Simon Majumdar

I love mutton. It is a wonderful ingredient in Indian cookery. It stands up to slow cooking so much better than young lamb. I find that marrinating it for 24 hours in a mixture of spices and vinegar and then roasting slowly ( 7hrs again ) in a medium oven creates the closest I have ever had to some of the mutton dishes in Goa

My absolute fave chicken recipe is taken from a book of anglo indian recipes ( I can never remember the name of the book ) and is for Chicken korma. The recipe is the version prepared for Mountbatten and was his favourite dish. I have no idea how authentic the dish is, but it is rich and delicious and the single favourite dish when I prepare an indian meal. Ingredients ( to serve 4 ) four boned and skinless chicken breasts in 1in Chunk two green chillies chopped 1 fat clove garlic chopped 1/2 tsp turmeric Fry the chilli garlic and turmeric in a little oil until they lose their rawness ( but not until the colour ) add the chicken and cook thoroughly. Place in a heat proof dish in the oven on a low heat to keep warm. SAUCE 1 cup of ground almonds 1 pinch sugar 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 small carton single cream 1 pinch salt 1/2 pint boiling water mix all of these in a jug and leave to one side for 5 mins until the oils in the almonds begin to thicken the sauce. Finally return the chicken to a pan on a low heat, pour over the sauce and cook until the sauce is thickened. Stir in a big bunch of chopped fresh corriander and squeeze over the dish the juice of two limes. Fantastic. Give it a try S

Ihave always grown up using the spelling "Dhal" The "h" is pronounced almost as an expression of breath S

Unfortunately,John, this hardly groundbreaking revelation is true in all cities where tourists or visitors on business make up a large proportion of the dining audience. In London, Paris, NY, LA or a hundred others, the experience of eating out is a gamble. For every crappy experience at Mirabelle or GR's @C's in London, I have had a comparably bad meal at Jo Jo's or Spago's. All of these cost around the same. Too damn much. Conran places are probably the worst offenders. I was speaking to a barman in Baltic last night who had worked at Pont De La Tour. He left when he found out ( or so he alleged ) that the service charge ( a whopping great 15%) did not go to the staff as a gratuity but was spent on the flowers for the restaurant, paying the pianist and providing staff meals. I think that people are becoming more savvy. The fact that MPW is having problems, that Chez Gerrard ( new slogan "home of the smallest tables in town") and others are having to close restaurants shows that people are wising up. I hope. The only way to deal with this is to never return to anywhere where you feel you have been ripped off. S

I am a 24hr person, Mr Guy So like all G-Men ( strictly Gals, guns, and guts ) I like to be able to buy a tootsie roll at any hour of day or night. There is so much else vulgar about the US for me to worry about. I mean, I have met xxxxx ( mail me I an I will tell you whose name I have edited out S

Perhaps they could just serve it in a kaiser Roll. smothered in their world famous sauce, naturally. How very American. Not the taste part, the serving of a garnish S

Yes but that has nothing to do with mobile phones or eating out

When I visited Blue Hill recently, I noticed that you had a lot of tables crammed into a very small amount of space. This meant that whenever anyone on the right hand side ( as you enter ) of the restaurant wanted to use the bathroom, the whole row had to reconfigure to allow them to move. Hence my term for this phenomenon, The Piss Waltz This seems to be an increasing trend among restaurants these days and is obviously driven by the necessity to have as many covers as possible to offset the soaring rents and overheads As a person who obvioulsy cares considerably ( certainly I gathered this from the time you were kind enough to spend talking to us after our meal ) about the enjoyment his customers get from coming to the place, how do you try and balance the financial needs and the determination to offer value and a pleasant dining experience? S

I have always been very disappointed with the food at Don Felipe. I hear the ping of a micro wave far too often for my liking. I like TAS, a decent turkish place on the cut, better for appetizers that mains. There is a better Tapas place about two mins walk from Baltic called Ma I terra which I can recommend, the only place in london that can make a half decent Sol y Sombre. I went to RJS the other day for lunch, the food was actively grim, but what a wine list! Don't foget on the South Bank as well, there is a wine bar called the Archduke which is really rather good if old school. A bit of a walk from the Tate, but worth it.

I have to say that I find cheese boards in the US in general and in NY in particular to be universally underwhelming and sometimes actively nasty. I am not sure why that is, apart from the nannying of a government that thinks that people are not grown up enough to decide if they are going to take the risk of eating "real" cheese. Even the otherwise estimable Grammercy had an execrable board the last time I was there. A blight on an otherwise perfect evening. I posted on the other board about this an two people recommended Artisnal and Picholine. I was very disappointed when I tried them. I am not sure if it was just that there is no feel for how to serve or indeed care for cheese or if I have just been unlucky. Like Nesita, it is often the highlight of my meal, so any suggestions for my next trip across the pond would be very welcome. S

In my dictionary, real ale is defined by being cloudy and only ever served by men in home crocheted sweaters who have their little finger stuck in one ear and sing songs about "leaving Liverpool, never to return" Adam, you can take the boy out of Yorkshire...,etc. A good tyke should always carry his pots t'bar. Which field were you dragged up in? You will be telling me next that you only had fruit on the sideboard when someone was ill. S

I have just returned from a late supper at Blue Hill. As we all happened to be on the wrong side of the pond at the same time, Sam and Scott F were kind enough to save me from a night spent in front of poor american hotel porn ( although I am sure I heard Sam say "give me some big boy" when she asked to try Scott's pudding, so perhaps it was not so different) and invited me to join them at the much vaunted place After a couple of surprisingly well made cocktails at the W, we arrived bang on 8pm for our supper. The initial impression of the room was not favourable. Far too many covers crammed into this basement area, so once again every time any one wanted to go to the bathroom the whole row of tables had to take part in The Piss Waltz. The room was well fitted out but the lighting was way too low. The initial impression of the service was also not favourable. If misery truly loves company, our waiter must be the most popular man on campus. He barely cracked a smile all evening. Most disconcerting. I felt he really didn't want to serve us. People usually have to watch Scott eat before they decide that!! We ordered from the A La Carte as the Tasting menu, although looking fine did not"float our boats" to quote Sam. Amuse appeared quickly. These were two glasses of soup. One an exemplary corn soup which was well seasoned and based on an excellent stock, the other a less successful cold soup of romaine lettuce. This lacked any real depth. Starters were a commendable snap pea soup which worked very well, a crabmeat lasagne which I found very bland and my own choice of steamed foie. This was served in a small casserole dish with baby vegetables and a stock which was enriched at the table with a small amount of red wine. I found the stock a little too salty but the foie and vegetables were excellent. The red wine was an uneccesary affectation. Main course choices were all meat based, although there was plenty of fish on offer. Sam chose a hangar steak, Scott a duck breast and I had a rack and leg of lamb. Each of these was cooked exactly to order which is a rare thing in NY kitchens. The steak was crusted and salty ( in this case a good thing) but the almost ubiquitous romaine wilted underneath, added nothing. Scott's duck breast was not a great ingredient, but there was a chunck which had beed seared and was full of gloriously unctuuous fat. My lamb was from Colorado. It was well prepared but served in a reduction which was way over seasoned and littered with inconsequential baby vegetables. Desserts were a mix. A rhubarb tart was very good indeed, but the vanilla ice cream had not been out of the freezer for long enough. A chocolate coup was ill judged as a mouthul of coffee, chocolate and ice didn't appeal to any of us. My chocolate bread pudding was however one of the best desserts I have had in the US, quite memorable and more so because of a superb praline on which it was served. Fantastic We ordered a not over priced Montrachet at $55. It held up well to all our dishes. The list seemed small but well considered Bill for three came to $250 inc a thoroughly underserved tip. Mr Anthony was kind enough to come and have a chat as we were leaving the restaurant. He seemed a personable, knowledgable and caring chap. He also took the time to make some other recommendations of places we might enjoy. In the end we all agreed ( I think ) that we gave Blue Hill 6/10. The menu was more adventurous than many mid level eateries I have tried in NY and while the execution was a bit hit and miss, it was more hit than miss. They should really make the waiter smile occasionally, even if they have to paint it on. 6/10 S

Mela - For authenticity ( Kuldeep Singh is a very talented chef and they make the best Rabri I have ever had outside India Tamarind - is good. Avoid the seafood dishes which are bland The India Club is a filling station, ludicrously cheap, hit and miss ( more miss than hit ) but I love it Star of India - Rajeev Mohammed ( Sp?) is a very good chef and becoming a bit of a personality. He loves what he does and it shows. HE makes a superb Hydrabadi Byriani and the tandoor cooking is of a very high order. Parveen is close to where I work, so I do go there quite a lot. It is no more than a fancily done out curry house now and the food, while not bad, is overpriced. S As with Blondie, my choice would be Mela

If we can go outside the UK, then my worst meal would definitely be La Regalade. So many people whose opinion I respect had said it was great and it just wasn't the night we were there. Scott, if you think Locatelli was fast try being in and out of a three course meal in just over 45 minutes. I don't move THAT fast if immigration is after me. The food was very ordinary and in the case of a special of crevettes, actively nasty. I see that some people had a decent meal there recently, so perhaps it was an off night. raises another question, can a restaurant be allowed to have an "off night" on a Saturday..?

Never, ever doubt the Majumdar Brothers Again!!!

1)Locanda Locatelli 2)The Capital 3)Capital Gerrard St

Without the first thought of a seconds hesitation beginning to think about imagining crossing my mind, my worst meal in the UK was GORDON RAMSAY @ CLARIDGES Shoddy Service Crappy Room Ordinary Food Extarordinary Prices I would rather pour acid over my testes than go through that experience again S

This is what I did in the end. ( I e-mailed this to a Russian friend in Canada DON'T ASK!, so thought it might be useful ) Thanks to Suvir for the tip about soaking the onions. It helped take out a lot of the bitterness and soften them up. It is also nice to use a term like "soaking my onions" without fear of arrest! Tandoori Lamb Chops With an onion and Cucumber Salad INGREDIENTS 4 Lamb chops Per person ( do not trim off fat ) MARINADE 1 large tub yoghurt 1 large peice of fresh ginger ( chopped ) 2 Large cloves of Garlic ( chopped ) 1 teaspoon of Fennel Seeds 1 teaspoon of Cumin Seeds 1 teaspoon Saffron ( optional ) 1 teaspoon Chilli powder 1 teaspoon Cinammon Juice of one lemon Mix all of these together in a big bowl with the lamb chops. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least two hours but better over night. SALAD 4 tomatoes 1/2 Cucumber ( diced ) 1 piece Ginger ( in thin strips about 1 inch long ) 3 Red Onions ( pre-soaked in Ice water with lemon to take out the bitterness ) 1 red chillie - with seeds still in ( chopped ) 1 Bunch of Corriander(Cilantro) chopped 1 spring Mint ( chopped ) Mix all of these in a bowl DRESSING 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds juice of two lemons ( or better, Limes ) 1 chopped red chillie I clove garlic ( chopped ) 1 small piece ginger ( chopped ) Heat the oil and add the chilli, garlic and spices and cook until they begin to pop and let their flavour out Pour the flavoured oil into a bowl and allow to cool a little Add the lime juice and some salt and pepper and whisk until it combines. pour this over the salad and cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. The dressing makes the onions nice and soft. When you are ready, pre heat the grill. Please the lamb chops on the grill pan, draining off much of the marinade ( which will burn if you do not ) cook the lamb for about 7 mins each side ( depending on how you like it cooked ) until the coating gets a crunchy texture ( without burning ) Serve with the salad and also a classical indian accompaniment of raita ( yoghurt with chopped cucumber and mint )

is there any other sort of Bourdain? much more interesting would be the episode where a group of seventh Day Adventists turn up on his doorstep and he invites them in with a warm smile and a huge hug. Once inside he serves them warm buttered crumpets while they join in a rousing rendition of "What a Friend We Have In Jesus" An average night, chez Bourdain

I am sitting in my office feeling sorry for myself as I have a stinking cold. Whenever I get like this I have strange cravings for the crappy food I always used to eat when I had days off school due to illness, so here I am sitting in front of a steaming cup of Heinz Chicken Cup A Soup with synthetic croutons I also have an inexplicable craving for boil in the bag Cod in Parsley Sauce. Am I sick in more ways than one, or do other people get cravings for crappy food when they are ill? Perhaps, I am trying to get in contact with my inner child ( can you get arrested for that?) S

Jay I am not sure you want a quote from me on the cover of one of your books. A bit like having Herod saying " it taught me everything I needed to know" on the front of a Miriam Stoppard books S

John Mireille's Cook's Tour was a marvel and one of the great cookery shows of all time. As a Brit, I did not grow up with Julia Childs but her shows have been on in the UK on occasions and I have seen them on my trips to the US. I love her way of presenting and she reminds me of the late great Fanny Craddock who with her drunk husband, Johnny stumbled her way around the TV kitchen of post -rationing Britain S

Let us not forget that these are the days when someone with the limited talents of India Knight can be allowed to review restaurants. It used to be the case that reporting on the annual dog show was the lowest point in journalism, now it seems that the job of restaurant reviewing is given to the slithering stomach scraper in the building I agree about Campion and Maschler. I will also allow Jay to be on the "not first against the wall" list as, against my better judgement, I can't help liking him and his most recent book is actually terribly well written. And despite the fact he had his head waaaay up MPW rectum, I can't help liking Meades. I do think however that he will cringe with shame every time he sees the truly risible piece he wrote about cooking for his beloved Marco at home. One of the worst pieces of food writing that was not associated with the words " Observer Food Monthly" I have ever seen. S

These all sound wonderful I am so glad you are back and now I know why Dhonno bad ( sp?) S

Nina for a great indian dessert simply mix a good whole milk yoghurt with a little rosewater and a handful of chopped pistachio's. Chill for a couple of hours. As simple as it sounds but the taste is lovely and refreshing after a meal of complex tastes which a good indian meal is for the cauliflower, try a bengali dish which is simple. just fry some onion seed ( Kalonji ) and some fennel seed in oil with a little tumeric. Add the collie in small florets along with a tablespoon of water. cover and simmer for 5 mins. Er that's it. Wonderful with fish dishes S