Kerala

I've only used minced lamb in shepherds pie.. However the whole preparation you have done is much more complex than I would do. Personally I wouldn't try that with lamb, because I'm trying to make a specific dish, but I think with chicken you might be onto a winner. Looks fairly foolproof so it could be perfect for one of our large family meals over Xmas! I'd call it "chicken and mash pie."

That looks really great, and I'm tempted to make that myself. But, I'll be the one to say it today, that's no shepherds pie!

There are lots of different approaches, it seems, but I used this from Shaan Geo. I halved the quantities involved, so 500g of lemons. It should ideally be ripe yellow limes, but we don't really see them in the UK. The video has English sub-titles. For ease of reference, the quantities he uses are: 1kg limes, cut into 8ths 8 tablespoons (100g) salt 150g garlic cloves, peeled and halved 3/4 of a cup of coconut oil 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds 2 teaspoons of fenugreek seeds 3/4 of a cup of ginger cut to matchsticks 30 medium green chillies or 100g bird's eye chillies 6 tablespoons of sugar 2 tablespoons of vinegar curry leaves 3/4 teaspoon of turmeric I pretty much followed him cut-for-cut, and the whole thing was easy and straight-forward. Everyone was happy with the results: sour, salty, sweet, hot, herby. He says put aside for at least 5days in an air-tight container. I made it about 2 weeks before our Onam get-together.

We would have accepted rectangular leaves if that was all that was available. Of course, there's a small sub-register in my brain saying ,"That's like 80 rupees for one leaf!" But these are an imported luxury here. No doubt I could get them cheaper if I hunted around. However, on that day, just as a surprise find, they were a must-buy!

@KennethTwe popped out to get some basics at a local Nisa store in Maidstone. I guess Nisa stores have a lot of autonomy because this shop haa lot of unusual stuff. As we walked in we saw raw, fresh banana leaves. We chose the best 16 or so, looking for the most aesthetically pleasing leaves. Big Sis had already procured paper faux banana leaves, because it's hard to get real leaves. I think they came to 80 pence or so a leaf. To answer your question, the banana leaves were sitting there looking fresh on the floor of the supermarket.

"19 years later..." Ha,ha! Didn't realize, but it's a great thread. So many fabulous voices from the past.

@BhukhhadPeople do get quite finicky about the placement of the various preparations, but it really does vary. Sorry about the mess, but this pic shows a fully plated up leaf. And here's a prettier photo. Anyway, the cut end of the leaf should be on the right, the pointy tip to the left. The curries etc along the top with pickles on the left upper extreme. Pappadam, plantain, fried banana coins and jaggeri coated banana pieces below that. Rice served with daal, then with sambar, then with yoghurt and mango curry. Then three kinds of payasam. Yes, we are prone to diabetes in South India! Here's the list we worked from This was the first time we did it without our mother sorting things(she's in India this year). My big sister bravely led from the front and organized Onam at her house. We coordinated between us what dishes to make, but the bulk of it was inevitably shouldered by Big Sis.

We got together for Onam a few weeks ago, in Maidstone. As Sister Sledge said, I got all my sisters with me! This pic above is not my own, but a useful reminder of what to serve and where to place it. We were lucky to get real banana leaves on the day rather than use paper substitutes. I made carrot thoran and white lemon pickle. And helped with a bit of prep too. It was lovely being with everyone, fourteen of us this time, and getting the meal done. I wonder if the kids (all young adults, mostly mid-twenties) will carry on the tradition.

Chicken biryani I used the recipe in Dishoom, although the eggs and the cashews are not in that book. Friends I haven't seen since before Covid came over, so it was a lovely weekend.

OK, so this really is the last of my Portuguese haul. From a couple of weeks ago. Simple, but excellent. Nice intact pieces of fish, a firm but not overcooked texture, a light taste just great with the olive oil. On good bread, with good tomatoes, a drizzle of the olive oil and a few flakes of salt, this really brings back a sunny Mediterranean holiday morning. If this is the Veblen effect, then on a rainy day in the Midlands it's well worth the extra Euros.

That sounds delicious, I can see those flavours working well together and can even imagine the mouth feel. @boudin noirdo you grind the pine nuts at all or use them whole?

It's OK, better than baseline supermarket sardines, but rather bland, both the sardines and the added herbs. Not very expensive, so there's that going for it. Nice packaging.

I've learned a lot about food over the last 20 years(10 years lurking, 10 years registered) and it's hard to say what exactly came from eG. In any case, my reading and travel experiences were influenced by eGullet. Omelettes. I didn't know anything about omelettes beyond what we have as omelettes in Kerala,which is a very different beast. Cheffing chicken drumsticks. Thanks for making my life more difficult but also much better. Air fryer. Nuff said. An understanding of internal temperature as a concept across sous vide, oven cooking, and barbecue. And BBQ reminds me, watching people get worked up about terminology. Paella, carbonara, biriyani, cassoulet... My conclusion is that it's best to understand the original dish, but if you can't, by all means have a go- but don't argue with a native about it.

We went to the Holkham Food and Beer Fair in Norfolk last weekend. It was set in the massive walled garden at Holkham Hall. The weather was lovely, the music was groovy and the cider was fruity. Lots of local produce and I bought some. Chanterelles Venison In a cream sauce with roast potatoes and red cabbage.

Absolute top standard. It's not the only way, but for this target, this looks perfect.