Jon Tseng

depends where u work two hotspots are, as highlighted, 1) Clerkenwell/Islington 2) Marylebone 1) is more buzzy and has bigger range 2) more laidback, parks etc. both expensive cheers J

used to end up a bit overcooked at times when doing it in a saucepan over hob nowadays I do in a big roasting tin in a low oven - much more gradual heat helps vs. stringiness J

The Chowhound int'l board also has some good stuff on Budapest - was very useful last summer cheerio J

The obvious classic is peaches poached in sauternes... especially this time of year The riff would be foie gras poached in sauternes or sweet wine... the thomas keller has a recipe for gewurtztraminer-poached foie gras - you should be able to substitue a sweet wine here One of the deserts a gavroche is london is a tokaji delice (think its a bavarois/mousse thing flavoured with tokaji) which could also be made with other sweet/lh wines Look at the James Peterson book on Desert Wines - theres recipes to go with wines in there so there may be some which include them too cheers J

by "topped up" do you mean you buried it in the salt? J

Interesting to note Anthonys in Leeds doesn't do tables above a certain number (Gary M will know more, seeing as he appears to have a season ticket to the place!) precisely cos they don't think they can keep quality up guess its the traditional trade-off between culinary integrity... and making money! J

These is a chocolate fondant recipe in RB's Blanc Mange book from the early 90's (doesn't claim to have invented it) - though judging from the date of publication it still seems likely MB got there first J

banana and bacon honey and just about any red meat you can think of. plus poultry. J

I think Erickson was spinning the opposite story re vineyards in Noble Rot - the family owned businesses to bordeaux get clobbered by inheritance tax so they have to sell up In UK its a seven year rule if ur handing over stuff - and the inheritance tax burden tapers down towards the end of the seven years anyway cheerio J

I made potstickers with chinese sausage, mozarella and fresh basil as a filling one (ie prosciutto, cheese and basil ravioli). they were quite nice, if I recall J

Not surprised That sounds a very funny piece of meat to terrine - normally you'd think suckling pig would be lighter/blander just roasted and you'd have darker/older/more flavoursome meats in a terrine Then again I guess the same could be said of terrine de veau, which is a french farmhouse cooking standby... cheerio J

which provincial restaurants have you eaten in recently jon? gary they have RESTAURANTS outside of the stockbroker belt ???

very astute.

No in london Definitely YES once you get into the provinces London punches well above its weight in terms of interesting places to eat... the problem is the rest of the country has simply failed to keep up cheerio J

Which has also shot up in recent years from thirty squids for minuscule portions to forty five squids for minuscule portions (albeit service compris) J

I am confused. Everyone "plagiarises" Escoffier who was a brilliant chef who did new, wild and wacky things in his time. Everyone "plagiarises" Adria who is a brilliant chef who does new, wild and wacky things in his time. What is the difference? Why does "plagiarising" one have negative connotations while "plagiarising" one is Standard Operating Procedure? ??? J

Hey Conor Thx for all the chat Just out of interest, are you the chap who was at Gousse D'Ail in Oxford, and then Browns? If so do you know what's happened to Jonathan Wright? cheerio J

A fritter ie something batter an' deep fried. Can be savoury or sweet eg "Beignet of Chocolate and Caramal a l'Ecosse" chrs J

Could you do a double header with Juniper Just from a "who can squeeze the most courses into a single lunchtime" point of view? J

Aren't there also those sweet biscuit things you get in tins. Look like long, thin cigars. Baked egg-enriched pastry. Thoughts those were egg rolls to J

Vatel on managed your suppliers? J

Maybe you could find local abalone there? Its fished in the channel isles (called ormer) but rarely makes it to the mainland - my suspicion is the chinese get there first J

I suspect he's got a season ticket (Hey! That would be a good idea! Mich 3* season ticket... unlimited degustations for a set fee... sort of like what the Odeon cinemas do but with more truffles included...) J

Also the Galvins - ex-Orrery and Escargot J

Cabs about twenty five quid There's a bus out to great milton you can catch in the morning (about every hour or so) but don't run back to oxf afternoon/evening Good food, service, ambience. Only warning I'd make is portion size tends to be small - remember to stock up on the bread! Service is compris, in the french style, which is a nice touch J