IT doesn't seem to matter where you live in the Western world, February has to be the dullest, most depressing month with absolutely nothing whatsoever going on, unless of course you happen to be on holiday. It is the time of year when if you have one more dreary, grey skied day you feel just about like slitting your throat.

We have just gone from mid-summer type weather to waking up with a foot of snow on the ground and have now been housebound for the last three days with a house guest in tow.

Yet again I have found myself ensconced without a female in sight. Even the adopted cat who we thought was a girl has now sprayed all over the sofa during the night and there is now no doubt about the fact that he is definitely male. God, male cats are like skunks, once they do their bizz there is nothing you can do about getting the odour away (Note to Self: Cat goes straight to the vet once the weather clears.)

However in the meantime we have been making the best of the situation and seeing all the movies that are being nominated for the Oscars. There is no doubt in my mind that the incomparable Jamie Foxx and should win everything. This warts-and-all movie biography of Ray Charles is, to my mind, an instant classic: the performances, a script that is at times both uplifting and heartbreaking and, of course, the enthralling music combine to make it my pick for Best Film of the Year.

If does not collect all of the Oscars it is nominated for, then I hope Johnny Depp's wins some of the statuettesIt is my pick for Second Best Film of the Year. This little movie about how J.M. Barrie came to write the children's classic actually made me blubber for hours after seeing it.

Apart from that Denver has been Dullesville. Every time that I log onto my northrock web site to check my e-mails for want of something to do. I have nothing but tons of letters from people that I have never heard of. All of these people are offering me "bored housewives"who want a bit on the side. These women claim to live within 25 miles or more of my address.

As I have a Bermuda e-mail address all these women must be living in row boats out on Challenger Bank somewhere as some of them they say live even slightly further away. Beth is 34 with a 38 CCC breast measurement and would like to meet up with me sometime mid-week because her husband is away. She is just one of many with enormous mammary glands who is vying for my attention.

Susie, whose chest size sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, must find it very difficult to move around (let alone button up her blouse). She says that she has booked me in for a rendezvous this Saturday afternoon while her husband is pumping gas or whatever he does. I find it all most intriguing and wonder who in fact these e-mails are actually meant for. I can assure you that it certainly isn't me, but if I find out I will definitely let you know!

Last night (traipsing through the snow and desperate to get out of the house) I made my first trip to an Indian restaurant in Denver and was hoping to write to you about it. Billy was most reluctant to go as he, like most Americans, is ignorant to the fact that Indian food is something other than a large tablespoon of curry powder added to whatever sauce is smothering the chicken or lamb.

His daughter Katie and I were very keen to give it a go and promised Billy that he would absolutely adore it. Unfortunately this couldn't have been further from the truth.

The place. which claimed to offer cusine from Calcutta, was completely and utterly deplorable. Being used to the delights of The House of India in Bermuda and various other Indian haunts in London I feel that I know my way around an Indian menu like the back of my hand.

I love lamb and chicken Tikka straight from the Tandoori oven and thought that this would be a good introduction to my man as it is sauceless and relatively mild. But out came huge big hunks of mutton that was so tough and tasteless that I felt as though I was eating a gargantuan chunk of what could have been a very old Rotweiller. The chicken wasn't much better and must have come from the hind quarters of an extremely muscular and active rooster. The raita (mint and yogurt sauce) which was an accompaniment was the same consistency and colour of lime Kool Aid and tasted about the same.

As we were paying huge amounts of money for this dinner we had to plough our way through the rest of it.

My Shrimp Vindaloo was equally as revolting. It took me a while to find the two or three very flaccid shrimp and this was because they were lurking in an exceedingly murky sauce that could have been made from water straight from the Ganges. I won't go on about the rest of the meal as I don't want to make you sick.

I did speak to the owner of the restaurant before the commencement of the dinner. He informed me that prior to being a restaurateur he used to be a garage mechanic. A profession that I think he should have remained in. I also think that he had saved an extra barrel of diesel from the old days as Billy's Boti Masala tasted like it had been marinated in fuel.

Enough said ? just make sure that if you are ever in Denver, definitely avoid going to India's. Unfortunately, I think that this has put Billy off for life which is sad for me as Indian food is just about my favourite when properly executed.

We are back in Bermuda on Monday to finalise our wedding plans. So please, please make sure that the weather is gorgeous for us. I feel as though I have crawled out from under a stone and am desperate for the feel of some Bermuda rays on my face.

In the interim I have been scouring the special edition ofmagazine which contains their best recipes of last year. I have altered a couple of them and hope that you will find them delicious. I shall report back to you from The Rock next week. In the meantime get cooking!

3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt, 1/4-cup crumbled blue cheese, 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise, lots of freshly ground black pepper, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken - about 6 ounces, 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled, 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped, 4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half

Combine the first 5 ingredients, stirring well. Combine lettuce, chicken, bacon and tomatoes into a medium bowl, stirring well. Drizzle the yogurt mixture over the chicken mixture and toss gently to coat. Spoon half a cup of salad mixture into each pita half and serve immediately.

9-ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, 1 1/2 cups halved yellow cherry tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups halved red cherry tomatoes, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 5 cups loosely packed arugula, 1/3-cup shaved parmesan cheese, 3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain and keep warm. Or you can do what I do and cook the pasta beforehand and then just put in a colander and pour boiling water over it to heat through. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over a medium heat. Add pepper and garlic to skillet; cook 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add tomatoes and cook for 45 seconds so that they are just heated through, stirring gently. Remove skillet from the heat; stir in lemon juice and salt. Combine hot pasta, arugula and warm tomato mixture in a large bowl tossing to coat. Top with the Parmesan cheese and crispy bacon.

1 cup flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup warm fat-free milk, 2 teaspoons instant coffee, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup sugar, 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, 5 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, cooking spray, 2 teaspoons powdered sugar, 4 cups chocolate chip ice cream (Or mint chocolate chip) softened, 18 hard peppermint candies (3 ounces) coarsely chopped and divided (about 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine milk, coffee and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add sugar and eggs stirring with a whisk until well combined. Melt butter and chocolate chips in a small microwave bowl at high in 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until completely melted. Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture stirring with a whisk until well combined.

Fold egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Spread batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack; sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into 12 pieces. Place ice cream in a large bowl.

Add half a cup of chopped candies to ice cream stirring with a wooden spoon until well combined and then return to the freezer. Place one brownie on a plate; top each with 1/3 cup of ice cream. Sprinkle each with 1-teaspoon of chopped candies.