lesliec

Hi Helen. Oh yes, definitely Wellington, then Mum would have to visit! I think viognier has gone beyond the 'passing trend' stage. There are many of them around, the best mostly from Hawkes Bay. I'm not certain we've quite settled on a style yet, but that makes it more fun for us drinkers, right? (My most ecstatic wine experience in the past year or so was a sweet botrytised version from Trinity Hill - total nectar.) We like it as a rather more interesting drink than many chardonnays seem to be at the moment, and would serve it with the same kind of food.

Hi, Umami5. I hadn't thought of trying it sous vide, but I've had great success simply bringing oil plus whatever I'm infusing up to 90°C on the stove, keeping it there for a few minutes and letting it cool back down before bottling. You'll find some things infuse more readily than others, and I can't offer any good suggestions on why that is. Rosemary, sage and bay all behave beautifully, but basil I've had to hit with an immersion blender to get the flavour into the oil (with a consequent loss of clarity). I've found lemon much the same; I can only conclude I might need a different recipe for some things. As for quantities, I haven't found precision to be at all necessary. Last time I did 5 litre batches and just put a handful or two of the herbs in. You haven't mentioned what SV equipment you've got. If it's something like a SVM/rice cooker combination, you have the option of putting your oil directly into the rice cooker or, for smaller quantities, you could try bagging oil and peel/leaves (don't drop the bag while you're trying to seal it!). I have no idea how an immersion circulator would handle oil going through it. Anybody?

On Wednesday evening, on the occasion of our wedding anniversary, Wifey and I took ourselves to Martin Bosley's. The restaurant occupies one floor of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club in Oriental Bay, a few minutes from the centre of town, with a view out the big windows over the yacht marina, harbour and city. It's long been recognised as one of Wellington's best, winning Cuisine magazine's Restaurant of the Year in 2007 and several other awards before and since. The cuisine is possibly best (and I admit inadequately) described as 'modern'. There is a strong emphasis on seafood, and the high quality of the raw material is obvious. Although we were sorely tempted by many of the items on the à la carte menu, we chose the degustation ($170 each with matching wines; $100 without). We'd made the same choice on previous visits, and certainly didn't regret it last night. Before ordering we were offered a choice of waters and presented with a mini-cocktail of mint, Amaretto, rum and apple juice. The mini-cocktail is a nice idea (and one I've stolen previously for dinner parties at home); it gives the guests something to sip while settling in and looking over the menu, avoiding any pressure for a too-hurried pick from the winelist. The winelist was certainly there on the table, but the way the service flowed meant we never actually had to refer to it. Judging by the wines we were served with our various courses, the list would reward some study on a future visit. The first dish was an amuse of a single oyster (Te Makutu Bay, from Waiheke Island) served with shredded celeriac, salmon caviar and an eel remoulade. Jane had some trouble keeping hers on her fork, but mine was better-behaved and delicious (this from someone who didn't think he liked oysters until just under a year ago). With this, and to drink with the next course as well, we were served Nautilus NV from Marlborough - yeasty and fresh, it worked very well. After that, neither of us got the same thing again until dessert - but of course we sampled each other's. Well, you have to, don't you? My next plate was a cube of John Dory Tartar with pine nuts, raisins, pickled potatoes and burnt onion; Jane's was a similar cube of tuna with roasted beetroot, buffalo yoghurt and sumac. They were both very good, but we agreed we preferred the John Dory. The pine nuts and raisins were finely chopped and, given the relative quantities, had a surprisingly strong flavour influence when mixed with the fish. I was intrigued by the pickled potatoes - three lttle white round things, about a quarter teaspoon in size, with a nice bite and delicate vinegary taste. Next we were poured two different wines; a Te Mata 'Zara' Viognier for Jane and a Greystone Pinot Gris for me. Possible conflict; I really like viognier, and this was a huge oily specimen. But I enjoy pinot gris too, so peace was maintained, certainly after the food arrived. Mine was black pudding ravioli with young carrots, black olive powder, a red wine-cassis sauce, orange peel and sage. This was my number two dish of the evening - the ravioli were meltingly fabulous, and each sip of the wine brought a strong echo of the orange peel they were served with. I also discovered how well orange and black olives go together, something I need to explore at home. Jane had a tarakihi and smoked eel terrine with cauliflower purée, dashi jelly and oyster and lettuce emulsion. I don't actually recall her comments, but there were happy noises being made and the piece I had was great - but I liked mine better! Next we had a pair of chardonnays; Amor Bendall from Gisborne for me and Neudorf from Nelson on the other side of the table. Mine didn't seem very forthcoming in the glass; Jane's had interesting notes of popcorn. My food match was grilled snapper with spanner crab and coconut risotto, hot coconut panna cotta, shellfish-XO sauce and lemon air. Although all the components were perfectly cooked and beautifully presented (as were all the evening's dishes), for me they didn't really have much to do with each other and I'd mark this one as my most disappointing dish. But keep in mind the competition set a very high standard. Jane had roasted kingfish with Brussels sprouts, chestnut pudding, Jerusalem artichoke ice cream and maple-bacon powder, it was very good (at least the bit I got!). The ice cream was the first evidence of a Pacojet in the kitchen, and these people clearly know what to do with one. Now we came to what might be called the 'mains', although all the dishes were thoughtfully sized with a view to keeping us going through seven or so courses without suffering from exhaustion. With a glass of Ata Rangi Célèbre (merlot, syrah, cabernets sauvignon and franc), Jane got Canterbury duck breast, Caesar salad, anchovy, fennel purée, scallop, pommes dauphine and a ginger jelly. This may sound like a major plateful, but the salad, for example, was deconstructed into a small cylinder with the greens on the bottom, a 'crouton' disk and the anchovy draped over the top. My wine was a Kemp Road pinot noir, with which I got cocoa-dusted venison shortloin and mushroom-thyme cake with mushroom reduction, beetroot, blackberry powder, carrot, smoked tomato jam, truffled Puy lentils and roasted quail. One word: fabulous. The meat (three pieces) was very red inside, with a very tasty crust; the quail (just a thigh) was centred on the plate, sitting on the mushroom-thyme cake; the rest of it perfectly accompanied the meat. And the wine match couldn't be faulted either. This was my number one dish (although the black pudding ravioli from earlier wasn't far behind). We were surprised now to have flute glasses placed in front of us – it seemed a little late in the meal (if it ever really is) for Champagne. However, this turned out to be a different (but effective) way of serving a Taylors 10-year-old port to accompany the next two courses. At this point we came back together in terms of the food; no ‘his and hers’ dishes from here on in. First up was a cheese course, but none of your lumps of different cheeses on a plate with a few crackers here! This was a piece each of triple-cream brie served with apple, candied bread and beetroot and bitter chocolate ice cream (there’s that Pacojet again). The whole thing worked brilliantly, but the ice cream was probably the star – the earthy tones of the beetroot blended remarkably with the chocolate. The next dessert was another star. Chocolate terrine (SO solid and sticky), a brushstroke of chocolate emulsion, porcini mushroom power (yes!), a sprinkling of cocoa nibs and a pumpkin gastrique. Years ago I had what is still my ultimate chocolate dessert experience. This came the closest yet to matching it. Next: jasmine tea crème brulée with lychee foam, rose petals and coconut rice ice cream, served with a glass of Chateau Villafranche Sauternes. This was also brilliant. The brulée, with a perfect crunchy crust and a distinct taste of the tea, was served under a swirl of lychee with the rose petals sprinkled on top. I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember the ice cream – it must have been getting late. But these small dishes were served with a candle in recognition of Jane’s birthday in a few days – they’d asked me when I rang to book about any special occasion we might be celebrating. And finally, as an extra which didn’t appear on the printed menu we were given after the meal, two more quenelles of ice cream. One was lemongrass and ginger; the other has completely escaped our memory. So I can’t accurately say it was memorable, but we both remember that all the flavours of ice cream we had during the evening were fabulous. Martin himself was unfortunately in Auckland on the night we were there, but his staff were very much on top of things. The flow of service was faultless and the waiting staff could answer any questions we had about the food (or could readily find out from the kitchen). Our treatment, from the initial call for a reservation through to the final farewell, couldn’t be faulted. The restaurant was nowhere near full when we were there, but we’d have no hesitation in recommending Martin Bosley’s to anybody, special occasion or otherwise.

World's Easiest Aioli In the tall plastic cylinder that (probably) came with your stick blender, place one peeled clove of garlic, one egg, a pinch or two of salt and a good slosh (I didn't measure it - maybe 50-100ml?) of olive (or other, according to taste) oil. Insert the blender with the blade (not the whisk) fitted. Turn on to high speed. Wait maybe five seconds. Serve! It really is about that fast and makes a wonderfully smooth, stable emulsion. I use my eggs straight from the fridge. The first time I tried this I got a little carried away with my garlic quantity, but adding another egg and blending again a few days later calmed the flavour down. I see no reason why the technique wouldn't work for mayonnaise, with the omission of the garlic and the addition of one or two other ingredients like mustard. Reports are welcomed. I can't comment on the influence of thunderstorms ... we don't get enough of them, dammit.

I've found the skin can get a little tough when cooked conventionally, but sous vide I always leave it on. It goes wonderfully soft and luscious.

At the risk of straying a little away from Peter's original question ... Kerry's cheese tuiles can be considerably enhanced by the addition of some chopped walnuts and finely-chopped rosemary. Grate the cheese, form small piles on a baking sheet, sprinkle over walnuts, sprinkle over rosemary, bake until starting to brown - yum! Actually, maybe I'm not straying - Peter's already allowed one suggestion involving three ingredients.

You might want to re-think some of your time estimates. Yes, there are some lovely roads in Europe but AVERAGING over 100km/h, even on motorways, seems on the high side of overoptimistic. You've got to get out of Paris first ...

Stuffing for a nice roast chicken. Breadcrumbs + onion + herbs + butter + salt & pepper. The magic ingredient, which I didn't figure out until years after I left home, is to do the final mix with your hands to squish everything together.

Hi Gav. I don't think you'll find many Michelin stars in Cadaqués, but it's still a lovely place. We visited Es Raco and were very happy with it. Not fancy; just good, with a smallish dining room and tiny balcony (with two tables, if I recall) looking out over a square with many goings-on to entertain you while eating. Get to it round the uphill (not sea) side. But my best meal in Cadaqués was still the bread, tomatoes and anchovies by the pool at Hotel Playa Sol. Sigh ...

OK, Heartsurgeon's focaccia is definitely on my list! One question, HS - what yeast did you use? You specify 12g, which is about what I use of fresh yeast in the basic recipe, but was yours fresh or dried?

When we moved back to Wellington a few years ago, our local fish 'n' chip shop introduced us to the pleasures of warehou (Seriolella brama, according to Fishbase). It's a very 'meaty' fish and tastes great. It's now our first choice for home cooked F&C (and home-cooked is the only sort we've had for the past year or more). My preferred technique is a light flour coating, then a quick swoosh through tempura batter before deep frying pretty hot - 200°C or more if you can manage it (be careful ...). I've tried vodka in the batter but didn't notice a difference - I have much better uses for vodka! I haven't yet tried squirting the batter out of my iSi syphon, but that's on the list. For chips, I'm firmly alongside those above who have expressed a preference for crisp over soggy. Unless there are very pressing reasons, all my chips now are triple-cooked in the Blumenthal manner. Marvellous stuff. And the recent acquisition at auction of another deep fryer means I don't have to juggle the fish and chips - just do them separately (previously I laid the fish on top of the chips during their final cooking - it works, but it gets a bit crowded in there). Mmm - time to cook fish and chips again, I think.

Looks great, Nick. Well done.

Coming into this a little late (I won't apologise - I needed the holiday in Nouméa, about which postings will follow at some point) ... Absolutely, if you like granite - go for it. We have three metres of the blackest stuff we could find in our kitchen and it's magnificent. Looks great, doesn't care what you put on it (OK, maybe not a red-hot cast iron pan, but let's not be silly) and is FABULOUS for bread or pastry making. We considered the manufactured stone surfaces, but they appeared (this is three or so years ago) to offer no advantages over granite, were more expensive and less stain-tolerant. Stainless steel can look OK - we have a small area of it around the gas hob - but it's easy to scratch. Over years the accumulated scratches will merge into a comfortable patina, but you've got to live with them in the meantime. Although having said that, we recently acquired a restaurant-style stainless bench on wheels to hold some of the overflow of my toys and I'm enjoying working on it too.

I must defend eating baking soda and acid! The G&T jellies mentioned upthread are great fun.

I suspect all of the reasons in your original message would apply, in varying proportions, to most of us. My El Bulli experience was primarily motivated by curiosity; I'd been reading a lot about it and wanted to see the real thing. 'Dining experience' is possibly a subset of this; I think I'd quote the two of them as my main reasons for trying anywhere new and/or different. Another consideration is the type of cooking (if any) you like to do yourself. I like to play, so I'm keen to experience the El Bullis, Fat Ducks and Alineas to spark ideas and give me something (a lot!) to aspire to.

How does that work? Presumably, each time after you move you no longer have the thing you previously moved for down the street from you. I foresee an (almost) endless loop of food moves.

My rice cooker is NEVER used for cooking rice - just for sous vide. How would we classify that?

I seem to remember this being answered somewhere (perhaps on Zoe and Jeff's site, but I just had a quick look and can't find it). If my recollection is correct, the answer was that, yes, technically the salt will slow down the yeast, but in practice it's a pretty simple recipe and you're putting the dough together so quickly it doesn't matter. Zoe, if you're watching, feel free to correct this! Chris - you've got a new photo!!

I'm not particularly bothered by seeds, so they stay in (can't think of a time I've ever seeded them, in fact). Heston Blumenthal (I think) has also pointed out that most of the umami in a tomato is in the 'jelly' round the seeds. As for the skin, it usually stays on too, except when I'm doing a favourite cherry tomato/melon ball/basil nibble. When using the boiling water/ice approach it's critical to keep the exposure to boiling water short - 10-15 seconds, no more - to keep the inside firm.

Just one caution: I got a Thermo Whip because I had some vague idea that the insulated nature of the beast would be useful, but in hindsight I'd prefer a 'normal' one (Gourmet Whip or Profi Whip). The Thermo Whip is great but restricts your ability to change the temperature of your ingredients once they're in the whipper - you can't put it in a bain marie, for example. Well, you could, but it wouldn't achieve much. If that's not likely to be an issue, or (particularly) if you expect to be needing to keep ingredients warm or cold in the whipper for extended periods, by all means go for the Thermo Whip.

Fantastic! Funny I didn't find this one in my earlier searches, but there you are ... They look like they'll do the trick, and I've ordered them. Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Thanks, JFL. BBB doesn't list them on their site, but they may be worth a try. I'll search for 'bar supplies' as well to see what comes up. And thanks also, jk1002. There are some on eBay in the UK but they're a little bigger than I want (and may also be patterned like golf balls). Still looking ...

Hi Jean. Good choice on Cadaqués! Roses is maybe 20km over the hill, and you'll have to go through it to get to El Bulli anyway. I found the road seemed to get wider each time I drove it! The surface is great, much better than we'd expect on a similar road in New Zealand, but it's very tight and winding.

I'm looking for something to make small (2cm/1 inch) ice spheres and they're proving impossible to find locally or on Amazon. These ones: would be ideal. They come from a company called Gourmac, which hasn't answered my email about distributors closer to home. One of my colleagues will shortly be coming to Los Angeles on holiday. Can anybody suggest a few possible places she might find something like this? I'm thinking maybe a good department store, but I really have no idea. I'm not sure where she'll be staying, but I know it's a kids' trip so I would assume somewhere in the vicinity of Disneyland. All suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks, Kerry. I was sure it had been more firmly attached (somehow) before it ... wasn't, and on the other whipper I examined it seemed to be solid, but if your experience is that they're supposed to be unstuck I shall deal with it manfully. I'm probably not likely to see one in a thrift shop here - they're not common, and in fact there are regulations around who can buy N2O cartridges (in theory one must be in the catering/restaurant industry, which I'm not, but I must look responsible or something). I could get another whole top from the local distributors for a significant fraction of the cost of an entire new whipper, but I'm not particularly inclined to do that if I can use the thing as it is.