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I'd pass them along to my father, to grill and share with the neighbours.

Packages of red beans and rice. Add water, bring to a boil, and let simmer for half an hour. Add some chopped smoked sausage if you want to make it a full meal. Foolproof, cheap and a nice mixture of carbs and protein.

I used to work at a place that did stuffed burgers. One problem was that it's very hard to get the middle melted without overcooking the burger. A lot of places pop the patty in the micro before grilling. I understand how it's good for things like blue cheese, where being stuffed in the burger keeps it from running off, but I'd rather have my (minimal) toppings as just that: toppings.

Try the North Sea Fish Company near Bloomsbury for great fish and chips.

By Portobello Market is a terrific Falafel place. All they do is falafel and mint lemonade.

Borough market could feed anyone for a week or more, but it's kind of a pain to get to if you're not based south of the river.

Lots of restaurants do pretty good deals at lunch or early evening. Malmaison does a great evening deal...two courses plus a half bottle of wine for £20, if you're looking for a smart and dressy meal.

I also really like Belgo, near Covent Garden, which does great Moules and Frites, with a huge selection of Belgian beers. Little known fact: Britain produces some of the finest mussels and oysters in the world. We just don't eat them. Belgium grabs over 90% of some of the catches. So if you like them, you can get them for very little money. Watch where you get them though, obviously.

A lot depends on where in London she'll be. But be warned...most London meals are either expensive or disappointing or both. I have to go into london two or three times a week, and I usually bring sandwiches from home, because eating out is such a hassle.

One surprisingly good option are the cafes in the new St Pancras station. One has a huge range of options and offers take away on coffee, salads, sandwiches, soups and breakfasts.

Again, I do know London fairly well, so if you want to give me information on where they'll be, I'd be more than happy to tailor some suggestions. This is all assuming air travel ever resumes, of course.

Oregano and parmesan, but only in checked-tablecloth-and-raffia-chianti-bottle places, or from a counter. Black pepper, for it goes on everything.

This is a UK site, and I don't know if they ship overseas, but it might help you find some labels and pricing points.

http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/find.asp?find_rm_age=1980's

I've had excellent experiences with their own-label whiskies, and they often get interesting and unusual labels from other companies as well.

When I go to Japan, I usually stay at the same business hotel in Nagoya. I love the cold rice patties the have for breakfast, sprinkled with the dried seaweed and seafood flakes. I still can't quite get the hang of vegetable soup for breakfast though. I also passed up the lobster and red snapper breakfast in Tokyo. I can so sushi in the morning, but the less adventurous kind. Tuna or Omelet rolls with QP, please!

I'm voting underdogs from here on out. I have White Castle beef, pickles and onions in my blood (actually, I should probably get that looked at). I wish they were still in the running...I used to live a five-minute walk from one of the first 5 Guys on King Street right off 395 in Alexandria. It was great 15 years ago, haven't tried it since. I liked In-N-Out a lot, but I'm voting Fatburger. Go, underdogs, go!

I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain that's not Christ's bride, but rather his mother. It's nice that she's appearing to food, rather than just in it.

I like to use mashed sweet potato, breadcrumbs and egg to make a nice 'glue' for veggie burgers. Works well for spicy bean burgers.

No sage in the gravy? Sage is essential.

We have sausages and mash once a week around here (very few people actually call them 'bangers' anymore). We get our butcher's special sausages, which are about 80% meat. I cook them in a roasting pan with a bottle of ale, coarsely-chopped onions, garlic and mustard seed. After a long, slow cook I fry them quickly in bacon fat and pop them back in the oven to keep warm. For the gravy, I use pork stock (we get bones from the same butcher's) and the some of the leftover ale from the sausages with lots of sage and black pepper. I caramelise the sweated onion from the sausage pan to put on top of the dish.

For the mash, I like Maris Pipers, with lots of butter and double cream. I also like to add stilton or mature cheddar, which gives the mash more body. And don't forget some mushy peas on the side, with lots of mint and pepper.

One of the best burgers--maybe best meals--I've ever had was in Bordeaux. The patty was offcuts of beef from the butcher's, coarsely ground and tossed on a grill over a fire made from dried grape vines. A slightly crusty fresh roll, covered in salted local butter, and an odd but lovely cheese I was told was 'farm cheese'. Sort of like gouda or edam. And the bacon...it looked like it was ripped from the pig, a huge jagged slab. Not too thick, not too thin, not to crispy, not too soft, not too fatty, not too dry, not too salty, not too smokey. Just perfect. Give the French food, and they will create a masterpiece.

@ Mawich; I've had mustard (bland American-style) on burgers many places in the UK, even at McDonalds. I do like a small smear of Colman's on my burger every now and then, myself.