Food Wine Sleep

The Italian words for garlic and oil are aglio and olio respectively. Not hard to see where this dish gets its name or its ingredients for that matter. If you love both of those things on their own you will love them together in this recipe. Someone once asked me what are the things I could not do without in the kitchen and after my knives of course, I would whole heartedly say I wouldn't even want to be a chef without quality olive oil and fresh garlic. Most people I know make their aioli with raw garlic but I like to roast the garlic first to give it that sweet nutty flavour as well as that lovely garlic flavour. Like I said you can throw out your jar of plain o...

Air dried venison or other game meat is considered a specialty throughout winter in many European countries. In order to preserve the meat gained during the short hunting season, for usage throughout the winter, drying, curing and salting are popular methods. This dish combines the air-dried venison meat with a mild feta-olive salad and makes a delicate appetizer for any day during the cold winter.

Antipasto or Antipasti literally translates to before the meal and is served as an appetiser/first course. It is such a social way to eat; a group of family or friends standing or sitting near this communal platter and everybody sampling everything together as they chat and catch up. Italian's have eaten like this for centuries and although there are no real rules as to what you put on your antipasto platter, I prefer to stick to the things that have most likely been served on antipasto platters just as long. Think of this not so much as a recipe but rather a list of ideas that you can stick to or stray from.

This is one of my favourite classic recipes. The name originates from and was made famous by the Tatin Sisters of France in the early part of the last century, I believe they had a Restaurant/Hotel in Paris but don't quote me on that. In fact, feel free to quote me if you wish, what should it matter if I have the geography wrong, the important thing is that I have the recipe right. What I find most appealing about this dish is its simplicity of ingredients and the ease of preparation. Try it out and I'm sure it will become one of the main stays of your dessert repertoire.

The crisp asparagus is sure to please the lovers of all things green. The salty prosciutto will definitely make the meat lovers smile. The reduced balsamic will satisfy the sweet teeth amongst your guests and the ease of preparation is most definitely going to please you; the host, (that's really all that matters isn't it?) Enjoy your party.

Frittata is one of those items you can make when all you have in the fridge are eggs and a few bits and pieces; it's entirely welcoming to your creativity. This particular recipe is one that I created one morning when I had a relatively bare fridge. I had had a few friends over for dinner the night before, or should I say "I had had a few friends over for wine the night before". We ended up drinking a disproportionate number of bottles to food. That's what I love about my friends, they are so enthusiastic about my food, they always bring what ends up being one bottle per person, far too much but who am I to complain. Anyhow this one morning I woke up and not...

Perhaps passé and old (and sometimes forgotten) tradition, but, if not only for nostalgia sake, Sulze (German), 'en gelee' (French) or aspics are still great appetizers. Certainly, for a dedicated Garde Manger Chef, the preparation of aspics is a close seconds to the art of preparing Terrines, Galantines and the most famously, the Pate. Using too much gelatin and it becomes a bouncy jelly, not enough of it and the aspic will fall apart. The trick of the whole matter is that the stock, meat or fish needs to be really tasty and flavorful in order to produce the aspic. If not, it becomes a dull and uninteresting jelly and a far cry of what our culinary forefathers created...

A delightful dip, which holds it's own without needing to be part of the Mezzeh (Please also see the recipe and description of Hummus in this category) Perfect on grilled Bruschetta, or with savory crackers, Lavosh or crisp Papadums.

Ah! Don't you love winter, the season of indulgent deserts. The one time of year no one really feels too guilty about too many sweets, must be the fact that beach season is well behind us.....or in front (depends whether you are a "glass half full" or "glass half empty" kind of person). The nice thing about this recipe is that even if you only have 4 dinner guests you can still enjoy the 6 puddings this recipe makes (they make a wonderful decadent muffin in the morning).

The English have somewhat of an unfounded reputation for being a country with very little to offer the culinary world. A belief that may have been partially true 20-30 years ago, but certainly not now. Nowadays not many cities in the world can top London's cuisine and many of the best Chefs I have worked with have been English. Maybe they're such good Chefs because of the diverse food scene they come from, or maybe they are trying extra hard to shake off the remnants of that unjustified reputation. Whatever the reason I have learnt many things from English colleagues, and this recipe is one of those many things. As in most great recipes, what really makes this recipe is i...

Bearnaise and Hollandaise are, I believe, a couple of the major reasons many people dine out. I suppose they feel that these beautiful rich sauces are too difficult to make at home, what with all that clarifying, whisking, reducing and incorporating, but don't let these words or the actions they represent, scare you. Like all things cooking, it's all about practice and once you've done it a few times you'll wonder why you never tried it earlier. So go on get to it, it's easy!

Carpaccio is a traditional Italian dish and lends itself incredibly well to modern healthy eating. Although Carpaccio traditionally refers to a first course of thinly sliced raw beef, named in honour of the Italian renaissance painter, Vittore Carpaccio, you can now find many modern interpretations using raw seafood and uncooked vegetables, (see tuna Carpaccio). In this dish however we are going with the original; beef. Carpaccio is a perfect option to serve your guests if you want an impressive first course that will take only seconds to prepare on the day. You can prepare all the parts for beef Carpaccio the day before, allowing you to use the time on the day to mingle...

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles used to like to drink in a bar in Venice Italy, called Harry's Bar. However, this establishment is not known for it's past famous clientele but rather it's owner, Giuseppe Cipriani. In fact it is probably more accurate to say that his bar is really actually famous for his drink invention, The Bellini, rather than him or his clientele. After creating the famous drink using white peach puree, Italian sparkling Prosecco wine and raspberry or cherry juice, Giuseppe felt the colour resembled the colour of the toga worn by a saint in a painting by one of his favourite Venetian artists, Giovanni Bellini. Whatever the tru...

I know some people who say "any idiot can cook; it's the sauces that make the meal!" Of course most of these people are Saucier Chefs and I've only heard them speak with this blasphemous tongue at 4:30 am on a Sunday morning in the last pub that will still serve us after a busy Saturday nights service in the restaurant. Just in case there is some truth in what they say though, you would do well to learn a few classic sauce recipes and what better place to start than Beurre Blanc. This sauce can be used on any number of dishes and is very adaptable to new ideas and styles of cuisine, infuse it with some unique spices, add some citrus or virtually any herb you can...

Back some years ago, I was working with Liana Doyle and very talented chef and great personal friend. Liana had been working in the USA for some years before making her way to Asia via Paris where she headed the culinary team at a typical French Bistro for some time. This recipe sort of reflects her career and her cooking style up to that point; a Southern US staple (beef ribs), a traditional French basic cooking method (braising) with an Asian twist. Although I lost contact with Liana a few years ago, I have very fond memories of her as a culinary colleague and friend. This recipe however, of her 'tamarind ribs' will stay with me for a long, long time.

My grandfather has always raised rabbits, for sale and own use, on his farm. Growing up, I was introduced to rabbit as an alternative meat to chicken or pork. A few years ago then, at the height of the BSE scandal in Europe and the outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease in some farms, rabbit meat was actively marketed and gained popularity again. Rabbit has a wonderful tasty, delicate white meat. Depending on the tenderness of the legs they are suitable for pan-frying and roasting, but in general they are best braised to tenderness. The delicate loins are excellent grilled or roasted and in salads. The shoulder have little meat and are mostly boned and the meat used for...

I used to fancy myself as somewhat of a runner, although now I tend to get winded running to catch the telephone before message bank picks up. "Hello..pant..pant..pant...Paul speaking." When I was running I used to eat pasta at least 4 times a week and I found myself having to get rather creative if I didn't want to live off a perpetual cycle of Bolognese, Arrabiata, and Boscaiola. That time in my life was when I created this dish. Even though I no longer run, I do still eat this dish as though I were training for a marathon.

One of my favourite things about the calendar flipping into autumn is pumpkin soup. I know what you're thinking, why wait until autumn? You can buy pumpkin year round now. True yes, but in my mind it still tastes better when you know you are cooking with ingredients that were grown locally, are in season and haven't been stuck in some crate in stagnant air for weeks on end in the hull of some dirty old ship or the trailer of some truck. Plus the seasons are nature's way of getting us to eat a variety of foods, and Mother Nature is a lot older than us, so I imagine she knows best.

Caesar salad is perhaps the most popular and wide spread salad anywhere. I don't think I have worked in an establishment where Caesar salad wasn't served in one form or another. Invented by the Italian Caesar Cardini, in a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. The story is, that on a holiday weekend in 1924 supplies were running short and in a last minute improvisation Caesar said to one of his staff: "Take all of these ingredients to the table and make a real ceremony out of preparing that salad. I want the guest to feel that they are getting the house speciality prepared for them". So it happened and perhaps the most famous of salads today was born, "prepared a...

Fresh sweet mussels dressed with a spicy rich butter dressing. This recipe is a great little dish for the summer patio gathering or barbecue that will ensure you can spend more time with your friends and less time in the kitchen.

Although you could just go out and buy premixed spices, making them yourself will give you a much nicer flavour and the comfort that you will not be consuming all sorts of preservatives, sugar, and anti-caking agents. For this recipe I have quoted the ingredients in parts in order that you can make as much mix as you like, whether that be a few tablespoons or a couple of kilo's.

This is a very versatile dish. It can be served as a first course; all it needs is a sprinkle of fresh shaved Parmesan cheese. It also makes a great main course accompaniment for lamb, game, poultry or beef. The only down side to this dish is you won't be able to eat it without a nice glass of red nearby, I find a relatively mellow merlot works nice with it.

Only a few weeks into summer and twice as many barbecues. In that time I have seen enough potato salad, green salads and coleslaw to last a lifetime. I find this dish (although not technically a salad) to be the perfect barbecue alternative to those usual summer staples. The best thing is that it is a lot less work than those dishes (more time for socializing, that is why you have barbecues right), a lot more impressive and much better for you than all that mayonnaise based dressing.

Having left Switzerland some 20 + year ago, Fondue and Raclette are still one of the things I do miss and usually have as soon as I return for holidays. I am not too sure if it is just the food that I miss at times, as Fondue dinner, at least in our family, always was a great family affair. Everybody it had to be at the table ahead of mother bringing out the fondue from the kitchen, as it needed to be stirred at all time as soon as it got on the table to avoid it getting burnt. The cheese used in the Fondue is of vital importance. Every cheese store or Formagerie in the French part of Switzerland has it's own 'house' mixture, but you will be most welcome and order your ow...

Recipes for Chermoula come in all kind of different variations and flavours. This particular recipe, is well suited for seafood, fish or poultry and the use of fresh and dried coriander gives it such a great fragrant 'kick'. It is also great for basting onto your BBQ meat, as an dip for grilled poultry and fish and for 'en papilotte' type of prepeartions.

I know it's not overly creative of me, but hey can I help it if throwing mascarpone at any fresh fruit makes a wonderful dessert all on its own. Thank god for the Italians; they've created perfection in so many simple ingredients that lazy Chefs like me can impress with very little effort. With that said, I did stew the fruit and toast the almonds.

These little cakes are so versatile; they can be used as a canape, first course or even main course. Once you start making them regularly you'll find that they lend themselves very well to your creativity. Simply drop the ingredients listed below the egg and add your own creations. Whether it be Cajun, lemon & pepper, ginger & lemongrass, onion & dill, or cashew & coriander they will definitely become a favourite.

This is a dish that I serve even to my friends that don't like liver. I threaten them with no main course if they don't at least try it. They usually reply, "But I don't like liver!" I tell them "Try it and if you don't like it, no problem." Nine times out of ten, to their surprise they enjoy it and clean their plate. You see, most people have a memory of liver served to us as children, it was usually overcooked and usually served with nothing more than some spuds and veg. Liver is like butter, it's very complimentary but not a dish on its own. In this dish you'll see that I have: tender liver, slightly bitter radicchio, juicy eschalots and sweet b...

A good Chicken Stock is the building block of many a good soup, sauce and stew. Quality home made stock is to the Chef as much a staple as good olive oil, butter, salt and pepper. Although there are many retail varieties of stocks now available, many of them I find too salty and contain a lot of unwanted additives. Plus I find something very enjoyable and therapeutic about making stocks for my kitchen. Not only can you claim to your quests that the entire dish is made from scratch but you will know exactly what is in the food you are eating.

I don't know why people don't use spatchcock more often. You know how people always fight over the best part of the chicken, for some it's the breast others the thigh or wing. Well hey, if you use spatchcock everyone can have a whole or half a bird, so there's no more feeling ripped off. On top of that a spatchcock has a lot more flavour and moistness, ok it may not be the most easy eating meat but a little knife and fork work is definitely worth the extra taste, especially when the alternative these days is hormone fed boneless, skinless, flavourless cardboard chicken breast. This dish is great in summer with a nice crisp white wine and a leafy green salad as a first cou...

I've categorized this dish in winter but truth be told it reminds me more of summer. It was a dish that my mother would make a huge pot of a few times each summer. Each pot would last about a week and meant that my mother could spend more time enjoying the short Canadian summer rather than missing it spending her whole summer in the kitchen. I still use that approach when I make Chilli, I make enough to feed an army, portion it up and freeze it. It makes a great winter warming meal when you really don't feel like cooking but still want a warm home cooked meal.

Every time I make this stuff I end up putting it on virtually every meal I have and it never lasts in my fridge more than a couple of days. The sweetness of it compliments many vegetables perfectly, try it on grilled eggplant. And the spiciness is the perfect addition to eggs any style, as well as virtually all meats, particularly roast chicken. I think I might start making double batches from now on.

Some of the best beef comes from Argentina and with it comes one of my favorite steak accompaniment. This thick parsley-olive oil paste is as commonly eaten in Argentina as ketchup is in the rest of our world. There are several variations and I guess every chef in Argentina has his own special twist to it. However it always features Italian flat parsley, virgine olive oil, vinegar and garlic.

This is one of my favourite desserts to prepare when having guests over for dinner as it can be completed entirely on the day before and leaves time to focus on other parts of the dinner on the night. On top of this early preparation ease, the quality chocolate, the creamy texture, and the accompaniment of chocolate's perfect match; raspberries, ensures it is always a big winner with guests and never fails to impress. It is quite an adaptable dessert as well; if you are not a fan of Cointreau, feel free to substitute with any other liqueur you may like or simply some vanilla extract. However if using vanilla use only about 1/2 tsp as it is much stronger in flavour than an...

If you love Chocolate (yeah right who doesn't?) and Creme Brulee, then you'll love this recipe. The option is yours as to whether you want to caramelise sugar on top of the finished product as it is equally delicious without it. Keep in mind however that then it would technically not be a creme brulee, as the words literally translated mean cream burnt. Anyhow enough useless facts, on with the recipe.

For a grain that mankind has been eating for over 5000 years and helps feed over 2/3rds of the world's population, it really is amazing that so many of us still don't know how to cook it. I suppose that may have something to do with the fact that there are close to 40,000 different varieties of rice on the planet, all differing in size, shape, absorption rates and just as many intended uses. The method of cooking rice explained here is equal to and not superior to the traditional absorption method but it is easy and very consistent and what I recommend to anyone having problems getting a consistently good result. It will give you perfectly cooked consistently fluffy in...

A good pesto has got to be one of the most versatile ingredients one can have in their fridge. Liven up that boring old sandwich, a welcome change from tomato and cream sauces for pasta, a great addition to any soup and of course, great for a quick entertainment help as a dip, or spread on crostini's with a bit of melted parmesan cheese. This pesto recipe, although not a traditional European one, is equally versatile and then some, use it on most Asian rice dishes, a spoon full in your laksa, toss it through you stir fry at the last minute or dollop a little on your pizza before you serve it.

Indian cuisine is a very versatile cuisine and can be incorporated into modern cuisine very easily. Also, thanks to its plethora of spices and flavours it is the ultimate cuisine for inspiration, you can virtually take it in any direction you wish and still end up with something that reflects that Indian origin. In this recipe I have used the Indian technique of marinating in yoghurt for the fish. Slowly cooked the lentils in popular Indian spices and topped the whole dish off with a refreshing salsa to contrast the strong flavours of the fish and lentils.

If you want to truly wow you guests with an impressive dish while at the same time amazing yourself with a recipes simplicity, then look no further than this great little recipe. It is a dish that is truly perfect for a summer dinner party and a perfect example of the less you mess with food the better it can be. The fresh crab meat is delicate and slightly decadent, the ginger a zesty but subtle complement, the in season avocado a light yet substantial foundation and the freshly cut baby herbs the perfectly simple and understated bit of sophistication. As with most good recipes, the key to this dish is the sum of its parts and you will be rewarded if you take the time to...

This is a great little recipe to pull out as a simple yet impressive canape next time you want to make an impression. All the ingredients are pretty easy to find although the trip to your local fish market for the fresh cooked crab meat is the key. Do not use crab that has ever been frozen, or canned. At a stretch, the pasteurised stuff in the refrigerated section of your local supermarket or deli can be used, but really the only choice for me is fresh cooked.

What Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" is to a beginning guitar player, the Creme Brulee is to the apprentice Chef. It is the first real Restaurant dessert that they learn, and like playing "Stairway" they can now impress their friends. Over the years in restaurant kitchens I have found there to be as many recipes for Creme Brulee as there are Chefs. This is the recipe I have perfected over those years. Some recipes you will find need to be in the oven for half a day before they set, others set like a rock, and some curdle as soon as they see the oven. If you stick to this recipe, you will consistently produce a perfectly balanced beautiful creme bru...

This recipe has been with me for a while and I am using it in small cakes for cocktail parties or as an appetizers. It actually was given to me by my colleague Liana Doyle with whom I had the pleasure to work with a few years ago. The tender texture and the sweetness of the crabmeat combined with the mild spicyness of the Cajun spice and the tabasco is what I like on it. Feel free to add more Tabasco and chilli sauce as you like, it is really up to everyonce individual taste. The quality of the crabmeat is very important for the final product to come out right. I like to use pasteurized lump crabmeat, for the crab cakes. These crabcakes are best served with either a salsa...

This recipe is a staple in many kitchens and really an old way of preserving the freshly caught fish. It is all based on the marriage of salt and sugar, which will cure the salmon or any other fish for that matter, and therefore preserve it. In general you can not go wrong when applying a 2:1 ratio salt over sugar when curing any fish. The time of the curing process although is quite essential and depends very much on the thickness of the fish fillet to be cured. Smoked salmon, especially from farmed salmon, is often quite fatty, but curing the salmon fillet removes a lot of the fatty structures in the meat and the resulting cured salmon is leaner, easier to cut and a del...

Dukka, a.k.a Dukkah, is an Egyptian spice blend comprising of toasted nuts, seeds and spices. It can be sprinkled over cooked meat, poultry or vegetables, as a seasoning mixture, but mostly is used as a dip for bread. Dukka/Dukkah seems to be one of these recipes where every chef has his own take on what is best. There are very lightly toasted to heavily roasted varieties and there are some that include walnuts, chickpeas and even pistachios. Personally I feel that this is great, as it gives some creativity and individuality to our recipes. For best results; dip bread into a quality virgin olive oil and then into the dukka mix. Alternatively, combine the dukka into...

Shortly before Christrmas a guest was asking for Egg nog to be served during her party. It came to me that, even though I had fond memories of egg nog being served at Christmas parties during my time spent in New York, I had never bothered to write down the recipe. So with the help of our bartenders and some of my kitchen staff we started to collect recipes and sample, test and taste them(and in the progress getting pretty tipsy). The recipe below is the result of this research and testing. This recipe is for a chilled egg nog, but egg nog is at times also served warm. Then the drink is done the same way and then gently warmed in a waterbath and brought so to temperature.

Although we all know spring to be the time of year when some of our favourite fruit and vegetables such as juicy apricots, crisp green beans, first season berries, sweet green peas, crunchy snow peas, juicy cucumbers and tomatoes return to our local market we can often forget about some of the less obvious spring vegetables returning to market. Eggplant is one of those less famous vegetables that comes back into its element at this time of year. Or possibly you didn't even know it had left, or thanks to our ever shrinking planet maybe it never did leave. If that is the case, you may ask why should I celebrate this vegetable at this time of year? Well trust me, everything...

Most likely originally developed to use up stale bread, this salad is a hearty alternative to most other and unfortunately all too often unsatisfying salads. Serve it with a nice grilled fish, or marinated chicken and you have a complete and also very healthy meal.

I was on the phone to my friend Trevor the other day back in Canada, and as well as the usual catching up on each others distant lives, we talked food for a bit. During this conversation Trevor asked me how to make fettuccine Carbonara, as he had attempted it the night before and ended up with as is often the case, fettuccine a'la scrambled eggs. I explained to him the trick was to toss the warmed pasta through the egg mix away from the stove and by doing so the heat of the pasta will warm the egg sauce enough to cook it but not actually scramble it. I was thankful for that conversation because it is a classic dish I hadn't made in ages and since that phone call I have re...

Pasta; the ultimate comfort food. Prawns; grill, them saute; them, marinate them, poach them, there's not many ways a prawn doesn't taste good. Fennel; raw in a salad, braised in a stew, diced in a soup, unique and delicious no matter how you cook it. Pernod and cream; need I say more? Although ingredients can be good on their own, combining them with other good ingredients does not always work. In this case however the combined dish is equal to and greater than the sum of its delicious parts. The pasta is cooked perfectly al dente, the prawns are sauted until just tender, the fennel is cooked and loses its raw power and becomes mild and soft, and finally the entire dish...

Salmon and dill is another one of those unbeatable combinations that has stood the test of time. In this recipe I have included a few ingredients that are very complimentary to both the salmon and dill but still allow them to be the dominant flavours in the dish. This recipe can be made using either smoked salmon (as I've done here) or fresh.

Hearty clam chowder, delicate seafood bisque, rustic fish stew and deliciously fresh bouillabaisse are just a few of the wonderful seafood dishes that require a good fish stock as their main ingredient. In fact countless dishes in traditional French cookery build on the solid foundations of stocks. That's why making stocks forms a large part of a Chef's first year in Culinary school. In this recipe I have used snapper carcasses, however feel free to use whatever your fish monger has on hand, however avoid excessively oily varieties such as salmon. Ask your fish monger and he can steer you in the right direction.

Fresh pasta is so easily done one actually wonders why it is not used more often. Fresh egg pasta is essential for all homemade filled or stuffed pastas such as ravioli, agnolotti and tortellini and more. Ribbon pastas like fettuccini, pappardelle and cappellini (angel hair). Alternatively if you do not have a pasta machine, then you can roll the dough as thin as poissible with a rolling pin, cut the pasta it into ribbons, or any other shape you like, by following the side of a ruler with a pizza wheel inb the exact shape you desire.

Snails/escargots are the sort of delicacy people either love, crave for and adore or simply do not like and are quite appalled by it. In any case, the snails one usually buys come in a tin or jar and are already washed, purged and ready for the final cooking. I like to sautee the snails and flavor them with a little Pastis or Riccard before baking them with the butter. The recipe for the 'Escargots butter', just as the 'Cafe de Paris' butter is the sort of recipe that makes the 'house specialty' the very sort of thing. I guess the whole secrecy stems from the fact, that especially with escargots, the butter is the most important ingredient, as the snails itself are rather...

When most people think brussel sprouts, they think of childhood dinners. Dinners where you were still at the table at 9 pm because you couldn't get up until you had cleaned your plate. Or maybe that was just at my house. In any case I recall them being very hard to eat; they made me want to gag to be totally honest with you. To me they tasted like a handful of newspapaer boiled to buggery in cabbage stock, they were that bad. And no offence to my mother, she is a wonderful cook and has taught me plenty about food and cooking, but in the 70's, 'boil it till its grey' was how you prepared vegetables. Which is such a shame really because brussel sprouts, when prepared correc...

This is one of my favourite summer desserts. I must admit, one of the reasons I probably like it so much is because no matter how many summer cocktails I've had on the balcony I can always roll back into the kitchen for the last course and manage to pull this one off and still impress every time. Considering that all stone fruits are in such abundance in summer feel free to experiment with other fruit variations.

Sardines are abundant in spring and summer and are also at their most flavoursome during these months. In this dish the beautiful flavour of this fish is paired with the natural sweetness of freshly roasted red pepper. A perfect dish for the seasons first alfresco dinner and since you can make the sauce ahead of time, quite a simple dish to prepare on the day. Serve it as a first course or add a couple more sardines and some fresh sliced baguette and serve it as a main course at lunch. The combination of flavours in this recipe allows it to stand up to a substantial white wine and I would recommend it with an unoaked chardonnay.

Guacamole is one of those items that everyone and their dog has a recipe for. This of course is the best version (haha), it is my version. I find avocado and lime have very distinct flavours so I tend to keep mine very simple and not overwhelm the guacamole with a 1001 ingredients. You'll also notice that some people make their guacamoles chunky and others smooth. Depending on the dish I am serving it with I may make it chunky but overall I prefer to make it smooth as a ripe avocado really lends itself really well to that silky smooth texture.

I learnt the recipe for this versatile marinade/paste/rub/dip from one of the worst head chefs I have ever worked for. I know, that's probably not going to make you want to cook it, but allow me to explain; Do we judge Rocky I on the fact that Rocky IV and V were subsequently made? No. Do we judge our favourite one-hit-wonder bands on their, mediocre follow up albums? No. Do we judge Bruce Willis or John Travolta on Armageddon and Battle field earth? No, we try to remember Moonlighting and Welcome Back Kotter instead. Well this is the logic I use to judge the head Chef in question and original source of this recipe. The man lets call him "Carl" may not have k...

Want to cook something spicy for your guests? Do some of your guests like a little more kick than others? Then this is perfect dish to cook. For the spice monger amongst your guests, lay the harissa on nice and thick. For the somewhat less chilli-adventurous, a slightly gentler approach. Regardless of your guests spice tolerance, I'm sure they will find the delicateness of the Corn and Coriander Fritter the ideal foundation and the slight sweetness of the Pineapple and Mint Salsa to offer the perfect balance.

This dish is on the top of my list for summer entertaining dishes. It sits there proudly for a couple of reasons, firstly, it's always a crowd pleaser and secondly, most of the work is done the day before! Unlike many dishes that deteriorate from being prepped too early, this recipe benefits from it. The beans need to be soaked for at least 24 hours and the herbs will permeate the chicken better if marinated longer rather than shorter. In addition doing all the work so far in advance will once again leave you more time to entertain and enjoy the summer weather for yourself. Bon apatite.

Bearnaise and Hollandaise are, I believe, a couple of the major reasons many people dine out. I suppose they feel that these beautiful rich sauces are too difficult to make at home, what with all that clarifying, whisking, reducing and incorporating, but don't let these words or the actions they represent, scare you. Like all things cooking it's all about practice and once you've done it a few times you'll wonder why you never tried it earlier. So go on get to it, it's easy!

I like the Middle Eastern Mezze or appetizers. Mezze almost always consists, of Hummus (chickpea - sesame spread) and Babaganoush (eggplant- sesame dip) served with warm pita bread. Other items such as Sambousik (pastries filled with minced meat and nuts) Tabouleh (Cous cous and parsley salad) and more are also added, but Hummus and Babaganoush are omni present when Mezze is served. The rich creamy sesame paste called Tahini is really the "main ingredient" in both spreads and the strong, nutty, almost smoky taste of it, is what makes this spread so flavorful and distinct.

This is a well liked dessert in one of our schools restaurants. As with all ice parfaits or ice soufflés, the trick of getting the ice cream really smooth, light and frothy is in the correct beating of the sabayon. Once the sabayon is well done, the rest is a piece of cake.

There's nothing really seasonal about chocolate, but I thought the endorphin lift it gives could better be utilized in the gloomier months and as such have decided to put it on the winter menu. Some would say there's enough chocolate in this recipe to make a Nordic Laplander trapped in 6 months of darkness forget about the "gloomy" weather. So if the words chocolate, indulgence and excess aren't words you like to describe winter desserts, please move on. Just Kidding!! You can always cut the chocolate by 1/3rd, also you'll find that the refreshing cinnamon cream really does help to cut some of that richness.

Kilawin or kinilaw is a traditional Filipino dish of marinated/cured fish or seafood in vinegar and a souring agent such as the juice of calamansi or Kamias. Calamansi is a small citrus fruits, which grows throughout South East Asia and the juice of it suits this dish much better than lime, as it is still fairly acid but has a distinctively fruity flavor. I personally like Kilawin of tuna the best, simply because the quality of the tuna available in the Philippines is second to none.

It doesn't get much easier than this, pop it all in a pot turn the heat down low, crack a beer and join your friends by the pool. In a couple of hours you'll be wowing them all with your abilities in the kitchen, even though you were barely there.

There is nothing better than a homemade dressing. This one lives in my fridge all the time as I find it indispensable. I use it as a dressing on salads, on steamed vegetables, on virtually any seafood and even dress my chicken with it when once I take it off the barbecue. It will last about a week so don't bother making too much if you don't plan on using it.

Lobster bisque, a name many of us haven't heard in restaurants for quite some years. I suppose it may be because too many of us who do remember it being in restaurants, remember many attempts at being sold a bastardized fish stock and we just stopped ordering it all together. With this recipe in hand, you needn't fret that it's hard to find or even if you do, whether it is the genuine thing or not. I hope you enjoy revisiting this classic as much and as often as I do.

The boneless skinless chicken breast, sounds exciting doesn't it? What if we add the words grilled or poached? Unfortunately this is the way most people eat this cut of chicken, dried out and without sauce, usually in the name of health. I've said it before and I'll say it again health is intertwined with happiness and I don't know about you but something dry grilled and without sauce doesn't bring me happiness. The chicken breast is a very versatile cut and prepared correctly it can be anything but dry and bland. This recipe is designed to be ENJOYED, as all food should be. I have given the chicken breast a rich golden nutty coating, topped it with a lush reduced port sa...

Mash Potato, sounds like a recipe right there doesn't it. Pretty simple dish to prepare, one would think, yet based on the amount of times I have ordered it and received something closer to cemented or watered potato, I thought it appropriate that we put a recipe of it out there. That and the fact that we receive countless emails requesting us to. Proper mash potato is something most of us remember from our childhood, rich, creamy, buttery flavour all whipped up into something that is surprisingly light and fluffy in texture. I think the reason for it reminding us of childhood is that, since adolescence most of us, (the western world anyhow) have been running to the hi...

Now that winter is upon us once again, I thought it was time to pull out one of my favourite winter recipes; Minestrone Soup. This soup always takes me back to my childhood, working as my Dad's helper in his electrical business. In particular a re-wiring job he did for an old Italian lady back in Vancouver named Mrs Sorrechi. She was a lovely woman of sizeable physical proportions as well as a woman of sizeable compassion. Something I was acutely aware of as a boy working in the freezing cold at her house. Now, I recall as a kid (as I'm sure every kid does) cringing whenever an unfamiliar grown up would kiss, make cutesy faces or hug me. But with Mrs Sorrechi I never mind...

As an avid James Bond movie fan, I recently re-watched (for the 10th + time perhaps) one of the old classics. To make the story short, Bond, the notorious Martini drinker, in this movie orders and drinks a Mint Julep. Even though I heard of this cocktail before, I actually do not remember having had one. I decided to Google it and afterwards headed for the bar and started mixing and tasting and a little later (and a little tipsy) I figured I had a very good combination. Even though, not quite a traditional one, due to the use of Bourbon whiskey instead of traditional Early Times Kentucky whisky, which I did not have available to me.

A mirepoix is a finely diced mixture of; carrot, celery and onion. It is often sweated off in the first stages of a recipe to enhance the flavour of sauces, soups, stews and numerous other dishes. Although usually finely diced, some recipes, such as a stock recipe might call for, 'mirepoix roughly chopped' in this case it simply refers to the three vegetables of carrot, celery and onion. 'Mirepoix au gras' is simply mirepoix with meat and usually refers to the addition of bacon or ham.

Although you could just go out and buy premixed spices making them yourself will give you a much nicer flavour and the comfort that you will not be consuming all sorts of preservatives, sugar, and anti-caking agents. For this recipe I have quoted the ingredients in parts in order that you can make as much mix as you like, whether that be a few tablespoons or a couple of kilo's.

Swordfish, some will claim is a very boring fish, and in all honesty it is a bit simple on its own. However it is that simple flavour that I find so appealing about swordfish, it can be turned into virtually any style of recipe you want. Some fish, salmon for instance, is a beautiful fish but due to its rich distinct prominent flavour it is not as versatile as our humble sword. Imagine either fish with a nice herbed pilaf and a classic beurre blanc, but don't try putting both into a salty sweet Chinese stir fry. In this recipe I have used a tender piece of sword as a platform to get across some very distinct Moroccan flavours, served it on some soft polenta, topped it...

Although this dish is quintessentially French it is probably more of a consistent feature on the dinner tables of the northeastern region of the country. The beauty of a mussel dish like this is that the mussels (or 'moules') are served absolutely fresh. Mussels are harvested all over the coast of France and then shipped live to the local fishmongers. There they are bought, (still alive), taken home, cleaned and prepared in this simple yet stunning recipe and enjoyed by anyone lucky enough to be present. So the key for you to enjoy this dish is to do the same, and by that I mean: buy only the freshest best live mussels from your local trusted fishmonger. And then simply p...

As most of my friends will tell you, I am a huge fan of summer and not big on winter. I tend to complain all winter about the lack of warmth and sunshine, to be honest I complain so much in winter I'm surprised I even have friends willing to put up with it. However, having said that there are a couple of things I do love about winter, there's food, food and more food. One of my favourite ways of cooking in winter is braising (cooking meats or vegetables in their own or added juices in a very slow oven). This dish, Braised Lamb Shanks is such a magnificent winter dish that it on its own gives me the tolerance to cope with the entire winter season, (well almost).

This dish for me always conjures up memories of long summer nights, nights spent amongst a forest of sailboat masts, glowing orange as they reflected the deep northern sunset. Every Friday for a whole summer myself and my two best mates since high school, John and Trevor would take John's dad's sailboat out onto the Georgia Strait, sailing around just off Vancouver. I remember one Friday in particular we were sailing back from the Gulf Islands, the diminishing light from the never setting sun painting the water a profound blue and the mighty fir trees appearing as mere peach fuzz on the coastal mountains, it had been an amazing day on the water. We were bringing the bo...

Imagine a Sunday afternoon, somewhere in a idyllic little town in the Normandy (France), sipping 'Cafe au lait' on a small marble table in front of a side walk cafe. Acoompanying the cafe, a freshly baked, Calvados scented, warm apple tart with vanilla sauce or a generous dollop of whipped cream. Sometimes it's those day-dreams of the simple things in (culinary) life that inspire the most.

Although not overly extravagant or involved to prepare, Osso Buco is, and always has been a real treat to make. Is it the joy from making that delicious sauce? A sauce so tasty that adding a piece of crusty bread and a bowl is all that is needed to make a meal. Or is it the almost maternal care used when keeping an eye on the whole thing in the oven? Or maybe it's the taking of an otherwise tough piece of meat and turning it into something that is melt in your mouth tender? Whatever it may be that makes me enjoy preparing Osso Buco so much, I am certain of at least one thing; making it is a distant second to the pleasure I get from eating it. All I need is one glass of...

Paella (pa-yay-aa) is a traditional Spanish dish that actually takes its name from the pot in which it is cooked, a paellera. Paella originated from the Valencia region but now virtually every part of Spain offers their own version. There is much debate as to what ingredients belong in a Paella, but there is no debate that at the core there should be rice and saffron. This is the recipe I cook when entertaining, but if I'm cooking only for my girlfriend and I, it might be a very simple Paella with a couple of ingredients or an incredibly involved dish teeming with everything under the sun. This usually depends on my mood and the state of my wallet. As always and especiall...

As I've said before, "I love spring!" A time when menus virtually write themselves. How can one not incorporate strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries and blueberries into at least one course of a dinner menu. In this dish I've steeped more than stewed; blueberries, raspberries and boysenberries in a light sugar syrup to accompany the delicate panna cotta. Even if I'm only cooking for four I still tend to make this recipe for six, a little snack for the cook pre dinner...ssshhhh.

This recipe is one of those occasions where the ability to use dried herbs in place of fresh is not an option. The fresh thyme and parmesan cheese work together to compliment the flavour of the mushroom in a way that the dried herb cannot. Making this dish using the larger field mushrooms also makes a great option for a vegetarian first course.

If you don't love quality extra virgin olive oil and saut�ed golden garlic, then you won't understand this recipe. Those of you that do, well you'll know exactly what a simply magnificent Italian creation this is. I have said it numerous times before and I stand by my words to this day, "If there were no such things as good extra virgin olive oil and garlic I would not have become, or continue to be a Chef!" They are my absolute 2 favourite ingredients and in this dish, the Italians let these ingredients shine in simplicity.

Pate a choux is also called Choux paste or pastry or Chou dough and is a basic dough for many savory and sweet dishes. Pate a chou is the base for traditional cakes such as the Gateau St. Honoré, Paris-Brest and the Croque-em-bouche or individual pastries like éclairs and the children favorite Choux puffs. But choux paste it can also be fried into Beignets, Crullers and Churros, or used as the base for hot soufflés and mixed with mashed potatoes for Dauphine potatoes. In Austria this same basic dough is also used to make sweet knoedels (dumplings), where a fruit is incased into pate a choux filled and then poached before being tossed in toasted crumbs and melted...

Personally I am not a huge dessert eater, I like to taste it but after 1 or 2 bites I've had enough. So what usually happens is that I just have a few bites and give the rest to my girlfriend. When we are at a restaurant it's a win win, she doesn't want the guilt of ordering one for herself, but she does like�sorry LOVES dessert. I order dessert, save her the guilt, I have a couple small bites and she gets 2/3rds of a dessert to herself. Anyway, I digress, as I was saying I'm not big on dessert but whenever I make this dessert, 5 minutes into making it, the smell of the freshly roasting pecans wafting through the kitchen has me salivating and thinking about sneak...

Ever wonder how they get the skins off the tomatoes you buy in cans? It's really quite a simple process. In this tip I'll show you exactly how and also how to take the seeds out.

"My brother in law Darren is the best steak cook I know!" I was very young when I first proclaimed that, in fact I may have said "my sister's new boyfriend," it was that long ago. I stick by those words today, as he still cooks one of the best steaks I've had anywhere; however it wasn't until a few years later as I embarked on my cooking career, that I discovered it had just as much to do with Darren's eye for quality and knowledge of beef cuts as it did with his skill. You see Darren knew that I being only young may have found the flavour of a robust sirloin or rib eye a little strong. So he decided to use what is considered to be the tenderest cut of...

I love this salad for summer time, warm weather, picnic's and when friends come over for a swim by the pool. It is very simple, quickly done, and refreshing. It is a meal in itself, perfect for busy people wanting to do something quick and light and for those of us who want to watch the calorie intake. I'll do several variations of it, with Cajun-fried shrimps, grilled salmon, stir-fried squid or a combination of it; whatever I have handy or feel like eating. Medium roasted warm sirloin of beef is also a nice option, although a Balsamic or a red wine vinegar dressing would then suit better than the lemon-olive oil emulsion required in this recipe.

Another one of those dishes that once you make it a few times you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. The delicacy of the flowers and the rich stuffing make them very appropriate on the most formal of occasions. Or leave them un-stuffed au'naturale and serve their golden fried goodness with a simple squeeze of lemon on the most casual of occasions.

I usually make pesto when basil is at its best, fortunately when basil it at it's best it's also abundant and cheap so I usually end up making it in big batches. I leave some in my fridge, jar some up for friends and freeze the rest. The freezing affects it slightly but in winter when there is no fresh basil I've still got better pesto than I can buy from any deli or shop. In those colder months I toss it through my pastas, dollop it in my soup or spread it on toasted French bread.

This dish, although inspired by the abundant basil of late spring, is a wonderful dish to have any time of year. I find it a great choice for entertaining, as you can crumb the lamb hours before and the caponata can be made as early as a day before. All you'll need to do when your friends arrive is cook the lamb, warm the caponata, let the wine breathe and sit down to dinner.

This pineapple salsa is ideal for summer barbeques. Serve it as a dip with white corn chips, on top of grilled fish, throughout a salad of prawns or along side any chicken dish. The best time to make this is about 1/3rd of the way into pineapple season as that is when they are at their sweetest and luckily also when summer is in full swing.

Polenta is one of those things I despised as a child and only really got to appreciate when I became a chef. Polenta is a great alternative to pasta, rice and potatoes and goes well with chicken, rabbit and grilled sausages. Polenta traditionally is cooked in saltwater only, but different chefs prefer to use beef bouillon, milk or a mixture of it. It really depends on each individual's preference. For different taste and textures, replace the Parmesan cheese with Mascarpone, Ricotta or soft goat cheese. Grilled mushrooms, vegetables or crisp Parma ham also make a great addition to polenta.

Gnocchi were originally served as an extra course or pasta/warm appetizer course during a traditional Italian meal. These days they are often used as an starch / side dish to main courses. Gnocchi are fairly easy to prepare, can be done ahead of time. They are very versatile in the sense that they can be flavored with anything from Spinach to smoked salmon and because they are fairly bland in it's original taste they suit any sauce that they may be served with.

Next time you prepare a dish that leaves you with a lot of crustacean waste i.e. lots of prawn (shrimp), crab, lobster, or bug heads and shells do not throw all those wonderful bits out, instead knock up this oil and you will regret every time you did throw them out. With this oil in your fridge you will be able to add a beautiful richness to a plethora of dishes.

This is a dish that I first discovered when working in a traditional Italian Restaurant many years ago. The very un-Italian head Chef was writing the specials menu one Friday afternoon outside the back of the kitchen. In my youthful cockiness I thought that meant it was break time and I went out as well (the orders seemed to be finished). I got out back and saw a few of the specials he had been writing down, I pointed to the prosciutto wrapped salmon filet and I asked him, "Trent, is that really an Italian Dish?" He answered somewhat agitated, "Who gives a *#!* if it is or it isn't, it has Italian ingredients in it and you watch how well it sells tonight...

This recipe comes from a friend of mine; Maria. She is from the beautiful coastal region of Galicia in the North West of Spain. The area is bountiful in many types of delicious seafood and the local's diet and Maria's repertoire clearly represents this. Her seafood recipes are amazing and the stories she tells of her upbringing eating all the wonderful local specialties always makes my mouth water. One such dish that had me salivating when she first told me about it was this one; Pulpo a'la Gallega. Unfortunately when I make it, I break a cardinal rule and serve it on a normal plate as opposed to the traditional wooden plate. I don't think she has yet forgiven me and I am...

This recipe for marinated mushrooms is an absolute breeze, it keeps for weeks and can be done in large batches. So go on, make some now and the next time you have friends over you'll have one more homemade item you can serve with your antipasto platter. Did we mention they are delicious.

This is a great recipe for dessert after a rich or heavy meal. Unlike a simple fruit granita, it has a little more depth and also a little bit of kick thanks to the Grand Marnier and red wine. I tend to serve it in the warmer months, but if you have served a warming stew or even something spicy in the cooler months, it can be just the right way to finish the meal then as well. Due to the high alcohol content it will not hold it's frozen properties for long once out of the freezer, so it is best served and eaten right away, and as such may be better suited to smaller parties rather than large gatherings. Trust me your close friends will be glad you didn't invite too many p...

A Chef I used to work with once said, 'A jus prepared correctly and served with a crusty bread roll is a 5 star meal to me.' In fact I've seen many a Chef call that dinner. Usually when the head Chef wasn't looking of course. Jus's are like liquid gold in restaurant kitchens. Most kitchens have one stove and sometimes even entire kitchens designated to the slow process of making these decadent sauces. First the veal bones are roasted golden brown in high temperature ovens, then the vegetables are chopped, herbs are selected and then it's all put in a pot and covered with water and simmered for days on end. The resulting stock is then, strained numerous times, red wine is...

Reduced Balsamic is one of those incredibly simple items to prepare, it is simply Balsamic Vinegar that has been thickened by way of evaporation over heat. This is a great ingredient to have on hand in any kitchen. It's sweet yet slightly tart flavour not only is the perfect complement to many dishes but makes a very visually appealing garnish. Try it over grilled vegetables or salads and even on some desserts. When preparing this item I would not recommend you use your best and most expensive Balsamic vinegar as you will lose about 2/3rds to evaporation, however I would also avoid using a very cheap and acidic variety, as no matter how much you reduce these; they remain...

This dish is great to cook if you are vegetarian and just as good if you are not. As a person that is completely content in their carnivore ways, I can happily attest that this is one vegetarian dish that I am more than happy to put in front of me in place of a meat laden dinner plate. The grilled polenta provides a delicious and substantial foundation, the roasted mushroom is a tender and juicy centre piece, the fresh beans offer the crisp spring factor while the roast pepper and port reduction is the perfect naturally sweet and slightly decadent sauce to unite it all. Enjoy this dish, no matter what side of the carnivore/vegetarian fence you are on.

Although Capsicums really don't come into their own until spring, this is a dish that is too good to wait for, try it around the end of winter as that is when the first Capsicums start to appear. The mushrooms add a clever twist on it and the parsley oil adds a bitter to the sweet of the peppers as well as a nice colour contrast.

When I was a teenager I worked briefly in a pizza joint as a delivery driver. When there were no deliveries I was assigned various jobs by our recently out of jail 'Chef', not that he was too busy to do so but he had to go hassle the waitresses and beg for bourbon from the bartender. One of the jobs that the 'Chef'; used to get me to do in this classy place was to prep the garlic bread. This job involved taking some anaemic highly processed and cottony soft bread rolls and cutting them in half, dipping them face down about 1 centimetre into some dirty old vegetable oil that had 2 cloves of garlic sadly sunken on the bottom, then I would take chopped parsley and sprinkle i...

This sauce is so simple and tasty that you'll find yourself making it over and over. Try it with coconut crumbed fish, or grilled chicken. Play around with it and you will find uses for it as a canape or mix it with some sour cream and serve as a cold dip. The possibilities are endless.

This is a great winter soup. At a time of year when we are probably eating a little bit too much of the good stuff in life such as butter, cream and rich desserts, this soup is the perfect option to lighten our dietary load. You'll find that thanks to the sweet potato's much lower glycaemic rating than regular potato you won't find the inevitable post eating blood sugar spike and subsequent crash of many energy rich winter meals. Add to that ginger's excellent properties as a digestive aid and you have a great start on helping your body deal with a lot of those richer meals you've been eating. Then take the ultimate comfort spice; cinnamon and your soul will also thank yo...

Bell peppers (capsicum) are pretty delicious and tasty as nature makes them, however roasted or grilled they become all the more tasty and more versatile. Once roasted they are the ideal addition to any antipasto, beautiful in a salad, perfect in a pasta and not to mention an amazing base to many beautiful sauces or soups

Everyone knows that meats and fresh herbs are a marriage made in heaven, but as in human relationships certain marriages are stronger than others. For example roast chicken with fresh thyme, seafood's with dill or fennel, tender beef with a rich tarragon infused b�arnaise and of course the ultimate paring of roast lamb and fresh rosemary. The latter mentioned combination is, in this recipe taken to a further level by adding garlic and parmesan. This would have to be my favourite way to have lamb.

When making this salad you are likely to find as many variations as ingredients. The important thing to remember is it is made by you for you and your friends, so if you're not a fan of certain ingredients leave them out, likewise if you really love a certain item, add a little more. The recipe we have given here is our collective favourite here at chefs pencil. However if we were true to the salads namesake (ie from Nice in France) there would definitely not be any potatoes in this salad.

I still am blown away by how many people keep salt and pepper on their dining or kitchen table. Personally I keep my salt and pepper in one place, right next to the stove where it belongs! If the Chef does his or her job properly, that is the only place it should need to be as the seasoning should already be in the meal. Wherever you stand on the salt and pepper issue, I think we can all agree that in this dish, the more the better!

When I was around 5 or 6 growing up in Canada, my family moved next door to the Patterson family, the Patterson's had two boys, Mike and Steve. Mike was one year younger and Steve one year older than I. Similar age, same gender, lived close, ok all criteria for position of best friend filled: let's play�.and play we did, usually in the forest that covered their small property. We played war games, hide and seek, climbed trees, dug caves, built forts, you name it we did it. It was an ideal childhood playground, albeit at times cold and wet. After hours of being out there, the remaining daylight would start to fade to a dim grey, we would listen with contradictory f...

Semi dried tomatoes, say it to some and they'll scrunch up their nose and make a "yucky" face, say it to others and they'll smile and move closer to you. The difference I think is that some have only tasted the jarred variety, while the latter group has tried the homemade variety or tasted them from a nice deli. The difference is quite staggering; the ones from the jars often taste like an oily shoe with liquorice laces. While a proper freshly dried tomato can taste like you're actually eating a dozen tomatoes, with a bunch of fresh herbs and a whisper of extra virgin all in the one bite. Once you realize how easy it is to do your own you'll wonder why you ever...

This is a shining example of the less complicated a dish is, the better it is. Each ingredient in this recipe is served very near to its natural state and this lack of having been �messed' with results in a simple yet sophisticated combination. The flavours in this dish do all the hard work for you, fresh ocean trout complemented by an effortless sesame crust and seared beautifully rare, the fresh cucumber and the just picked tender baby herbs simply glazed with the distinctive flavours of fresh lime, mirin and fiery chilli. The best thing about this lack of complication is exactly that; uncomplicated cooking for you. Serve this next time you want to impress your...

This is a recipe that I created a few years back while I was on a quick hiatus on my motorcycle. I was running a very high stress level in the restaurant and decided a quick jaunt down the south coast was in order to stay sane. I spent a day in the saddle with no particular destination and pulled into Hyams Beach on Jervis Bay and decided to call it home for a couple of days. That was as soon as I could find a place that would have me. I asked the lady at the town conveience shop/restaurant where I could find some reasonable accomodation. She directed me to a guest house down the road and told me to tell the owner that she had sent me. I liked this place already, I'd been...

There are numerous variations of this dish throughout Vietnam, southern China and Thailand. This particular recipe calls for a cuttlefish and shrimp mousse that is breaded and deep-fried while other variations are made with shrimps or prawns only, with the addition of crabmeat to the mousse or even spiced with chili, basil and coconut milk, crusted in desiccated coconut flakes. They are also not always breaded and fried, but also available steamed and steamed and then grilled. Whatever your preferences might be, shrimp on sugar cane will always be a well liked dish whenever you serve it.

Next time you are entertaining and you want your first course to be a definite crowd pleaser, then look no further than this recipe. The beautiful tangy crème fraiche is the perfect accompaniment for the crispy potato rosti and helps to soften the rosti just enough to be gentle on your guests palette while still maintaining the crunchy wafer like rosti characteristics. Add in the peppery watercress, the tender salmon and your guests will experience a beautifully balanced first course with perfect flavour and texture contrasts. Although this is not a difficult recipe per se, it is worth having a trial run on yourself sometime prior to your event, particularly as the ro...

The crispy fritters not only make this dish a little more substantial but they also make a brilliant compliment to the smoky salmon. The peppery watercress and the tartness of the vinaigrette are perfectly rounded out with the soft creaminess of the fetta. This dish is also a great dish to be a little creative with, think of any other meat or fish that would go well with corn and substitute it for the salmon. Roquette (arugula) also makes a great substitute for the watercress. I know you'll enjoy this recipe and I hope you enjoy making your variations of it even more.

One would think that a dish built around salmon should remind me of my life living on the west coast of Canada, home of arguably some of the best salmon in the world and definitely one of the most abundant sources, but strangely enough this dish reminds me of Sydney more than anything. When I first moved to Sydney in the mid 90's I was blown away to see how many local menus featured salmon. Canadians weren't the only ones with a taste for this beautiful fish and obviously Canada and Scandinavia weren't the only source for it! Some excellent Atlantic salmon was and is being farmed in Tasmania. There are subtle differences between all varieties of salmon and each breed...

Another simple masterpiece inspired by, of course, the Ocean and the Italians. Unfortunately I have been to countless "Italian" restaurants that come nowhere near masterpiece with this dish. I've had it with more sand than the local beach, garlic raw enough to scare a vampire, and God forbid even cream. If you follow this recipe to the letter you will end up with Spaghetti Vongole better than most places in town.

This dessert is ideal to serve if you are having a large gathering. It sets in the dish or glass you serve it in and it can be prepared well ahead of time. It can be made for minimal guests as well, although due to the 3 different components it may be a bit cumbersome. Of course you could just serve more to your minimal guests in order to make it worth the effort, but beware; rich rich rich.

Beurre blanc is a traditional French butter sauce. In this recipe I've tweaked it a little by adding the juice of an orange and infused it with a little ginger. It works very well with the spicy coating on the chicken. Beurre blanc is really quite an easy sauce as long as you take your time. Once you've done it a few times you will find yourself making it over and over and hopefully coming up with new ideas for it as well.

This recipe builds on my Mother's recipe that I recall so fondly from my childhood in Canada. After a hard day of play in the cold west coast winter rain, sitting down to this sweet smoky broth was such a treat. We used to eat it with bucket loads of butter cooked croutons, but now I tend to eat it with just a little fresh bread. However you have it, I'm sure it will become a winter favourite.

Mussels would have to be one of the most versatile of all seafood's, as long as they are dressed appropriately for the weather they are pretty much heaven year round. In winter there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of them swimming in a steamy Mariniere broth. In summer, as in this dish there is nothing more refreshing, a bowl of freshly steamed mussels, in season Mango salsa, crusty Vienna bread to soak it all up with and a very crisp white wine to wash it all down with. Enjoy.

The strawberry shortcake is an American classic and if the strawberries are ripe, sweet and juicy, it makes for a great dessert. The shortcake crust can be done small for individual desserts or large as a whole cake. Alternatively shortcakes can be done with fresh peaches; bananas or any other ripe fruit in season. The crust can be easily pre-baked in the morning and assembled just before serving.

The light texture of the homemade tart shell and the natural sweetness of the strawberries, make this tart a great choice for a lovely Morning Tea or High Tea. It can even be a delicious Dessert after a dinner of heavy meats and rich sauces. If however you are enjoying it for Morning Tea, High Tea or following a not so rich meal it can be made a little more indulgent by adding some whipped or double cream on the side. This recipe uses an incredible amount of strawberries and as such I wouldn't recommend making it outside of berry season as it can get expensive.

This dish was taught to me by a good friend and Swedish chef. Ever since then, around Christmas time, when attending quite a number of pre-Christmas parties that are 'potluck', meaning they require all participants to bring a dish along, I make this Swedish lax pudding. It is so simple, needs little to none care except reheating and is always well liked. As often the case with traditional recipes there are no strict rules and therefore instead of salted salmon one could easily use cold smoked salmon or even raw, sautéed salmon and the dish would taste just as good.

This is stuff I grew up on and it is still one of my favourites. Although mainly used as a breakfast cereal, back in my childhood it was also occasionaly served as snack on hot days or even as a light meal or fruity dessert at times. Muesli was invented/created around the turn of the century by Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher for the patients in his hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. He was a pioneer in nutritinal research and "healed" his patients with a balanced diet of raw fruits and vegetables, a revolution, considering the eating habits of the people at that time. The term "muesli" comes from the Swiss dialect word of "mus" lite...

Tabouleh like hummus and babaghanouj has its origins in the Middle East, it is a salad made of parsley, wheat bulgur, tomato and lemon. I have some Lebanese friends and an annual highlight for me when summer rolls around is to be fortunate enough to be invited to a few of their many barbecues. The only thing that flows thicker than their hospitality is the food. It always starts with some traditional dips, spreads, stuffed vine leaves and stacks and stacks of freshly baked flat bread to spread and dip it all with. After that the barbecue gets fired up and the various types of meats hit the grill, there is garlic marinated chicken skewers, minced and spiced lamb skewers, b...

I remember a couple of years back, a time in Sydney when virtually every single restaurant and caf� had fish cakes on their menu. Unfortunately it was also the time when this beautiful Southeast Asian dish gained a very bad reputation. Fish cakes were served crumbed in bread crumbs, undercooked, overcooked and served with everything from ketchup tomato sauce to heated peanut butter as "Satay Sauce". The reason for this I believe is people think it is an all too easy recipe, "mince some fish add a bit of this and that, a bit of commercial curry paste, deep fry them and dip in anything." This obviously looks nothing like the symphony of flavours u...

Fresh fish and fresh herbs, what more could you ask for in a spring dish. Both are complemented perfectly by the addition of a hearty Middle Eastern salad. You will find because the Fattoush is pretty substantial as far as salads go, it can also be eaten as a meal on its own.

Tiramisu is one of those dishes that is widely available as almost every restaurant serves some variation of it. Unfortunately it is this same widespread availability that means it can often disappoint. Fortunately when it is good it is sublime and it is these occasions that keep most of us coming back for more and trying it again and again. This recipe is a result of years of working with numerous other Chefs (Italian and otherwise) creating different Tiramisu's in countless different kitchens using just as many different methods. During this time I watched, learned, tasted and most importantly listened to the customers in those places where the Tiramisu was a house s...

Occasionally, when my friend's restaurant is very busy and I am not so busy, I will help out in his restaurant for old time's sake, (every Chef needs to feel the rush of a busy service once in a while, or we'll wither and die). These occasions are usually in the busier summer periods, which consequently are obviously the hotter days in the kitchen. Some days they are so unbearably hot that when the hunger hits you could not imagine eating a hot meal, even though the guests seem to be quite content to do so. The difference of course is that those patrons are in a different world than ours, they are dining in the ocean breeze at this seaside haunt, while we Chefs are workin...

The term concasser as defined by the Larousse Gastronomique (The Chef's bible) defines it as: The French term for chopping or pounding a substance, either coarsely or finely. When skinned deseeded tomato pulp is finely chopped it is known as tomato cancassee. In this recipe it is the latter definition referring to the tomatoes that we explore. Tomato concasse although used in many traditional sauces, it can also be used many other ways; tossed through pasta, garnishing, salsas, bruschetta's and soups.

Tuna is the world's most popularly eaten fish. Unfortunately much of this huge consumption is aided by millions of can openers and a lot of cheap mayonnaise. Such a shame really as this beautiful fish deserves to be eaten in the state it comes off the fishmongers knife; raw, or as near to as possible. The more you meddle with it the more beauty it loses. That is why it lends itself to carpaccio so well, cut it raw, a little sprinkle of this, a little drizzle of that and serve it.

Tzatziki, is a wonderful addition to many meals. I like to use it on virtually any grilled fish or chicken dish. Use it as a dip for vegetables, or a replacement to mayonnaise. Of course traditionally it is served with Greek dolmades or chicken souvlaki.

I have had venison on 3 different continents and on each occasion it has tasted completely different from the last. Wow!! Does that ever sound pompous; when you write that word "Venison" it can't help but be read that way, just pretend I said chicken and I won't come across as a snob. Anyhow apart from the obvious reasons for these differences such as whether the meat is farmed or wild, there are many other reasons. For example, the climate the animal lives in, the age of the animal and even the geography it lives in. For example a very hilly and sparsely vegetated landscape will produce a very different animal to one that has grown up in a fertile well vege...

I think most people have very fond memories of the Sunday roast dinner at a loved ones. Remember those vegetables; just thinking of them makes me wish I was there right now. Well with this recipe you can bring those memories directly to your taste buds on a regular basis without having to worry about all those relatives and all the trimmings. I have added a few extra varieties of vegetables for colour and texture. Probably slightly different from how your grandmother did it, but equally tasty and also a slightly healthier way to have them.

This tasty appetizer makes use of one of my favorite springtime ingredient - white asparagus</a>. They are a delicacy throughout Europe, although only available for the short period of May and June. If you live in an area where white asparagus are rarely found, you can easily substitute green asparagus for this dish Tarragon is a herb I lately kind of rediscovered, mainly perhaps because I actually grow it myself in our hotels little herb garden and the beginning of the wet season seems to become it well and it just keeps on growing and I can get it in abundance.

The first time I had this dish was a few years back. A gang of us went to a Spanish restaurant for a going away dinner for a few of the group that were off to Europe indefinitely. It was a brilliant night with beautiful food, great friends, kitschy flamenco music, lots of sangria and many embarrassing stories from the past. The details are a little sketchy but a couple of things I remember particularly well are; the Restaurant was about the size of a small sailboat with less than 7 tables in all. Despite this it was a very comfortable place, the seating was on wooden benches that resembled church pews and scattered over them were randomly coloured embroidered cushions. Th...