I've been pondering this for a while and I may have an answer that doesn't tie me to the takeaway for 7 nights a week.

I'm going to offer him about a 'deal', a while back he asked me about making a website for him, my deal will simply be that I will make him his site if he will allow me to go in and watch how his chef prepares the food, I think he may go for that.

Fingers crossed  ;D

This could/should be a none starter.

Pls consider what your doing. Inform your friend
of the truth and what your upto.

I think you should look after yourself and
you friendship first.

Graeme.

so what happend mag? did you get the job or a look in?

Sorry, I've been really busy for a while but tonight I finally found the time to take my friend up on his offer to 'pop into the kitchen' anytime I wanted to.

The first thing that struck me was the fact that I seem to have more spices in my cupboard than he has in his kitchen, on mentioning this to him he simply asked me why I needed so many.

Him and his guys were quite busy so I never really had time to quiz him in any detail (and also because I was busy scoffing all the food he kept asking me to taste). ;D

Amongst the freebies he plied me with was a carton of what he calls his 'masala mix', he then gave me a quick run through of how to use it to create a Madras, (he knows its my wifes favourite curry).
I came home and knocked up a base from the Saffron recipe and added the few spices I saw him use (including his masala mix) and the result was the nearest I have ever come to recreating the taste of the BIR (or at least the BIR as it is in the NE).
He seems to work on the principle that using spices for the sake of it is pointless and that making a BIR should be simple and effortless, and from the taste of his dishes I have to agree.
I'll hound him like mad now to find out his 'masala mix' recipe and to a lesser extent his base as his 'mix' worked quite well with the Saffron base.
He knows I visit a BIR forum and has no problem with that though I would obviously ask him before posting anything he may not want me to.

Mag,

QuoteI seem to have more spices in my cupboard than he has in his kitchen

i too have come to this conclusion.

for me the even the behind the scenes day in the life that u had/have is real interesting stuff - keep posting