PoppySeedBagel

Cheers

Does anyone know if there are there any nice, simple hotels or B&Bs near le CS? I'm thinking of taking Mr Poppy for his birthday in November

I enjoyed this one - I have to say I haven't watched any others in this series but thought this one sounded good - oh that complicated, fussy pre-Gordon food! At least this time it was Gordon's bare lower bits that we saw, Winot, not his manly torso...

I absolutely agree with your A&C experiences Winot and also your comments about knit your own muesli & admin - A&C do pretty well administratively, I think.

I find the pricing very confusing - if you pay £15, you get a 'free' copy of Olive, entry to the exhibition - and what else? £15 looks a bit pricy for entry to a commercial operation - though you do get the opportunity for sampling, which appeals. I may pop along on the Friday evening - it looks like fun.

I've seen that Villeroy & Boch china in loads of places over the years - like you I don't normally like patterns, but for that I'll make an exception.

Yes please Camille - I've been away on holiday or I'd have replied sooner.

Oooh I found Cajun mustard when I wasn't even really looking - at Villandry in Great Portland Street - a wonderful, but rather French, food shop - or so I thought...

Thanks for the suggestion Jaymes - I'll give them a ring.

Thanks very much - I can now make a truly authentic, and vey retro, Shrimp Arnaud, without moving from Surrey, England!

Thank you so much! That sounds rather nice - the recipes I tracked down on the Web wre not a good advert for US cuisine, being rather too vinegary and sweet.

Thanks Bleach, but sadly London is a bit too far to travel from! What is special about Creole Mustard?

thanks very much

My book group is discussing Saul Bellow's Herzog tonight - the hero's lady friend cooks him Shrimp Arnaud - it would be nice if I could serve this. Does anyone have a good recipe, or can give me broad instructions please? A quick web search reveals some rather odd-sounding recipes involving the use of Creole mustard. As I'm in London [England ] I'd need to use a substitute - would Dijon mustard do?

The best vegetarian shepherd's/cottage pie substitute that I know is Sarah Brown's Red Dragon Pie made with aduki beans and rice, and lots of vegetables - good to eat even if you're not a veggie.

Ah but my mum always made her 'shepherd's pie' with beef and I'd never heard of cottage pie until I went to university. I do agree that it is logical that shepherd's pie is made with lamb though. I believe that they would have been made with minced cooked meat originally, too - a way of eating up the Sunday joint.

Postcode - do you know where's good to eat in or near Durham these days? (am going to a university reunion there soon)

rabbit and pear tarte tatin with almond dressing the mind boggles hard, and fails to imagine what this would taste like, except not very nice... And well said about the olive oil & balsamic pouring ceremony - this idea seems to have come out of nowhere, and is bizarre. Also, am I the only person in the world to prefer ordinary, to balsamic [particularly the cheapo stuff] vinegar in her salad dressings?

Or Reigate? There's definitely a need...

ooops - apologies

Erica - they may have Pistachio butter at Planet Organic by the side of Habitat/Heals on Tottenham Court Road - or you coud make your own using your processor, some good quality oil and a bag of shelled pistachios - I always used to make my own crunchy peanut butter and it's dead easy - it will be at least a bit crunchy I warn you. As a matter of interest what are your plans for it?

I went about 2 months ago for lunch [the set menu I think, which was fine], and had some lovely food - it's quite refined, so you'll need to concentrate! The Gordon Ramsay influence showed, to me - there was that gorgeous dried pineapple crisp as part of the pudding.

I can remember the Galloping Gourmet mentioning something similar on his show about 33 years ago...

Ah but who will we get instead?

I went to Leon (36 Gt. Marlborough Street London W1F 7JE ) the other day for lunch - considering it's just behind Liberty's, it's fantastic value. I had excellent felafel in garlic/yoghurt sauce, brown rice with various seeds, a pita bread and a red cabbage sad, all for £4.80, and I think the best brownie I've ever had - for only £1.50. You can eat in or take away. It's healthy fast food - they reach behind them for the food just like in MacDo's, but it's fresh and healthy - based on my one visit.