First, I must apologise to Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! and all his readers and followers. This post was supposed to have been up yesterday, Sunday 2 May, but I was hit by stomach flu late on Saturday night and have been flat on my back in bed until today, Monday. I hope late truly is better than never? Now, here's my treat for you today, Lazaro's eagerly awaited and slightly overdue guest post! Those who have been following me more or less regularly will know how much I admire his kitchen wizardr...

What follows is less a recipe and more the conclusion of an experiment with rather tasty results. I have been reading, cover to cover, hitherto something I'd never done with a cookbook, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "River Cottage Meat Book", the last 2 weeks or so. It's a heavy book, mildly put and I actually packed it before leaving Singapore. I've never been happier to spend money on a cookbook and I'll be posting my thoughts in "Kitchen Lust" when I'm done with Mr Double-Barrelled Surname...

Aquavit or Akvavit as it’s known in Scandinavia is the most popular tipple in Viking territory. It’s believed to warm the body – very important in that corner of the world, amongst a host of other health benefits, not least of which is the purported ability to lengthen human life. Not surprising then that its name means “water of life”. I doubt it will add even a minute to your lifespan but it warms the gullet on its way down and starts a smoulder in the belly once it lands. Its car...