Carlovski

I know a few people like that - they have looked on in horror as I liberally season things as I cook, and I have had to search right to the back of their cupboard to find some salt to put on my potatoes, but these are the same people who use copious amounts of ketchup and buy salt drenched ready meals. Maybe I do go a bit over the top with some seasoning - but I bet I actually eat less salt then some people who think they don't use salt.

There is a pub near me which does surprisingly good pasta and pizzas. He actually has two carbonaras on the menu - an authentic one, and a creamier, 'saucier' one for Brits used to ready meals and bottled pasta sauces.

I quite often make a chickpea mash to serve with casseroles/braised dishes (esp lamb ones). Good with fish too. Simply fry some sliced garlic and maybe a touch of chilli (Depending on what you are serving it with) and a little parika in some olive oil, add cooked (Canned are fine here) chickpeas along with a little of their cooking liquor/touch of vegetable stock and cook for a few minutes. Mash well and beat in a good glug of EVOO till well emulsified. Add lemon juice to sharpen (I add more for with fish, less for with a casserole - but up to you!). Same recipe works well with Cannelini beans too. You can make it sloppier (And spicier) for a good dip. Cumin seeds are a nice addition too.

Sorry I'm late to the game, but here are my carbonara 'rules' Good local (British in my case) bacon is better than bad pancetta - I often use a nice dry cure streaky bacon. Butter should be the frying medium of choice. I love Garlic. But not in my carbonara please. Same with Chilli. No onions, no shallots. I like Pecorino - but what I can get tends to be a bit salty. So a Parmesan/pecorino mix is the usual. I tend to use a one egg + one yolk mix. I usually deglaze the pan slightly with some dry vermouth. I like to add a fairly generous grating of nutmeg. A lot of black pepper. I usually crush in a pestle and mortar for that coarse yet even consistency. Strangely I'm a bit less fussy on the pasta shape I use - I like it with long pasta like linguini, spaghetti and ziti, but also short pasta like penne. The one bastardisation I will allow is to occasionally add some young sweet peas to the mix. But then I don't think of it as carbonara.

I'd also add Fenugreek, definitley the seed, and the leaf if you can get it - in the UK Barts do a freeze dried version that is quiet passable. One thing I use a fair amount which you don't often see listed is ajwain - I love it in lentil dishes. I think it is actually the indian name for lovage - but whether it is a different viariant I'm not sure (Be warned, it is powerful stuff).

I'm sure it has to be a bit nicer than your average Pompey backstreet boozer! Anyone know if the place is open on Sundays? I'm going to be in London this weekend to see my mates band - might have a mooch around and something to eat on the sunday (Work off the hangover...)

smoked paprika Black Pepper (My grinder broke last week, been having to use a pestle and mortar - and I am finding the control on the grind really brought back what a remarkable spice it is) Nutmeg (In moderation) Sherry and it's related vinegar. Mustard seeds

You could take the sherry route - a selection of styles would offer the range of tastes you desire, and not too alcoholic.

If you could manage to generate a very thin layer of pork crackling..... I know they serve a crab biscuit with Foie Gras at the fat duck - don't know how they make it, but could you produce a lobster 'biscuit'?

How about If the barstaff are wearing hotpants, drink beer. Fruit is for monkeys, not Daquiris.

Mmm, lobster and custard

I have been singing the praises of Nong Shim instant noodles for many years. The ones we get in the UK may be slightly different - The Hot and spicy one is my favourite, although the Kimchi one isn't bad. They also do a chicken one which is ok, but smells pretty bad. I always have a couple in my drawer at work for if I don't fancy nipping out at lunchtime. The swirly patterned rubbery fish fakes are a bit weird though, and I could probably do without the strange ear plug like eggy ones too.

This may be a really dumb idea but.... Could you cook with tomato water? I'm thinking either rice or pasta. It would be freaky, uncoloured but strongly tomatoey.

Ooh, that reminds me - I made a warm salad last week with courgettes, shallots and chorizo, roasted in the oven (Couple of whole garlic cloves as well). Put the hot veg and sausage on a bag of bought herbal salad (Quite a bit of rocket in there, plus soft herbs). Squished the garlic cloves into the release oil in the roasting dish and mixed in sherry vinegar and a smidge of dijon to make a dressing. Most delicious. Just don't tell anyone I ate salad!

Sounds like a culinary equivalent of Roger Penrose's new book. Sounds like I'll have to get a copy - been meaning to get the original for ages.

I'm never too good at this sort of thing, but I'd guess around 800/900 ish?

Not impressed with that breakfast at all! Don't quite get the gasps of horror of some people, not it's not health food, but if the sausage and bacon are decent, everything has been well cooked so it isn't swimming in grease then as an occasional thing it isn't at all bad. And if you have a physical job, nothing wrong with it at all. Maybe miss the fried bread though.... On saying that, I'm a bit untraditional I think. I prefer scrambled eggs with my breakfast. On the rare occasion I do have the full English I tend to favour Scrambled eggs, Sausages (The best I can find, although sometimes this equates to the best I can get from my corner shop on a sunday morning!), bacon, mushrooms (Have to have mushrooms), sometimes potatoes (Normally in little cubes), beans (No runny yolk with scrambled you see - If I have fried eggs, I miss out the beans) and lots of toast. I can vouch for the fact that having this every morning, in a sedentary occupation quickly gets too much. Stopping in a hotel with a buffet style as much as you want breakfast for a weeks training course we started by having a huge plateful every morning (Very good sausages, so I had about 4 or 5!). By Thursday I was having coffee and dry toast....

Doesn't really need anything other than pepper. Sometimes if I'm adding tomatoes and onions as well I may add a bit of paprika (not if dealing with strong chorizo though) a touch of chilli and a bit of cumin. A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the whole thing, though if I am making the soupier tomatoey version I sometimes add a slug of sherry vinegar instead.

Yep, I often use Chick peas as well. Yours is in a nicer pot though Anything starchy cooked in chorizo fat is pretty good to be honest - potatos especially. A simple hash of potato, chorizo and onion topped with a fried egg is hard to beat.

I like a simple dish of butter beans (Canned is just fine, those huge ones in glass jars you can get in fancy delis even better) heated through in the oil released by slowly frying chunks of chorizo. Good as a side dish with fish or as a lunch with some good bread.

Tins are great! They have got me out of many a pickle. Lentils as a rules aren't great, but chickpeas, cannelini and borlotti beans are fine. Good quality tinned peas are good too.

Wasn't just me that thought that about the risotto then. Sounds like it would be a bit, 'solid'

I did start a topic on this some time ago in the general forum. (not much response though). American produce seems to be all about the USDA rating - Prime, choice etc, which from what I understand is mainly done by inspection - appearance, marbling etc. Whereas in Britain the provenance of the meat is what people are interested in, how the cattle has been raised, breed etc. Still need a definitive answer on the Grass fed/Corn fed question too, I have heard conflicting stories about which is best . If you read any Tom Clancy (yes I know, but they are a good holiday read!) pretty much every book where one of the characters visit Britain he has a swipe at British Beef - although he does point out we have better beer.

I think it counts for at least 3. All you need are some chips and some jalapenos on the side, and there's your 5 protions a day right there!

I'm not sure I'm really qualified to comment, being british and all, but here goes! I've experimented with a lot of variations and have made the following observations. More Cumin is good. Most recipes don't have enough for me. Whole cumin seeds as mentioned are a good addition. With tomatoes is good. So is without. They are different beasts, each worthy in their own right. I like beans. If I'm using big hunks 'o' meat rather than ground, and no tomatoes I leave them out. Every other variation has them in though. Chocolate definitely adds something, and gives the sauce a great colour and sheen. You do get odd looks while cooking though. A bit of vinegar can help lift the flavours Last minute addition of fresh chillies can really lift the chilli. They get lost if you add them at the start. I like it HOT. If it is something you can eat plain, from a bowl, with a spoon, it isn't hot enough! Something crunchy on top is a great contrast. Tortilla chips scrunched up or chopped onion for example. On Spaghetti? Not in my house.