curlywurlyfi

meant to add that I'm next there on Monday (it being conveniently situated approx one yard from my ex-flat, and I'm seeing my ex-flatmate), so will report back then. Fi

oh me, me - I was there, on 3 June 2003 - I remember the date so precisely because it was my birthday and we were up for some really remarkably foolish cocktails. Elderflower cosmopolitan? Pomegranate caipirinha? Rose-petal martini (didn't know whether to drink it or dab it behind my ears, quite frankly). We did also try some little plates and though, ahem, it has all rather blurred in the mists of time (and gin), I can confidently say: good chips. Hmmm. That's not very helpful. I'll do a little poll of the friends I was with + see if they are more remembery. Fi

Pan fried with: - mushrooms (dried wild if you have), shallots, garlic, red wine (or Marsala), creme fraiche - cream cheese, bacon, shallots, bay leaf, thyme - leeks, cream, little bit of lemon juice, perhaps some white wine Or, for the true calorie fest, mash up some tarragon with butter, push under the skin, roast or grill till done, carve nicely + arrange on plate, meanwhile pour double cream, a bit of salt + pepper into the pan juices, bubble till thickened, adjust seasoning maybe with some lemon juice. Cries out for mashed potatoes (and an artery reamer). Fi

oooh yes, cumin is GOOD! - diced tomatoes, garlic, EVOO + cumin, mix together + let sit for half an hour, then toss with steamed green beans. - Simon Hopkinson's coconut + green chilli relish (blend a block of creamed coconut, green chilli, coriander, garlic, fish sauce, cumin to a chunky sludge - delicious with grilled prawns) - carrots roasted with garlic, EVOO + cumin - cheese sable biscuits with cumin seeds on top (fennel also good) - steam baby leeks, cool + toss in a lemony vinaigrette with honey + cumin + some minutely chopped red chilli. Let sit for about an hour at room temp then sprinkle with feta, black olives, chopped parsley and thin curls of lemon peel. Looks beautiful, tastes even better. I am going to dredge my monster piece of cod in gram flour, turmeric + cumin tonight before pan frying. thanks for the inspiration! Fi

Artisanbaker, your mention of pithiviers reminded me, Jane Grigson in her book Good Things talks about adding a roasted, minced pig's kidney to the almond filling of the pithiviers 'for a change'. Huh????? I have always wondered of the truth of this one (and once asked a French chef, who didn't quite scream out loud but did laugh a lot). have you heard of this? anyone else? thanks! Fi

out-of-season asparagus with sauce Maltaise (hadn't made hollandaise in about seven years, so it was a bit runny, but divine) - casseroled pheasant with bacon onion + red wine - we forgot the pheasant in the Aga and the sauce had reduced so far that it was literally one shade away from being burnt - hurriedly poured in two more glasses of red wine and rescued it and it was DELICIOUS - the finest most savoury sticky treacly gravy I've ever had - mashed potatoes with olive oil and a bit of horseradish - broccoli (on which we poured the leftover Maltaise from the asparagus) - hot chocolate souffles with single cream Hear that crispy sound? That's my arteries silting up. And all this with a magnum of 1996 Chateau Soleil Puisseguin St Emilion, and two old friends. Lovely. Fi

A friend told me a tip for getting oil out of limestone surfaces, which I presume would work on marble also, but I must stress I have not tried it (inherited a slab of marble in my kitchen so scarred I'm not even going to bother), so if you try it, do an inconspicuous patch test first. Mix washing up liquid + talcum powder to a paste. Smear quite thickly onto the affected part, cover with clingfilm + leave overnight. If this works, bags I the patent, of course. Fi

- lamb tagine with prunes and gentle warming spices - my mum's lentil soup (red lentils, ham hocks, leeks, turnips, carrots, water) - steamed treacle pudding with custard oh I wish it were colder in London so I could justify these!

Jackal - really? tell me more?

or Gerald the Gorilla on Not The Nine O'Clock News. "Wild? I was fucking livid!" Yes, that's the place. Though, I was at Borough on Saturday, stalking Jamie Oliver, and they've dug up all the bit under the bridge, so I didn't actually see the beefmongers.

A friend of mine swears by the Dartmoor beef available at Borough - still raves about the fillet she cut with a spoon after roasting. I agree about the Jamie Oliver range - I have friends who have an organic beef farm in Devon and I've bought pretty well half a cow from them in the last three years - I haven't told them, but his beef is better than theirs... so that's what I buy. (They used to have pigs as well who got fed on the house leftovers - roasted pepper and nectarine-fed hogs anyone?) But the best beef I've ever had in London was at Moro; you could ask them where they source it? Fi

Claire MacDonald has a really superb recipe for Chicken Leek + Parsley Pie; there is a touch of curry powder in the white sauce, not enough to make it taste curried but just enough for people to go, hmmm, what IS that delicious sauce? I'll PM you it if you like. Fi

So, Tarka, going to tell us what you made?? Fi

Thai/Asian dressing - mix of some or all of the following: soy sauce, nam pla, grated ginger, grated garlic, chopped fresh coriander, chopped red chilli, mirin, rice wine vinegar, muscovado sugar, sesame oil, lime juice. It goes with everything - it can be dipping sauce, salad dressing or marinade, depending on what you're doing. Fi

I often go to Waitrose Food Illustrated for inspiration on what is seasonal and fresh. Fi

Marlena, Eurovision is definitely all about the etc! We had to take a few liberties with the food. think we did sausage rolls at one point. "Whassamatter?" I said. "We bought them in Iceland..." Fi

- red lentils cooked to a sludge with strips of smoked bacon + a pinch of five-spice - spicy Asian coleslaw - white cabbage, carrots, spring onions + chopped coriander tossed with soy, mirin, chili flakes, nam pla, lime juice, muscovado sugar, ginger + a speck of sesame oil - spinach fried in olive oil + garlic with a squeeze of lemon and a bottle of Grace-Dieu St Emilion which was so delicious it has spoilt me for any other wine. Fi

last year for the Eurovision Song Contest [European member states have a cheesy sing-off] we did a themed food party. Irish stew, Turkish delight, Greek salad, French bread, Swedish meatballs, etc. Got a bit bogged down with Bosnia-Hercegovina, as I recall.

happy belated birthday, Jackal! did a trip to Borough Market on Saturday morning where, most satisfactorily, I saw two minor UK celebs in addition to Jamie Oliver! And the ex-manager of my favourite London club sold me my olives - hadn't seen him in three years! much hugging over the marinated feta stand. hurrah! So supper two nights running has been using up the bonanza. - green olives with tarragon + garlic - divine Pugliese bread (burnt black on the outside, chewy sour crumb inside) from Exeter Street bakery with unsalted echire butter (I NEVER eat butter, but I have gone through 50g of this stuff on this bread since Saturday) - Swiss chard, stir fried with olive oil, garlic + a squeeze of lemon - pork chops from The Ginger Pig, grilled plain + served with apple sauce made from Egremont Russets - creamy Colston Bassett Stilton + sharp sheep's milk Wigmore - organic celery and then obviously bed by 9pm both nights as I was too full to keep my eyes open. Fi

and its name shall be calleth: Pub Club. Fi

Tampopo (great noodle slurping!). And Babette's Feast, though I didn't especially like it. And - how could we forget - Delicatessen!

totally agree. Am doing a kitchen remodel myself (committed this morning to the builders starting on 2 Feb - first thing, tear down all the walls! oh god) and currently have open shelves all round the cooker area. Not perhaps the easiest to keep clean, but for ease of use - for just being able to reach up and grab the salt/vinegar/herbs/spoon/mustard/infused oil/soy sauce/whatever - it's fantastic. I could never go back to having to claw open a cabinet with the edge of my greasy little hand every time I needed an ingredient. Will definitely keep the open shelves in the new incarnation. Another great thing I saw in a friend's house was, don't know quite how to explain, but like a little rack of pigeonholes screwed to the side of the counters, four little boxes about 5in square and 7in deep, with the open top uppermost, to keep knives forks spoons teaspoons in. Saves opening and shutting a drawer every time you need a teaspoon or are laying the table or just need to grab a knife for peanut butter. you can cute them up with paint or fretwork, if that's your thing, she had them fairly industrial. good luck, Varmint!

warm chicken, chilli, lime + mint salad served over shredded Little Gem Hearts - this was a Jill Dupleix recipe which I doctored slightly (more soy, more lime, no shallots) and it was OK but not stellar - though having said that, we did eat it all.

Time Out was frothing at the mouth yesterday over somewhere called Raoul's Cafe on Clifton Road - can't remember the details though, she said, helpfully.