Having spent my hour in the garden it was time to talk with the two elder children and count some of the damage from the previous night. We had been out and got home around 1.30 am. There were lights still on but the house was quiet. Inside the kitchen was filled with the remains of what had clearly been a good party. As we cleared away I counted the bottles; two vodka, one wine and 48 Buds. There was also a bottle of Talisker on the side with enough for a small glass left in the bottom. All told quite impressive.

For supper this evening we are going to have an Indonesian Beef Curry Rendang Daging. It comes from a book called Indonesian Cookery by David Scott and Surya Winata. I have had the book since we lived in Oxford and it was bought on the back of meals that we had at an Indonesian restaurant in Jericho called Bandung. Hopefully it is still there. They did a remarkably good satay sauce.

The curry is very easy to make. It just needs time. Peel a couple of onions, garlic and ginger. throw in some lemon grass and a few red chillies, ground tumeric, coriander and cumin. Although goes into the magimix to be ground down to a thick paste with some coconut milk.

The paste is then put into a heavy bottomed pan with some more coconut milk and brought to a slow boil. Add the beef, turned down the heat so it is just at a simmer and then leave for three hours.