Licking my lips

I've got resolutions to keep on track this week and something Tiel suggested is going to make it a whole lot easier. An international ingredient-fest. Every week or so, Tiel and I will take it in turns to dream up a foodstuff to use and share an idea for a dish using it. Care to join us? It's the closest thing to sitting down and eating together we're likely to get in blogland. So pull up your chair and unfold your napkin.

Tiel's pick this week is grain mustard.

I'm a lover of mustard - my fridge currently contains English (bright yellow, smooth and hot), French (brown, smooth and mild) and wholegrain. The last is probably used more often than the others, and one of my favourite recipes is this little gem from Nigel Slater's book 'The 30 minute cook' - Lamb Chops with onions, mustard and chickpea puree.

To save you squinting at the photo of my spattered cookbook, I even found you an on-line link for the recipe and I urge you to try it because the chickpea puree alone is worth it (as my pencilled note points out!). Do you write in your cookbooks? Mine are filled with jottings to remind myself of tweaks to the recipe or records of when I first tried it.

Nigel Slater is a national treasure as far as I am concerned. My kind of cook - not too anal about precise recipes and loads of ideas for adapting and enhancing the basics. You know you are on to a good cookbook when you salivate while reading. What I hadn't realized is that he's obviously becoming popular in the States - I spied 'The Kitchen Diaries' in a photo on 3191. If you want some breakfast inspiration, that's the place to head. Perhaps a sausage sarnie with mustard for a lazy Saturday breakfast.....