a new year, a new start and lots of good intentions. at least that’s how i feel and no doubt you do as well.

my food-related resolutions are always the same. to eat and drink well is top of the list, closely followed by trying new and different things. an addition to the list this year, will be to keep blogging about it.

a more specific thought i have for this year is to extend the number of international dishes i cook.

putting to better use the thai cookery course i did last year, is a high priority. i’m hugely embarrassed by the fact that six months after the class, neither david nor i have cooked anything thai!

i have several fabulous indian cook books that need to be used more often than when they are simply read! i also have a ridiculously large amount of lentils (six different types at the last count) that need using.

i’m planning a class (or two!) at divertimenti, using some gift vouchers i was lucky enough to be given. catching my attention are masterclasses by matthew albert, head chef at nahm, and ching he huang, as well as classes focusing on dim sum, preparing a feast for chinese new year, or, for something completely different, mexican food!

slightly closer to home, giorgio locatelli’s fabulous new book made in italy is waiting to take me on new and different journeys around italy’s cuisine. i’m hoping to kick this off with a visit to locanda locatelli, so i can see what i’m aiming for!

2007 already feels like it’s going to be a great year and i’m looking forward to sharing it with you.

happy new year!

mackerel is something i try to eat as much as possible (see here and here for some other recipes). it has a great flavour, an abundance of the healthy omega oils we should all be trying to eat more of, it’s ethical to buy and eat and it is fantastically cheap. two mackerel, which fed two of us, cost me the bargainous price of 76 pence!

we were feeling in need of a healthy meal but i wanted to have something i bit more exciting just serving the grilled mackerel with lemon so i decided to try an asian flavoured sauce.

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sometimes an empty dish is all you need to see to know just how good something tasted. and this was great!

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