Naomi

Colcannon. The ultimate Irish peasant food, and a real comforter: Put on some floury potatoes to boil. Fry up a wee tiny bit of bacon/chorizo etc. (not traditional, but tasty) Add some shredded Kale or green cabbage or spring greens, which may have been wilted in the microwave if necessary. Stir it up to get the tasty juices onto your greens. Mash your spuds with some cream or milk and add the greens, mixing it up well. Make a pound of this on the plate, indent it and put a knob of yellow Irish butter on top. Dip forkfuls into the melty butter.

Yum. Great idea. Another nice option might be to flavor the whole ice cream as a Toblerone. For example, a chocolate honey or vanilla honey ice cream with roasted almonds or chopped nougat. I may need to try this in my ice cream maker while waiting for this to show up on the shelves... ← In the UK you can get this already. It's made by Carte D'Or. It's pretty good, but perhaps not as high-quality as B&J or HD would be.

I am not an expert, but I've drunk a few whiskies in my time. I'll leave the expensive whiskies and American ones to the rich Americans to advise on My very simplistic (Ulster-Scots) advice is: In my house the "generic" whisky is Famous Grouse. It is the most popular whisky in Scotland. I was surprised to discover that this is the favourite of Prince Philip (the British Queen's husband) I thought he'd be into something much fancier! Anyhow, it is a nice smooth blended whisky. The Irish whiskeys are less smokey than Scotch due to the grain being air dried rather than smoke dried and are distilled x3 (scotch is usually x2). This makes them mild and good for whiskey newbies. Bushmills varies depending on the casks it has been aged in, e.g. Black Bush is aged in sherry casks. For a first taster of Irish whiskey, I'd probably go for ordinary bushmills blended. The Bushmills 16 year old is pretty spectacular as a single malt. Now, as for Old Comber: I'd love to tell you, but they stopped producing it in 1953. We have many bottles in the attic, but my dad won't let me try it. Apparently it's an investment. If I manage to sneak a bottle I'll let you know

In a restaurant my granny was offered some ratatouille by a waiter. She decided to try this dish for the first time in her 85 years. She lifted the fork to her mouth, murmuring "The rat called Huey?"

Mr Serna, I knew you would have some suggestions. Thank you. Those sound just the ticket. I'm sure we will go to Ronda, and will check out calima too... (will look at the menu anyhow!) The other definite trip will be to Jerez and Seville. Yum, I can't wait!

Yippee, Have been given the gift of flights and a villa in Marbella over Christmas and New Year. However, as impoverished students we have to hang on to the purse strings. Can anyone give me advice on eating well, but not too expensively in the Marbella/ Peurto Banus area.. (if this is possible?!) Is Tragabuches worth a splash on one day?

Do try it! it's great on toast under scrambled eggs. Also look here: http://www.elsenham.com/patum.htm for more recipe ideas.

I've stopped going to the Rankin Cafes because I just don't think their baked goods are that great. In a country where most of us grew up on great homemade bread and cakes, those big hard numbers won't cut it. Moreover, Rain City at junction 1 is an absolute nightmare. The food is disappointing and the waiting staff are clueless. They cleared my plate away while my companions were still eating. Of course I wasn't expecting Roscoff, but I expected better than I got...lukewarm ribs and wings and the worst coleslaw ever. There are tons of wee cafes in N.I making better food than this for far less money.

I'm not mad about Tanqueray. Bombay Sapphire for me.. or Gordans since it is the ubiquitous gin here in the uk. To be honest I don't really notice the nuances of taste with gin. I'm not fussy the way I might be with whiskey or brandy.

Miss Tenacity. Perhaps you should have a check-up, just to be sure. If you get the all clear, then just listen to your body. It is asking you to be good to yourself.

Who needs a diary when you have cravings? For me it is cakes and baked goodies and cheese and, well, everything really. Tonight it is baked custard tarts.. I just ate two of those ambrosial delicacies warmed in the oven. They quivered and jiggled delicately like the cellulite they will give me. But who cares when you have all that sweet eggy nutmug-flecked goodness? I am now ready to start into the brie in the fridge... Chocolate will be the finale.

Hellman's mayo and heinz salad cream. Absolute essentials. Usually there is also a small jar containing my own mix of oil, something acidic, bit of english mustard, pinch of sugar, s&p. That's it.

Gosh. Imagine not being able to get a good cuppa at work. Where I work someone makes a big pot of tea at 11 am, 1 pm and 3pm and we all stop for a cup. The coffee drinkers get maxwell house. Good tea, bad coffee. Pretty much the reverse of the situation across the Atlantic.

That soup sounds like a good call. Hope you're feeling better soon, Spaghetttti.

I'm not a morning person, so I don't eat much. The most important thing for me is a cup of Irish breakfast tea brewed so strong you could stand on it, with milk and sugar. Sometimes I have dry cereal and a glass of milk.... I don't eat the two combined because I don't like soggy cereal. On a bad day it's a red bull and a cigarette in the car on the way to uni.