Top tip restaurant...

A top tip from Debora: the meat eater's haven and paradise that is 'St. John' in Smithsfield. Apparently Greg Wallace of Veg Talk fame was eating there that night, so twice recommended!

Pret saves the day

Pret chicken and avocado salad is possibly my all time favourite. Maybe it is the comfort of knowing it is always exactly the same, but with a really stressful morning I found positive succour behind Pret doors. I had a medical appointment I was nervous about; I arrived early, so sat with a latte and cheese and bacon croissant (note to Pret: I'm not sure it needed the tomato in there too. It made me a little bit queasy, like putting orange pieces on a milk pudding - but maybe that's just me). If I want to gain weight then I can see the savoury croissant is definitely the way forward - yum!

Then, after the appointment, I was so emotionally drained that I just went back to the same Pret and got the chicken salad and some apple juice. My brain was completely awol and I kept staring off into the distance, but the avocado called me back every time. Good salad! Good Pret!

Inaugural Angel dinner

First the Waitrose mixed olives and gin and tonics, waiting for people, talking, and watching Steve nobly chopping the chillies. My guests: Steve and Jen, the lovely Debora, Guy and Simona, Jo and myself. All came bearing wine or flowers, which was too too delightful. I don't think I have ever felt so grown up.

Then came the 'light main' of fish curry, intended to be savoury and assague hunger in anticipation of the desserts. The recipe as per the Newcastle fish curry, but this time with fish from Hatt's on Essex road: salmon, cod and clams. Making rice for seven intimidated me so I made cous cous with toasted pine nuts, dried apricots, tumeric, cinnamon, lemon and oil, presented in one of Jo's beautiful ceramic dishes. It went down surprisingly well with the guests, with everyone being so lovely and complementary - and the boys happily accepting second helpings. I charged Jo and Steve with keeping glasses full, then pulled out the following:

Chocolate pots (Jamie recipe) with frangelico added instead of whatever alcohol he suggests - and left as dense chocolate rather than whisking in egg whites to make a mousse. Served with a shot of Frangelico.
London cheesecake (Nigella) - perfectly cooked, but sadly the base was a little soggy. Dang!
Apple crumble and cream to finish and to my great honour, Simona asked for seconds! The apple crumble was somewhat of a trial: it was supposed to be rhubarb however the shops let me down at the last moment so I got three bags of the tiniest cox's I have ever seen and fretted for 35 minutes trying to peel, core and chop them in record time. I was so relieved to finish that I made a really stupid mistake and put the crumble topping on top - three hours before it was needed! I quickly made some extra topping (dispensing with the faffy measuring stage this time) to put on at the last moment.

I must have had the best guests in all the world because they were so excited and complimentary of all the courses, and genuinely seemed happy to be fed so much - although it took a bit of psyching up to get the third pud down!

Just like Mumma would make (if she was Caribbean)

Goat curry from Soul Food, N1.

I had a freak out yesterday and just walked out of work: I think Bert would define it as my brain 'going for a smoko' and the only plan I could make was to came home. Even in my spooky state I realised I should eat something - my body needs to keep going even if my brain is giving up - so I took my purse to 'Soul Food' on Essex road.

There was no menu in the window and the counter consisted of covered canteen-esque dishes. I asked the super-nice lady what kind of food they served. She picked up the first cover to reveal an unctuous stew with vegetables and beef poking out 'beef stew' she said; the second was a more yellow-green colour 'goat curry' she said. I stopped her there and chose that - she even offered some for me to taste before buying, which is a brilliant idea. I had it with 'rice and peas' where the peas were acutally kidney beans. £5.95.

At home I re-housed it from its plastic tub onto a plate and realised there was heaps: yum yum. The spices and heat reminded me of the South African dish 'Bobotie' which I made once with my sister. The goat was just a tasty meat, and my only gripe would be that I wasn't fond of the bones I found in there, and I prefer more vegetables. But on the whole I loved it: I hoped that 'soul food' would somehow feed my rather poverty-stricken soul and indeed found comfort and mother-like love in it. I fell into a deep sleep and was woken by Eddie Mair presenting PM on radio four.