Gotta split the muffin and then toast it gently - love that crispy inside slathered with butter, and homemade strawberry jam if you have it... (I spent time in Devon, got a bit addicte...

When we get around to buying a place, we're having 'tall' work-surfaces in the kitchen, and I don't care how much it costs. I'm 5'9", doing the washing up makes my back hurt (and it's ...

I don't care how "healthy" it is or not, it's Indian food, therefore it's good - I sadly cannot claim any Indian ancestry, and my understanding of the cookery techniques is fledgling at best, but I...

I have oaked Chardonnays in the 'cellar' at the moment. I also have unoaked Chardonnays, as well as Marsannes, Viogniers, Rieslings, Pinot Grigio, and probably a whole host of other whites. Then ...

That's not a tiny laundry room, not by any measure. First, assess what you actually *need*, i.e. use with any degree of regularity. Anything that's just being hoarded, be ruthless wit...

This is why we're getting into as many green habits now as possible, several years before thinking about kids - means we'll be more likely to be able to cope with things like reuseable nappies, rat...

I'm firmly committed to the red/cerise still, but yep, the cassis is nice too. Waaaah though, that you guys in the US get so much more choice than we do here in Aus!!! (postage on Le Creuset...

Region comes first - I drink local (ish!) - when I was in the UK this meant French/Spanish/Italian; when in Italy, whatever the speciality of the region (often the house wine too - frequently rough...

Dogs, no; cats, hard to stop. Sigh.

Freshly grated nutmeg too. I had a similar dish in Italy (Modena in fact, so not far from anaelisa in Bologna!), and I've been meaning to figure out a recreation since...

It's an optional ingredient in my gajar matar recipe, which is an Indian carrot & pea dish - haven't made it for a while, but it definitely features chilli powder and turmeric, and it's a dry curry...

Shop at markets / farmers' markets if the option is there. Granted, the meat I buy at the farmers' market is dearer than that at my local supermarket, but the supermarket is selling in...

If you really want to learn to knit, try www.ravelry.com for some inspiration... It's a knitting & crocheting community, and the thing that got me hooked on it was the sheer number of ...

Sean P: I thought it was the other way around actually, that tawny ports didn't change once bottled, and ruby ports are the ones with vintage dates on. The tawny that I have at the m...

Yay! These are in Australia! (like me) Right, tracking them down soon - thanks!

My "other" response is a combination of the first two: I buy from bulk bins at the market (Queen Victoria Market / South Melbourne Market) when I need beans, lentils, nuts, dried fruit, salt, seeds...

kvh: that is absolutely disgusting. It amazes me that so called "civilised" countries can let this kind of thing happen, and there's no government effort to stop it. Sigh. A friend r...

For Christmas I bought my fiance the Encyclopedia of Pasta by Zanini De Vita Oretta - it's a beautiful red, 'novel' sized book. It was originally written in Italian, has now been translated into E...

You've just reminded me - I need to check out my local nursery again, see if they've got more plants in - I want one! I've only ever used dried ones, but I've got this great recipe for...

More vegetarian dishes, because I want to go partial-vego, with at least two meat/fish free days a week (at the moment I eat vego breakfast and lunch virtually every day, say 29 days a month, and m...