I HOPE everyone enjoyed a wonderful Bermuda Day weekend; it couldn't have been more glorious could it? I went to a wonderful lunch party on Sunday (or "lunner' party" as it should have been more aptly named as a great many of the guests did not darken the doorstep until gone 10 p.m.). There is no better way in my mind than to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with good company, amazing food and a few bottles of plonk with a gorgeous view to complete it all. The whole scenario could have been taken from the pages of , that whimsical book by Peter Maille, the table groaning with every conceivable delicacy that one could possibly desire.

Nothing (well, just about nothing) turns me on more than the sight of a huge cornucopia of delicious, beautifully presented edibles.

P?t?s, whole cheeses, (in this instance a magnificent Cumberland and spicy Edam) lovely roasted chickens and a myriad of innovative salads and breads. To follow there were huge bowls of strawberries and Betsey Outerbridge's most scrumptious brownies, the two being a pretty wicked combination. How to gain ten pounds in one sitting? Very easily done!

I don't know why picking at food holds such great appeal. I must have gone back to the table at least a dozen times for another large crumb of cheese or another slither of p?t? or to even up the brownie squares on the platter, as one does. What a sinfully, delicious day Sunday was, I just hope that a repeat performance wont be long in coming.

On the restaurant front, I made a visit the other night to the Lobster Pot where I must say I don't think I've been for at least 15 years (and possibly more).

I had some friends visiting from Colorado and each time they come to Bermuda they make a pilgrimage to the afore mentioned venue. The group leader has a huge penchant for Lobster Thermidor and claims that they do it the best of anywhere.

Walking into the Lobster Pot was like going back into a time warp for me. Nothing much seemed to have changed much since my last visit. It is what it is with no fancy frills and whistles. No pretentiousness here and in fact, if my memory serves me well (which on most occasions it doesn't), the menu hasn't changed much either. They claim to be Bermuda's oldest seafood restaurant, which I am sure that they are, as I don't think that there are any others.

I loved the fact that they hadn't changed with the times, that they retain a distinctly Bermudian and familial atmosphere, and now know why my Colorado mates insist on returning there each year.

The service by our waitress was endearingly friendly and what I would describe as whatever the female equivalent of avuncular might be, let's say auntly ("No, dear, I wouldn't have that. Why don't you try this, it's much better"). I like all that, it makes you want to give her a little hug at the end and say "thank you" with sincerity.

You are still given those baby-wipe type things to clean your fingers at the end of the meal (not a finger bowl in sight, but that's OK) and also you are offered one of those plastic bibs so that you don't get melted butter or Thermidor remnants down your front.

I was in dressed-to-kill mode, wearing a most alluring little number (very un-Lobster Pottish) and so declined the bib as it wouldn't really have added to the affect that I was trying to provoke.

Luckily I was a good girl and managed not to get claw juice down my cleavage.

The food was good with presentation not having a look in. I loved my one-pound lobster drenched in as much melted butter as it could possible absorb and needing an entire weeks supply of baby-wipes to relieve my chin of a years worth of cholesterol. Alluring outfit and great, big greasy chin don't really go hand in hand do they?

The snails as a starter were the best ever and the Lobster Thermidor ordered by my host was deemed as delicious as always.

However I did think that he was going to burst into tears when it came served in a little ceramic dish and not in the shell.

I can see his point. There is something very gratifying about digging around in the carcass and then suddenly finding a huge chunk hiding in the tail that you could have quite easily missed.

I know that obviously it all tastes the same but somehow or other it does seem better served in the shell, more sort of bone fide.

By the end of the evening there were no complaints at this end. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and, by the looks of it, so did everyone else; the place was heaving.

There certainly won't be any more 15-year breaks between visits to the Lobster Pot on my part. Frankly the restaurant is one of the best kept secrets in Bermuda. We all tend to take the Lobster Pot for granted it's such a longtime fixture on the corner of Bermudiana and Gorham Roads.

But we shouldn't.

It's one of the last restaurants in town with old-time Bermuda charm and authentic Bermudian atmosphere (not to mention largely Bermudian staff). The food is uniformly excellent, with that home-made succulence that you don't find at many local eateries anymore. In fact, most of the food I've had at restaurants recently tastes like it came off a conveyor-belt, not out of a kitchen. Mass produced, rubbery and tasteless (in more ways than one). So a night out at the Lobster Pot was akin to stumbling across a bubbling Champagne oasis in the midst of a very large, very arrid desert.

In case you are contemplating having a little lunchtime get together I thought that it might be a good idea to give you some delicious salad ideas so that you too can have a table groaning with appetizing goodies.

10 plum tomatoes, 1 cup torn basil leaves, grated zest of 5 lemons, 5 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt, 1 ? pounds penne pasta or similar, 1 ? cups extra virgin olive oil, 3 rounded tablespoons capers, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, freshly ground black pepper Put the tomatoes into a bowl and pour over boiling water to cover and leave for 10 seconds. Plunge them into cold water and then peel off the skins, quarter them and remove the seeds, roughly chopping the flesh. Mix the basil, lemon zest, garlic and sea salt together for the gremolata. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water for 7-10 minutes until al dente, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and transfer to a cooking bowl to cool.

Pour over the olive oil, mix in the tomatoes and capers, season and scatter over the gremolata. Zucchini and Seafood Salad Serves 10 20 small scallops, ? cup olive oil, 1 pound squid cut into fine rings, 1 large garlic clove, crushed, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 20 medium shrimp, peeled, 1 ? cup baby spinach leaves, 1 heaped cup baby zucchini very finely sliced, 2 rounded tablespoons chervil or tarragon, salt and freshly ground black pepper Saut? the scallops in batches in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over a high heat for 1-2 minutes or until just cooked.

Remove from the pan and set aside. Cook the squid and garlic in batches in another 2 tablespoons of olive oil also over a high temperature for 1-2 minutes until opaque and tender.

Leave both the scallops and the squid to cool. Whisk the remaining olive oil and lemon juice with some seasoning and put the salad ingredients except for the chervil into a bowl and lightly toss with the lemon dressing, scatter over the chervil or tarragon leaves and serve.

2 ? pounds small, red new potatoes, 1-lb 10 ounces salmon fillet, skinned and preferably wild! 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for greasing, 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt, ? teaspoon paprika, 12 ounces of asparagus, each spear cut diagonally into 3, 1 rounded tablespoon each of basil, chervil and mint leaves, salt and fresh black pepper For the mustard dressing ? 1 tablespoon sweet mustard, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 ? teaspoons sugar

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and season to taste. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain them and then cool a little and then cut in half. Whilst still warm toss over half the dressing and mix well. Rub salmon on both sides with first the oil then the paprika and then the sea salt. Sear salmon on both sides in a very not pan for 8-10 minutes in total until crisp and golden on both sides and still pink in the middle. Transfer onto a tray and then with a fork break into neat, forkable sized pieces. Boil asparagus in salted, boiling water for about 3 minutes or until still al dente. Drain under running cold water to preserve colour and drain on paper towel. Arrange potatoes, salmon and asparagus in a dish, drizzle over the remaining dressing, scatter over a mixture of the fresh herbs and serve.

3 pounds good quality steak, 4 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 tablespoons harissa, (chilli paste) 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 garlic cloves, crushed, 8 thick slices bread, toasted, 10-ounces salad greens Hummus Dressing ? 1 cup cooked chick peas (canned) 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 4 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 6-8 tablespoons water, lemon wedges and black olives for garnish

Trim the steak of fat and place in a shallow dish with the combined cumin, harissa, lemon juice and garlic. Refrigerate for a few hours to marinate. While the steak is marinating, make the hummus dressing by placing all the ingredients into a food processor and processing until finely chopped. Add enough water to make a smooth dressing. Broil or barbecue the steak until cooked to your liking. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips. Place a piece of toasted bread onto each plate and top with some salad leaves. Place a few slices of steak on top of the leaves and cover with the hummus dressing. Garnish with lemon wedges and black olives.

2 sticks butter, 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup flour, 2 cups sugar, ? teaspoon baking powder, ? teaspoon salt, 4 eggs, beaten, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 small bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt the butter and chocolate squares in a double boiler. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Add the sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir well, then add the beaten eggs. Remove this mixture from the heat and add the flour mixture and vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven in a greased 8X8-inch pan for 45 minutes. (Should stick to a knife a little) Refrigerate to cool entirely so that they harden before cutting. It is easy to double this recipe in which case you would use a 9X13-inch pan.