Andy Lynes

Bud just makes me want to pee, as does the 4.2% version of Millers we get here in the UK. Michelob does not. In fact that would be a great strap line for their advertising : "Michelob. It won't make you want to pee immeadiately"

Paul Rhodes has left Deca, but is still working with Nico in some capacity or other. Exactly what the arrangement is is not clear, but he is definately no longer head chef there. Talking of Ludlow, there was a story circulating a little while ago that Claude and Claire Bosi were going to buy Winteringham Fields. I e mailed them about this and Claire said she didn't know where the story had come from, that no one could run Winteringham like the Schwabs and that it was far too a remote location for their tastes anyway. I don't think Shaun will be retiring any too soon, but I think he does get itchy feet from time to time.

Michelob's great, very "Thirtysomething"

Looking at the AA restaurant guide yesterday and saw that Trompette, along with it's 3 rosettes, has been awarded London restaurant of the year and wine restaurant of the year. Not bad for a relative newcomer.

telegraph review of Hibiscus click it, click it good

Idaho potatoes are absolutely gorgeous, I love them baked. I really wish we could get them in the UK. Actually, does anyone know if we can?

The truth will out. I'm surprised you could still manage to bring a fork to your mouth after that.

According to MPW in Wild Food from Land and Sea sauce choron is indeed hollandaise with a strained reduction of white wine vinegar, tarragon, peppercorns and shallot added to it with tomato concasse and tomato puree. In case you, or anyone else, hadn't seen this thread about the eGullet dinner at Trouvaille, http://forums.egullet.org/ibf/index.php?ac...1fc81ea1a1c82e2

Bapi, they do have quiet rooms, but you may have to be insistant. When I checked in last time, I asked for a quiet room and they gave me one directly above the entrance to the brasserie with a fantastic view of the station and the busy road junction just in front of it! They changed me no problem and I had one down the sire of the building overlooking the canal.

Thom, you should apply for a job at that new "Restaurant" magazine, they could do with someone like you on the staff!

Heston, I was surprised when I learnt that your first book was on the subject of cooking at home for a young family. Can you tell us a bit about how the idea developed. Will you eventually do a book of your restaurant food in the manner we have come to expect from Michelin starred chefs?

Just in case you haven't seen this very short interview with Fleming, it's not terribly enlightening though http://www.newyorkmetro.com/urban/articles...nts/fleming.htm I wonder if her ideas will be used in the UK? I doubt we would ever know, as I can't see her name being used as a promotional tool over here. I would bet a large amount of money that she will move on quite quickly from this. It's got to be a stop gap job surely.

I usually stay at the Malmaison and I think it's very good for the price. It's dorectly opposite Piccadilly station on a very busy road, so I would ask foir a quiet room if I were you (unless noise doesn't bother you). The brasserie in the hotel is not bad at all. Heathcotes (www.simplyheathcotes.com) is pretty good, The Restaurant Bar and Grill is lively with good food (perhaps Thom would like to say more as he works for the organisation that owns it) and I would certainly take a tram out to Altringham to try Juniper.

I believe they make those sort of decisions as a group of 3 restaurants, so although Trompette appears to have gone up quickly, Glasshouse and Chez Bruce's prices have increased over a much longer period of time. My guess is that £30.00 might be the limit for the moment for the sort of areas the restaurants operate in. I think it's a more realistic price for the sort of food they turn out at all three places, at £25.00 it was a bit of a bargin (compared to the rest of London at least).

It'll be their first star if they get it.

They're made from a John Tovey recipe in "Great British Chefs" and are usually really nice, needed that self raising flour but I just couldn't be arsed to pop down the shops.

I had the profiteroles last time I was there, I thought they were wonderful. What is the current menu price, has it gone up from £25.00 yet? Do you think they are likely to get a michelin star in January based on this meal?

Spiced Cabbage and Lentil Soup with curried leek scones Soup - sweated one onion, added garlic, cumin and smoked chill then half a cabbage shredded. Let it cook down for a bit, covered with water and added a cubed potato and the lentils. Cooked until lentils and potatos were tender. Blitzed and passed the soup through a sieve. Reheated, seasoned well and added creme fraiche. Served with the scones, made without the necessary self raising flour, and didn't have baking powder either. The result was virtually inedible (scones were ok but I had added an extra white to help them rise, which just made them more eggy). What did I do wrong do you think?

Miss J - that's a lovely coal-effect fire, but can we get back to roast potatoes please. Roasted potatoes are peeled, cut to a uniform size if necessary, par boiled for 5 minutes, drained and tossed in the pan to create a rough exterior. They are then placed in a roasting pan which contains hot lard, basted immeadiately, then placed in a hot oven for 50 mins to 1 hour, basted every 10 mins after the first 30 mins. Serve with roasted meat, gravy and far too many vegetable side dishes. Bread sauce is obligatory. Eat left overs at midnight after too much wine, salted and dipped in mayonnaise (not you, the potatoes!).

There's a recipe, and I'm afraid I can't remember which one, in "The Mirabelle Cookbook" by Marco Pierre White which is sauced with HP. It isn't a sauce with some HP in it, it's just HP sauce. One of the reasons I didn't spend £25.00 on the book. It's hardly ground breaking stuff al a "White Heat" is it?

That's the sort of accurate insight that's just so rare here on eGullet.

Do you think they'd like to use that on their business cards?

Perhaps he's been frightened off by Tony and Scott's superior knowledge and technique! He's responded to the mash question so I'm sure he'll get around to the roastie issue. He's only just answered my question (with a very long reply indeed) which was the first to appear on the board, so it appears he not answering them in any sort of order.

I'm a lard/dripping man myself, although do love duck fat roasted pots. I've never tried olive oil. Someone should ask Heston about this you know, I bet he does a mean roastie. Cooked at a low temperature in a stirred water bath no doubt

I know that Bruce has spent a great deal of time in the kitchen at Chez Bruce in recent months. My understanding is that when he is in, he works a rota exactly the same as any member of the brigade. Bruce has expressed an interest in posting on thses boards recently, so perhaps he may respond to this himself.