Miss J

It looks like mold.

Fresh Flavours of India is published by Conran Octopus (www.conran-octopus.co.uk). It has some great recipes in it. Some of my favs are: Garlic pickle Coconut chutney Tamarind rice Green mango & shallot salad Moru kachiathu with green banana and mango (bright yellow and tangy) ...and finally the Pal Payasam, a stunningly good rice pudding with cardamon, ghee, cashews and raisins that brings people to their knees when they try it. The book was written by the owner of the Rasa restaurants in London, which I'm very fond of. However, I know that Simon doesn't share my enthusiasm...

London tap at home. Volvic at work, because it comes in those nice pre-measured bottles that ensure I drink enough. I don't like sparkling. Am I not cool?

Because it was hot last night (and because unlike Jinmyo and SobaAddict, I am a lazy git), I made a simple bowl of pho. Beef stock simmered with star anise, cinnamon, shallot & ginger whilst the rice noodles softened Nuoc Mam Thinly sliced raw sirloin steak A few beansprouts Chili Mint Thai basil Coriander Lime Sat in garden, watching immature Bramleys drop off my tree as the cat preformed acobatics in the top branches. Nice. Miss J

Interestingly, in English slang "horn" indicates an entirely different (male) body part. So when I first read the "chicks with big horns" comment, I thought you were talking about hermaphrodites. Miss J (Edit disclosure: removed catch phrase that would only make sense to those who've watched The Fast Show.)

I have Jaffrey's "Invitation to Indian Cookery," but I also rely on another book that I haven't seen anyone else mention yet: "Fresh Flavours of India" by Das Sreedharan. It's a Kerlan cookbook. Has anyone else heard of it or used it? Miss J

I know. I'm fully prepared for the day that I wake up in my living room, unsure how I got there, dressed in last weeks' clothes with The Velvet Underground looping on the stereo and a fine film of eccles cake crumbs on every surface...

Has anyone been to Tas, on The Cut near Waterloo? It's supposed to do really good Turkish, but I've failed in three attempts to get a table without a reservation. (Which is a good sign, I suppose.)

I have a few Polish friends who would fall over in astonishment if they heard you say that.

Yes! Yes, they are. *falls into dreamy eccles cake contemplation*

The only thing I've ever seen on this subject was in Sichuan Cookery by Fuschia Dunlop. She describes how to dry-roast peanuts in a wok by filling the wok with salt and raw peanuts in their pink skins, and stirring the whole mix over heat until the skins have flaked off and the nuts are roasted. How that will help you super-salt your pistachios in brine, I don't know. But that's all I can offer. Miss J

Soba, I SO knew you weren't just going to leave it at that. Miss J

In that case, you MUST go for a drink at least in the top floor restaurant. The views are stunning. (And so was the beetroot gravadlax I had, but that's another story...) Miss J

I scrambled eggs in bacon fat this weekend. And added a little spring onion and aged cheddar. Yum.

Last night was a bit of a "using things up" night. - Leftover boneless, skinless chicken breasts (my boyfriend insists on buying them), which I marinated in OO and a dribble of balsamic vinegar, grilled on the BBQ and served with a tangle of roasted peppers. - Panzanella with toasted leftover bloomer, red wine vinegar, EVOO, fresh garlic and basil. - Grilled courgettes. It was hot & sunny in London this weekend - hurrah!

Fantastic! How long ago does the British decent have to be? I'm seeing a big market for this... Miss J

Rochelle, you're not pathetic for feeling proud of your poaching water. I mean c'mon - I felt a vicarious thrill when I read that about it. Now THAT'S pathetic. Miss J

Noodles for me are invariably of the Asian variety these days (pasta is a whole different foodstuff), although the 'comfort' variety I was raised with was much more along the lines of egg-noodles with meat stews. They're nice, but not high in my favourites at the mo'. Noodle dishes that currently make me go weak at the knees: Ants-Climbing-A-Tree Dan-Dan Noodles Pho Zaru Soba (my first-ever Japanese meal when I was a homestay student in Yokohama) Miss J

*checks grey German skies* Okay, that's it folks. I want to go hang out with Magnolia! Miss J

Since it's currently cold, wet and grey in the UK, I made a rib-sticking Sunday lunch for a crowd before heading back out to work in Dusseldorf on Monday. We had: Roast pork with crackling (crisped with a kettleful of boiling water before popping into the oven) Roast potatoes in goosefat French-cut runner beans Sweet-sour red cabbage with cream (a nice purple-y pink-y mess) ...all served with lashings of Sauvignon Blanc (from New Zealand), and followed by syllabub. All very old skool and unhealthy. Great fun, though. Miss J

Er - what was the illness? Miss J

Oh my god, how could I forget this one? Mustard on scrambled eggs. My whole family does it. I've never met anyone else who hasn't shuddered at the very idea, though. Miss J

A mantra I employ at least a few times a day. Miss J

I love The Salusbury. Good, simple Italian food and decent wine - and cheap by this forum's exalted standards. I had a osso bucco with braised fennel and homemade saffron pappardelle there a few months ago, and it was gorgeous. It was so nice I nearly floated out afterwards (which is impressive given how much I'd eaten). The Salusbury's only flaw is that it's full of loud trustafarians...Queens Park is becoming more like Notting Hill every day. Miss J

I like plain ricotta on wholegrain toast. And I dress my popcorn with melted butter, honey salt and black pepper. Miss J