I've bought some quinoa now - saw some in Tesco the other day - but haven't tried it yet.

A hand-blender does sound a good idea for soup, my food processor needs a lot of washing up.

When I was young, kedgeree was the most exotic dish we ever had, my mother used to do it quite often. Not for breakfast, I hasten to add, and no spices or coriander in it, just some parsley.

Just quicker and more informative than I could manage in the time, hh.

First came across it when working in Japan: Japanese businessmen must be addicted to it and eat vast quantities. The first day we were there, whilst nearly everybody else was sleeping, I was out exploring. In the very packed subway carriages, jammed up against other people, I was very aware that many of the men in suits smelled of something very strong and rather unpleasant: it was only later in the evening when we had our Welcome Meal that I came across this sinus-blasting concoction. A, metropolitan dweller that you are, have you never had sushi?

Not in the least, A. Vegetarian maki rolls are often very nice and not "versions" of anything else.

Veggie sushi is eaten in Japan too, A: you might think of it more along the lines of a vegetable-based lasagne as opposed to a meat-based one: a healthy snack which you can buy nearly everywhere now - a pleasant alternative to sandwiches.

The black wrapping is actually dark green, Anty, seaweed.


[Edit.] Do you not eat laver bread, cariad?

Well I never knew that!!    Strangely enough I have been having an off-air conversation with someone about the delights of laverbread (delicious rolled in oatmeal and fried in the bacon fat)  I suppose because I thought it was fish skin - psychologically I rejected it as being nasty.  I will have to give it another go with an open mind I guess.

Spinach and carrot soup for tea - bit of an experiment but it turned out pretty well, though I had to use my wonky food processor to blitz it as I haven't got one of those hand-blenders yet. However the colour and texture of the soup remind me very strongly of something from my childhood, though I can't work out what. However I've got a feeling it might be paint

The trouble with blending greens and oranges/reds is that you always end up with brown...  I try to avoid adding anything dark green if it's predominantly carrotty or tomatoey as it's then transformed to a less attractive looking soup. Or I blend it then add some greenery. Anyway, the kids are less fussy now so they don't mind identifiable veg previously on the must-be-hidden list. Though they did protest at the celery I included the other day - I'd only half-blended that soup as an experiment to test their reactions...

Treated them to some very yummy mini roast potatoes today - lots of crunchy outsides and not much middle! And while I was cooking the savoury stuff, little R was baking some Easter volcanoes - meant to be cookies but they rose!