• preparation

Arrange the cooked mussels on a serving dish. Refrigerate. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and chives.
Pour sauce over the mussels. Serve cold

• preparation

Dice the fish into 1/2-inch cubes, rinse with fresh water, drain, and place in a large nonreactive salad bowl.

Squeeze the limes and pour the juice over the fish. Add the rice wine vinegar, sriracha sauce and ginger. Mix well and chill 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Cut onion and green pepper into thin slices, and cut tomato into small cubes. Remove seeds from cucumber and cut into thin half-moons.
onions, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in bowls

Drain some of the lime juice, add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
Five minutes before serving, add the coconut milk. Serve chilled.
Tip
you can substitute tuna with jackfish, halibut, salmon, or snapper.

• preparation

Heat oil in a saucepan. Do not overheat place herbs in a metal bowl. Pour oil over them. Cool completely and pour oil and herbs in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add garlic and herb sprigs. Add goat cheese. Marinate 3 days in the refrigerator. Remove cheese from oil and drain. Refrigerate herb oil for other uses.

In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, green onions and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Rub one side of toasts with cut garlic.
Preheat broiler. Spoon tomato mixture onto the toast slices. Arrange on a baking sheet. Place one piece of cheese on each toast.
Broil 2 minutes or until cheese starts melting.
Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

• preparation

* Peel and cook sliced carrots until soft. Drain, and place carrot slices in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Puree in a mixer. The carrot puree should be thick.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the interior of a 6-cup soufflé mold with the softened butter.
In a heavy saucepan heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic. Cook briefly while stirring, until onions are wilted. Stir in the flour and cornstarch. Add the milk. Cook while whisking until sauce becomes thick.
Tranfer the bubbly sauce to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix in chopped basil.
Mix egg yolks, and carrot puree into the thick cream sauce. This mixture can be prepared 2 hours ahead.
Using an electric beater, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff and glossy. Do not overbeat. Gently fold into cream sauce mixture. Pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared soufflé mold.
Place on a baking sheet. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve at once.

• preparation

For the sponge:
In an electric mixing bowl, stir the warm water and yeast together. Allow to foam for 5 minutes.
Mix in the flour at low speed. The dough will be sticky. Cover and let rest for 12 hours at room temperature.
For the croissant dough: In a mixing bowl, combine water, milk, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Stir in the yeast to dissolve and allow to foam for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, flour, salt, soft butter and the sponge. Knead with the dough hook for about 10 to 12 minutes. (If working by hand, knead for 15 minutes.)
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in bulk in a draft-free area at room temperature, about 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle 12 by 14- inches. Place the dough rectangle on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic and freeze for about 30 minutes to get the consistency of chilled butter. Roll the 10 ounces of chilled butter between plastic sheet to form a rectangle 12 by 7 inches.
Square up rectangle with a spatula or dough scraper. Position the butter rectangle on one side of the dough. Fold the rest of dough over butter and seal edges to seal in butter. Roll out the dough into a 10 by 20-inch rectangle. Fold one-third of the dough towards the center. Fold the other third over the two layers. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Repeat the rolling and folding process twice more and chill. Finally, on a floured surface, roll the dough into a 19 by 25-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 20 even triangles.
Use a template for accurate measurements. To roll the crescents, start at the base and roll towards the tip. Finish the roll so that the tip is underneath the croissant.
Curve the end of each croissant and brush with egg wash. (May be frozen at this time). Arrange croissant on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Let them rise uncovered at room temperature or until doubled in bulk. Bake the croissants at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Peel the carrots. Blanch for 5 minutes and drain. Plant a bamboo spike at the base of each carrot, asparagus, and corn on the cob.
Roll carrots, asparagus and corn in flour. Dip them in the beaten eggs. Finally, roll the corn in the chopped cornflakes, then the carrots and asparagus in the breadcrumbs.
Place the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled baking paper. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake 20 to 30 mins. Sprinkle the carrots and asparagus with the parmesan then place everything on a serving platter before serving.

• preparation

In a large, shallow dish, separate the kataifi dough into individual threads using your fingers. Add the basil and chives and toss to distribute throughout the pastry.
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with the water. Spread the flour in another shallow bowl. Season the salmon cubes with salt and pepper. Dredge them in the flour and shake off the excess, then dip them in the beaten egg and roll in the kataifi; press to help it adhere.
Set a rack over a baking sheet. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350°. Fry 4 or 5 salmon pieces at a time until the kataifi is golden brown and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes minutes. Drain the salmon nuggets on the rack. Season with salt. Serve the nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce.

• preparation

Dice and freeze fatback. Dice the veal and pork. Heat oil in skillet. Sauté the onions. Combine meat, onion, and seasonings in a bowl. Mix cream and egg whites. Pour over meat. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Marinate artichokes in wine, brandy. Season with salt and pepper. Puree the meat with fatback. Add the pistachios and ham.
Grease a 5 cup mold and line top and bottom with pastry dough. Alternate forcemeat and artichokes ending with forcemeat.
Cover pâté with pastry. Brush with egg yolk.
Cut an opening in the center.
Bake at 350 degree for about an hour. When cold, fill the pate with sherry wine aspic.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll puff pastry sheet on a floured work surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 4-inch squares.
Cut cheese into fingers about the size of asparagus spears.
Spread each pastry dough evenly with mustard.
Lay an asparagus spear and a strip of cheese on each pastry square. Roll them up, seal and place seam side down on a buttered baking sheet. Brush rolls with beaten egg.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until pastry is brown and cheese is melted

• preparation

Dough
In a small bowl, add 1/3 cup lukewarm water and 1 tsp. sugar. Add yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine 3 ¾ all-purpose flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough blade, add water, olive and yeast mixture and blend. Knead on low speed for about 10 to 12 minutes until the dough comes together and is smooth. Remove dough from the bowl. Turn dough onto a well-floured surface and continue knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 2 to 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If dough is still too sticky, add a little more flour. Place the dough in a lightly oiled medium bowl and cover. Let rest in a warm spot until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Sauce
Drain the tomatoes in a strainer to remove excess liquid. Process the tomatoes in a food mill over a medium bowl. Discard excess liquid or keep to make a soup.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes or until softened. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside. Let cool to room temperature.

Toppings
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of oven when oven begins to preheat. Heat according to manufacturer’s directions.

Punch down dough. Divide dough into 4 balls. Using your hands, stretch and pull (or alternatively roll with a rolling pin) each ball of dough into 10 to 12-inch rounds depending on how thin you want your crust.

Sprinkle some flour onto a pizza paddle (if you don’t have a paddle, you can sprinkle flour on pizza pans or baking sheets). Place a round of dough onto the pizza paddle or pan. Evenly spoon over tomato sauce and basil and cheese. Season the pizzas with salt and pepper and chile flakes, if desired. Drizzle with olive oil. Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone. Bake until topping is bubbly and crust is golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining rounds of dough.

• preparation

Dice the fish into 1/2-inch cubes, rinse with fresh water, drain, and place in a large nonreactive salad bowl.

Squeeze the limes and pour the juice over the fish. Add the rice wine vinegar, sriracha sauce and ginger. Mix well and chill 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Cut onion and green pepper into thin slices, and cut tomato into small cubes. Remove seeds from cucumber and cut into thin half-moons.
onions, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in bowls

Drain some of the lime juice, add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
Five minutes before serving, add the coconut milk. Serve chilled.
Tip
you can substitute tuna with jackfish, halibut, salmon, or snapper.

• preparation

* Peel and cook sliced carrots until soft. Drain, and place carrot slices in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Puree in a mixer. The carrot puree should be thick.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the interior of a 6-cup soufflé mold with the softened butter.
In a heavy saucepan heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic. Cook briefly while stirring, until onions are wilted. Stir in the flour and cornstarch. Add the milk. Cook while whisking until sauce becomes thick.
Tranfer the bubbly sauce to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix in chopped basil.
Mix egg yolks, and carrot puree into the thick cream sauce. This mixture can be prepared 2 hours ahead.
Using an electric beater, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff and glossy. Do not overbeat. Gently fold into cream sauce mixture. Pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared soufflé mold.
Place on a baking sheet. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve at once.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan, 8-inch by 12 inch with parchment paper. Brush with butter.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine dill, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk egg whites with the cream of tartar until medium stiff. Fold into the herb mixture.
Spread evenly over the surface of pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and turn the pan over a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Peel away the paper lining. allow to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, capers, salt, pepper, and seasoned salt. Spread over the surface of the baked roulade. Arrange the slices of smoked salmon over the cream cheese mixture.
Roll up tightly from one end, jelly roll style.
Enclose in the wax paper or parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.
PRESENTATION
Unwrap the salmon roulade, and slice into 1/4 inch circles. Arrange on a serving tray, and serve cold.

• preparation

Make ham rolls stuffing the egg salad in each slice. Pour liquid aspic in an 8 by 8-inch dish.
Let set until firm. Arrange stuffed ham on a platter. Decorate with avocado and egg slices.
Decorate platter with chopped aspic jelly. Refrigerate before serving.

• preparation

Snap off the woody ends of asparagus where they naturally break when you bend them or cut them off with a knife.

Boil water in a large pot or saucepan with steamer then reduce to simmer, add asparagus, cover with lid and steam asparagus until tender (about 8-10 minutes) *This will depend on your preference.

Use tongs to remove asparagus

In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, oil, red wine, dijon mustard, salt and pepper together.

Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Arrange cooked asparagus tomatoes on a large platter.

Sprinkle with feta cheese and parsley.


Drizzle with ½ the dressing and serve the remainder on the side *Can be served warm, room temperature or chilled.



????Variations & Substitutions
Tomatoes- you could use cherry tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes
Asparagus -you could use grilled or oven-roasted asparagus instead of steamed
Tarragon- fresh tarragon is ideal, but you can use dried
Feta cheese - you can use regular, light or fat-free feta or use goat cheese
Add-ins- you could also sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese and/or add red onions or green onion

• preparation

Scrub mussels under cold running water.
Heat wine in a large pot. Add mussels. Cover pot and steam for about 5 minutes, or until mussels are opened.
Strain cooking liquid through cheese cloth. Save.
Remove mussels from shells.
Reserve for garnish.
In a medium saucepan, add mussel broth, shallots, onion, saffron, parsley and chicken broth.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Combine butter and flour to a paste. Whip in the cooking liquid to thicken. Add cream and seasoning. Add mussels. Heat soup, and serve hot.

• preparation

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and add the milk, cream or water. Whisk until smooth and combined, with no streaks of egg white remaining.
Brush a small nonstick skillet with olive oil, or melt a little butter in a small nonstick skillet. Bring to medium heat.
Pour in the eggs, and let them cook for a few seconds without stirring. Pull a rubber spatula across the bottom of the pan to form large, soft curds of scrambled eggs.
Continue cooking over medium-low heat, folding and stirring the eggs every few seconds. Scrape the spatula along the bottom and sides of the pan often to form more curds and to prevent any part of the eggs from drying out.
Remove the pan from the heat when the eggs are mostly set, but a little liquid egg remains. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped fresh chives, if desired.

• preparation

Cut two 16 inch round parchment paper disks to fit under each pogne. Butter each disk. Place on baking sheet. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
Stir in flour to make a soft dough. Let dough rise in covered bowl at room temperature (70-75 F) to double in bulk. On a working surface, form a well with 1 1/2 cups flour. Break 4 eggs in center. Bring the flour and eggs together to form a mass.
Turn dough to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed.
Batter will be smooth and light golden yellow. Add, rum or brandy, sugar and 2 teaspoons water. salt and orange flower water and stir in.
Gradually add butter while mixing. When all the butter has been stirred in, add remaining eggs and blend well at medium speed. Knead the rest of flour, one cup at the time until dough is soft and elastic. Form dough into a ball. Return to the large bowl. Cover with plastic.
When the starter has developed, it is added to the larger ball of yellow dough. Place the yellow dough on the working surface and flatten. Spread the starter dough over it. Fold over the yellow dough to envelop the starter dough.
Work and knead together to form a smooth dough with no streaks of color remaining. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume. Turn dough onto work surface.
Divide into 2 pieces. Form each into a ball. Flatten the ball so the pogne is about 8 inches in diameter.
Press a thumb down in the center. With the fingers, open a hole about 4 inches across. Place pogne on the prepared paper disk on baking sheet. Repeat for second piece. Cover with wax paper and let rise at room temperature free of draft for about 21/2 hours. Brush with glaze. With a razor blade, make 3 connecting cuts on top of each pogne to form a triangle.
Bake at 350 degrees until crust is a deep glistening brown.

• preparation

In a medium saucepan, heat water and butter to a simmer. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over low heat until mixture no longer sticks to pan and forms into a ball. Remove from heat.
Beat eggs in thoroughly, one by one until mixture is smooth. Mix in the cheese and seasonings.
Transfer cheese mixture to a mixing bowl.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Carefully fry half of the dry parsley sprigs for about 10 to 12 seconds.
Transfer to a plate on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining parsley. Season with salt.
Spoon about 5 or 6 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into the oil. Do not crowd as they double in size and self rotate while cooking. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
Keep beignets in a warm oven while frying the remaining. Arrange the warm cheese beignets on a platter with the fried parsley.
Serve with hot tomato basil.
Note: If served as hors d'oeuvres, fry teaspoonfuls of the cheese mixture.

• preparation

Heat oil in a saucepan. Do not overheat place herbs in a metal bowl. Pour oil over them. Cool completely and pour oil and herbs in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add garlic and herb sprigs. Add goat cheese. Marinate 3 days in the refrigerator. Remove cheese from oil and drain. Refrigerate herb oil for other uses.

In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, green onions and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Rub one side of toasts with cut garlic.
Preheat broiler. Spoon tomato mixture onto the toast slices. Arrange on a baking sheet. Place one piece of cheese on each toast.
Broil 2 minutes or until cheese starts melting.
Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

• preparation

Trim stalks from spinach and shred leaves finely. Place in a large bowl. Cut smoked salmon and cheese into matchstick strips.
Heat the dressing ingredients in a pot. Bring to boil. Pour hot dressing over spinach and toss well.
PRESENTATION
Divide spinach among cold salad plates. Top with salmon and cheese. Vary the amount of spinach and cheese if desired.

• preparation

Slice potatoes very thin. Wash under cold running water. Place in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander. Add potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mix in the garlic, 1 cup Swiss cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Spoon in an oven proof baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until top is brown and potatoes are fully cooked.

• preparation

Cut potatoes into large cubes. Boil in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and put through a ricer.
Combine potatoes and choux pastry (See recipe below). Mix well. Season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
Preheat deep fryer to 350 degrees. Spoon the potato mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1-inch tip. While pressing the mixture out, cut into round balls with a small knife and carefully drop into the hot oil. Continue dropping balls into oil. Do not overload fryer.
After a few minutes, the potatoes will puff and float, and turn golden brown. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to absorb oil. Keep warm. Continue with potato mixture.

CHOUX PASTRY:
Heat water and butter in a saucepan, until butter melts and water comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over low heat until mixture no longer sticks to pan and forms into a ball. Remove from heat.
Beat eggs in thoroughly, one by one. Beat mixture until smooth.

• preparation

Cut asparagus in halves. Discard the woody parts. Cut spears into 1-inch pieces. Cook in salted boiling water until tender, about 6 minutes. Melt butter in a skillet. Add asparagus, scallions, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender. Put through a strainer. Heat in a saucepan with the cream, and keep warm until needed.

• preparation

Peel the potatoes and cut into uniform 1/2-inch pieces. Place into a 4-quart saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch.
Cover, set over high heat and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, remove the lid, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes can easily be crushed with a pair of tongs,
approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Put the cream, butter, salt and pepper into the now empty 4-quart saucepan and place back over
the heat until the butter has melted.
Remove from the heat and set a food mill fitted with the smallest die, on top of the pot.
Add 1 cup of potatoes at a time to the mill. Once all of the potatoes have passed through the mill, stir to combine.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss pumpkin seeds and 1 tsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes; let cool. Finely chop 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds. 

Whisk chopped pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and remaining oil in a medium bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper.


Combine fennel, Asian pear, celery root, Granny Smith apple, most of the Manchego, and remaining pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining Manchego.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel and cut potatoes into large cubes. Place in a large saucepan, boil in salted boiling water until tender. Drain well, and put through a ricer.
Transfer to a saucepan, and combine with butter, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chopped truffles, and sliced almonds.
Cool potato mixture until it becomes easy to handle.
Shape into pancakes 3 inch round by 1 inch thick. Arrange on a greased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk together sugar, egg yolks, eggs, liqueur and grated lemon rind;
whisk in milk and cream. Strain into pitcher.
Pour into six 1-cup ramekins or custard cups. Sprinkle with blueberries.
Place in large shallow roasting pan; pour in enough hot water to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
Bake in centre of oven for about 35 minutes or until edges are set but centres still slightly jiggly. Let cool.
(Make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day).
Topping: Just before serving, sprinkle sifted brown sugar over crèmes.
Place on baking sheets; broil just until sugar melts and turns caramel color.
(Or caramelize sugar with blowtorch).

• preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Cool in a mixing bowl. Freeze in an ice cream maker. When almost set, spoon in the meringue, (see recipe below) and 3 ounces of Champagne, and continue churning in the ice cream maker until creamy and set.

Meringue:
Boil water and sugar to a temperature of 230 F to 240 F.
Beat egg whites in an electric mixing bowl until medium firm. Slowly, add the hot sugar while continuing to beat the whites, and beat until cool.
Serve in chilled champagne glasses. Pour remaining Champagne over sorbet.

• preparation

1. Heat the sugar alone in a stainless-steel saucepan over medium heat. Cook without stirring until it melts and caramelizes.
2. Gradually add the butter then the cream, mixing vigorously with a whisk to avoid lumps.
3. When the preparation is homogeneous, continue cooking for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. The caramel is still liquid but it will harden as it cools.
4. Pour into a small jam jar and let cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Variations: For a chocolate caramel cream, add a few squares of chocolate.

• preparation

Combine Grand Marnier, lemon juice and gelatin in a bowl. Allow to set for 5 minutes. Heat in double boiler to dissolve gelatin. Heat orange juice.
In a large bowl, beat yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in orange juice. Stir over medium heat to thicken. Do not boil. Strain in large bowl.
Add gelatin mixture and orange peel. Let stand until cool but not set, stirring occasionally. Beat cream with icing sugar to soft peaks.
Fold in gelatin mixture. Use for orange mousse Grand Marnier cake, or pour into a decorative mold or individual cups to set. Unmold before serving.

• preparation

Dissolve unflavored gelatin in cold water. Cream sugar and egg yolks. Slowly pour the boiling milk over egg mixture. Pour in saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon over low heat until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow to boil. Dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water. Stir in the gelatin and coffee in custard. Strain into a bowl. Cool mixture.
Whip the heavy cream to a medium peak. Fold in the cool custard. Pour in a decorative mold. Refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
To unmold:
dip mold in hot water for a few seconds. Invert onto a serving platter. Serve cold.

• preparation

Crêpe batter:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs and milk until the batter is smooth. Stir in the cool melted butter and orange zest. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
Heat a 7-inch nonstick pan until a drop of water will sizzle on it. Then ladle in 2 ounces of the batter, tilting the pan to coat the bottom. Cook the crêpe until golden brown (check the color by lifting the edges of the crêpe with a metal spatula). Then flip it with the spatula and cook the other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue cooking the other crêpes. Stack the crêpes as they are made.
Pastry cream:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Add the flour, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix well. Pour the scalded milk over the egg yolk mixture, and whisk well to blend. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, while whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes, whisking to reach all parts of the pan.
Transfer the pastry cream to a mixing bowl. Mix in the vanilla extract and Cointreau. Cover with a film wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Whisk 1/3 of the egg whites into the pastry cream mixture to loosen it; fold in the remaining egg whites.
Line 8 crêpes on a working surface. Divide and spoon the soufflé filling on one-half of the crêpes and fold the opposite side over.
Bake until the crêpes have risen and puffed, about 10 minutes. to serve, transfer the crêpes to individual hot plates. sift confectioner's sugar over each crêpe. Serve immediately.

• preparation

1. In a food processor, add in icing sugar, ground almond powder and pulse for 30 secs into fine powder.
2. Put the mixture through a sieve and remove any lumps. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, add in egg whites, cream of tartar. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk until foamy.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add in the sugar slowly and whisk until soft peaks.
5. Drizzle in rose water essence and turn up the mixer to high speed. Continue to whisk the meringue until stiff peaks.
6. Add in pink color gel by using a stick or skewer.
7. Turn on the mixer and mix until the color is well combined.
8. In 3 batches, fold the meringue with a spatula into the icing sugar and almond powder.
9. It should resemble a lava-like texture. When you raise the spatula, the batter should flow down slowly and perfectly okay if it breaks in between.
10. Pipe the meringue onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking sheet.
11. Rap the tray a few times on the counter to remove air bubbles. Use a skewer to break up large air bubbles.
12. Set it to dry at room temperature for 45 – 60 mins or in an oven preheated at 40C for 15 mins.
13. While waiting, prepare the buttercream filling by creaming the butter and icing sugar together till light and fluffy.
14. Add in melted chocolate and rose water essence. Continue to whisk for another 1 min.
15. Fill the buttercream in a piping bag.
16. Check the meringue by gently touching the skin of the meringue. It should be dry to the touch.
17. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 305F (150C) for 15 minutes.
18. Cool them on a wire rack completely before piping the buttercream filling.
19. If making ahead, store the cooled macaron shells in an air-tight container.
20. Macarons always taste better the next day so you could make them a day in advance and store them in air-tight containers before serving.
21. If you are staying in humid environment, store them in the fridge.

• preparation

Melt semi sweet chocolate over a double boiler. Combine sugar and water. Boil to 240 degrees.
Beat egg yolks until creamy. Pour hot syrup over yolks while beating continuously at medium speed until cool. Add cognac. Mix.
Whip cream until stiff. Fold cream into egg mixture. Add chocolate and fold thoroughly.
Spoon in a loaf pan with bottom and sides lined with parchment paper.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or up to 2 days.
Invert on a platter and slice portions onto plate using a warm carving knife. Decorate with fresh fruit and if desired serve with Mocha creme sauce.

Mocha creme:
Beat the egg yolks and sugar until lemony in color. Bring the milk to a gentle boil. Gradually blend into the egg mixture and cook over low heat while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The custard should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not boil custard as it will curdle.
Strain into a serving bowl. Dissolve coffee in water. Mix coffee and vanilla into custard.stir to cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. May be prepared two days in advance.