Grate rind of 1 lemon into saucepan, add juice of lemon, about 8g sugar (3 tsp seems right), 30g butter. Warm until all dissolved. Add one egg and beat well over very low heat until thickens (takes a few minutes). Keep beating for 30 seconds or so after the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and keep beating a little longer. Put into prepared jar. Amount above makes one jar.

My grandmother's recipe was for 2 lemons, 60g butter, 30g sugar, 2 eggs. I did half, and thought that there wasn't quite enough sugar. Perhaps the lemon I used was particularly juicy.

Tastes damn good though.

Improvement in quality of life: fresh, whole coffee beans and coffee grinder.

Three grapefruits, three lemons, 800g sugar, some water.

Delicious.

Japanese politicians are recently complaining about the low self-sufficiency ratio of Japanese agriculture - below 50%. I guess they could learn something from Cuba.

And all that water- and energy-intensive food that the UK and other developed countries consume is a huge burden on the environment. Perhaps the best reason for vegetarianism outside of personal conviction.

But I suppose that is not entirely logical - eating Indian-grown lettuce in London is equally damaging. Local produce and less meat it is then. And more plant pots on the balcony.

Cake

• 120g butter
• 180g sugar
• 180g self raising flour
• 2 large eggs
• 50cc milk
• zest of one lemon

Lemon sauce

• juice of one lemon
• 90g sugar

Beat the butter, beat in the sugar, add the lemon zest, beat in the eggs and milk. Add the flour and beat well.

Pour into a cake tin and cook at 180 degrees centigrade for 25 to 35 minutes.

When done, leave in the tin. Warm the lemon juice to dissolve the sugar, and pour over the cake. Leave to cool in the tin.

This is my grandmother Rene's recipe - tastes fantastic.