Is it me, or is the Fat Duck 'food poisoning' story starting to sound like mass hysteria? Hell, I'd still go.

Sashimi at Wasabi in Aber

i.e. spanish omelette, not the American sort. My first go at making one, and it worked pretty well. Even better cold the next day.

...jalfrezi. I can eat stuff like this again!

And that was Shrewsbury. Well, actually that was a jacket potato. And very nice it was too.

Steve's just given me a bit of this. It's very odd.

He really needs to write a cookbook. Seriously:

Open a bottle of beer. Not fucking Budweiser or Labatts - a proper beer, damnit. During this experiment, I used the outstanding Black Adder ale from Mauldons. A good bitter, an ale, an IPA - a proper fucking beer, you know what I mean. Pour some down your throat. Now pour some in the tinfoil. A mouthful or so. Spit your mouthful out into the pocket if you'd like. I mean, it'd be disgusting, but the person you're cooking for will never know, right? Close up the pocket, so you now have a sealed tinfoil bag full of a head of garlic and (possibly regurgitated) beer.

Sling it in the oven. Your oven is set to 190 degrees C, which is 375F or Gas mark 5. It's going to be in there for an hour. Have some more beer. Swallow it this time, you freak.

for the food. This was the dessert, apparently an elderflower and lemon balm parfait and a gooseberry er.. goo :) Tasted like very expensive mango kulfi to be honest.

The next night we went to the Circus restaurant, where I seem to remember having crab, followed by lamb (for the first time in months) and Eton mess.

And the main course, turbot in a mussel and pea veloute (one of those hundreds of gastronomic words that mean "goo"). There was some mash under there, too, with chives in.

...in Bath. I did take a fair few pics with the proper camera, but as usual I documented food with the mobile. I like to remember meals I've spent a fair bit of dosh on :) The meal was in the Olive Tree, the restaurant attached to the Queensberry Hotel - very posh, we were staying there as an present from Catrin's parents.

Anyway, this was the starter - salmon in sloe berry and fennel vodka! Before that was a little appetizer in the form of a cup of beautiful butternut squash soup, too.

Intriguing recipe I might give a go.

Via Lore, one of the few blogs about the dark, forbidden delights of Norwegian Black Metal cakes. Genius, and tasty!

Boiled down to its very essence, metal is nothing more than a mixture of molasses and alienation. By that definition, these cookies are black fucking metal. Packed full of grim and evil spices, they will leave you feeling despondent and isolated within their stronghold of flavor.

My old friend Mel, who used to work in the storied Welsh Fudge Shop in Aberystwyth (song since closed and now just student accommodation in North Road), has provided the recipe for the famous elephant pancake over on her excellent blog. Damn, I'm hungry now!

This was part of the actual party. My starter. I would have taken another picture, but the lighting was incredibly dim in there and I only had a cameraphone. Anyway, excellent it was - the first time I've ever been to a surprise party, at least one that was actually a surprise.

in Canton (Cardiff, that is) - and Dan's fingers.

Isn't that fantastic?

I have strong feelings on cake.

at the Harbourmaster

OK, food blogging again, but it was the Harbourmaster so I'm excused.

This is a not terribly good picture of the famous Hot Sticky Toffee Pudding at Gannets, a restaurant in Aber we hadn't been to for about five years, having been seduced away by swankier joints. It was like coming home.

Is it enormous food season, or what?

Trying to remember where this was .. oh, yes - a little restaurant in Rochester. Elizabeth's?