44 Comments
User's avatar
Vanilla Black's avatar

I like Jon Savage, my type of stuff. On a slightly different point, one of the best autobiographies I read was Ozzy Osbourne. Not the biggest fan of the music but absolutely hilarious, sad and fascinating.

Mark Diacono's avatar

Oh…I shall go in search, thank you VB

Vanilla Black's avatar

I think you’ll enjoy it, especially the part about the tiles in his childhood home.

Max Brearley's avatar

Passport to Pimlico. An all time favourite. Those classic Ealing comedies are such a gift. The main reason I still have a dvd player.

Mark Diacono's avatar

I feel exactly the same way

Hazel Pinto Rodrigues's avatar

I need to get my hands on some lemon verbena. I am looking forward to Me and My desk series what a lovely concept too.

Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Hazel - lemon verbena is such a pleasure

Julia Lamberth Dawson's avatar

A wonderful read - thank you! Have jotted down many recommendations

Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Julia, delighted you enjoyed it

Karen Barnes's avatar

The asparagus tart! Love that recipe. I also now need to grow lemon verbena and watch The VIPs. And read the book about Joy Division. Excellent recommendations, as always.

Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you - glad to be uncharacteristically useful

Karen Barnes's avatar

HA! Opposite, obviously 😊 x

Rachel Khoo's avatar

Thanks so much for sharing my book. Very much looking forward to our author chat. If any of your subscribers have a particular question or subject they want answered (although I don't know the answer to the meaning of life), do let me know.

Mark Diacono's avatar

Can’t wait!

Lucy Hearne Keane's avatar

Oh the joy of Joy Division 😁 And Margaret Rutherford was a class act 👌

Mark Diacono's avatar

I couldn’t agree more

Casa Lucia - Cook.Create.Stay.'s avatar

Happy Monday Mark, I'm late to your post as the recent long-awaited return to our reconstructed house, (needed post 2016 earthquakes here in central Italy) means we're still waiting for an internet connection and downloading stuff is taking an age.

Thank YOU as always for bringing small pockets of joy and delight.... Asparagus is abundant here and the tart is on the list. Ditto the book and film recommendations, though they may have to wait a little while. 🙏

Mark Diacono's avatar

That sounds like quite the tedium to have gone through Lucy - I hope it’s nearly over. Thank you for your company, as ever

Larissa Hennessy's avatar

Adore Margaret Rutherford, elevated everything she was in

Mark Diacono's avatar

She did indeed

Mark Thomas's avatar

Another fantastic collection of goodness to end the week with 😊

VERY excited for Rachel Khoo, that should be a brilliant chat.

And that asparagus tart looks delicious 😋 added to the list!

Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Mark!

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent's avatar

Another lovely 'stack. (Read it whilst drinking a delicious mug of lemon balm tea - sorry!) X

Mark Diacono's avatar

Lemon balm tea Antonia! Save yourself before it’s too late! x

Simon's avatar

Reading the introduction to your asparagus tart recipe, I was intrigued by your mention of aniseed. But then I don’t see it in the recipe itself, am I missing something?

Mark Diacono's avatar

Hello Simon. It’s one of the lead parts of tarragon’s flavour

Simon's avatar

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks

Marjan's avatar

Your words on a Sunday morning are becoming a pleasant fixture in my week. Thank you for the recipes as the asparagus season gets in its stride and I have a lot of entertaining in the coming week. I was given a copy of Accidental Seed Heroes by the author, my friend Adam Alexander and I am looking forward to reading it - which links to the article on the Strait of Hormuz and my desire to inspire more people to grow their own as an act of rebellion against a broken food system. Thanks for sharing 🙏 and happy Sunday!

Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Marjan. What an excellent book that is! Wishing you an excellent Sunday

Feasts and Fables's avatar

Splendid. More books to add to the List, I had read and saved ‘The Hormuz Wake Up Call’ and pondered what more we should be doing here on our little farm … and playlists - love. This week I made one for JoJo, an evolving work in progress, currently shuffling through as we ease into Sunday, both of us reading your words as we perch at the breakfast counter and wonder how to grate a boiled egg! Happy Sunday. Thanks for being part of ours.

Mark Diacono's avatar

There’s always a bit at the end that doesn’t quite go through the grater but endangers the fingers! Happy Sunday listening/eating to you both

Feasts and Fables's avatar

JoJo is deft with the grater / mandoline … I have skinned myself more times than I would care to admit 🤣

JP Clark's avatar

Loved your live with Stephanie, and some other great lives coming up by the looks of things. I made your asparagus tart and it was indeed delicious!

Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you JP, I’m delighted. Happy Sunday to you

Louise Hallam's avatar

‘Deep in the writing of my next book’ stood out like a beacon, very much looking forward to that. I recently bought a second hand pressure cooker from eBay after reading Catherines Substack which I follow and now I use it all the time, they are so different from years past; I have fond memories of mum’s rice pudding on the ceiling, so delicious and even more so when landed in a bowl. Thank goodness for the safety valve!

Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank goodness for the safety valve in many aspects of life Louise! So glad you are enjoying Catherine’s substack