Following your recommendations we had lunch there yesterday. A perfect sunny day so we sat in the lovely walled garden. I had the best gammon steak I have ever tasted. It comes with a warm honey and mustard dressing with a duck egg and fresh pineapple and a bowl of wonderful chunky chips. Hubby had lamb shank which he pronounced `very good`. We shared a bowl of sticky toffee pudding - fantastic!
The Bay Tree is on the B1363 north of York. I absolutely recommend this restaurant. In these uncertain financial times we don`t want to lose this one. I want to go back soon!

Don`t know if you`ve stayed in Polis before. We went in 2003 for our Silver wedding anniversary and there are some lovely restaurants in Polis. Our favourite was Moustakalis. I can`t remember many of the names there are so many. We didn`t have a bad meal in 2 weeks. There is also an excellent fish restaurant in nearby Latchi (five minutes by taxi) I think it`s called Yannis and Peter`s. There are some good restaurants on the coast road above Polis. I found the road to Paphos a bit of a pain so we preferred to stay in Polis to eat so we could both have drink. I would love to go back again. Have a great time.

Thanks everyone. It`s just mushrooms, onion, potato and veg stock. It looks OK. It seems a shame to waste it. I might boil it up and risk it. If you don`t hear from me again - It was the soup!

Hi everyone, I made a large pan of mushroom soup on Tuesday and put it in an airtight container in the fridge. Can anyone tell me if it will be still safe to eat for lunch tomorrow?

I just want to say I was appalled that Christine only awarded one point to whatever his name is. She obviously knew he would get good marks and decided to vote tactically instead of honestly.

Hi Mary, lovely to message with you again. It`s nearly a year since I posted on here. Things seem to have changed considerably so I thought I`d pop back when I saw your name. We had a new kitchen put in last Christmas, yes Christmas!, it was finished Christmas Eve and I wanted new pans to go with it and I liked the look of these. I had been advised to get hard anodised but the Circulon would have been too expensive to get a whole set. The handles feel rubbery to the touch and they stay cool. (like me)

I got a great set of pans about 6 months ago. Hard anodised with silicone handles which go in the oven. They won`t go in the dishwasher, but are really easy to clean. You can get them from www.cookware.co.uk they have a special offer of any five pans in any size for £99.95. My favourite is the shallow casserole with 2 handles I use it for everything.

Hi Alex, if you go to belling.co.uk and type in your postcode under stockists they will provide a list

Hi brian, If I need to do a crunchy topping for fish pie etc I crush up some crisps and mix with grated cheese and cook till the cheese melts. You can use it for any topping.

I was smiling to myself yesterday at the amount of times Gino said `brie`. I know he was using it in his recipe, but I did think of you. If he is a regurlar on`This Morning` every Wednesday and Fern said he would be dragging people off the street to try his recipes, as he did this week, will Brie be planning any trips to the South Bank?

Help please, getting bogged down choosing a new hob. I want ceramic, don`t want induction. Why do some say halogen and some say ceramic? What advantages in halogen and if it`s better why are there so few available. I`m on limited budget, having blown the budget on the oven! Also need touch control, no knobs.

I use fudge hair wax and it does smell of toffee!

thank you all for the replies and ciao to Anna and Chiara Cla, Hi feathers and goldie. I do make lots of this sauce. It`s my favourite pasta sauce. I have been using plum toms, but the last sauce I made wasn`t as tasty. Maybe I got a bad batch. I just love tomatoes!

as there are now so many varieties of tomatoes on sale. Can anyone tell me which is the tastiest for tomato and basil sauce? The results vary a lot, depending on which variety I buy.

I bought the Neff U1661 that Andre P S has it has a hydoclens system which uses water just to loosten grease (like in a microwave, when you put in a jug of water and heat it). The one that rayk recommended was the pyrolitic. You heat the oven to a very high temperature for 90 mins and it burns off any fat. I have a problem with that because I don`t want to use so much energy just to get my oven clean when we are all trying to save energy. Catalytic liners are the ones which are treated to not absorb fat so they take less time to clean. I don`t know what oxylytic ones are.

I`ve had a good search and I couldn`t find it either. Why don`t you leave a message on the UKF/bites section and ask for it?

have a look at lakeland

I know what your saying but I couldn`t bear to put expensive wine in a casserole. I know I must be tight

go to `off the menu`, second page (11-20) there are some postings on this

You`ll be very welcome, Sarah, let me know if you decide to visit and I`ll give you some good places to visit. Harrogate, Skipton or Ilkley are all lovely towns to stay in as well as York.

Lot`s of fish and chip shops still cook there chips in dripping.

must have been a few choice words that don`t belong in polite society. reminds me of being very young and signing my letters SWALK

so why is he in the queue behind you and rustie? Talk about protesting too much!!!

sorry ladies here I am (trying to sort out car hire for next years hols - nightmare!)
go to off the menu gino dicampo thread page with 121-130 and you`ll find his name then click on his name and his posts will come up then read what he had to say on the 10th

hhmmmm, very interesting (in a belguim accent) especially if you click on effeminate`s last posts and read Sep 10th

describe a lemonpuff biscuit in your own words. My description is

crumbly on the outside, very easily crushed with a very artificial flavoured middle

can`t help with cornmeal suppliers but I think vegetable shortening is the white stuff named after Marc Bolan`s band available in all supermarkets

I brought my daughter a big (heavy) pack of Walkerswood Jamaican sauces back from the caribbean this year only to find they sell it in Sainsburys. I brought a jar of the west indian curry paste the recipe is on the tag for curried goat. I tried it with chicken and it tasted like the ones we had on holiday. I also got the jerk chicken sauce but I havn`t tried it yet. Rice and peas is just water, coconut milk canned kidney beans and rice all boiled together with a little thyme and seasoning.

sorry brie, just got your reply

I`ve sent you an e-mail on the other site on that subject

I didn`t catch all the programme but I know he was in York at the market. There is a well known shop called Rafi`s Spice box at 17 Goodramgate, where they make their own spice mixes. Rafi and her son were demonstrating at York food festival last week so I`m guessing it could be her.

I fry some chopped onion with a couple of rashers of finely chopped bacon to give the oil a nice flavour add the cooked rice after rinsing in cold water when its warmed through move it all to the sides of the pan and make a good sized well in the centre add the beaten egg and turn it after it sets on one side and slice it in strips with your spatula and mix in with the rice. I like to add soy sauce

I have had my Neff circotherm for 23 years and the heating element has just gone. As the old girl is looking her age (not me, the oven) we decided to have a look round to see what was available and to me nothing came close to the Neff. I agree with Marion about built under mine is eye level and it makes things a lot easier. We found there are two models at the moment and we have gone for the top of the range model because it is much easier to clean ahving a cleaning system whereby you put water at the bottom of the oven with a drop of washing up liquid and set it clean and it`s ready to wipe out in 10 mins without having to use chemical cleaners. It also has an extra interior glass panel which fits totally flush so there are no nooks and crannies in the door. I was really impressed with it but not the price tag of £1179 which Comet had on it so I surfed for a bit and found it at electricshop.com for £819 with free delivery. Ordered yesterday and it`s coming Thursday and I`m really excited! I think I need a new kitchen to show it off though

We had this problem for ages and the fridge was new. We found out it was because it wasn`t levelled properly. My husband put a thin piece of wood under the front so it slightly tipped back and the problem was solved. It`s been fine ever since.

wafer thin cucumber sandwiches are traditional

I don`t know if I`m doing the right thing but I need to get the wax off apples so I can juice them so I wash them in a mild solution of washing up liquid and then rinse in lots of cold water. They do feel wax free and I`ve been doing it for a couple of years without any ill effects.

Incidently, have you seen `That`ll Teach`em on Tuesday nights. It takes me right back. Housecraft lessons! How to iron a handkerchief so you make the perfect wife. The awfull thing is I do iron perfect handkerchiefs. Our school had a flat on site for us girls to learn how to become perfect housewifes while the boys did woodwork so they could build our furniture.

I`m glad its not just me rustie. The last time I made puff pastry I was at school!

After being with the same man for 37 years I think a romatic meal would be down to your husbands favourites. My husbands would be a nice fish starter, probably cod goujons with a chilli dip followed by roast beef and trimmings and finished with chocolate fudge cake and ice-cream. That would be his idea of heaven, but not to everyones idea of a romantic meal. I would just go for what he likes best with lots of good wine. Always works for me!

Apple pie is my best dish. I agree with everything rustie says (as always) but I always use bought puff pastry. Lifes too short etc. and always use bramley apples with cinnamon and sugar

try this fun site when you don`t know what to cook with a few ingredients www.cookingbynumbers.com. You just tick the boxes of what you have and they give you recipes. It`s really aimed at students. Nothing adventurous. Just a bit of fun

I use lasagne sheets. cut in half and folded into a tube

Hi aime, GFL are doing blackberries as their `thing` of the week this week with a different recipe evry day. So I presume its because the season has started. Yesterday it was a blackberry chutney which looked really good.

keep an eye on e-bay monty. They come up occasionally.

Thanks bacon will try that too. My pork was delicious. It tasted just like the stuff in chinese restaurants. I`m going to try it with a tenderloin next time

Hi Jennifereccles are you a Hollys fan by any chance. We are having lamb today and I like to roast my carrots in a tin drizzled with olive oil, a little runny honey and a sprinkling of cumin and serve topped with a few toasted flaked almonds. Then you have to think of something very special when he gets the credit card bill!

thanks rustie, will do that

thanks livewire thats about as much as I`ve used. Can I ask you a computer question now, please? The clock on my computer is always slow sometime as much as half an hour. I keep altering it but it still keeps happening. What can I do?

I bought some of this a few months ago and have never used it before. I got a couple of pork loin steaks for tonight and thought I`d marinade them. I`ve put them in with some garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sherry and honey and added a decent pinch of 5 spice powder. I was unsure how much to use as I didn`t want to overpower eveything. Can anyone tell me if this is enough to put in?

I like it toasted

well I did follow the recipe and it was a bit slimy. Hubby didn`t like it at all. I thought it was a waste of a good glass of wine.

Definately onions - done anyway. I think my favourite would be fried really slowly in olive oil. For my lunch today I had wensleydale cheese with cherry toms, fresh basil and watercress with a huge dollop of Bay tree food company caramalized onions, which are to die for!

Hi David, Had a wonderful 2 weeks in Cyprus last year celebrating our silver wedding. Stayed in Polis, where there are some lovely restaurants. The one that I remember well was Moustakalis and a fab seafood restaurant in Latchi which was called Yannis and another name ( sorry I have a terrible memory for names

Hi Pam, I did the lettuce recipe that the chef with the pony tail (sorry can`t remember his name) did. It was roasted cos luttuce in white wine and shallots and we won`t be having it again! I do make a nice pea soup with peas and onions and I put lettuce in that. It gets cooked down and you blitz it up. I put it in because we had some left over and I don`t like waste and its green, if that makes sense.

It was a response to a question about items we want on the show. It was the end of last week. Jenni read out an e-mail from Wino asking for traditional English dishes. Actually it might have been Good Food Bites yesterday. I lose track of the days. Keep thinking its Wednesday today!

Hi Wino, was it you got a mention on GFL? If you want to sign the petition go to petitiononline/newgenuk/petition.html
Horsforth Town Street is now a really buzzing place for a night out. Lots of good eating places, wine bars and pubs.

Hi rumian, try tablewhere.co.uk they are a china matching company

Anyone who is familiar with this wonderful old pub in the centre of Leeds will be appalled by what is happening to it. Having recently been taken over by a pub chain it is their intention to make it `more trendy` as if we havn`t enough `trendy wine bars in Leeds. Instead of seving the traditional roast dinners it is rightly famous for. They have decided to serve nachos and pasta to a target `thirty something` drinker. This is a pub which was frequented by Dickens. I think he would have something to say. I think it is such a shame that some of these traditional places, which are part of our heritage have to go the same way as every other pub. In the area I live 3 pubs within 2 miles of each other have been taken over by the same chain and you can go in any one and the decor and menu is exactly the same as the other two. Anyway I will be signing the online petition to save Whitelocks and I know there will be hundreds more, I hope it is not too late for a re-think.

I agree suzanne, I have the lakeland ones - £3.95

Hi red rose, I have an electric hotplate stove. They are very difficult to control. I bought a microwave rice cooker a few years ago and they are great. It costs about £8 and cooks rice in about 12mins. Lovely fluffy seperate grains and you can use it to cook noodles and steamed veg.

I got mine from lakeland. I`ve had it a few years, but they still have them.

Just soak in hot soapy water for a few minutes, Potatoes are really soluble in hot water.

I always had lumpy mash until I discovered the potato ricer. It is impossible to get a lump. I like to add a drop of olive oil to mine.

Try rubbing it with scrunched up aluminium foil. I use this method to sharpen scissors. I just cut into the scrunched up foil. It works really well on scissors. Never tried it on a grater.

If you buy it from QVC you can try it and send it back if you don`t like it. No questions asked. You just have to pay P & P. I don`t think you will return it though. You get 30 days to return it. I`ve never had any problems returning things. The best buy from them I made recently was a huge supply of lock and lock storage containers. They are brilliant! I don`t throw half as much food away as I used to.

Hi Relishmama. I have just picked up Delicious magazine for Sept and there is a really good article on Ludlow. I remembered someone asking about it a few weeks ago so I checked back. I expect you have already seen it, but thought I`d mention it just in case.

I can remember eating bought kunzel cakes as a child. I think were like chocolate cup cakes with very very sweet chocolate icing

To JAMESH, MirandaP,MarkV,DebbieA21,Frexy who helped me out with advice on Barbados. We had a wonderfull time except for a nightmare flight with Brittania (who I will never fly with again, there is a lot of truth in you get what you pay for!) Had a marvellous meal at Pisces. Didn`t get to Josef`s, The Italian is called Bellini`s (too many steps). Won the quiz nite at McBrides (200d food voucher). Best meal was lobster at the Little Bay Hotel which is run by a chap from Yorkshire. Turned up for Sunday luch at The SHip Carvery only to find It was a local celebration for `Crop Over` all local families, but we were made very welcome and had a great Bajan buffet. The people have to be the nicest in the world. I had previously given that award to the Cypriots but they didn`t stop 2 lines of traffic to let us cross the road! We loved the `Roots and Rhythm` show. Wonderful memories once again thanks to you all.

I`ve mentioned this before, I know, but this is the honest truth, Marmite keeps away mosquitoes. I read about it before we went on holiday to the Mossie capitol of the world (Barbados) my hubbie and I are mossie magnets. We followed instructions and ate a piece of marmite toast every morning. We went on hols with 2 friends who scoffed at the idea. Guess who was bitten to death (not us). we went to the same places they came back covered in blisters. As they say in the States - Go figure!!!

This has started me thinking of adverts that make me want to reach for the mute button -
Injury lawyers for you
Jim Davidson selling cars
YES car credit
Prunella Scales going over the top for Tesco (I know she`s funny and it was a good joke at first but I`m getting sick of it)
I think all adverts should have a sell by date.

Couldn`t agree more about the Carol Vordeman adverts, porridge. The one that makes my blood boil is the Bupa one. You know the one - `Mary called this number` and she was operated on the next day. There must be hundreds of people watching that and waiting for cancer treatment who are not able to take out private health insurance. It isn`t always the cost. They won`t take you unless your fit to start with. I think it riles me more because it is an actress who keeps pausing for effect.

thanks livewire they are just what I`m looking for.

thanks Livewire will you try again please?

I would like to liberate all my half used bags of dried pasta shapes from the cupboard and store them in clear glass storage jars on my shelf. I have found some preserve jars on lakeland but the only go to 1 litre. Does anyone know where I can get some a bit bigger?

aaw - I agree, mine is looking a bit worse for wear on the inside. The trouble is the acid in the fruit takes the gloss off the white plastic and don`t get me started on carrots! A tip is to juice a load of lemons. It does look a bit better afterwards. Another tip is to line the pulp catcher with the plastic bags from the supermarket that your fruit comes in. It makes one less bit to wash.

Hi Benny, I have a Jack LaLanne juicer. I have had it for about 18 months. It does do everything it says on the ads. You put in whole fruit. If you check back to last month I did comment that I put some weight on with it simply because I went mad and juiced everything. I still use it 3/4 times a week. It works very efficiently and you get a lot of juice out. One orange and apple gets me a cup of juice.

I love liquorice allsorts my favourites are the coconut ones I definately think Bassetts are best, but the best way of eating liquorice has to be pontefract cakes if I open a packet thats it - gone. I also remember as a kid getting liquorice smokers outfits for Christmas with liqorice pipes and sugar cigarettes. It seems bizarre these days but it was 50 years ago. Also we used to call it spanish and I remember sherbet fountains with liquorice dips. I think they were all made by Bassetts in Pontefract and the whole area smelled of liquorice.

Hi Nick - I wondered if you have ever tried the Pebble Beach Restaurant at Barton-on-sea. We have relatives at Highcliffe and when we visit we always go there. They specialise in local fish. I recommend the stir fried monkfish in sweet chilli sauce - heavenly! They also have a deli next door.

Lemon grass urghhh - I love any kind of spicy food but I have to search Thai menus to find dishes which don`t contain lemongrass. It seems to be in everything. Little woody bits that taste of washing up liquid!

frexy - I think that after 2 weeks in Barbados and all the rum punch I`ve been recommended to try I could be past caring where I end up. Though because I use a wheelchair they have to get me on first (usually by means of a kind of fork-lift truck) so hopefully it will be the right plane.

Hi Debbie. Still here, going next weekend. We are staying just opposite the Ship so will certainly give it a try. Won`t be trying the helicopter though! I am very scared of flying and absolutely dreading the flight.

oooh, you`ve brought back memories of when I was first married (many, many moons ago) I used to make it if we had visitors. Jam sponge cake topped with a block of vanilla ice cream, covered in meringue and baked in hot oven just till meringue starts to brown. Those were the days.... prawn cocktails, black forest gateaux....

if you want to buy one online Lakeland have them. They are listed under proffessional blowtorch and cost £24.95

Evelyn Rose has written a lot of Jewish cookbooks. One is called Essential Jewish Festival Cookbook.

Thanks for that. We are not flying Virgin, got a really cheap Brittania flight and booked apartment direct. The fish cakes sound great. Can`t wait!

Mine is like the one Aliz mentions it was around a £100, but you can put the whole fruit in including skin. I just drop a whole apple or pear in. The only things you have to peel are oranges as the peel is too bitter. Its american and I think the model has been around for a few years. I bought it on the internet.

Thanks for doing the research Livewire and Keith it was all the publicity about 5 a day which made me buy the juicer. I thought I could go a long way to 5 a day in one glass. The point about a surge in blood sugar makes sense. My friends thought I was joking when I told them that after a large glass of juice I felt a surge of energy like a high! I still use my juicer but I do eat more fresh fruit and drink lots of water.

I have had my large juicer about 2 years. When I first got it I used it every morning . You don`t have to chop anything, so I drank a pint of juice every day and felt really healthy until I noticed I was piling on weight. Now I have cut down to small quantities a couple of times a week. My favourites are apple, spinach and celery with root ginger and pear and melon. Honeydew melon makes a lovely summer cool drink and mixes well with lots of other fruit

JAMESH - Thanks for that info will give them a try. I have heard of the fish fry at Oistins. I love fish. I was recommended to try the flying fish have you had it?

Going to Barbados in a few weeks for the first time, staying in an apartment in St Lawrence Gap. Can anyone recommend any good restaurants that won`t bust the budget. We are hiring a car so location isn`t a problem. The tricky bit is has to be on one level - can`t do stairs.

simon3125
I think the same programme is on again today if you want to watch it through

Hi Mosie, I have rheumatiod arthritis and I also suffer side effects from MSG. Unfortunately chinese food is my favourite. I`ve had RA for 37 years, I also find that a lot of pepper in food gives me pain. The good news is red wine helps!

My savory arrived this morning so I am delighted!
The recipe is:- soak 8oz dried butter beans overnight, drain and rinse in cold water. Melt 2oz butter in casserole add 2 chopped onions, cook till soft, stir in drained beans, 2 sprigs fresh savory or 1 tsp dried, 1 tsp nutmeg fresh grnd pepper and half pint chicken or veg stock, cover and cook in oven 180c/gas 4 for one and half hr, stir in qtr pint double cream return to oven for 10 mins. I hope you enjoy it, sorry I`m not metric, it`s like me , an
old recipe!

La Tasca is a very popular authentic Spanish tapas restaurant with a good atmosphere

Try it with a little tarragon slice lemon and oil, yummy!

thanks to everyone who replied to my question on savory. I need it for a delicious butter bean casserole I had at a friends recently. I usually don`t like butter beans but these had onions and nutmeg and cream and of course savory! Thanks relishmama for introducing me to steenbergs.

I need to get a herb called savory for a recipe. I can`t find it in any supermarkets. Does any one know if there is an alternative I could use?

What about putting chicken pieces in a good marinade (I like barbecue or chinese) until you are ready. You can do them the night before.

I was watching one of the `forever summer` progs last week and wondered if anyone has the recipe for the chicken marinated in yoghurt, cinnamon and lemon. You don`t get the recipe on the programme. I think they want you to buy the book!