Good effort.

Back to basics for me tonight.



Not so bad with a cuppa and a few slices of bread and butter.

Lose the chips, swap the peas for beans and add a muffin with ketchup and you have one of my favourite meals ever.

Right now, a Lancashire hot pot is cooking away in the oven. A proper one, with lamb kidneys as well as lamb chops, carrot, onion, stock, herbs and the potato topping.

Mmmmmmm ...

Roast dinner for us - they have recently become popular in our house, so I have to do one each week. With bee tonight. Mrs D is doing the Yorkshire Puddings, me the rest. Should be ready in 15 mins!

So tb being introduced to Lancashire cuisine? Next few weeks - give him tripe, pigs trotters, cow 'eel, black pudding, neck end broth, scouse, etc. Might eventually convert him into a Lancatrian.

Money a bit tight then?

I'll have you know they are out of season and so very expensive at present.

Last nights Bonfire Night chilli for me with some rice - a bit bland to be honest, I went easy with the chilli last night and it was a disappointment.

Followed up though with last nights Birds trifle - not a disappointment.

Pleased with the hot pot – pear and blackberry crumble just finishing cooking.

I've got the Minosharp Shinkansen mentioned in cod-ead's pdf, it's very good and very easy to use. I use it pretty regularly probably about every third time on my Henckels.

I tried for ages with a diamond steel and I just couldn't master it, I'd almost ruined my knives and then bout the Shinkansen which rescued my knives.