Dear Diary- what a busy day!!!

We have just had a visit from Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter, co-authors of The Wine and food Lovers guide to Portugal They publish it themselves and are currently travelling for the next update, which is due to be translated into Brazilian Portuguese.

Incidentally you can read Charles regularly in ‘Blue Wine’ (if you speak Portuguese!)

Unfortunately Casa Rosada could not accomodate them at such short notice for an overnight stay, so we were also not able to wine and dine them.They dropped by for morning coffee and an informal chat round the kitchen table.I unfortunately had to join  them late having been on airport courier duties, buzzing Andrew's parents back to Faro airport, and taking the chance of a once in a while shop at the Waitrose of the Algarve, Appolonia in Almancil, the service town for Quinta de Largo, home town for Footballers Wives. My mission on this occasion was to stock up with Asian ingredients for my store cupboard, still unavailable down our end of the East Algarve.( Coconut cream sachets, bottles of coconut milk, light muscovado sugar, Udon Noodles, Sesame oil, Nam pla, kikkoman soya sauce, preserved ginger ).

The day also saw a new influx of guests and dinner had to be cooked for 5, including us.

I opted for -

a large platter of tapas: 

Muxama, pequillo peppers, home made chicken liver pate

fresh local goats cheese with honey and almonds, figs and green olive tapenade, pipas and bread

Stir fried chilli and lemongrass tenderloin of pork

with a salad of ginger noodles

tarte au citron 


And with my pantry freshly stocked with pan Asian goodies it brings me to tonights dinner.
Guests have gone out and we are going to sit down with our friend Cate to a Thai green chicken curry.
Yum Yum -or as they say in Thailand

ฉ่ำ, น่าปิติยินดี, มีใบและก้านฉ่ำน้ำ, หวานฉ่ำ, หอมหวาน, อร่อย