Thanks M.Ted, I'll keep that in mind - one can always consult this thread, and it's links, now when short on culinary ideas! (And I learnt from Clarissa Dickson-Wright, the other day, that we in England have used the olive oil you mention since the Middle Ages.) My staple meal has changed slightly since publication - it's even simpler: A Bachelors' cup-a-soup goes into the pot, with baked beans and whatever vegetables were fresh at the local market (including iceberg lettuce, which I find much tastier when boiled in soup), plus toast.