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I can barely bring myself to shop in Holland and Barrett anymore. Who is paid to come up with the cringeworthy names like 'mingled mixed raisins' 'yum yum cous cous' 'polenta paradiso'?  Even more annoying, Waitrose have started doing it too.

I'm thrilled to be on the panel of expert judges for the East Anglian Daily Times Suffolk Food and Drink Awards. Every year the judging gets harder with the quality and range of food and drink produced in Suffolk being ever more impressive. Keep an eye on #SAFA website for the categories. In the meantime if you fancy being a category sponsor let us know.

Apparently famous in Australia my Australian friend Jess said I needed to try one. Sadly they are not the best biscuit in the world!

I opened my front door this morning to find this on the handle. In the seemingly never-ending competition between food start-ups I thought this was a great marketing tool - I actually read it before I put it in the bin. On offer and described by Time Out as 'Swanky Chef-made Meals' were Flat Iron steak, Artisan breads, Berlin Brunch which I had to look up, Truffle Mac'n'Cheese, Avocado sourdough, Club sandwich and Prosecco or Bloody Mary - all available at weekends from 11.30am to 10.00pm. But I won't be ordering because I will be making my own.

 

Took dad for a drive to see his favourite east coast fisherman - Dean Fryer - one of Rick Steins food heroes. All fishermen are heroes in our minds - up at 2am seven days a week in good weather, with no guarantee of any income. We bought sea bass, rock eel, a lobster and some small dover sole. Within twelve hours of being caught the sea bass were on the barbecue.

Wah Gwaan? Every Thursday night is Nyammings Night at Dutchie and Grill. Suffolks best (and probably only) Jamaican Restaurant.  Marie cooks everything herself in this small restaurant and takeaway. Thursday night is all you can eat, including dessert for £15.00. One Love!

 

Cameron ate a hot dog with a knife and fork, there was that famous bacon sandwich incident and now we are coming out of Europe what can we look forward to in the food-meets-politics scene? I'm off to Lidl before they run out of stock...

The Cafe never fails to impress and close enough for me to nip in for an early lunch of Cromer Crab Benedict.

As I was so well behaved at the opening night of Giggling Squid I was invited back to review dinner. I took Scarlett who has been to Thailand, travelling extensively and returning with tales of delicious food. Bury St Edmunds folk are always very good at supporting new restaurants and four weeks on from opening it was packed on a Thursday night. It got a big thumbs up from both of us both for food, service and atmosphere. We sat at the back of the restaurant by the bookshelves which are full of second hand books so between courses we got stuck in to a little reading...

• How to build a mud oven
• you will find interesting books!
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We started our meal with Seafood Streetfood, which looked rather posh for street food; with a plump scallop and a few prawns cooked in chilli flake, lime, ground roasted rice and nam pla. I could imagine buying the grilled marinated pork skewers, Moo Ping, on the streets of Thailand - the dipping sauce was light with a gentle chilli kick. We ordered a Jasmine and an Egg Fried rice to eat with our main courses of Tamarind Duck, which arrived sizzling on a griddle plate. Lovely piquant flavours and none of that thick cloying that is usually associated with sweet and sour sauces. Squid Gra Pao was more fiery chilli with tender squid, and lots of it too. I always try the dessert; there is always a little room to squeeze something in. I had the Caramelised Mango cake and Scarlett had the Mint and Lychee Sorbet. We thought that the sorbet was the best of the two puddings, very luxurious with fresh mint flecks. So now off home to build a mud oven.

• Caramelised Mango Cake £4.95
• Moo Ping £6.50
• Seafood Streetfood £7.50
• Mint and Lychee Sorbet £4.95
• Squid Gra Pao £14.50
• Tamarind Duck £14.50
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Put your vote where your mouth is.  Nominate the plates and places you love in the #OFMAwards.