Recent content by Capt Lightning

I'm running away for the rest of the month. No fixed plans, but starting at Cologne and then some more time in Germany, Belgium and France. Plenty of food and drink, I hope.

Quite a nice day after a cold start. We're working in the garden preparing the ground to plant potatoes. Then it will be time to feed the pigs, and make dinner. Tonight it's lamb chops with cous-cous and roast vegetables.

We have plenty of fishmongers, butchers, bakers - and even a candle maker. What we don't have is any greengrocers. We grow as much as we can, but generally we have to go to supermarkets buy vegetables (mostly tasteless).

I'm not one for desserts, but last year I couldn't resist one in a wonderful small restaurant in Lisbon. Don't know its proper name, but it's made by drizzling egg yolk into sweetened, boiling rose water. This is the only photo I have ever taken of food. Taking pictures of food makes me...

For me, it was a Thai chicken curry, from a Ken Hom recipe.

Tough choice. I think mine would be corriander.

In all my 65 years, including some in N.Ireland, I've never heard of 'corned beef and cabbage', let alone try it. From what I recall, although St Patrick's day was a public holiday, it wasn't even celebrated. As for traditional food, well that had to be the cholesterol rich, artery hardening...

A damp start to the day, so no gardening. I've just put a mutton casserole in the oven to slow-cook and soon it will be off to feed the pigs. They like regular feeding times!

A day of helping at our friends' market garden followed by feeding the pigs. Then home to make our own dinner - leek pie to use up some of our excess leeks!

Shopping day today, but fortunately, the shops are beside the beach. The tide was out and the sun was shining. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me, but here is a pic of Wife & daughter earlier this year....... Near to where this was taken, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show...

Today is the best day we've had for ages. Mrs. L has planted tomatos in small pots and they're just about ready to 'pot on'. We've still got a good crop of leeks - planted last year - but we will soon need the space for this year's potatoes. Need lots of leek recipes ! There's just so much...

Let's not get hung up on cultural differences. The word 'gypsy' is used now not to describe a group of people, but a lifestyle. For example, while shopping today, my wife was looking at what was described as a 'Gypsy dress'. Someone who travels a lot can be said to have some "Gypsy in them"...

Perhaps in Montreal, but please bear in mind that this refers to events from the 17th century when Macpherson and his clan were also referred to as 'Egyptians'. The term 'Roma' would hardly have been known at that time.

Ah yes... I love a good Forfar Bridie although I've never made one myself. When I travel south, I usually stop in Forfar where there is a butcher who makes most excellent ones. Your recipe sounds pretty good, though there are quite a number of variations eg. minced lamb instead of beef.

I haven't read any of Madhur Jaffrey's books, but I've seen some of her recipes and I had the feeling that they were "Westernised" rather than authentic Indian. I recommend a book called "Curry" by Mridula Baljekar. This seems to be somewhat closer to the 'real thing', although some of her...