Pâtes aux fruits de mer - serves 2 hungry people

• 400g mixed packet of seafood
• 2 shallots finely diced (not green spring onions)
  
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 300ml Dry White Wine
  
• 2 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbs fresh basil
• 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 stock cube (garlic & onion or vegetable)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 500mL tomato puree
• 1/4 tsp freshly minced chilli
• Freshly grated or shaved parmesan cheese.
  
• PASTA - Spagetti is a favourite of mine for this dish. (250g)
  

This recipe takes a while to cook properly ... you can always do an express method if you like ... like plonk everything together in a pressure cooker and voila in 20 minutes the sauce is done!

1. In a medium sized saucepan, non stick (scanpan is great) place the heat to HIGH and add the seafood, shallots and garlic. Stir through to hear some nice sizzling and the aromas of the ingredients hit you in the nose.
2. Add the white wine ... in effect, the white wine should nearly cover the seafood mix, and it is used to poach the seafood, onion and garlic mixture. Bring to boil then simmer for 5 minutes. This will allow the seafood to cook but to absorb the wine's flavour.
3. This is the easy part: Add all the other ingredients in no particular order.
   
4. Stir and bring back to the boil.
5. YES the mixture should be very 'watery', there is a lot of liquid involved. This is where patience is required and you will be rewarded with a fine dish at the end.
6. Simmer the sauce until it reduces almost in Half, you want a nice sauce that will coat your pasta, not run through and be a menace.
   
7. COOK your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, addition of oil will help reduce the boiling over of the water. Cook as per the instructions on the packet for AL-DENTE.
   
8. Place the portion of pasta into the bowl, then top with the sauce and a generous serving of Fresh parmesan cheese.
9. SERVE with fresh crusty bread, italian or french. Its a must for slurping up the juices once the pasta is all gone.

ENJOY YOUR MEAL !!

The flavour will be better IF you cook it, then let it cool down and then reheat it. If you do this, make sure you cool it down quickly, in a large open bowl stood in iced water: Then when you eat it, that night OR the next day ... Make sure the sauce is reheated to Piping hot and quikly.
(End of Food Hygiene Handling Lecture)

* * You could cook this sauce up and ix through large pasta shells. Place in a deep oven proof dish, top with a nice gratin (cheese bechamel sauce) topped with breadcrumbs and parmesan. Bake in a moderate oven for about 25 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown colour.

Jordi's Crêpes

Well you know, when in the country and home of crêpes, do as the locals...

There are many crêpe stalls around Paris, as you would well know or imagine. However, I have not been impressed so much with their crêpes as they are very thick n sometimes a little rubbery. Here is my recipe adopted from a French cookbook:

• 3 eggs (60g eggs)
• 1 Tbs vegetable Oil
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 2 sachets Vanilla sugar
• 260mL milk
• (1Tbs of Rum is optional)

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor ... Blend like crazy until all smooth - about 40 seconds.
2. Transfer mixture into a pouring jug. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Grease your non stick crêpe pan (I know it sounds silly but it helps OK)
4. Heat to a high temperature (wipe out with paper)
5. Holding the pan on an angle, pour in enough mixture to cover the base, swirling the pan and then pouring the rest of the batter back into your pouring jug.
6. Cook for about 30 seconds, you can smell when it's cooked, but just check by lifting up the edge.
   
7. FLIP over and cook for 10 seconds, no more, then place on a sugar dusted plate.
   

** My prefered crêpe pan is manufactured by Scanpan. Its a super dooper pan that has never failed me since I have bought it and produces the most ultimate thin crêpe.

JORDI's CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Deliciously Evil

300ml thickened cream 200g dark cooking chocolate ¼ cup brown sugar 4 egg yolks 1 tsp vanilla essence 60g unsalted butter

Heat cream in pan until bubbles form around the edges: do not boil. Place chopped chocolate, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in blender or processor. Pour in hot cream whilst blending on high speed for about 1 minute. Drop butter in at a teaspoon at a time. Continue to blend until smooth. Pour into 8 small serving glasses or espresso mugs.

Thai Pumpkin Soup (10 Portions)

50 grams butter 3 onions – diced 2 kgs butternut pumpkin 2 Litres Chicken Stock 1 tsp Sugar 1 Tbs Ginger (grated) 4 lime leaves 2 stems Lemon Grass ½ bunch coriander 1 Tbs Chilli – red, sliced 375 mL Coconut Milk Salt & Pepper

Place butter in a large pot. ADD the onions and pumpkin and allow to cook without browning. ADD the other ingredients except the coconut milk and seasoning. Cook until vegetables are soft. Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves. Puree in a blender and return to the pot, return the boil. ADD coconut milk and seasoning. Heat through do not BOIL.

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN (serves 2.bit)

Serve this with simple steamed peas beans and carrots.

CHICKEN: 1 roasting chicken about 1 kg 2 rashers of bacon 3 shallots (peeled & quartered) 1/2 cup virgin olive oil 1 tsp rosemary 2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 200°C Foil a baking dish that is just a little bigger than the chicken. Make sure the foil is long enough to cover the chicken during the cooking process. Fill the chicken cavity with bacon and shallots. Massage the oil, salt and rosemary into the chicken. Place in foil lined dish. Roast for 30 minutes at 200°C. Then cover chicken with foil and reduce temperature to 160°C for another 30 minute or until juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Take chicken out and allow to rest for 20 minutes, covered with foil before carving.

GRAVY: 1 tbs olive oil 1 brown onion, sliced finely in rings. 1 rasher bacon, rind removed and cut up finely. 1 tbs Gravy powder (chicken style) 1/4 tsp garlic powder Pepper 1 cup of boiling water

On a very low heat, caramelise the onions in the olive oil with the bacon adding the garlic and pepper and juices from the roasting pan. Combine the Gravy powder with a little cold water to make a paste. Add to pan, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, adding slowly the boiling water to achieve the consistency you desire for the gravy.

POTATO PUFFS: 3 large brushed potatoes (peeled, boiled and mashed) 100ml Cream 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 shallot minced 2 Tbs grated parmesan cheese. salt n pepper 1 egg white (for glazing)

Prepare a baking sheet with silicon baking paper. Oven 190°C Beat all ingredients together except egg white. Until smooth n creamy. If too dry, add some more cream or milk. It should be a thick mixture, not runny. Using an ice cream scoop OR piping bag. Scoop or pipe mixture onto prepared tray. Brush with beaten egg white and place in oven, cooking until golden brown in colour.

AVOCADO & TOMATO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 avocado, seeded and cubed.
2 ripe vine ripened tomatoes, cubed.
2 Tbs mustard vinegrette
1 small cooked chicken breast fillet OR 100g or so of sliced cold meats.
Salt n Pepper
Fresh parmasen cheese.

METHOD:

1. Mix all the ingredients together, its that easy... serve with fresh crusty bread and shavings of fresh parmesan cheese!
   

BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

125g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
2 eggs (well beaten)
4 brown/black bananas cut in small pieces
22g baking powder
50mls Milk
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 sachet of vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp of vanilla essence)
(2 Tbs butter melted and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon extra)

1. PREHEAT oven to 180°C. Prepare 24-26cm round tin, butter well then flour, shaking out the excess flour.
   
2. CREAM the butter and sugar together until light and pale in colour. Add the eggs a little at a time and beat well after each addition until all the egg has combined with the butter mixture.
3. ADD the soft banana, milk and baking soda. Beat the mixture well until smooth, no lumps of banana should be evident.
   
4. SIFT the flour, cinnamon and sachet of vanilla sugar, BEAT until smooth, about 1 minute.
5. POUR into the prepared tin and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 160°C for another 20 minutes or until cake is cooked, when a skewer is entered comes out clean.
   
6. Stand cake for 5 minutes before turning out. Then pour over melted butter and extra cinnamon. SERVE WARM or COLD.