Janice

I graduated from St Andrews seven years ago and although I'm not bang up to date I've been back in the last couple of years and things change pretty slowly there. The fish and chip shop in Anstruther is excellent and well worth the drive. You should also be warned that all the fish and chip shops in St Andrews are pretty dire. Most of the best dining options tend to be out of town. As well as The Peat Inn which has already been mentioned, Ostler's Close in Cupar and The Cellar in Anstruther are also good. One of the best places close to town is The Grange Inn which is a couple of miles out on the Grange road in a very pleasant spot. It serves good, informal food but is always really busy so your brother should call and book if they fancy trying it. Unless things have changed, there are no particularly good restaurants in the town centre, but The Dolls' House on Church Square and The Vineleaf on South Street are probably the best bets. Where St Andrews really excels is on sweet treats. There is Janetta's ice cream shop at the cathedral end of South Street who do dozens of flavours of freshly made ice cream and Fisher and Donaldson bakers on Church Street who supply one of the most important parts of student life in St Andrews, fudge doughnuts, as well as a range of more refined items. The fudge doughnuts are fantastic though - doughnuts without a hole, filled with creme pattiserie and topped with fudge icing. I hope your niece has a fantastic time there. Do PM me if there is anything university related that you need advice on that I might be able to help with. Janice

Thanks very much. I will investigate the hotels although Le Reminet sounds like it might be perfect.

I am in Paris for a training course on 6 & 7 of September and will be arriving in time for dinner on the Sunday before. I would hate to miss the opportunity to have a decent meal but I could do with some suggestions on places that would be: 1.) comfortable environments for dining alone - I'm not fussy about this but would rather avoid anything excessively busy or formal 2.) open on a Sunday evening 3.) interesting from a culinary point of view My hotel is near La Villette but anywhere central would be fine. Does anyone have any ideas? I was wondering about Atelier Joel Robuchon but I am slightly detered by some of the negative reviews in this forum. Many thanks Janice

Personally, I like the Almeida and given the dearth of decent restaurants in Islington I think it is certainly the best bet for post theatre. Also has good celeb spotting potential if that interests you at all. The food is very traditional french and much better than the service which lacks consistency. If you don't fancy it and want to stay local I'd suggest going downmarket and trying one of the ethnic options some of which are quite good.

I've done first and standard on Eurostar and would recommend going first if the price difference isn't large. You get significantly more space, at seat service, and if you are travelling at the time of day when they serve lunch or dinner you get a glass of champagne and wine with your meal. The food is not fantastic but above airline standards. Depends on how much all of the above matter to you of course.

I go there occasionally but the food, although usually enjoyable, can be hit and miss - some odd combinations that don't always work, quality inconsistent. If you're looking for something at that price in Islington La Trouvaille is better IMHO.

I was there a week or so ago. We arrived at 7 and waited about half an hour for a table from a very comfortable spot at the bar. The food was great. For starters we had smoked herring with russian salad and braised(?) lambs' tongues with some green stuff that I can't quite recall but I think involved spring onions - very juicy and tasty and not as scary as it sounds... The main course was the highlight though - roast sea bass for two with anchovy sauce served in a little saucepan alongside. It also came with cauliflower and marrow dressed with capers. The sea bass was perfectly cooked and the whole combination was very successful. Couldn't find room for pudding...

I find the weekly box very convenient. I don't have car so it's great to eliminate the need to carry heavy items home. It also means I always have some fresh onions, potatoes, etc to hand and helps to keeps me focussed on getting my five a day. The selection can get a bit repetitive in winter, but they allow you to exclude specific items on a temporary or permanent basis which comes in handy when you just can't face any more swede....

I use Abel & Cole for an organic fruit and veg box - the quality and variety varies a bit, but is usually better than the supermarket and can be excellent. I haven't tried their meat or fish since I'm pretty well supplied locally but they sound like they could be good. I also use Ocado for groceries on the basis of Waitrose being the least evil of the supermarkets, the site being easy to use and the service reliable.

The Times Cookbook by Frances Bissell - out of print but should be fairly easy to find second-hand A great balance of everyday and more unusual recipes, the thing that really makes it stand out for me is the extent to which it manages to teach you how to think like a cook, adapt recipes and put together menus just by the way it is written rather than by lecturing.

Not so much of a birthday suggestion, but in terms of who can pull off serious food for numbers, I was lucky enough to be a guest at a wedding at Le Manoir last October. There is a certain haziness about my memories of the event, but they absolutely did succeed in delivering 20 perfect foie gras at the same time. Another great advantage of Le Manoir - those gardens are the perfect spot for recovering from the night before.

The belazu couscous is as fine as regular couscous. However, I think I have seen the larger Israeli type in the kosher section of supermarkets before now. Or you could try a Jewish grocer?

I count myself extremely lucky in my choice of lunch spots - especially since my office is directly opposite St John! For a quick lunch in Clerkenwell though, Bar Rendevous off of Charterhouse Square (can't remember the name of the street) is great for reasonably priced, traditional French food - it's of Cafe du Marche which more of a business venue. They have a short blackboard menu with standards like steak frites and seasonal dishes, and everything comes with nice baguette and a green salad included. I'm a regular at De Santis and although the food and wine is usually decent quality, I've yet to encounter competent service there which can be a bit of an issue if you're in a hurry!

Also on Whitecross Street: Carnevale - interesting vegetarian food which can be quite good if a bit pricey - they have a salad bar (not self service) to take away And a Japanese place which is tiny, cheap and unlicenced but not at all bad for a quick lunch

Just had a very tasty lunch from a selection of salads at Flaneur on Farringsdon Road. £5 get you a good-sized portion of high quality ingredients - buffalo mozzarela, ripe tomatoes, mmm... Nearby there is also Comptoir Gascon for those moments when only a foie gras sandwich will do. Janice

I find Square Meal the easiest way to find websites and contact details in general for London restaurants. It is fast and easy to search and has a clear format with short reviews which are a reasonable guide to what to expect although I don't always agree with them. It claims to cover other parts of the UK but I don't think the coverage is as good as for London.

Given the football is on, I think you'll be fine tonight. We were there on Saturday, and it was quieter than usual even though England weren't playing that evening. Food was great and there was plenty of fish on the menu. Crab on toast as a starter was particularly tasty. Hope you like it Janice

I had lunch at the Zetter a few weeks back. We only had time for one course. I had a juicy grilled veal chop wrapped in pancetta and served with spinach. Not sure what my companion had but I think it was sea bass. Not much to form an opinion on, but the food was tasty and well cooked and overall it made a favourable impression. I will be going back.

Thanks - will give that a go. I was using straight 00 in the dough and only using semolina for dusting. The pasta tasted great but was just too fragile on the thinnest setting.

Ribena and hot water for when you have a cold!

I didn't do this recipe, but it did inspire me to do the same thing with finely chopped asparagus. My second attempt at ravioli and pretty successful all things considered. My only problem is that the thinnest setting on my machine seems a little too thin and the next one up is too thick. Maybe it will resolve itself with practice... Hope you're feeling better Mighty Quinn!

This is slightly embarrassing to admit, but when we were students we would all sit round the table after dinner and consume coffee and Cadbury's Chocolate Fingers in this fashion. Very enjoyable but not for polite society...

I sympathise. I was originally in favour of the no booking policy but having returned more recently I am less keen. We got a table after waiting in the bar for about an hour which would have been fine if it hadn't been so packed. I'm kind of hoping the crowds will put off the less determined customers so I can return and enjoy the food in peace...

Give them both a break. You'd have to be a pretty strong personality to hold your own with Tom....

Pierce the skin with a knife and microwave them briefly to loosen the skin (1 minute does for one pepper). Much easier than peeling them raw or roasted but you don't get the flavours that you do from roasting them which may be a good or bad thing depending on the result you want.