Charlie O

The original article was reported in the Guardian (who Siebeck seems to blame for the top fifty list) here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1509266,00.html I like the rather deadpan response from the FD at the end. Btw - signandsight is a pretty interesting site, isn't it?

I thought the programme was really, really bad. I only caught the last half of it and, while the pre-recorded bits were quite entertaining, I thought the bits in the studio were unwatchable. What struck me was the number of silent periods. Richard Johnson seemed out of his depth, struggling to ask questions while Corrigan (who seems quite watchable on his own) was determined to respond with things he wanted to talk about. It lead to an exchange that was hard to watch. As for JSP, grrrr (which I think is the reaction that the producers wanted). On a wider issue, I'm just not sure that a Top Gear-type format works for a cooking programme. It is cheap programming designed to play to the live crowd - from what I saw I felt even HB's participation was there to provoke rather than produce a deeper understanding of the food. It would have been great if the entire 8-9pm slot had been dedicated to him - that could have produced a really in-depth, challenging bit of TV, the sort that is missing from the schedules.

Any suggestions for summer eating in Chamonix? The last time I was there I was a student and camping - and didn't quite have the budget to eat out. This time we'll be walking the Tour du Mont Blanc and then relaxing in the town for a few days afterwards at the end of July/beginning of August. Le Hameau Albert 1er looks pretty good - we'll hopefully splash out on a nice meal to celebrate completion. Are there any other places to look out for? Thanks.

My Ethiopian mate who was over here for a month also liked Adulis. I haven't been yet myself but walking past it always seems reasonably busy.

Hazelnuts go very well too. Patricia Wells in Bistro Cooking has a recipe for rabbit terrine that has hazelnuts, some crushed juniper berries and a bit of gin along with other flavours. It's one of my favourites

It ain't central but I'd recommend Kooks Unlimited in Richmond. I had a Henckels utility knife where the tip of the blade had snapped and they were able to grind it down and create a sharp if shorter blade. Find them here: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=51...p=newsearch.srf Edited because I can't spell

I grew up using muffin tins to make Yorkshire puddings. Much more fun - it allows you to have two or three on a plate and I like the shape. My girlfriend however comes from Yorkshire and so has overruled me - we now have a proper tin.

There are a few Japanese shops on Piccadilly near Piccadilly Circus. One masquerades as a restaurant (and it used to be a Japanese travel agency apparently) but go through it and downstairs where there's a supermarket and sushi bar.

Oh no I ate there for the first time last month and was very impressed by the food, the service and the building. I notice from the Putney Bridge website that they claim they spent £3million on a refurbishment - no wonder they are suffering. It's a shame - I remember the building being built and still think it is one of the more notable in SW London. I'll look forward to where he goes. And as for bad luck, I'm beginning to wonder whether I (or more likely. my girlfriend ) is the jinx. The only restaurants at that level we went to in the last year have been McClements (lost its Michelin star) Anthony's (didn't get one this year) Putney Bridge (closing)

I made duck confit at the beginning of the week following the recipe in The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. He calls for 750g of fat for two legs though I presume you'd need a smaller ratio for more legs. Not having lots of ducks on hand I bought some goose fat and found for my particular setup that I used about 700g worth. I guess you want to make sure you have enough fat to cover the legs when cooking and then to store them. First time making them - can't wait to taste the results

This book will cover the very end of your period but you might be interested in it Beef and Liberty: Roast Beef, John Bull and the English Nation Ben Rogers Good luck.

Derek, thanks for joining us at what must be a busy time of year for you. I've always been curious about Michelin inspectors - how are they recruited, what their backgrounds are etc. How many are based in the UK for the majority of their inspections?

Many health food shops often stock rye flour - including some branches of Holland and Barret. The size of the packs are usually smaller than those you'll find in supermarkets but should be enough for most of Dan Lepard's recipes.

Rereading my comment above, it seems far more aggressive than I meant it. To give VLS some credit, at least he can write well and can write an interesting column. Hopefully he will improve with the reviews.

So far, I've felt that VLS has been a disappointment - far more interested in himself and a 'witty' story than the food. I wonder about the wisdom of putting a columnist - who is used to commenting on their own life for inspiration - in the position of reviewer. Like Andy said, why can't we have a decent critic? I'm hoping it's early days and that he'll improve rapidly. I wonder what MF was like when he started reviewing? In the meantime, the column has become another bit of the paper that I don't read - which is sad because it was one of my favourites.

I remember seeing Jamie Oliver do a similar thing with chilies. Roasting them in the oven is quicker than leaving them to infuse - but is there any noticable difference in flavour?

There's always Brussels - which might be another surprise when he has worked out he's going on the Eurostar. Plenty of good restaurants there too. Maybe not quite as romantic though

What a great idea I've lost so many ice-cube trays to weird flavours that I'd stopped putting anything but water in my new ones.

I too find the Conran book indispensible. Other books that I use often are: The Cranks Bible - which is great for vegetarian recipes (obviously); Bareham's A Celebration of Soup - already mentioned; French Regional Cooking by Anne Wilan - out of print but available via Amazon or Abe Books. Am thinking of getting How to Cook Cetter by Shaun Hill and the River Cottage Meat book. Though here's a thought: with all the accumulated knowledge and recipes on eGullet my compulsion to buy cookbooks has decreased considerably.

Curious - what sort of pasta is this: Ducasse's Liguria method sounds interesting - would love to try cooking it.

If its not too late to add a suggestion, my girlfriend worked here (tribeca) several years ago. I live in the UK so haven't been anywhere near it but she has very high opinions of it. The chef has changed but they seem to be doing well -

Has anyone read Not on the Label? Its by another Guardian journalist and is along similar lines as Shopped. It focuses on the wider aspects of food production - the extract in the guardian on processed bread made me dig out my breadmaking stuff again. Horrible. Edit to remove link to Guardian article that has disappeared.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Will look forward to trying them out. The Regency's a great cafe (or should that be caff?) just off Horseferry Road. The food is typical deep-fried stodge but it is everything else that makes it. Food announced at the counter and if you're not there to pick it up sharpish its called again as "going cold". There's usually a queue out of the door at lunchtime but worth it.

Just back from Brussels and you were right, YKL, Vismet is a great little restaurant. We got there mid-evening and were able to sit outside and enjoy the sun - it wasn't overly busy. My girlfriend had a mackeral tartare with a beetroot puree. The dish was the best of the meal with bold flavours that worked well. I had a little more trouble selecting a starter - two of my choices weren't available - including the ravioli. However I was able to have an octopus and mango salad which was light and fresh. For mains I had poached sea-ray (I hope my translation is correct ) with an assortment of vegetables and a caper based sauce. It was delicate and good. My girlfriend had John Dory with a tomato and basil broth. It was good but she felt that the flavours were wrong for this time of the year - it was almost too heavy. Dessert was a white cheese cake. As noted, its not in the Comme Chez Soir league but for a mid-range restaurant its not bad. We also went to another place following another recommendation from a separate thread. Will post comment on this shortly.

Anyone have any recommendations for those of us unlucky to be based in Victoria? Have yet to find anywhere decent for a quick bite - though we are lucky enough to have three Sainsbury's within walking distance...