Readers Questions 1) What is corn syrup ? Cups are an American measure and not a tea cup, coffee cup or any other kind of cup. If you are going to make your own sugar syrup, do any hot sugar work or make toffee, just remember that it gets fearsomely hot. If you are planning on making sweet things in industrial quantities, it is possible to buy sugar syrup in the UK, but only from large scale suppliers I think, I don't know of any retailers that supply it but I can get hold of it if anyone wants, enquiries to my usual e-mail. 2) How do I roast a really big chicken ? Get a really big roasting pan, I wouldn't stuff it, this is a sure fire way to get dried out legs and disturbingly pink bits. You can put some apple, lemon, onion, garlic & herbs etc into the cavity if you wish, but don't pack it in, leave room for the hot air to circulate. Widen the cavity with your fingers. Mix some butter, sea salt, cracked black pepper and garlic, smear this all over the skin of the bird, put it in the over the 30 mins on high heat, about Gas Mark 7, then turn it down for another 30-40 mins, about Gas Mark 5, this should get the skin nice and golden and crispy and leave the flesh juicy and succulent. Always rest your joint for 10 minutes or so before carving, it allows the joint to relax and will make for a much better meal. I always use a temperature probe when roasting, it's not cheating, it's good sense. I don't have to guess when a joint is rare, medium or well, I can probe and know to the exact degree how well cooked my meat is. Don't buy one of those crappy needle probes that you stick in the joint and leave in the oven, rubbish. You can buy a decent digital probe for around £15, most decent kitchen shops sell them, and if not, I do. Probe chickens and turkeys in near the leg joint, this is always the bit that stays pink the longest. Over 72 degrees ? Then it's ready. If you don't have a probe, then stick a fork or skewer into the meat, if the juices run clear with no blood, then it's ready.