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Way! I wish I had a relish dish. I've put out assortments of pickled items (mm .. peppadews!) in lots of little dishes, but I could also see using such a dish for olives and bits of cheese, nuts, snack mixes, four different kinds of olives .. whatever. I've never had a super bowl party, so I don't know about fanciness for that, but I'd def use something like this for wine and cheese/snacks kind of party.

Glad to help!

Re: Brick Lane .. if you're set on that, by all means go, but .. I really don't think that that is the best place to get decent Indian. I also don't like the atmosphere -- but then, I hate people coming up to me in the street and aggressively touting their restaurant. I know it doesn't bother everyone. Either way, if you have a specific destination in mind, something that's been recommended to you, then you know more than me :)

If, on the other hand, you aren't set on a place and are just looking for a great curry house, I recommend Lahore Kebab House, just off Commercial Rd (2 Umberston Street) in Whitechapel. Also, I've never been, but I've heard great things about Tayyab (I think that's the name) nearby Brick Lane, near Aldgate East tube.

High brow curry: Red Fort in Soho is wonderful.

Sounds great, but I'd love to be able to make these without having to buy mango/guava/papaya nectar. Anyone have any substitute suggestions? I'm guessing a citrus fruit would be too acidic? What about apple puree?

Totally not gourmet, quick & easy peanut noodles for 1:
1 T Peanut Butter
1 T warm water
mix vigorously until emulsified. Add sprinkling of hot chili flakes to taste. Mix. Add
1/2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 T soy sauce
1/2 T sugar
Mix again.
Mix in 1 portion of cooked rice noodles. Thin with a little extra water/vinegar/soy, depending. Also, vary proportions of soy:vinegar:sugar to your taste.

(I know you said you've got soba, so that might work, but I think the soba taste is a bit strong for peanut noodles)

I love Borough Market for imported cheese and Monmouth coffee, but I do sometimes feel like I'm in a crowed, touristy, open-air Waitrose. For guaranteed local food, it pays to visit one of London's Farmer's Markets, where everything has to come from within 100 miles of London. Mmmm .. lots of sprouts and Jerusalem artichokes just now.

It's definitely been my experience that garlic put through a press or grated tastes stronger and rawer. Also, when I've experimented with sauteing grated/pressed garlic, it never comes out properly. I use my press for salad dressings and paste making only -- applications where I want an aggressive taste or where the garlic is squished with something else before cooking. Otherwise, I find individual bits behave better and taste nicer when sliced/diced/minced.

Oh, please warn us furriners in advance when things won't play outside the US .. I had my hopes all up and everything [slowly expiring from lack of Weird Al fix] ..

1. Have you ever eaten horseradish? Yes

2. If yes, what would you put it on? Almost anything in one way or another.

3. Where do you shop for special meal ingredients? Farmers markets, specialty markets

4. Would you order ingredients online? If so, which sites? No

5. 1 to 10 scale, how adventurous are you at trying new foods? 9

6. How far have you driven to eat-out? I don't drive. But I've flown to another country, does that count?

7. How often do you prepare meals each week? 5 or 6 times a week, 2-3 meals a day.

8. What colors come to mind associated with adventure? Red

9. Do you consume artificial sweeteners? No

I'm always a little perplexed by the 'humane lobster-killing' debate. From a biological complexity point of view, lobsters are about as brainy as a mosquito or a tick. Why don't we have debates about the pain levels of a fly swatter versus the newspaper? Or turpentine versus a lit match? Even weirder to me, oyster eaters never seem bothered that raw oysters are still alive when eaten. To me, as long as you're paying attention to overfishing problems, and chosing your lobster accordingly, it makes not one bit of difference how you kill it.

Geez leave a country for a year or so and things change completely. What the hell is Fage yoghurt?

In my cart:
Ryvita Rye Crispbreads
Chicken thighs
Avocados
Carrots
Smoked Salmon

Babe Ruth or Peanut Butter from the Nifty Fifty's diner in/near Chester, PA. I haven't had one in about 6 years and I'm still craving them ...

How about salmon in puff pastry? There must be about a billion different variations on this theme, but I particularly like Delia Smith's slightly Asian take:

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/thai-salmon-filo-parcels,1730,RC.html