Last night in Leuven, Belgium, we had raw tuna with oysters, chopped up into a sort of, burger, coated with wasabi mayonaise...hot, hot, hot .....it was fabulous...out of this world, with a salad to match....in a very, very, camp bar.....

One of those memorable meals........

Potato Pancakes

(coconut milk)

I'm on the Atkins Diet and I've already lost a stone in weight. I hope to lose one more stone and then I'll be satisfied.

Tonight we are having a curry made from scratch, with yesterday's left-over roast lamb..... Melon and Parma ham to start.

I LOVE curry!

Curry Chowdah

Heat cocunut milk with added curry powder
mix in boiled potatoes, onions, corn, peas, whatnot
mash

This was made when the cupboards were nearly empty, and considering the overall lack of provisions turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

I would like to start a restaurant called Curry Up and Get It. I will hope to compete with Wok This Way. ok...

Kevin, you mention coconut milk in both of your posts. I usually have a can in the cupboard, but only have one recipe for a Malaysian Fish Curry - delicious - but haven't come upon any other recipes with coconut milk.

I do like it, so maybe I'll just make an impromptu dinner like you did.

Tonight we are having smoked haddock with courgettes (zuccini) braised in butter. A Light meal because we ate out today when we took our grandson to the coast - Crosby - to see the Anthony Gormley sculptures on the beach - there are over a hundred, life-size bronze figures of men looking out to sea, spread randomly at the water's edge.

It was quite spectacular on this sunny breezy day.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=isch ... 7l1.8.4l13

In the interest of being both a foodie and a nerdy book lover I have a cookbook suggestion...I may be all alone on this forum in this but I'm a vegan (and a southern one at that, so it's doubly painful). I'm always looking for great vegan dishes and whatnot and a friend recently bought me a copy of Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson not realizing I already visit her website all the time. She offers up healthy vegan alternatives for classic American diner food like burgers and shakes and most of the ones I've tried so far I really like. My actual favorite recipe is one I already knew since it's available on her website, Biscuits and Gravy (I mentioned that I'm from Alabama, right?

It's basically normal vegan biscuits (shortening instead of butter and non-dairy alternatives instead of milk) which I've made a gazillion times before. The awesome part is the gravy which I've listed below. The white pepper isn't necessary but it adds a nice kick. I also avoid soy products so I use almond milk or rice milk, whichever is cheaper when I go to the store. She leaves it off there but sometimes I've made seitan sausage to go along with it and then I can trick everyone into eating vegan for breakfast.

Creamy Sage Gravy

What You Need:

1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 cups plain unsweetened soymilk
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together flour and nutritional yeast. Whisk in soymilk until the mixture is very smooth and there are no lumps. Whisk in sage and onion. Add salt, black pepper, and white pepper to taste.

2. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and whisking continuously, bring to a simmer. Whisk in margarine. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue whisking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the gravy is thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Thankyou for that Charity.

I've heard of biscuits and gravy - but never actually spoken to anyone who makes and eats them. I think what you call biscuits is not what we in the UK call biscuits. You call our biscuits cookies.

Anyway, my grandson will think biscuits and gravy is a really cowboy meal and will want to try it.

Penelope wrote:Kevin, you mention coconut milk in both of your posts.

I'm sorry. Yeah, I was pretty much out of supplies and didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I searched the cupboards and found two cans of coconut milk. I don't remember what I originally got them for... I think I was going to mix curry powder in them.

Yesterday, low on supplies again, I had linguini topped with tomato sauce. From the garden I included the last of my tomatoes and some onions. The onions are now the sole remaining item in the garden... a disappointing season. But with the higher than usual heat and drought conditions here in Texas it's been a poor season for a large percentage of gardens.

Some of our best meals are impromptu - made up as I go along with whatever is to hand at the time.

In fact, some of the best meals worldwide are made with whatever is freely available, and cheap, locally. Whether it is in Africa, India, North or South America or Europe. I like to seek out the local dishes that the local Mums make for their families all over the World.