Kerala

I gave up beef 11 years ago for religious reasons. I miss it occasionally, and this choice makes Argentina less attractive as a holiday destination. I wouldn't like to eat monkeys. I've tried tripe in Florence and andouilette in Paris. The first I couldn't swallow a second fork full. The second I couldn't quite make myself pull off the fork and into my mouth before spitting it out. Looks like a turd, smells like a turd, now I know what a turd tastes like. Are chitlins this bad?

Oh god I've been spending the last few years trying to do Julia Child's technique after @Shalmanese posted it on here somewhere! No Teflon, ironically.

Not a movie but definitely food-orientated is Midnight Diner on Netflix. I really love it. I was reading a lot of rather violent manga when I first came across it, and I found it a very soothing contrast. Short stories set in a little after-hours diner. Gentle.

So much wrong here and so much right!

How or where do you source these MREs?

We all get things wrong. It's the refusal to own up and apologise, the lack of reflection that really annoys me here.

Ignorance and arrogance. Yep. Guy's a dick.

I got really excited when they introduced Nathan Myhrvold on the radio but I was driving with my chatty buddy, so I look forward to listening again. I didn't really know anything about Nathan. Quite a guy, isn't he?

On a slightly different tack, it saddens me that the person I most want to thank, ie the cook who made my food, usually doesn't get a look in. I think some restaurants do share the tips with the kitchen staff.

That looks much nicer than KFC.

Hi Sheel! Could you put up a picture of the final product in the jar or on the plate? That would be so appreciated.

Try it once?

Really enjoying this thread, I have to say. I've never seen chapattis done in an oven before. Am I misreading this? @Chris Hennes, is that Madhur Jaffrey's instruction? I grew up eating chapattis in Kerala and considered it native, but it is really North Indian in origin. We do it on a skillet down south. So sad that I only have supermarket soup waiting for me in the fridge upstairs in the staff room.

I can't remember who said that eating food prepared by another is an act of submission.

Interesting, and it never occurred to me. Like others, I ate the chillies and thought it nice. Will I be able to resist next time?

As somoeone who will never make puff pastry although I do use the store-bought stuff, I would love to see the results.

Just announcing since there's hardly anyone in real life I can share with. I have bought three Anovas, one each for my sisters and me because of birthday timings. New Year's sales in the UK if anyone's dithering on the edge -extra 20% off!

I know nothing about this topic but I'm so planning to go to Peru to try this! Will look out for somewherenext time I'm in London, probably my best chance in the short to medium term.

I like to know the rules and I am rather prissy about them. I know what's right and wrong in a paella, a Bolognese sauce and a biriyani. However I will cook with what's available and will certainly not criticise what someone else serves up based on these rules. One of my best friends is a professional chef who doesn't give two hoots about the rules but consistently makes great tasting food. He also washes his knives (and mine!) in the dishwasher...

We do eat a lot of avocados, mainly as BLAST (bacon, lettuce, avocado, salmon, tomato) sandwiches, and we do have a Nutrininja, which we mainly use for frozen margaritas and daiquiris. I think we dodged this bullet.

Present from my lovely sister 15 years ago. Jamie Oliver, granite.

I've noticed a bit of this happening here in the UK. All to the good.

1) What is your favourite restaurant (apart from your own) This probably marks me out as a bit of a pleb, but I was so impressed when I visted Hakkasan Hanway Place in London. It's all a bit obvious. Lovely food with great presentation, flavour and texture. Attentive sleek attractive staff. Subdued but sufficient lighting. Comfortable. Expensive. Loved it. 2) What is your most important ingredient in the kitchen, and why? Fresh cracked pepper goes into everything almost as much as salt and oils. It's a taste that belongs in Western cooking but comes from south India. It makes me feel at home. As a taste, I love it on roasts, in stews, on marmalde- everything. 3) What tool is most important in your kitchen, and why? My fan assisted oven. I've had it for 15 years, and I know exactly what will happen in it if I turn it up to 200 and cook for however many minutes. 4) Which restaurant, anywhere, is your dream destination to dine? Rick Stein's place in Padstow on one hand. A safe warm shack serving momo at the end of a long trek up a mountainside in Nepal, on the other. 5) What trend do you see becoming popular in restaurants in the next year? Deconstruction. 6) What trend would you most like to see go away? Deconstruction.

Thanks @liuzhou and @Thanks for the Crepes. It went in the freezer last night. The guidance indicates 2 days to thaw, so it will come out into the fridge again on Saturday. Happily, I have a helpful neighbour with an empty fridge!

Wow, that's a recommendation I can accept! If it's your dream destination anywhere in the world and I live virtually down the road from it, I would be churlish not to pay a vist! Thank you.