MobyP

I was following my spouse through Waitrose yesterday, when I came across a display of 'Organic Seville Oranges.' Suddenly, in what can only be described as an 'eGullet flashback,' I heard the voice of Adam Balic (whom I have never met) saying "Of course, the Seville Orange season is very short..." So, to cover embarassment, I grabbed a few bags, and ran for till. Thus - am now stuck with 3 kilos of organic Seville oranges, a possible psychological condition, and a lack of recipes. Other than marmalade, what can I use them for?

Right. You and I are never, ever, having dinner.

Last night a lovely Italian wine, but I don't know anything about the grape or style (maybe Craig can help). It says: San Leonardo (1999) Vallagarina (Imbottigliato all'origine da Marchese Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga Tenuta di San Leonardo Borghetto all'Adige • TN • Italia)

Del' Aziz was the one I was looking for - behind Fulham Road and North End. A mixture of French patisserie, and middle-Eastern style meze's.

In this weekend's Independent, Terry Durack asks whether acclaim will spoil the master of molecular gastronomy, Heston Blumenthal. And Matthew Fort on how Heston Blumenthal combined mastery of French cuisine and the mechanics of cooking to win a rare third Michelin star. [both pieces can be found in this week's UK Press Digest.]

Unfortunately - A A Gill really, but really loves it.

I live around the corner - w14. I hear the Atlas is good, but the menu changes regularly, so you'd have to call. The Havelock Arms usually has a good spread of dishes - had a lovely dinner there last night, including a veggie tortelloni. Damn damn damn - there's a great spot for pastries and lunches (plenty of vegetarian dishes) up by North End road and Fulham road - but I can't remember what it's called. I'll think harder. For slightly fancy, you're not that far from Racine.

This is a valuable point, surely. I recently tasted corked wine for the first time - and that was only because there were two bottles. The difference? (For an amateur) A certain mustiness, slightly heavier on the palate, rounding off the sharper edges and crisper notes that I picked up in the second wine. Without the second, I would never have known. So - how do we know if a wine is corked? What are the variations? From slightly corked, to completely, what is the range of tastes to expect?

Damnit, you should've told me that when I was 12!

They also make some of the best burritos I've ever had. Lemonade too. The Horseman's Haven! (on Cerillos?) The 'greasiest spoon' in Santa Fe, and superb green chile breakfast burritos. Also, Daniel's Fajita Stand off the SF plaza - hands down the best fajitas I've ever had. Every time I'm in town, I race to the plaza to have one. The sopapillas (sp?) at the Plaza Cafe are fantastic, too. As is their green chile.

The Electric Bible? There's a wonderful short story in Boccaccio's Decameron about a man who murders his daughter's lover - so she takes the heart out the body, and cooks it for her father's dinner. Sounds gruesome, but it was incredibly romantic.

Yes, it's true, I am the shame of my family. My uncle, a Master of Wine, has been trying to lead me through some of the finest wines the last 30 years has had to offer, but to no avail. It's only been in the last few months that I've found ways in to certain wines, and then only because of their relationship to food. Sometimes, if I know a wine is well thought of, and has been chosen carefully, I'll just have a glass to smell, and appreciate it that way. More recently, I've started drinking. Good experiences with Red have included a couple of different chambolle-musigny (one a prem. cru), and also a "Super Tuscan" (I don't know the vintage). Also, recently with wild duck, a 'Corton Bressandes' Grand Cru. With the Whites, a NZ Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc was a wonderful and fragrant wine. Not aggressive at all. For desert wines - an Hungarian Tokaji had at Ramsey's with a Tarte Tatin, was phenomenal.

So here's what we do - we buy up the entire stock - re-educate the market - and sell it back to them at three times the cost.

That's my point - or at least, something that I realise I've started taking for granted. It's not just chosing the product. There has been a leap in technical ability in what to do with it, as well as an appreciation for it done well (as opposed to well done).

This might be worth a different thread, but since I'd only have myself to apologise to, I have a question: Has meat cookery in this country taken a quantum leap in the last 10 years? I was born here, I grew up here, and like any Englishman or woman I've had as many overcooked, dried out, well-done pieces of meat as I've had hot dinners. But then something happened. I moved away for a few years (roughly 8 of the last 14) and all of a sudden, I'm tasting a quality of meat cookery that I've never experienced before. And not just once, but over and over again, a tenderness in care and in the approach to preparing meat that I have found really inspiring. From pubs, to star restaurants. Not just a leap in the quality of the meat, but from the moment it goes in the oven, a real attention paid to ingredients. Paul d-G's post reminded me of it. We've all had dried-out dessicated roast pork. That's what it used to mean to be British! But how much more often in the last ten years has it been tender, and moist, and unbelievably good? BTW - Paul, what Island are you on? Clearly some pig smuggling is due.

PSB - I could never figure out why people went for pork chops? My entire life they've been dry, or bland and uninteresting, or covered in a gallon of smothered gravy to avoid being bland, or dry. I always thought having a pork chop was like doing your taxes. Maybe a close second. And there are so many other cuts to chose from - the belly, the shoulders, the cheeks, the legs, the trotters - given the quality that I've had from the Ginger Pig - all of them make me happy to be living in the UK right now. Ok - it's back to the pigs anonymous meetings for me.

P-S-B, I was just there myself a couple of days ago - bought some pork belly, a couple of trotters, and a couple of 6 week aged long horn steaks - beautiful colour, and even marbling - and I couldn't be happier. They took me through several different racks of beef, and let me chose which one I wanted. Now I just have to eat it.

Pinko Puck and his Commie Purée? They'll never fall for it!

Shame about no alcohol. In New Mexico they have a fantastic pork, black bean and green chile stew with beer and lime. I look forward to it every year.

I have to ask - what's a coot?

Oenomania posted in the UK forum: "Went to Quirinale 'Ristorante Italiano' near Westminster yesterday. There weren't many tables occupied apart from Roy Hattersley and another group managing their trust funds. The food was adequate but what was amazing is that Quirinale has TAKEN THE CEREMONY OF THE CORK TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. It was awesome! The waitress removed a circular disk from the top of the capsule, and then circumcised 90% of the way around the capsule to fold it off the bottle, so it was dangling there still attached. Then she removed the cork, gave it a good long sniff presumably to scoop up any offending TCA, and slid the cork into the hole she had created. Give it a little pat and there you have it: the cork is mounted beside the neck of the bottle, for the duration, for all to admire!! Has anyone seen this before? What do they do with screw tops? I ought to have then asked for a decanter. Maybe I don't get out enough. "

Apart from epicurious For Karmic cooking - i.e. not necessarily finding what your looking for, but always what you need - I love browsing through La Belle Cuisine. It's a real mish-mash, but I always find something wonderful. For endless but seriously classic Italian recipes, Le Ricette (in English). For cookable (Baked potato stuffed with pigs trotter and foie gras) and completely uncookable masterpieces, based on the Discover channel series (and again, great for ideas) The Great Chefs Recipe Index.

I've had boar shipped by Polarica (if that link doesn't work, try this one) You have to be careful with cooking times/temp - the meat dries out very quickly.

Blimey. 50 Million Frenchmen can't be wrong. That bigarades sauce went perfectly with the stronger flavour of the wild duck. The acidity suddenly made sense. (BTW - is it big-a-ra-dees? or big-a-rad?). I deboned the ducks, used the bones for a quick sauce - with some veal and chicken glace, reduced it. For the sauce I used the juice from one orange, and one lemon (lacking a Seville), reduced to a syrup, added a splash of madeira and a nugget of the balsamic caramel that I was using for the endive tatins, reduced. Added the stock, reduced to sauce consistency - and then mounted with some of that French echire butter from Borough - which is really marvellous to cook with. I confit'd the (v. small) thighs at a very low temp (@100c/220f). After about an hour and a half, they were semi-pliable, but I thought they'd losen up with more time. Turns out the opposite was the case - ended up giving them another hour, and they became tougher. Chalk that one up to experience. Thanks for everyone's help. I was a bit apprehensive, but it turned into a good meal.