Trashers mum

Hm,hm you are supposed to use the ovens for everything i.e. keep the lids down to retain the heat. (Aga demonstrator talking) Rice cooked by the absorption method etc etc. I was besotted by my Aga until recently (10 years old) it is slowly dying and parts are very very expensive (goes with the lifestyle but not mine) - the mercury gauge is the latest thing to go wrong; a new one is over £200. I am becoming an expert on temperature testing by the arcane, put your hand in and guess method!

I did a couple of dems on a Lacanche in the summer and was very impressed...loved the hob (especially large central burner) and the ovens were brilliant - wonderful meringue. Aga are about to go big on Rayburn - the end of it being the poor relation, could be useful for heating too?

My husband (rural Scotland) had an encounter with a roe after a night on call - the resulting dishes were entitled 'RoadKill' from daube to roast! Being a ruminant you have to work fast and get rid of the inners...liver was good too. Local gamekeeper did the butchery for the Antlers -car repair bill wasn't tasty !

For those of us who otherwise suffer the comparative culinary sparsity of South East London, the good news is that it can also be found at the excellent "Hand Made Foods" in Blackheath. You can even find it in Scotland sadly my children are quite discerning too.

Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb yes in the pink, in early spring but my family is sick and tired when I try to disguise tough green stems… this is an example of my dream (localisation) going wonky. I worry that local has become synonymous with organic. Local food has done its bit for the sustainable food chain (if only the transport bit) but where has that organic the basket come from? My eldest son made a valid point – just because its organic doesn’t mean that it tastes good hmm I had no answer. I understand that many of the supermarkets practice ‘category management’ meaning that they source from as few suppliers as possible a small local supplier doesn’t get a look in and yet the consumer marvels at the supermarket’s organic spread. Living in Scotland yes we want local produce on the school and hospital menus but John Writing’s point is driven home – lovely Ayrshire tatties aren’t harvested until the summer term is over. Sad but fact

I love this book it has some brilliant ideas - simple dessert toasts beat cheese on toast any day.I would suggest that it is it is for grown ups in spite of a good sprinkling of excellent children's tips e.g. wash potatoes before children peel them - blindingly obvious but a great saving on the laundry bill. The lay out is not child friendly and I do wonder if grown ups who aren't keen cooks might not find it a wee bit heavy going but to be fair the chemical/ techinical bits are part of his charm.I heard Heston Blumenthal prepare recipes from the book with his family on Woman's Hour; his wife confessed that his mashed potatoes tasted wonderful but preparation was time consuming...see p218 of Family Food. Excellent value and far more than a cookery lesson.