D4D: Done. Almost.

It's been a grand yearlong experiment, and now it's time to sit down, put Our feet up, turn the telly on, and have a cuppa.

Although We won't exactly be hanging up Our pinny (We gotta eat, after all) We won't be documenting every meal, every night any longer – only the new or particularly innaresting ones, and then only in brief.

But first! The stats.

This week we'll be examining 365 D4D reviews to determine the winners in such categories as:

• Dinner o' the Year
• Dinner Made Most Often
• Best Dinner Out
• Best Salad
• Restaurant Visited Most Often
• Best Dinner Made for Guests
• Best Dinner Abroad
• Cookbook Used Most
• Cookbook o' the Year
• Best Link

And of course We'll tot up the numbers for how often We made Our most popular dinners, including:

• Lemon chicken
• Black bnz
• Chickpeas with cumin and sherry
• Pea and mushroom risotto
• Red prawn and mango curry

We'll post the 2008 stats as soon as We can, hopefully by next weekend. Might post a pic or two in between, so do check in.

And to all two of our regular readers: ta everso!

26.12.08: Quorn, black bnz, red cabbage, and baked butternut squash

Can you believe we cooked at all the day after Christmas? We're saving the considerable turkey leftovers for something special, you'll see. So on with the dinner show: She heated up some leftover balck bnz and another container o' red cabbage, panfried some lemon-pepper quorn escalopes, and baked a butternut squash with a touch of maple syrup.

Squash seeds toasted with sage, celery salt, black pepper and oregano made a fine snacky accompaniment, while a dutiful salad of radish and leaves held upt he raw food portion of the programme.

SHE SAYS: Wow. That was some seriously bland butternut, even though it got a typical treatment of olive oil, maple syrup and salt 'n' pepper. Puzzling. Bnz had a good second outing, at least, and the red cabbage did its usual sugar 'n' spice number with a touch of the tart about it. Can't help but love crunchy chickeny quorn, and the seasoned squash seeds almost made up for their ho-hum counterpart.

HE SAYS: Yes, a shame about the squash, I think skinning and cubing it before roasting it delivers better results. Other then that, all was good: the bnz retained their herbiness, the red cabbage flexed its sweet, vinegary muscle and the quorn added the crunch to the plate. The salad was a plain palate-cleansing affair but it was the squash seeds that were too fantastic to describe in a few words, so I won't even attempt it.

24.12.08: Black bnz and a pomeflowertini

He decided to make the Eve a little more festive with the purchase of some pomegranate-elderflower cordial for an after-dinner drinx mixer, resulting in the aforementioned pome-flower-tini (cordial, vodka, pom seeds). Purty, innit?

And She was more than happy to make black bnz for Christmas Eve complete with the usual polenta and avo accompaniment. Salad of pear, radish and soft leaves contributed to the celebratory atmosphere.

SHE SAYS: A good spicy batch of bnz, and this time the polenta came out thick and plain, just the way We like it. always good to have something easy and delicious in your pocket for the evening before a big holiday...though I daresay he had it less easy, bzzy as he was with a special b-day project for Moi in the kitchen...

HE SAYS: Nish batch o' bnz. They were very herby and aromatic yet again and the polenta demonstrated the best consistency we've had, not too solid and not too mushy. The pear added the shweet to the radishes' salt, and so all was well in the salad kingdom.

09.12.08: Blk bnz and carrot and beetroot salad

She conjured up another dose of blk bnz wonderment, serving it over polenta with added sweetcorn and a mound of avo. The mixed leaf salad kept things simple by offering julienned carrots and some mulled wine-spiced beetroot to the party.

HE SAYS: No complaints from Me about repetition. This batch was as herby and morish as the first time She made them. The sweetcorn helped out the polenta a bit on taste intensity and the avo contributed to the creamy texture factor. Oooh, I luv me some silky smooth, black-skinned legumes, I swear they get my pulses up! The slivers of carrot were so fine in the salad, the beetroot had to up its game to stay in the super salad bowl, that's fo' sure.

SHE SAYS: It's been long enough since I last made the bnz that I actually had to look up my own recipe, but I'm glad I did. Good balance of heat to herb, especially. Only 'enh' factor was the polenta, which could not be coaxed out of a somewhat watery state. Carrot and beetroot partnership was much more harmonious for me than last nite's salad pairing - sweet strips lashing across the allspice tartness, oh my...

20.11.08: Blk bnz with a pear and tomato salad

He escorted this ole fave to the table. Herby blk bnz with avo were the headline while the pear, tomato and shredded beetroot salad offered moral support.

HE SAYS: Lots and lots of fresh coriander was duly chopped and placed in the pot for this batch (about a handful or two over the normal quota) and the result was herbtastic. Unfortunately I cooked up brown rice instead of the silky smooth palenta that we've come to know and luv, making it feel a little heavy on the tum. Still, a satisfying bowl of wonderfulness was had by all two of us. As for the salad - lovely, pear is the new radish this week for me.

SHE SAYS: Truly excellent batch o' bnz. Adding lots of coriander is one of the keystones of aromatic black bnz (selectively pureeing to release full flavour is the other), but he took it to a new height tonite. It really was too-too. I did wish we'd had polenta, though - perhaps you've noticed we're a little riced out this week? Wasn't sure how tomato would take to pear, but they traded sweet for acidic well enough.

16.11.08: Breakfast 4 dinner

She put on her pinny and served up some brekky in the evening. On the plate were: pork n' apple chipolatas, black bnz, plum tomato and balsamic vinegar salsa, cheddar cheese omelet, plain bagel and a fig and carrot mixed leaf salad.

HE SAYS: Always somewhat of a treat to do a great switcheroo with the meals. The tomato salsa thang was incredible, very tangy and morish. The blk beans were from a box of dried flakes that we brought over from our trip to the States. They were pretty good, a little soupy, but next time we'll add less water and all will be right with the world.

The chipolata snausages never let us down, and as always they were tasty but We did miss the maple syrup which is their perfect accompaniment. The omelet was good and cheesy and best eaten in combination with the bagel, so I tried to construct a breakfast sandwich by towering all the ingredients on top of one another but feared a collapse. Quickly rethought my plans and carried out a controlled demolition, eating each ingredient one by one. Luckily no one was harmed.

SHE SAYS: Aah, yum. Brekky really is the perfect dinner, esp when there are apple-packed, sage-kissed chipolatas to be had. I slathered the sweet-tang tomato salsa (just tomatoes and balsamic vinegar cooked down in the pan after the sausages) all over my bagel slice and took it slow. Agree with Him about the bnz - will do better next time, but still amazed by how nice they are. I wouldn't consider them a replacement for my aromatic black bnz, but they make a great snack or quickie side dish. Ashamed to say I was too full for salad and had to have mine next day!

24.10.08: Mother's, Austin, TX

His mole enchilada plate

Following in the footsteps of His intrepid trip once again, the digestive duo decided to keep it local and step out to the nearby veggie restaurant of choice: Mother's. Both ordered enchiladas: the mole variety for Him, the spinach-mushroom variety for Her. For dessert, She ordered the Mexican vanilla ice cream with two spoons, and He didn't mind helping to finish the bowl one bit.

Her spinach-mushroom enchilada plate

SHE SAYS: My low-key enchiladas might actually be my fave Austin dinner - I needed a little brown rice and plainness to offset all the richness by now. My enchiladas were plump with spinach and mushrooms, with a hearty topping of jack cheese and a chipotle sauce that was more tangy and less smokey than expected, but still good. My riesling was a bad choice of vino (a sweeter one), but the ensuing relaxation added to the mellow enjoyment overall.

Now...the black bnz. V. plain, not a hint of herb or spice. Perplexing, but I'm guessing here people expect to load on sauces for the requisite flava-flav. Texture v. good again, whole soft bean in slightly thickened sauciness.

The ice cream was an inspired choice, if I do say so m'self. I love vanilla, and the Mex version was a new one for me. Unlike Bourbon or French (same?), it had a honeyed depth (as He pointed out), rich without cloying.

Their Mexican vanilla ice cream

HE SAYS: This joint has a nice, relaxed vibe to it. The wait staff are v. attentive and friendly. The mole enchilada was again very tasty: the sauce was not too sweet and the cheese added to the gooey delish experience. The brown rice was pretty plain fare, but once mixed with the black bnz and cheese, transformed into veggie nirvana. The ice cream offering tasted very much of honey, and she informed me it was the flavour of the distinctive Mexican vanilla. You learn something new every day...

21.10.08: Magnolia Cafe, Austin, TX

His chicken enchiladas with chipotle sauce

A late-nite arrival in Austin, TX, had us beelining for the highly recommended Magnolia Cafe, famous for its 24-hr dining pleasures and 'Sorry, we're open' sign.

HE SAYS: Had me some chicken enchiladas with chipotle sauce. Not bad diner Mexican food: the chicken was tender, the sauce was hot and spicy, but overall it lacked a certain Mexican something, something. Maybe it didn't have enough cheesy goodness, or perhaps I was still too jet-lagged to fully appreciate a good meal at 11:30 pm after a 4-hour plane ride.

Her black bnz with indulgent toppings

SHE SAYS: My Mexi-feast of the Black Bean Entree with lemon sour cream, avo, pico de gallo and cheddar chz, plus jalapeno corncakes, was an indulgent pleasure, but I couldn't help notice the flavour came mostly from the toppings - not sure the base bnz were so spectacular. They had an innaresting consistency, tho': creamy, yet still whole-bean. Corncakes were sweet and spicy, def. a treat.

Her less indulgent salad with cilantro-lime dressing

The basic side salad sported an unremarkable 'cilantro-lime' dressing which tasted like v. plain vinaigrette to me....overall, big thumbs-up for 11pm+ fare.

12.10.08: Goulash with mixed leaf salad and leftover black bnz

On the last night of eating apart, He decided to visit his ma's and dig into some hearty beef goulash with white rice and a mixed leaf, olive, cucumber and red onion salad.

HE SAYS: It's been a while since I've eaten beef, and I really enjoyed tucking into the slow- cooked chunks that melted like butter on the tongue and the fantastic tomatoey, peppery gravy surounding them. The mixed veggies, including carrots and celery (much like a soffrito base), help create the intensely flavoured roux. Not a big fan of plain white rice but didn't mind that much. The salad was okay, red onions are a treat as She hates them in salad and they also make my breath stink like red onions, funnily enough.

Meanwhile, She was immensely grateful to arrive home (hungover and fragile) to the readymade bowl of black bnz and cheery salad accompaniment he'd prepared and put away the nite before.

SHE SAYS: Really perfect food to come home to, esp as my last couple of evenings were far too free of legumes and raw veg. Agree with assessment from last nite that it was not as flavourful as some batches, but it really didn't lessen my enjoyment of the creamy spoonfuls punctuated with juicy, silky corn kernels. Crunching down on radish and crisp leaves was rather a relief as well.

11.10.08: Blk bnz with sweetcorn polenta and Austrian gala dinner

Second night on his tod he cooked up the black bnz over some polenta with corn kernels garnished with big slices of avo. A salad of figs, tomato, radishes and sweetfire beetroot tried its best to keep Him company.

HE SAYS: Definitely not as fun to make and eat this one alone but felt better knowing that there was enough leftovers for tomorrow's meal too. This batch o' beans was pretty good but not spectacular. I managed to get the polenta's consistency pretty spot-on and the sweetcorn helped it out by giving it some crunchiness amongst the tasty goop. The salad took a break from fancy dressings and acted as a fresh and zingy closure to the lonely night.


Meanwhile, She sneaked a snap of the main course among five: pictured is the pork filet served in pepper crust and cream sauce with a vegetable bouquet and a healthy helping of spaetzle. Before that She managed to get down her neck some slices of duck breast over Waldorf salad; consomme with a splash of sherry; Rabbit filet served on a puff pastry pillow of juniperjus; and a small scoop of melon sorbet floating in campari. Afterwards, a small square of the prosaically titled chocolate cake managed to find a corner to squeeze into.

SHE SAYS: Thankfully, most portions were smaller than last nite's, and the quality mostly nipped up a notch. The duck and consomme are not much worth commenting on, and if there was sherry in that soup I'll eat my hat. The rabbit filet was actually a kind of rabbit sausage in a few little sections over some sort of thin grilled bread; nice herby flavour, but toughish. The fruity palate cleanser went straight to my head and put me in an expansive mood for the main course, which was rich and satisfying, if a bit bland. (I do love me some spaetzle.) Choccy cake was a thin but rich square of the German variety (I was hoping for sachertorte, but it's just as well this was a little lighter as I was uberstuffed).

30.09.08: Black bnz and polenta with avo

She ushered September out the door with the now-traditional black bnz ladled over slightly buttered polenta with corn kernels, all topped with generous slices of avo. A sald of figs, rocha pear, radishes and - you guessed it - mixed leaves edged into the frame all fruity and fragrant, awaiting a light drizzle of Nigella's wasabi-lime.

SHE SAYS: Despite having to reduce the cumin by half due to low supply, this batch came out might tasty. Possibly the tbsp of chili powder, added for its cumin content, gave it a spice boost. Silky polenta with crispy corn kernels still makes this a treat of a supper, as opposed to a merely good one. Salad played all its roles - sweet, piquant, salty, crunchy, seedy - with admirable versatility.

HE SAYS: I think this batch was above par in the taste dept., smoky and intensely savoury tasting.The chilli powder seemed to work a treat, adding more depth of flava, and I didn't miss the missing cumin at all. The sweetcorn is really a great touch in the polenta and I would be upset if we suddenly had a corn shortage. Salad was another fruity affair, a little of everything I'd want in a cold dish of various mixtures served with a dressing of my choosing.

12.09.08: Quorn and fresh tomato-veg sauce, and enchilidas mole

Just another flash in the pan: the lemon-pepper quorn escalope smothered with a fresh tomato and veg sauce, plus leftover sweetfire beetroot and spinach & watercress salad.

SHE SAYS: If you think Hers looks a little bland, well, your eyes don't lie. Despite application of white wine to pan, and a nice-looking veg medley, the typical quorn concoction was surprisingly ho-hum. Of course, the chicken-fried steak quality of the quorn still came thru, but its savoury influence was dimmed by the factor. Not the comfort food vibe I had in mind!

HE SAYS: Just down the block where I'm staying is this fantastic veggie restaurant, Mother's cafe and It was there that I indulged in the enchiladas mole. Consisting of lots of black bnz, Monterey Jack cheese and rich and savoury, gravy-like mole sauce smothering a corn tortilla, it was aided and abetted by brown rice and a generous scoop of fresh guacamole. The bnz were especially nish, creamy, a little spicy, rich and moist with good sauciness. It's hard eating by oneself but when you have food like this it helps distract you from the loneliness.

30.08.08: Scrambled eggs with chorizo, black bnz, and fennel salad

This was a lot easier than it looks: We already had the black bnz and corn-studded polenta from Thu nite, and it doesn't take much to throw chorizo and eggs in the pan. Meanwhile, a bulb of fennel finely sliced, fresh pea shoots, and tomatoes carried off a lime and peanut oil dressing without a whisper of complaint.

HE SAYS: Chorizo, black bnz and scrambled eggs make good comfort food with the polenta bringing all the elements together. I luv me some crunchy fennel and enjoyed the subtle hint of aniseed in the salad, especially mixed with the lime dressing. Easy-peasy and tasty, this fast slow-food was light on the washin' up to too. Now that's what I call a meal deal.

SHE SAYS: I love chorizo - that salty, fatty, paprika flavour can tango with my tastebuds anytime. why can't it be as good for you as, say, beetroot? But anyway. Salad countered all that cleany with crunch and fiber, while the beans and polenta, which only improved in the fridge, gave everything a smooth-goin' herby twist.

28.08.08: Black bnz

He whizzed up the herby black bnz, added some corn kernels and a little aged cheddar to the polenta, and artfully arranged the avo on top. Salad of pear, toms, and M&S beetroot got all sweet and fresh with us.

HE SAYS: Lovely velvety blk bnz again. This time even more delish with the added corn and incy bit o' cheese added to the polenta, bringing the flava to new heights. The beetroot in the salad was nice and juicy, so much so, that it created a crimson hue to all other salad fixin's and a red ring round me chops. Mmmm...

SHE SAYS: The bnz were herby and savoury enough but not hugely oomphy. Like him, I shook up a little chipotle Tabasco to liven up the proceedings. I couldn't taste the cheese or marge in the polenta, but the corn was an excellent crispety addition, even without the cob-fresh roasting of yore.

19.08.08: Black bnz with grilled corn palenta and salad

She took the new fave of black bnz 'n' polenta one step further towards gourmet by grilling a few ears of corn and slicing the roasty kernels into the mix. The usual avo accompaniment was green with envy (heh, I say, heh). The remains of last nite's salad fluffed up with more leaves, the last few grilled asparagus, radishes and a couple of big o' strawberries had to wait their turn.

HE SAYS: She did a great job grilling the corn to add a new dimension to the polenta, nearly like corn grits which I luv. The bnz were also more then up to par: smokey and herbie, very nish yes. The salad's strawberries tasted great with the leftover grilled asparagus from last night.

SHE SAYS: The added steps - overseeing the roasting and stripping of the corn - tired me out a bit, but the result has almost convinced me it's worthwhile. I savoured the bits of crunch and added flavour along with the thick texture, hot spice and herby kick of the bnz, though the polenta still needed a dab of marge to come to life. The crispiness and variety of the salad helped my tummy turn away from thoughts of another main-plate helping - but only just.

07.08.08: Big Salad and black bnz

They both put together the big, big serendipitous salad which included prawns, eggs, beetroot, tomatoes, physilis, radishes, and carrot with wasabi lime dressing. The leftover bnz helped fill in the corners.

SHE SAYS: It was impossible to plan dinner tonite due to work overload mixed with potential (but not realised) social calls, but various freezer and fridge odds 'n' ends came to the rescue. while overall it was v. good, and it was fun to have the bnz as a sort of hot treat rather than centre-plate, there was one letdown - those frozen prawns were wrinkly, tough and not-nice in flavor at all. Only the wasabi dressing made them palatable. All the rest made a great combination, though, and it was quicksmart to boot.

HE SAYS: The big salad was a big hit with me. The egg was the crowning glory of the plate, agree with her that the prawns were a little tasteless and rubbery. I added a few slices of smoked salmon to my serving (She didn't fancy it, even though She is a smoked salmon fiend) and drizzled on the dressing o' the week (or the year?), thus making the big salad a little bigger and a smidgen mo' tasty too.

06.08.08: Black bnz with moz and tomato salad

He whipped up yet another batch of those good ol' black bnz, this time with polenta and paired it off with a salad of tomatoes, avo, radishes and some moz for good measure.

HE SAYS: The bnz were up to scruff tonight and came thru on the herby and smoky front, a big bag of coriander was used to full effect, every stalk and leaf was rounded up and accounted for. I added some parmesan cheese to the grits just for kicks but the added flava was mostly hidden by the mound o' bnz. The salad was a hot and cool affair with the moz, avo and tomatoes providing the cooling quality and the radishes and wasabi lime dressing delivering the mustardy intense heat (which went straight up my nose and ignited my tear ducts). Thus, I proceeded to cry like a baby (tears of joy, people. Tears of joy).

SHE SAYS: The black bean reformation continues to deliver the down-homey yet fabulously fresh delight one needs to repair the damages of the day's living. Agree with Him that the parmesan indulgence was somewhat subdued, but added a note of richness nonetheless. Loving the wasabi dressing, but do think the v. subtle charm of fresh moz is overwhlemed by the shouty tongue-pleaser.

30.07.08: Black bnz

He rolled up his sleeves and tackled the black bnz once again, this time with rice, plus an extra portion of bnz and proportional increases in spices and herbs. Strawberry, beetroot and mango salad stood jealous guard nearby.

SHE SAYS: This week's beany episode had more kick and plenty of flav, with good creamy consistency holding steady. The salad, though front-loaded with fruit, escaped being overly sweet with the vegetable-y beetroot and peppery watercress keeping order.

HE SAYS: Since I increased the bean quotient I also increased the herbs to good effect, can you have too much cilantro? Answer: No, fool! As She says, the bnz were more spicy this go-round and needed no extra hot sauce (although I couldn't resist sprinkling over just a little anyway). The salad was another sweet red affair with some mango thrown in for a more orange hue and good measure. The balsamic vinegar came out the cupboard and poured itself after spying the strawberries lying there undressed.

24.07.08: Black bnz with red salad

He oversaw the construction of the regular herby black bean staple and completed the strawberry, beetroot and tomato salad to spec, deadline and budget.

HE SAYS: The beans this time lacked a little chipotle kick but made up for it in the extra herbalicious category (using the big bag of coriander to full effect). I was concerned the combo of crimson vegetation would clash, badly, but the salad was a red sea of sweet deliciousness, I shall never doubt the power of team strawbeeto again, I swear.

SHE SAYS: I can only concur. Fully, madly, truly, deeply.

16.07.08: Black bnz and polenta

Got a sense of deja-vu? Yeh, you right. But this time He made the bnz, sliced the avo, and stirred up the polenta, then tossed together a salad starring Sweetfire beetroot and Jersey jewel tomatoes.

HE SAYS: Apart from stabbing myself in the hand as I tried to de-stone the avo, my first attempt at the new-wave bnz was a success. The herbs were herby and the spice was just right. The polenta could of been a little more porridge-like but I ain't complaining to the chef (I'm no masochist in the kitchen, however it seems). The salad was a double beetroot bill with thin raw slices and thick chunks of sweetfire pitting their wits against the stubbornly delish tomato bits.

SHE SAYS: His first batch of the herbalicious black bnz went down a treat - the thick consistency and coriander flavour were spot-on. Repeat performance by polenta drew more rave reviews - I think we can now say it's the standard starch for the dish. Salad was refreshing enough and decent filler.