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Just a few of the dishes we have cooked.

I used to clarify my own butter and use it. However these days I wouldn't use much more than 500g of butter in a whole year. Medical son recently mentioned India was a cardiologist's paradise thanks to ghee.

Glad it worked well for you. My husband is with you on the salsa - he always likes a bit more heat than I add. I don't have an asbestos mouth though I like the after-effects of a good jolt of heat once my mouth returns to normal.

Moreton Bay bugs and prawns (that's them in the picture, ready to go), blue swimmer crabs, oysters, wine, cheese, wine, pickles and sauces, wine, some smoked trout pate, oh, did I mention wine? bugs.jpg

Going out for a degustation dinner tonight, but I'm starting early for tomorrow's dinner of lamb shanks in orange and sage sauce (recipe here http://cookingdownunder.com/courses/meat/rm099.htm). Lamb shanks always seem better if they're cooked then refrigerated overnight. Plus you can skim off...

This clip of the man who went into the BBC last week for a job interview and was mistakenly put on camera as a "computer expert". Just watch his face when it dawns on him - and see how he valiantly tries to oblige the interviewer with a comment. Reality TV!! Not only did I smile, I darn well...

Tripe and onions with mashed potatoes and a slosh of malt vinegar. My husband and sons would never eat it, so I made it when no one else was at home. But one day I came to the conclusion it tasted like wallpaper paste (well, actually like I imagine wallpaper paste might taste) and I decided it...

Smoking Shrimp There's an illustrated recipe on my website for Smoked Prawns (that's what we call your "shrimp") with a mango salsa, which I wrote for my newspaper column a couple of years back. It's at http://www.cookingdownunder.com/courses/fish/rfsmprawns.htm and it's easy enough to make...

You're not using fabric softener, are you? A good hot wash should help remove any "dressing" in the fabric.

I hope you have as much success as I did this past summer Down Under. I bought six rather spindly looking cherry tomato plants from the local market, put one in a pot and the others in the garden. They ended up growing about six feet tall and attaching themselves to the wire grid on the wall...

Had a great day. Didn't have to cook a thing. Went out for brunch and dinner. Elder son gave me a great book - Curry: A Biography of a Dish, by Lizzie Collingham. Other son gave me some tulips growing in a pot. First Mother's Day I've had in a long while with one of my own kids!

spa - bath

I like trad, too. And chuck in some anchovies. I hate pineapple, smoked chicken, camembert, Thai chicken with sweet chilli sauce and anything else un-italian.

Took me a while to acquire a taste for Vietnamese mint. But I love caraway. Did any of you northerners have seed cake when you were growing up? A madeira cake with caraway seeds in it. I was crazy about it. And I love cheese spiked with caraway. There is a chunk in my fridge as we speak... And...

Don't ever pass up a chance to hear a live performance of this one. It's a fantastic experience. Likewise the Gorecki 3rd Symphony (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs). Powerful music, both. But I am also into Metallica... :-)

Jeff Buckley - Dido's Lament

I would pre-slice for convenience but the timing doesn't look too critical. The dish is getting a further 45 minutes' cooking. However, I usually make it with eggplant.

Crikey Dick! More than a million pages. I think I am going to have to investigate tortilla soup. It might be the next trendy thing... ;-)

Yup. Sitting here in Melbourne with all the digits crossed. Good luck.

This one for lamb shanks, marinated with sage and orange, was given by a Christchurch NZ chef on the radio one day. I've made it several times and it is pretty darn good. http://www.cookingdownunder.com/courses/meat/rm099.htm I also like Boeuf Bourguignonne. Cheers \

Osso buco We had some last night. But I forgot to get parsley for the gremolata. And this may be sacrilege, but I can't stand the taste of marrow.

What is a recipe Yes, spraying stuff or painting it with oil, only half-cooking things, dumping baking soda in the greens so they are super green, using hairspray, soy sauce etc. Unfortunately when I take my photos I don't have too much time to resort to subterfuge as it's usually our dinner...

Fish is a good source of Omega 3 oil. Here's what I tell my sons (25 &27) to do. Ask the fishmonger for a firm fish - ie one that won't break up during cooking. Soft flaky fish are a disaster waiting to happen. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Cut into pieces about 5inchesx3inches. Mix...

I'd follow Cara's suggestion and sort of stirfry it. You could add a can of chopped tomatoes afterwards and simmer it for a while if you want a gravy. Then add some garam masala just before serving. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and voila! Let us know how it goes!

I wrote a piece about recipes recently after reading that the average British home has 1000 recipes (in cookbooks etc) but uses only about three dozen. Here's the link if anyone's interested. http://www.cookingdownunder.com/books/1000recipes.htm I've been involved as a cookbook publishing...