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Your e-Mails

Nathan Rippon	Nicey - Apropros your kettle request. I can honestly say that my relatively new, pink plastic cordless Bodum jobbie is the best I've ever had. Not least because it's pink plastic and cordless. However, I think the bold choice of colour - paradoxiacally - affirms in me a sense of rugged carefree masculinity too. ('Pink kettle? Sure, why not!') It even leads me, atavistically, to some primal moment. Overcome as I roughly tackle a hobnob or another suitably coarse and hardy biscuit (something with oats, no doubt), is this how my ancient ancestors acted, I ask myself? Did they brew up over an open fire, chucking a few flavourful leaves into a pot, with little consideration to etiquette and appearances:to spit-coated crumbs of proto-digestives tumbling from grateful mouths? Who knows? All I know is that I and my pink kettle work together in harmony. (It has a jolly efficient little filter to stop scummy white bits getting from electric coil to cup, too.) Rgds, n
Liz Loree	Dear Nicey. With the talk of North Americans and some of the horrible tea-making habits, I thought you might enjoy taking a look at the "new Steeped Tea" at Tim Hortons.  Tim's is not normally known for its tea - more the coffee and donuts. As for the "do they or do they not have kettles" question, I don't know many people who don't have a kettle here in Canada.  I do remember being shocked with I saw a friend (kettle-less) boiling water on the stove for coffee and tea.  Soon after, this friend got a coffeemaker of the drip variety, and instead of coffee, he'd put several teabags in the basket and let the water run through.  Strong enough to trot a mouse, as Robertson Davies said. Looking forward to the book, Liz Loree - Canuck with a kettle
Bart Harris	Hello Nicey, I loved the fig article, but was mildly disappointed to see that there was no clear conclusion. I have largely allowed fig rolls to slip out of my life since I was weaned on them up to the age of 8 or 9. Occasionally I am reminded of their figgy goodness by caring friends and family who seem to buy them sporadically. Without these people I might, sadly, have all but forgotten them. Your article has inspired me to fully rediscover my lost love, but I am having trouble working out the panel's consensus on the best fig roll to buy (I believe we used to have Jacob's). Anyway, I would be interested to hear not only that but your own personal preference so that I can waste no time in introducing them back into my routine. Very best regards, Bart Harris
	Nicey replies: Oh we frequently don't like to draw clear conclusions and prefer people to make up their own minds. I would simply say stump up the cash and try a few different ones, certainly a Jacobs and a good Burtons (or one of the store own labels) that is 27% or higher fig. The Crawfords ones are hard to find and the others are all fairly exotic.
Rob Byatt	Dear Nicey and Wifey, We've just come back from a wet week in the lake district. One of the highlights of each day was popping into local establishments for teas or lunches. It was noted by us that on the menu in several of these places, as well as having a headed section for cakes, there were headed sections for tray-bakes which included such treats as tiffin, fruit flapjacks and caramel slices. Obviously this took on great significance to us, especially as we couldn't get out and about much due to the inclement weather and a particularly young new member of staff. Maybe if the cult of the tray bake continues to rise, the old Venn diagram will have to be updated. Keep up the good work, Rob Byatt
	Nicey replies: Oh yes the old Venn diagram is very dated now. There is a splendid big new one in our book but I fear that its too late now to amend it with this new theory of slices. Still it proves that this is a vital and expanding field of knowledge.
Chris Rayment	I have recently had the great pleasure of using a NEW kettle! Joy! The old kettle (a nice, sensible Philips cordless) was showing its age a bit, and cups of tea and sit downs weren’t all that nice since the tea seemed a bit weak and took ages to brew; we thought it might be the tea bags, but Ty-phoo are normally reliable, so we purchased (actually got it free with our Boots Advantage Card) a new kettle – a Morphy Richards Silver Style Mirror Jug Kettle - what a revelation! The kettle itself is a sort of brushed silver affair, is cordless and boils a litre of water (from cold) in less than thirty seconds, as a bonus, the outside walls stay cool (so you can cuddle it if you’re that way inclined) and it has a ‘keep the water hot’ button. Our tea is now made with water at the correct temperature and it brews really quickly and is no longer the insipid brew it once was. Our taste buds have been revitalised and we’re drinking more tea than we used to so a big ‘hurrah’ for a decent kettle. Chris Rayment
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