The original was so good, the one you no longer own

Right. After more than a twelvemonth of absence, it's time for the return of the Friday afternoon mp3.

It's Friday, and it's about 3 o'clock. It's time to go underneath the covers (with the lights out).

I always recommend listening to a cover version without knowing what or who it is, so click on the link and don't look at your media player too carefully...

Link to cover version expired

( What was that? )

In the basement, mixing up the medicine

I am currently the proud owner of a slow cooker, a Christmas present from my parents. As is the way of these things, every ingredient currently looks to me like something that would benefit from eight hours on a very low heat. One of the exciting uses to which the slow cooker has been put is making stock from the carcass of Sunday's roast chicken.

Armed with yummy chicken stock, some left over chicken, and an accidental excess of arborio rice, I leapt to the logical conclusion and we made risotto (not, you'll be pleased to hear, in the slow cooker).

It came out... ok. But no more than ok. It was suspiciously bland, and clearly needed something.

( Help debug the risotto... )