thampik

Well done to Clare Smyth for deciding to participate, don't you think? Massive pressure with her being the first 3* chef (I think that's right) on the show and going up against a guy who does not have any stars. And in this years' competition, the playing field is really levelled......

Could it actually have been "kerala porotta"? Usually when spelled "porotta", I tend to think of the layered, cruncy on the outside, soft on the inside variety much loved in Kerala. I have seen this available frozen as well - not a patch on a freshly made one. If you are interested, here's a link that shows you how to make this: http://spice-club.blogspot.com/2008/05/layered-parotta.html

As a departure from my trusty ragu recipe ( Marcella Hazan - cooking for 3.5 to 5 hours over a really low flame does make a big difference) I recently tried Giorgio Locatelli's Ragu recipe with pretty good results. Quite a different approach.... - carrots, celery, whole garlic cloves and onion finely chopped and sweated over high heat - minced beef (neck), preseasoned, added to pan. no stirring for 5-6 mins to allow it to sear. Stir for 10-12 mins until meat starts to stick to the bottom! - add red wine (a whole bottle! for 2kg beef) and let it reduce down to virtually nothing - add 1lt passata and 1 lt water - bring to boil, turn down to simmer for 1.5 hrs I sometimes use this recipe when I want a quick ragu

I have only used the following brands (some that Fuchsia Dunlop recommends in her two books), so I can't say I have anything to compare against Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark and Light soy sauces Gold Plum Chinkiang vinegar Gold Plum Yang Jiang Preserved beans with Ginger Gold Plum Rice Wine Vinegar Lee Kum Kee Chilli Bean Sauce I particularly love the preserved beans and chilli bean sauce. Have you tried any of these? I would be interested to know whether there are better options.

Daniel's starter looked fantastic and given a choice between it and Glynn's, I would definitely go for the Duck egg+asparagus (looked amazing, saltandwoodsmoke!). But I wonder if the dish really met the brief? I cannot see what nostalgia value it represents for a returning soldier......

Is it me or did I see Clare Smyth amongst the chefs who are taking part? Maybe Mark Sargeant is on as a previous winner (can't remember - was he?).

I ate at Mary Gaunt's Caragh Lodge near Killorgin a while ago. Beautiful setting on the shores of Lake Caragh. I can't seem to find a link as google keeps directing to Carrig House which is beside Caragh Lodge. Remember it being pretty good. ← Thanks, bakerestates. I had a bit of dig around and likewise can only find links to Carrig Country House. Kenmare seems to have a bit of a foodie reputation (maybe it is just Irish tourism promo?) and I am hoping to find some good seafood.

I am planning on spending a week near Kenmare at the back end of May and wondered if any forum members had recommendations regarding restaurants/pubs with good/great food in the area?

Try Peters Brauhaus (in the Altstadt) - which is a traditional "tavern". Good Kolsch and seemed to have all the staples of cuisine from this part of Germany on the menu. We enjoyed it.

I guess it would need to be a 3* to deserve that

Went last week to JSW (http://jswrestaurant.com/index.php) after the gap of a couple of years......Considering that the last time I was there, me & the wife ate a really good (and stonkingly good value) tasting menu, expectations were high. Firstly they have moved and the new premises (just around the corner from where they were) are very much to my taste. When I see simple but elegant and non-ostentatious decor (reminded me of the Fat Duck before they got their third star - not sure what it is like now), I am already thinking that most of my hard earned money is going towards the food! The tables are also spaced apart very generously so there is no temptation to lean over and try a bit of something from the adjoining table. Having read that JSW had a very good selection of wines from Alsace we were of a mind to try a Gewurztraminer - however the (very good) sommelier suggested a wine that we had never tried before - Auxerrois Moechreben Rolly-Gassmann - £38. Described to us as an interesting wine with a spicy edge, it certainly lived up to its billing. I heartily recommend trying it. As the monthly budget would not allow a reprise of the tasting menu, we (plus 12 year old daughter) settled for a set lunch at £19.50. I (and the daughter) went for a starter of Rabbit cooked three ways and a main of Shin of beef with truffled mash. The wife chose a starter of Turbot and a main of slow cooked lamb. As you would expect of a 1 Michelin star restaurant, everything was cooked beautifully. I was a teeny bit disappointed (maybe it is just high expectations) with the Shin of beef as it was all very rich and seemed to cry out for a contrasting taste. (As a complete aside, I tried out a recipe for braised blade of beef from David Everitt-Mathias' book Essence this weekend - served with blanched spring onions. A similarly rich dish as the Shin at JSW, but really transformed by the spring onion!). The wife had nothing but praise for her starter and main course. We emerged happy, well fed and content with life. I recommend you try JSW if you live at all nearby - the prices are very reasonable, the cooking is excellent and the new restaurant is a lovely and tranquil setting for a meal. When you think that it would cost nearly the same to eat two courses at the local (gastro?) pub, this is an absolute bargain...