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Here are some culinarily rules of thumb:

  • Use more garlic than suggested
  • Use a little more chilli
  • Add less salt. You can always adjust
  • Bayleaves sweeten cooked tomatoes better than sugar
  • Bengali 5 spice (panch phoran) helps with brassicas
  • Herbes de Provence fix all white bean dishes.

It is clear that criminal and far-right influencer Stephen Yaxley-Lennon either enjoys the protection of the British state or a rogue group of police and security services officers who presumably endorse his politics.

The eagle-eyed among you have reminded me that this is a photo of Trantor, not Poplar, on the way to the Seer Church, and several other exterior scenes - (Foundation, Season 1, Episode 1).

I was asked today why I don’t want to use WhatsApp.

“The chairman of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar stated that Facebook played a ‘determining role’ in the Rohingya genocide”.

Why would you use Meta’s products?

Okay: middle-aged, middle-brow warning.

Here are some stationery opinions. I wanted to start with fountain pens and pencils only, but some ball pens crept in. There are other great writing technologies. This is not that list.

  • Good European fountain pen: Lamy 2000.
  • Good Japanese fountain pen: Pilot Capless SE.

Generally, Japanese nibs are finer that European nibs.

  • Good every day carry (EDC) fountain pen: Kaweco Lilliput. Consider a premium nib.
  • Good EDC ball pen: Fisher Bullet Space Pen. The titanium nitride pen is the best.

If you are after mechanical pencils:

PS, don’t leave home without:

  • BIC 4 colours multipen. I like the 4C 3 + 1 HB (3 colours and 1 pencil) - but you have choices.

For a moment there I thought I had run out of shichimi togarashi

I’m an impatient cook, particularly when I’m hungry. But you can never beat the mise en place.

Marks & Spencer, if you must put made in Britain Union Jack stickers on your aubergines, use ones that don’t leave unremovable glue residue behind

I spotted something curious in the world of planning. It’s as if there is one unregistered company, Banks Solutions, trading via a Gmail address, that provides the independent programme officer for, like, every single local plan examination in the south of England.