Futtocks

World War 2, through the medium of Facebook.

Bit like condor, but tougher...

Not that you weren't warned, but at least you know now.

Because I enjoy the finer things in life, from food and drink to music, literature and sport.

I've been a member of the Virgin Winebank for a couple of years now. They debit a set amount from your account each month (default =

Badlands - Badlands. A band stylistically indebted to Led Zep. Not a great album, but three or four songs hit the spot.

Kraftwerk - Minimum/Maximum

Manowar - grown men in furry nappies. Currently groovin' to Dennis (the singer from Doctor Hook who didn't sport an eyepatch) Locorriere - Post Cool. Next up is Hugh Masekela - Hope.

Best to get 'em at a seaside town where they are caught - as fresh off the boat as humanly possible. And get some other mug to open the damn things up.

Superb photo of a twister on today's Bing.

I think they played Glastonbury one year. One of the songs they do is the Theme from 'Shaft'.

Fifth Dimension - Flashback Brandi Carlile - Shadows on the Wall Fleet Foxes - Innocent Son Marc Ford - Shining again Henk Hofstede - Famous Blue Raincoat Burt Bacharach & Ronald Isley - In between the Heartaches The Triffids - One Mechanic Town Dengue Fever - Psychologically Healing Tomoyasu Hotei - Boys on the run Leo Kottke - The Scarlatti Rip-off Ken Nordine - Burgundy Mandrill - Ape is high Faze-O - Riding high They might be Giants - Purple Toup

Manu Dibango - Senga abele Phish - Bliss Sonny Landreth - Planet Cannonball The Nits - How the West got lost The Angels - You won't find no Answers Ray Charles - Misery in my Heart Frank Zappa - Cruisin' for Burgers Pink Floyd - Crumblin' Land Leonard Cohen - First we take Manhattan (live) Porcupine Tree - Up the down Stair Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - Sojourn of Arjuna Bob Dylan - Highlands

King's X - Gretchen goes to Nebraska. Haven't listened to this in at least 10 years. Liking it lots.

Commiserations, mate.

I can recommend 'Runnin' down a Dream' - a 3 DVD & 1 CD set. Two of the DVDs are a superb documentary about the band and the 3rd is the Anniversary gig in Gainesville. The CD is a collection of unreleased stuff, which isn't exactly essential, but nice to have. His latest release, however, is a monster box set of live performances. It comes in various different forms, but the 'de luxe' version runs to nine discs - CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray and Vinyl, plus other goodies! LINK TO DETAILS

You just use it to finish off a dish, same as truffle oil. Either as a dressing, or right at the end of cooking. It has a low smoke point, so you wouldn't want to use it as the main oil for cooking, regardless of the flavour.

There's a lot of hysteria and hyperbole spouted about foie gras production. There have also been some shops/restaurants targeted by sickos who threaten the owners' children/family etc. True, some producers do use methods that are cruel (if not as cruel as some campaigners claim), but you can buy the stuff from ethical/humane producers too. Just check before you buy.

I find you have to use it with a very light touch, or it dominates everything.

I like pak choi. Much easier to get these days, too. Stir fried with ginger, garlic and soy sauce, then finished with a touch of sesame oil is a nice way to have it.

Good album. Danny Baker played the track 'Satellite Radio' a few times on his show, which made me check it out.

Midlake - the Courage of others. Nice, if maybe a little too laid-back. Broken Bells - Broken Bells. Still getting into this. Interesting Zulu Spear - Welcome to the USA. African Rock music; 'Chin up' is a superb song, with Zulu harmonies and crunchy guitars. Rob Wasserman - Duets. Bass virtuoso Wasserman plays with various guests, from St

I've had springbok, eland and crocodile from them. Very good stuff.

Of the above: Foie gras (Duck or Goose) is delicious, and there are more and more suppliers who rear the birds more humanely than the horror stories that are regularly circulated. Caviare. The cheap/medium priced stuff's nothing to write home about, while the really good stuff is prohibitively expensive. Quince. You can, in some delicatessens and supermarkets (i.e. Sainsbury) get Membrillo, which is a stiff quince jelly which is traditionally served with white, crumble cheese. A good combination. Dragon Fruit. About a hundred times more interesting to look at than to eat. Pleasant, but a little bland. Steak tartare. The flavour is lovely, but it's the texture that turns most people off. Oysters. Love 'em. Frog's Legs. Chickeny. Nice red meat, Kangaroo.

Pheasant's pleasant enough, but not a particularly exotic taste. Being a game bird, it has little fat so will dry out quickly if not regularly basted. Pigeon can be had from some butchers, Waitrose, or (frozen) from oriental supermarkets. Again, it must be kept moist, but is a much more interesting flavour than pheasant or partridge. Quail is farmed (more fat), and can be roasted pretty vigorously. I tend to just season them well with salt and pepper, stuff a couple of cherry peppers inside, then sear them in a pan before roasting.