It is shocking how many people buy this middle eastern staple when it is simple to make at home. The trouble is there are so many recipes, but none that stress technique and taste before ingredients. The best way to make hummus is by taste and eye, The techniques I learned while working with a top end caterer in Chicago (who also taught me some fabulous chicken recipes, but more on them another time). For personal use you would want to base the ingredients around 1 standard sized tin of chickpeas. It is very important to choose a decent tinned chickpea. I found that certain brands, though they might be organic or more expensive, have slightly crunchy chickpeas, which make horrible hummus.

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine 2-3 tablespoons of tahini with the juice of 1 lemon until the mixture turns light and fluffy.
2. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic that has been pulverized in a garlic press.
3. Drain and rinse a tin of chickpeas and add them to the mixture, blend in the food processor at high speed until a very smooth paste.
4. With the food processor running drizzle in a high quality olive oil until the mixture has a thinner and even consistency
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste

There is a lot of debate about adding water to the mixture, for a lower fat recipe you can drizzle in a small amount of water at the beginning of step 4. Once you have mastered the basic technique you can try variations. Try a lime instead of lemon and add fresh chopped coriander, roast garlic instead of raw, or sun dried tomatoes can be added at step 2 and pulverized in the food processor. Hummus is served across the middle east and North Africa, it often spread out on a plate, the top is drizzled with olive oil and paprika and whole chickpeas, and then served with warm pita or flat bread.

• 1-2 packages Vietnamese style rice paper wrappers
• fresh baby salad leaves, one cup per person
• fresh leafy herbs such as basil, coriander, mint, or dill a2-3 sprigs of each per person
• shredded crunchy vegetables like carrot, raddish, or daikon 1/4 cup per person
• cucumber thinly sliced 1/4 cup per person
• sliced avocado 1/2 an avocado per person
• some protein option such as baby shrimp, strips of spicy firm tofu, or a spread of mashed tofu seasoned with soy sauce and sesame paste, or cream cheese 1/2-1 cup per person

Place several bowls of warm water on the table and place bowls of the fresh ingredients around the table so that nobody has to reach very far. Each guest dunks their wrapper in the warm water for about thirty seconds, then lays it on their plate. The bottom can be spread with avocado, cream cheese or tofu then pile on the vegetables and herbs of choice, roll up like a cigar. It is best to serve this with a variety of sauces either store bought or home made. My favourite is equal parts:

• lime juice
• sesame oil
• soy sauce

You should also supply a bottle of thai sweet chilli sauce,Vietnamese hot sauce, soy sauce and perhaps some wasabi and pickled ginger (its not sushi, but it might make sushi lovers feel more at home). Because of the time lapse and laughter of rolling your own dinner, this is best served with an ice cold lager Tsingtao is a nice Chinese Beer or even a Polish lager like Tyskie or Zywiec would go nicely. If you are feeling adventurous you can even make a white wine sangria for a complete cross cultural experience.

Filling:

• 6 medium potatoes boiled or baked
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of whole cumin
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper deseeded and finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• shredded cheese, lime, and coriander to garnish

Start by toasting the cumin seeds in a dry pan until they are brown and fragrant. Tip out of the pan and crush with a mortar and pestel, or release the flavour by rubbing the seeds between your fingers to lightly crush them. Wipe out the pan and pour in your oil. Over a medium heat, sauté your onions, after 3 minutes add the garlic, when the garlic becomes soft and fragrant, add in your chopped pepper. Cut your cooked and cooled potatoes into small cubes and add them to the onion mixtures, add in the toasted cumin and sauté over a medium heat until the mixture comes together, and the potatoes are slightly brown.These tacos are traditionally served in small and very fresh corn tortillas. In the UK these can be almost impossible to find and you have a couple of options:

1. Buy the packaged corn tortillas in the store, warm them according to the package and serve them stuffed with the filling. These can be truly awful.
2. Make flautas by filling the warm corn tortillas with the filling and shallow frying in oil.
3. serve in fresh flour tortillas which are more widely available.
4. make your own corn tortillas

For home made corn tortillas, you will need a special product called Masa Harina. Masa Harina is made from a special field corn which has been treated with lime and water and then dried. While I have seen recipes that substitute corn meal and white flour there is absolutely nothing comparable in taste to it. You can order it online in the UK from Mex Grocer. with the right product they are easy to make, if you can’t get Masa Harina, try one of the other options above. Enjoy!

You will need:

· 6 squid tubes. Frozen is ok.

· 500 grams minced pork

· Half an onion

· 2-3 whole star anise

· Teaspoon of nutmeg

· A good handful of pine nuts

· Salt and pepper

· Olive oil

· Toothpicks

Start by thawing and washing the squid tubes, then pat them dry.

With a mortar and pestle (or grinder if you have one), pound the pine nuts and star anise to a fine powder, then add the nutmeg and finish the seasoning with some salt and pepper.

Then finely chop the onion. You don’t need a lot of onion in this recipe as it may overpower the squid.

Mix the spice powder and finely chopped onion evenly through the pork and then return it to the refrigerator. It’ll be easier to handle when cold.

After a minimum of half an hour, take each squid tube and close off one end of each tube with a tooth pick. Now carefully stuff each tube with the pork mixture but don’t overfill. Make sure you’ve left enough room to seal off the second opening. Once each squid tube is reasonably full, grab the toothpicks and seal off those holes.

Finally, drizzle some olive oil over the tubes and get them on a hot grill. Squid is usually cooked in a very short time but because these are stuffed with pork, they will need 4 minutes on one side and then turned over for another 3 or so minutes.

Now all you have to do is serve them.

I love these just as they are with a salad to nibble at but occasionally I’ll lay a bed of my favourite tomato-based sauce down on a plate and lay the squid on that.

For drinks, I’d recommend an ice-cold lager style beer or a pitcher of sangria. Enjoy!

The body needs fuel. In fact it needs a number of different types of fuel. Simple and complex carbohydrates to provide energy, fats that have numerous jobs, such as keeping the organs healthy, and protein, to build and maintain muscle.

It is common knowledge that protein, in particular, comes from meat. There are other sources but meat is by far the most accessible, affordable, and perhaps, enjoyable. So much of our food is overly processed and ’mechanically-chewed’, so which meat is best?

Pork is beneficial due to its vitamin D retaining properties and its high protein levels, the problem is that it has higher levels of cholesterol and saturated fats (the bad guys) than other meats. Beef is great… when portion size is small, we’re talking three ounce portions and that’s not much: more generous portions will be high in obesity-prompting fats and, let’s face it, will often lead to further portions.

Lamb is a bit more like it, especially as it is very high in selenium which could, potentially, be used to fight or prevent cancer. Despite this, sheep-meat is a little inaccessible.

Now chicken, on the other hand, is different. Five ounces of chicken breast is said to deliver almost all of your RDA of protein and contain very little fat (beyond the skin). With all this on the chicken’s side and its availability, many chefs depend on chicken due to its extreme versatility. Our clucking friends can be even more tasty when served with other friends from the plant family.

For example, Lemon Chicken with Mediterranean Vegetables (for more ideas check out the chicken recipes online). The chicken is fried in a healthily peppered and lightly-oiled pan. Almond oil is high in vitamins and essential fatty acids so is preferable and pepper helps the intestines absorb nutrients from the food. After a couple of minutes add a copious volume of lemon juice to the pan. The health benefits of lemon are underestimated but outweighed by the taste benefits. The chicken should simmer in the lemon juice for around eight minutes. Meanwhile, the vegetables can be prepared. This is done by chunky chopping tomatoes, peppers, beetroot and onion. These can then be placed on a tray and drizzled on with almond oil. Herbs of your choice can also be added: Thyme, Tarragon and Basil work very well. Place the vegetables in the oven around five minutes before the chicken goes in the pan: by the time the chicken is ready the whole meal will be set. For those who wish to lose weight or reduce fat, the vegetables can be used as carbohydrates, as long as sufficient carbohydrates have been consumed throughout the day. For others, wholemeal bread makes a perfect accompaniment.

This simplistic yet effective meal deserves an appropriate drink alongside it. Try a Cabernet Sauvignon if you aren’t driving, an organic Elderflower non-alcoholic wine if you are. The simplicity of this meal is key as it staves off the unhealthy ingredients but still leaves you with a satiated palate.

The right temperature to store a bottle of wine is between 50 and 65 degrees F. In earlier days, bottles of wine were kept in caves and underground cellars as storage. In today’s world however, refrigeration has made life much easier. You can now set the temperature and store the bottles in the refrigerator at the same temperature for years.

If you are having a glass of wine with dinner then try using a few plastic ice cubes. What you do is put one in once the wine starts to become warmer. These cubes will not change the taste of the wine nor its flavour.

If you want to finish a bottle of wine at dinner then you can try an ‘ice sleeves’. These are cylindrical and go right over the bottle and then all you need to do is to keep it in your fridge until when you are ready for it.

There are some devices available where you can simply set the temperature and then put the wines in. they will then be kept at a constant temperature until you remove them.

Cold temperature also has a bad impact on the chemical reactions that take place in wine and it slows the aging process of wine. Once the bottle of wine is opened, the left over wine in the bottle should be stored at a temperature above 50 degrees F.

In most instances, when people talk of pudding recipes, they think that they can throw together a quick fix of fruits and they are ready to go. My favorite pudding recipe however is carrot pudding which was passed down to me by my mother. While growing up, she was constantly talking about the importance of maintaining good health through fresh vegetables and one of the major reasons why I love this recipe is the fact that it combines good health and adds a delicious sumptuous aspect to it. Not to mention I have amazing memories of taking over her kitchen, and her mopping up my messes with paper towels, In addition to this, it is easy to prepare.

Ingredients

l ½ a cup of brown sugar

l ½ a cup of grated carrots

l ½ a cup of raw potatoes

l ¼ a cup of vegetable shortening

l ½ a cup of raisins

l ¼ cup of breadcrumbs

l ¼ cup of milk

l 11/4 cup flour

l half a teaspoon of salt

l half a teaspoon of mixed spices

l half a cup of currants

l half a cup of sherry wine

l half a lemon

Procedure

1. Mix all the ingredients together except the lemon, sherry wine and spices
2. Cover the ingredients and let them steam for three and a half hours
3. Wash the prunes and let them soak into soak at least for one night
4. The next morning, reduce the water until they are slightly submerged in it then simmer it for a while. You should always ensure that you do not let them boil as this will only make them go bad
5. Once you are done with this, mix all the ingredients together again and add the lemon juice, the cinnamon
6. The final step is adding the sherry wine into the mixture, stir it properly and serve it.

By following through with this recipe, you can rest assured that you will always be craving for more of carrot pudding and you will have your family hooked on the same. It is healthy, easy to prepare and great to the taste buds, I love it for these reasons and suggest you try it out too.

Nothing brings back memories of my childhood like gnocchi and designer kitchen accessories, and recently I have created a four-cheese gnocchi (I love my cheese!) that my mama claims as her own. Of course, you never want to call an old Italian lady a liar, so I let her take credit (but you and I know it’s mine!).

One of my favourite memories as a kid was waking up early on a Sunday morning to the cackling sounds of my aunts and mother cooking pasta sauce. The sounds were terrible, but the smells were outstanding! Although they all would punish my cheeks with pinches and slaps, I always tried my best to sneakily steal a few spoonfuls of sauce and snake my way over to the cheese bowls for a handful of Fontina or Provolone, which were always returned with a slap in the back of the head and several Italian expletives that I didn’t understand until much later.

When I was in high school and then later in University, I had my mother teach me how to actually make gnocchi, since buying the store brand is simply unacceptable. After several failed attempts, I eventually gave up and decided that the store versions can be good if you buy them at Italian bakeries, which I now due exclusively. My mother helped me choose which brands are the best and which brands to stay away from.

These are the memories that inspired me to invent my favourite pasta: gnocchi. If you haven’t had gnocchi, you are missing out. Spaghetti and Penne are nothing compared to the beauty of gnocchi. Here is my favourite recipe that I created–sorry, that my mama created:

1/4 cup Ricotta

1/4 cup Gorgonzola

1/4 cup Fontina

1/4 cup Parmesan (do not grate)

2 Tbsp. Cream

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 clove of garlic

Pinch of oregano

Pinch of Basil

Prepare the gnocchi according to the label’s instructions. Once cooked (before boiling), mix the four cheeses in a sauce pan and add the spices. Once they melt, spread over the gnocchi, and you’re in heaven.

This is a scrumptious dish, simple to prepare and serve, and gorgeous to look at. I remember the first time my mother had cooked Chicken Maryland at home; she had wanted to surprise us with a novel and tasty preparation and had obtained the recipe from one of her favorite television chefs. It had been a wonderful treat for the family.

Chicken Maryland is special to me for another reason. I was studying at a boarding school, far from home. One fine day, I got a visitor, who gave me a packet from my mother. She had sent an entire platter of the much loved delicacy to me! I was thrilled and my friends were pretty excited too. It was a lovely change from my everyday boarding fare and reminded me strongly of home. From that day onwards, my mother became quite famous among my friends and they still talk enthusiastically about her extraordinary culinary skills and the day that we ate this dish off paper hand towels in our dorm room.

The ingredients for this crumb fried chicken are as follows: - a) chicken cut into large pieces (800 grams) b) crushed black peppercorns (to taste) c) salt (to taste) d) lemon juice (2 teaspoons) e) red chilly powder (1/2 teaspoon) f) mustard powder (1/2 teaspoon) g) refined flour (3 tablespoon) h) eggs (2) i) bread crumbs (1/2 cup j) fresh coriander, finely chopped (1 tablespoon) k) oil (for deep frying).

Marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Cook in a pressure cooker, with half a cup of water, till one whistle. Keep aside the chicken. Add the chilly powder, mustard powder, and coriander leaves to the flour and mix. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat the eggs whites well. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour. Add sufficient oil in a deep frying pan and heat. Now, dip the chicken pieces in the beaten egg whites, roll them on bread crumbs, and fry for five minutes on medium heat, till they turn a beautiful golden brown. Drain and serve with salad or barbeque sauce. Bon Appetite!

Ingredients

1/3 cup of milk

1/2 cup of white fresh breadcrumbs

500g pork/ red meat/chicken sausages

2 sheets of defrosted frozen puff pastry

2 eggs among which one is lightly beaten

Sesame seeds for garnishing

Tomato sauce for serving

Method

First mix the milk and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Then let sit until the milk has been fully absorbed. Remove sausage covers and place them along with the breadcrumbs, onion and egg in a food processor. Process until mixed well, the chill it by refrigerating the mixture for 30 minutes.

On a floured surface cut the pastry sheet into two. Put a small portion of the mixture on each piece of pastry but at the center. Fold it and brush with beaten egg, next you will fold up other side too, giving it a sausage shape. Now place the rolls on a baking tray. Cover then place in the refrigerator for about 35 minutes until the rolls become firm.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Then carefully cut the rolls into 7 pieces. Place them on baking tray after brushing them with remaining egg. You will need slit the top of every roll with a knife and make them small ones. This will prevent them from splitting. Next sprinkle all the rolls with small sesame seeds. It will take up to 30 minutes to bake until it becomes crisp golden puffs. Serve them hot with tomato sauce.