend! Thank your grandmother for the jar and I would like to place an order of another dozen!!! I got your message mate and I will speak to you at Carp Italy or sooner.
Bye…
January 26, 2010 at 7:58 pm |
Hi Jake , as I all ready posted earlier you have to write a cookbook. Just let my wife see what a great pasta yuo made.
Positive pasta it is. You are having good food and for the carp there is also good food in the water. Think there comming tonight.
Keep up the good work.
Hennie
January 26, 2010 at 8:01 pm |
howdo jake
that campfire is something else why are they banned on most waters
(l know the answer)
l have got badges for the best camp fire (joking)
camping in the wild with a roaring fire at night was my buzz untill l started carping l would love to do them both at the same time
all the best to u and the dogs
ronnie
January 26, 2010 at 11:14 pm |
Yeah the fire is the mutz nutz Ronnie!
January 26, 2010 at 8:48 pm |
wooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Big jake spaghetti Italiani
January 26, 2010 at 10:10 pm |
One question: What do you eat on long sessions in summer, when temperatures are over 20°C and you have no possbility to cool the food or go shopping? Just things out of the can?
I tried it once for a whole week, after that i couldn’t even look at cans of goulash anymore. Afte a while it seemed, that every dish out of the can tastes the same….
January 26, 2010 at 11:13 pm |
In the summer months when the temperatures are high I try to do a food shop once a week. I have a cool box that can operate with 12v, but I also just buy food that has a good shelf life. As a rule I don’t like tinned food. I try to eat fresh and I will normally buy chicken and pork and use within the first three days. I buy beef and I know this can last longer in the summer. I always trust my nose!! If it smells bad I won’t cook it. White meat often has a bad smell after a day or so if it isn’t refridgerated, but often it just needs a wash in water, as it is just the bacteria on the surface of the meat. I buy plenty of eggs, fresh vegetables and onions, potatoes, lardons, cheese etc… Tinned food sucks and is just for emergencies really. I am lucky that I like to cook, I am creative and I don’t like to eat the same old food every day…it gets boring otherwise!
January 27, 2010 at 1:18 pm |
A tidy swim is a safe swim, and a tidy fire is a safe fire. Once again Jake top of the class.
Good food = good energy, and good energy = good vibes
.
January 27, 2010 at 2:43 pm |
Hi Jake
The most important aspect is to be well fed. The weather is pretty much against you, but a good meal is always a possibility and a good remonte morale.
And you never know as long as your rods are out you are in with a shout.
Bon appetit!!!
Cheers
Gareth
January 27, 2010 at 6:40 pm |
almost ass good as mine that saya a lot comeing from a italian
January 27, 2010 at 7:03 pm |
Yeah…but…my cooking is much better than your spelling and grammar mate!! lol
January 27, 2010 at 7:33 pm |
So what you having tonight? At this rate you’ll be rivalling Jamie Oliver around Italy
Cheers
Gareth
January 27, 2010 at 10:31 pm |
You look like an author in your pic mate lol….I wouldn’t mind a cook off with J O actually!!
Thanks for earlier.
Jake
January 28, 2010 at 7:04 pm |
Author…LOL!! No just a cameraman and photographer…
Bon App pour ce soir
Gareth
January 28, 2010 at 10:50 pm |
Hi Jake and Dogs
thanks for your info on the rods top man cheers.
tight lines