This came to me tonight as I was preparing one of our favourite meals. We have it at least once a week. Now I have to mention at this stage that I'm not talking about musical crossovers such as the Chieftains and just about...well, everybody. No I'm talking food. I come from N. Ireland and I have to admit that our diet can be pretty bland, we don't have the ethnic diversity of the USA or Canada eg so for us, and all you people from Ireland that had cooked ham, lettuce and sliced boiled eggs (locally known as salad)... please stand up.

Every Sunday at (depending on ethnic diversity) 5:30 pm (times may vary) we had cooked ham, lettuce and sliced boiled eggs, to be polished off with ...the Angelus, at approximately 6:00 pm.

Until the advent of the Chineese immigrant. They made curry. Yes Chineese immigrants making curry. Now I don't know all the details behind this particular phenomenon but I do remember my brother and I discovering for the first time curried chicken and fried rice after a night in the pub which involved copious pints of stout.

The local chineese beckoned and we ordered the delicious meal...heaven.

If your still with me at this stage...good. I have been ever since a lover of spicy food. As I stated earlier it has become a staple for our family. Once a week we have curried chicken and rice and a vegetable such as peas or corn. Even Frank the dog (late of the Mudcat Tavern Act 1) loves the leftovers.

I was back in N. Ireland a couple of years ago and discovered that the ethnic crossover had married the chip (french fry to our N.American friends) and curry sauce...ohhh double heaven. you gotta try it. When we came back to Canada my wife and I craved for weeks on end that taste.

Any way I throw it open...ethnic food diversity? yours still missing curried chips, Den