Dear truffler:
It's a shameful confession and you will, no doubt, write me off as an unforgiveable slattern, but my food cupboard is alive
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Your support makes all the difference.I'm a huge fan of Raymond Blanc and have tried more or less every recipe in his books. But I've never been able to attempt duck with jasmine tea in Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. That's because it lists corn syrup among the ingredients and I've no idea what it is or where to get hold of it. Any suggestions?
John Troughton, West Didsbury
I was cheeky enough to ring M Blanc himself. "What's corn syrup when it's at home, Raymond?" I asked. "It is a very unsweetened syrup," says Raymond. "I love it because it makes a neutral base. But I admit that book was written a long time ago by an idealist and all the ingredients are not always easy to get." I should coco. Nowhere I asked in Manchester had heard of it. Raymond says you can try substituting glucose syrup but it's much sweeter, or honey. The leading brand of corn syrup in the US is Karo, stocked in London by the Rosslyn Delicatessen, 56 Rosslyn Hill, London NW3 (020-7794 9210); they will post it.
It's a shameful confession and you will, no doubt, write me off as an unforgiveable slattern, but my food cupboard is alive. Little moths flutter in and out, something is drilling holes in the bottom of bags of flour and something was wriggling in an unopened packet of apricots. Are these creatures related to each other? How did they get there, are they harmful, and what should I do about them? Please help.
Name and address withheld in case no one ever eats at my house again.
Yuk, I'd think twice before accepting an invitation from you. Apparently, though, such infestations are very common. Culprits are usually flour moths and flour beetles. There might be other eggs in food – such as the apricots – when you buy it, which then take months to turn into caterpillars. Don't keep food past its best-by date. Flour mites live on the surface of the flour. The grubs of the flour moth bore holes through the bag. Clean out your cupboards, throw out suspect packets and start again, storing food in sealed containers. Though they don't reflect terribly well on your housekeeping, they're not a health hazard, and eating creepy crawlies is very fashionable right now.
E-mail truffler@independent.co.uk or write to Dear Truffler, 'The Independent', 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS. Sorry, I can't reply to you all personally but I will do my best to answer your questions here.
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