Red dye is not the way to curry flavour

"Some of them are redder, some are paler because of the cream of coconut," said Kevin Fernandez of Rafi's Spice Box, which opened on Goodramgate, York, this week.

But genuine Indian cooking is fundamentally brown.

Kevin was responding to the news yesterday that a survey of Indian restaurants in Surrey found that more than half the curries had illegal - and potentially dangerous - levels of food colouring.

Diners should be suspicious if the reds and yellows of their meals are vivid, experts said.

Indian home cooking dazzles the tastebuds not the eyes, Kevin agreed. However, subtle reds can be brought out using natural ingredients such as chilli and tomatoes, and yellows with turmeric.

Many Indian restaurants would never dream of over-colouring their dishes.

But the basic rule is this: if your food resembles a set of traffic lights hit the brakes.

For more on Rafi's Spice Box, see the Weekender section in Saturday's Evening Press.

BEFORE your curry, you could take in a little culture. The title of an entertainment this afternoon caught our eye: Coffee With Hitler.

Despite efforts to discover more, the Diary can only tell you that Coffee With Hitler was due to be presented by Mrs Banks at St Clement's Church, Scarcroft Road, York, at 2pm, as part of this month's mardle meeting.

We don't know whether the war criminal is attending in person.

But given the lack of pre-publicity we doubt it.

Two questions.

Does this mean that next month's mardle will be Tea With Mussolini?

And what is a mardle?

THANK you to Mr MP Curtis of Elvington, who supplies cuttings from two newspapers local to the Lake District.

"I wonder," he writes, "if Ann Reid, our executive member for planning and transport, is aware of the situation experienced by the Lake District National Park?"

The report from the Westmorland Gazette explains his query.

"Overnight parking charges are to be lifted in 13 car parks in the Lake District National Park in response to comments from the public and local businesses. It means that in pay and display car parks run by the National Park Authority parking will be free between 6pm and 9.30am.

"Public consultation last summer found that businesses operating in the evenings felt customers were put off by having to pay to park, and B&B operators said guests had complained about the charges."

A local authority listening to people: whatever next?

NOT everyone is keen on the Flying Scotsman coming to York.

Ray Nortrop writes from Doncaster lamenting the fact that his city's MPs, Rosie Winterton and Kevin Hughes, are supporting the campaign to bring the Scotsman to the National Railway Museum.

Members of his family were part of the teams that built the Flying Scotsman, the Mallard and others at Doncaster Plant Works.

"York has most of Doncaster's finest riches," he thunders. "Perhaps Ms Winterton and Mr Hughes could qualify why they want to shunt another locomotive to this city?"

And this sends him rattling off down a branch line.

"York is a leading attraction with its wonderful old buildings and ruins, whereas Doncaster now is bereft.

"We had a Roman fort and a Norman castle like York, but they were demolished in the name of progress..."

Doncaster has a Mansion House too, he says, but no one notices. And York has "the magnificently restored Grand Opera House whilst its sister the Grand Theatre in Doncaster lies crumbling away".

Cheer up Ray. Donny does have the Osmonds.

Or are we getting confused?

Write to: The Diary, Chris Titley, The Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN

Email diary@ycp.co.uk

Telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337

Updated: 09:32 Wednesday, March 24, 2004