Im finally moving back oop north and home on Thursday, im also looking forward to getting back in the kitchen and chucking a few pans about, so if its ok i would like to join in on this, i have never tried any of Taz's recipes before, so i feel this would be a good time to try.
Also i like the way this whole testing session/series has come about and honestly think its a good way, probably the best way, of making progress in our journey.
I allready have all the spices, both whole or ground.
I can start knocking the Base and mix up this coming Saturday.
Any questions i have have allready been answered except...
1) Are we using whole or ground spices?
2) Are we using the 400ml of oil as per recipe or more/less.
Mmm curry.......

And this is one i just couldn't resist show me the.............
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.blaenpennalcavaliers.co.uk/images/puppies1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.last.fm/forum/5/_/600404/1&usg=__2lvJ2uKWD-wKmOWeE8EwQlk3c5E=&h=474&w=650&sz=45&hl=en&start=9&zoom=1&tbnid=FlWSq7q9HMgjiM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=137&ei=bOk6TfHdB5SxhAev2u2UCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Da%2Bpair%2Bof%2Bpuppies%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1503%26bih%3D633%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1

Very nice but perhaps these............
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://punxter.com/pics/M/VNCB.jpg&imgrefurl=http://punxter.com/pic/Damn_girl,_that%27s_a_fine_pair_of_melons_you_have_there%3Fsize%3Dmedium&usg=__uz04nxLRhfjp3HNBEBu7eORJr80=&h=394&w=299&sz=18&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=i9yAaisDRh5nqM:&tbnh=160&tbnw=120&ei=kOg6TYqTLYS2hQe5t6CKCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Da%2Bpair%2Bof%2Bmelons%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1503%26bih%3D633%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C327&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1091&vpy=73&dur=3646&hovh=258&hovw=196&tx=142&ty=132&oei=kOg6TYqTLYS2hQe5t6CKCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:0&biw=1503&bih=633

No doubt about it, that is a cracking pair on knockers

Nice, whilst were on the subject i thought you may find this image enticing......
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/2009/08/smartmeasure.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/smart-measuring-jug-is-digitally-accurate/&usg=__nxazYeJrc9OJiSto6pLJ0KDuAig=&h=337&w=640&sz=64&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=gIJfm9yGHbgfJM:&tbnh=146&tbnw=168&ei=nso6Te-rAZKShAfjjomHCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Da%2Bpair%2Bof%2Bjugs%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1503%26bih%3D633%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=98&vpy=363&dur=3242&hovh=163&hovw=310&tx=122&ty=187&oei=nso6Te-rAZKShAfjjomHCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0

It wont work, heres a few obvious reasons...
                                                              Somebody finds a willing chef (who is the judge on the chef, will we all be happy with the choice?).
We pay the chef, the chef shows/tells, what if he doesn't come up with anything we havn't allready tried, you still have to pay the chef, what then another whip round for a second chef?
The chef gives us a secret, you think well done weve cracked it. How many times have you read posts in here or anywhere where somebody has come up with an idea only to have it flamed from the word go without anybody else actually trying it, worse still, this post then becomes such a long drawn out flame war that nobody can then make any sense of the original idea and it gets lost.
Good idea though. I just don't think it'll get any further than this stage.

I havn't googled it but seem to remember that seed oils, sunflower, rape, peanut all are able to take a higher heat than fruit oils, olive, vegetable and the like.
Im not sure how sunflower stacks up against vegetable in terms of healthiness though.

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_to_upload_video_apple_iphone_youtube.html
Google is your friend

As the chef's say "Fat means flavour"
It's difficult not top be frugal with oil, for years now we have been told that oil and fat is bad for the arteries and health in general. But when it comes to certain meals, curries and frying spices, i don't think you can reduce the amount without reducing the flavour or burning things.
I know this, but still, when i start frying the spices for a curry, i still get that little voice in the back of my mind saying" don't do it, use less oil!".
The only way over the hurdle is to just bite the bullet and do it. The curry always tastes better for it.
Olive oil is an alternative, but for me its a no-no, T.V. chef's that use olive oil in curries are not making, or trying to make BIR replicas as we are, so they can get away with the healthier option. Add to that the flavour of Olive oil and, well, its alien in a curry for me.
Yes, using more oil is actually quite a difficult mental hurdle to get over.
But well worth it.
Another thing is  chef's rarely use the measurements they tell you to use. Take Jamie Oliver as a case in point, watch one of his excellent Meals in 30 minutes shows and you'll see what i mean. When he adds 2 serving spoons of Olive oil to a frying pan he actually tells you, as he's doing it, to add a couple of tsp's or a tbsp of oil to the pan.
What he is really doing is cooking a meal the correct way, with the correct amount of oil for the process in real time, yet trying to tell us to be healthy at the same time, and not get bashed by the healthy eating critics. You see, he's doing it himself but telling YOU not to.
Watch Dipuraja's vids and he does the exact same thing. These are two examples of either the mental block saying "Don't" or the bending of the rules for the healthy eating campaign. There's nothing wrong with this, its healthy, yet tells us to watch carefully and never take a recipe's measurements for granted.

There's a choice of four beverages to have with a curry for me.
Newcastle Brown Ale, or a bottle of dog if your northern.
A decent pint of Bitter, Worthingtons is a good one.
A very nice drink any time, especially with a ruby is a nice cold Bottle of Perry. NOT PEAR CIDER!!!.
And finally to cleanse the gob, Brandy Coffee mmmmmmmm.