nikkib

Mela has some lovely vegetarian dishes.

You can, i'm pretty sure buy gelatin vitamin supplents although i know thats not really the spirit inj which your thread was started..

The "admiralty" on the strand is also supposed to do a great vegetarian menu, Arbutus in Frith street also has a couple of great veggie options and is worth a visit.

See hint here I was sworn to secrecy However, I can tell you that it isn't likely to be open until June. Still waiting to hear what the name is, they've discarded the first idea. Does anyone else think London could support several restaurants like Arbutus? I think it could survive very well in some suburbs as well as central London. If only he wuold come to Croydon ← Yes, i saw the hint, i also called you a tease for refusing to reveal more.... I definitely think London could support more arbutus' (arbutii?) I for one would LOVE one in Notting hill and there are areas outside london like St albans or Limpsfield (only joking chefsimon. .) that are positively crying out for them, long may they reign...

I was just thinking about this restaurant recently. I used to love their cheese souffle (years ago!!!). Very plain and last century I know, but I'd love to see it on menus again. ← The souffle suisse at the Wolseley is one of the best things about it.

Of course once eGullet does go 'overground' and become a mass market phenomenon we old-timers can bitch about the unruly newcomers and declare the spirit of the site lost, the soul of eGullet diluted and bastardised for commercial gain and then either set up a splinter site (The Judean People's Front?) or just sit in the corner grumbling. That's what being part of a web community is all about Cheers Thom ← Or the peoples front of judea....

Mmm, well chefsimon wanted national press and used egullet to get it although not quite i suspect as one would like or have expected from a reviewer of jays' calibre. Whilst i see Basildogs point about "on the record" and off the record i wouldn't necessarily expext comments i made here to end up in the nationals, although as it is an unknown restaurant i suppose using egullet set the theme of the article and explained why Jay was reviewing this restaurant and what exactly it was that made it "newsworthy" In fairness Jay only said what most of us said about prices/set menus etc etc. There is nothing wrong with chefsimons ambition, indeed it is admirable and shows conviction - but there are certainly a few "tweaks" to be made and hopefully our advice and this platform will help Chefsimon all the way to the star he covets.

or lemon macaroons mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Wow! May! thats not long to go, i agree though that london needs more restaurants like arbutus, it sounds like they have a very exciting future - Matthews a bit slow of the mark isn't he....

A whole smoked salmon or honey glazed ham is good for partys or salmon topped with prawns, lime zest, lime juice and coriander and wrapped in filo is one of my mums party favourites, pretty easy to make and always looks impressive. A good cheeseboad with some chutneys and fruit is also a good idea and people can keep coming back for a nibble as are the meze/tapas style dips (hummus, tzatziki,babaganoush,guacamole) with vegetable crudites, pittas, crisps, stuffed vine leaves etc Or a warm bagna cauda with whole heads of celery, broccoli and cauliflower, artichokes, radishes, cherry tomatoes etc

Yeah i've done those before with a shot of vodka in trhe bottom but more of a salsa than straight mary mix, chpped tomato with diced jalapeno (the jarred ones) and pepper with a pinch of celery salt and a drop of worcestershire sauce. mmmm...

Might be a good idea just to be on the safe side but it is quite a large restaurant and can't see them being completely full - i have been in before without a reservation but that was midweek. They also have a vegetarian menu is you ask for it that might be quite child friendly, and the crepes suzette are made table side which is quite a show! Have a great time, i'm very jealous now

No No NO! to the horseradish uuuuurrrgggghhhh Although chilli infused sherry is good - just a splash mind, vodka, tomato juice, celery salt and lots of it, worcestershire sauce, tabasco and half a lime. Shaken over ice and served with celery stick, but definitely NO HORSERADISH!

In the uk Michelin is far more widely used than zagat, you only ever really see the us tourists using them. I found michelin really useful in NYC soon although i know it still only covers a cple of us cities.

Little murders?

Is it GREASE? ← Yes, you're correct! Other food-related items from the movie: A Dog-Sled Delight "No use crying over spilled milkshake" and "Maraschino, you know, like in cherry..." ************************************ A new movie puzzle (an oldie!): Bon-bons, peppermint, lemonade, crackerjacks, a chocolate bar, a sugar bowl, a tootsie roll and a devils food cake ← I feel kinda sad for knowing that one by the time i got to the cherry soda...

Buy a copy of "the Silver Spoon" Italian cookery book packed full of great recipes. I always associate med cuisine with lots of tomatoes, olives, courgettes, aubergines, peppers etc. Fish wise seabass, turbot, Sardines, mullet all feature strongly as does veal, rabbit and pork as well as offal.

Is it GREASE?

Angelinas near the jardins tuilieres is great for coffee and they do the best hot chocolate (literally melted chocolate and cream) in town. If you are going to Les Halles then try au pied du cochon, we went there en famille and the younger ones although slightly wary at first of the specailaity (pigs trotters stuffed with foie gras) loved it and the staff were very charming too. Real bustling bistro so kids would be fine there.

This was the recipe stolen and offered to pepsi who turned it down and handed the culprits over to coke wasn't it?

Love it!!!! ← Our housekeeper in Hong Kong regularly brought food back with her from her country after her trips home. Once one of the dishes main ingredients was dogmeat. The kids weren't too happy at my barking every time they opened the fridge but I did explain that in some places people are so poor that this is one of the few cheap sources of protein they have access to, as indeed was the case with our housekeeper's family, and it is, after all, just meat. I tried it and it tasted like veal, quite nice actually. But a lot of people did go eeewwww when I told them. ← You don't eat dog in Asian countries because of economics - it's because it's supposed to be very energy boosting and very "warming" for the winter months. It's good if you're a guy and if she brought it back to share with your family, she must've really liked you guys! ← trust me, Gastro888, the dog eating was definitely an economic decision. Deep in Benguet province in the Philippines and the village is an Igarot one (Filipino aboriginal people) and is extremely poor. I later took the kids there and we stayed for 5 days and we all ate the dog adobo as that was pretty well all the protein they had except for manok (chicken) the pork(baboy) was saved for very special occasions. Basically we ate mountains of rice with veg and mung beans and very small amounts of meat. But we did laugh a lot and enjoy amazing hospitality. ......not like the markets I've been to in China where yellow dog is prized for other reasons as you say, as I believe it is also in Korea ← Oh interesting! This is the first I've ever heard of dog being consumed for economic reasons. That's a new one. I jokingly threaten to eat my parents' neighbor's dog when it's barking at 6am on a Sunday morning for no reason... ← ahhh but do they have a shibu inu....

ooo yeah babaganoush is great - give that a go...

http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette.c...m_recette=25682 has a recipe for chamia (but its in french) this seems to be the english version - It is also called Qalb-el-louz and is an algerian baklava for the dough : 4 cups coarse semolina 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup melted butter 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup orange blossom water 1packet vanilla sugar For the filling : 5 tablespoon of ground almonds 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons blossom water for the syrup : 4 cups water 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons blossom water Preparation : For the dough, mix the semoulina, sugar, butter and vanilla sugar. Add water and blossom orange water slowly until the dough is gathered. Do not overwork. Filling: Mix sugar, cinnamon and almonds. Grease a baking pan Spread half the dough on the bottom so it is about 3 inches deep. spread the fillilng evenly on dough. Sprinkle some more orange water. add the other half of the dough, making sure the almonds are all covered with dough. Cut into squares before baking and place a whole almond in each square. Let sit for at least two hours. In the meantime, prepare the syrup by mixing the all the syrup ingredients. Boil until the syrup has reduced by about 30% and is still runny Bake at 210C or around 375 F for one hour. the top should be golden colour. Remouve from oven and pour the syrup immediately, adding syrup as it is absorbed until it is saturated. Let cool.

The "Silver spoon" italian recipe book has lots of lovely aubergine recipes in it including a great one for parmigiana which i will try to ammend and post later, well worth a shot as it was delicious.

and if not i'd be willing to help you out by taking your booking... While there are no guarantees, I would suggest contacting them by email to let them know of your plight and hopes for rectifying it. If there is a way for them to accomodate you, I expect they will. ←