• preparation

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, lemon rind, lemon juice, capers, dill, mustard, and pepper until smooth. On a large sheet of wax paper, spread out the slices of salmon to form a rectangle. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the surface of the salmon.
Roll up the salmon tightly from one end, jelly roll style. Enclose in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Wash cucumber, dry and slice across into 1/4-inch slices.
Just before serving, slice the smoked salmon roll into -inch slices. Top each cucumber slice with a slice of salmon roll. Serve at once.

PRESENTATION
Serve this hors d'oeuvre on a tray. Arrange the cucumber and salmon rolls on the tray into two circles. Garnish center of tray with parsley or dill sprigs.

• 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

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

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

Heat oven to 400°F.
Lightly grease or spray cookie sheet.
Place croissant halves 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes.
Divide scrambled eggs among croissants. Crumble bacon on top of eggs.
Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cheese.
Bake about 5 minutes.

• 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

Scrub and debeard mussels. In a large kettle, combine parsley, white wine, and shallots, and bring to a boil. Steam the mussels in the boiling liquid until opened. Drain and save the cooking stock. Remove only top shells of mussels and discard.
Arrange mussels in ovenproof serving casserole. Strain cooking liquid through cheese cloth. Pour in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
In a small saucepan, melt butter, and add flour to make roux. Stir roux in stock and whisk to thicken. Add the saffron. Pour a little sauce into egg yolks. Mix well and stir into remaining sauce.
Heat sauce but do not boil. Season to taste with salt, pepper.
Do not add salt since the mussel stock is salty. Pour sauce over the hot mussels. Serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente.
Drain and pour into a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

• preparation

Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl combine cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper; stir until thoroughly incorporated.
Rub seasoning mixture all over chicken breasts.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add chicken breasts to the heated oil and cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until browned and almost cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts.
Remove chicken from skillet and set aside on a plate; keep covered.
Add remaining olive oil to the skillet; add onions to the heated oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender and translucent.
Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft.
Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer; let simmer for 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
Return chicken breasts to the skillet; reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken is done when internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
Taste sauce for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly.
Garnish with cilantro or parsley, and serve.

• preparation

In a large dutch oven heat the oil and brown the beef on all sides.
Add the tomatoes, stock, onion, chilies, garlic and ginger and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low and let stew for about 30 minutes
Add in the pork and the chicken pieces and bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover for another 10-15 minutes.
Add in the greens, it will seem like too much greens but they wilt down quickly.
cover and stew for another 10 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste
Serve over steamed white rice and be sure to have some sakay on hand as that is what makes the dish delicious!

• preparation

Boil – Add about 4 cups of water to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, remove a cup of water, and set aside.
Add Cornmeal – Stir in the cornmeal a little at a time with a wooden spoon until it’s all in the pot. Keep stirring to prevent lumps. To avoid burning, you may have to take the saucepan off the heat while removing lumps.

Reduce heat and cook on low until the mixture thickens.

Final Stretch – Add the remaining boiled water, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add some more water if it looks like it needs it. Turn off the heat.

Serve – Scoop out balls of the ugali mixture with a small bowl. Roll it into a ball by rolling it around the bowl. Or shape it by wrapping it in a plastic wrap. Serve ugali while hot with Kachumbari, nyama choma, sukuma wiki, or your favourite dishes.

• preparation

In a small bowl, whisk together stock, oil and truffles.
In a deep 10 -to 12-inch skillet bring 3 inches salted water to a boil and cook asparagus until crisp tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain asparagus. Pat dry. Transfer to a serving dish and toss with butter.
Spoon truffle broth over asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Serve asparagus warm or at room temperature.

• preparation

Cook and drain spinach, pressing dry. Mix spinach with cream sauce. Spoon cream spinach over toasted muffins.
Place steamed artichoke bottoms on top of spinach. Top with the hot poached eggs. Spoon the warm hollandaise sauce over eggs.

• preparation

Scrub and debeard mussels. In a large kettle, combine parsley, white wine, and shallots, and bring to a boil. Steam the mussels in the boiling liquid until opened. Drain and save the cooking stock. Remove only top shells of mussels and discard.
Arrange mussels in ovenproof serving casserole. Strain cooking liquid through cheese cloth. Pour in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
In a small saucepan, melt butter, and add flour to make roux. Stir roux in stock and whisk to thicken. Add the saffron. Pour a little sauce into egg yolks. Mix well and stir into remaining sauce.
Heat sauce but do not boil. Season to taste with salt, pepper.
Do not add salt since the mussel stock is salty. Pour sauce over the hot mussels. Serve immediately.

• 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

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

To make the tangzhong:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk until no lumps remain.
Place the saucepan over low heat, and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the tangzhong to a small mixing bowl or measuring cup and let it cool to room temperature.

To make the dough
1. Place the flour in a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook) and add the yeast to one side, the salt, sugar and milk powder to the other (if the salt is added on top of the yeast it can kill it), stir to combine.
2. Whisk together the cooled tangzhong, egg and milk and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix everything together until it forms a soft, shaggy dough. If you are kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a worktop and knead for 5-10 minutes until it starts to feel smooth and a little less sticky (it will still be very sticky), add no more than a spoonful of flour while you are kneading, the dough is meant to be sticky! The best way to knead a wet dough by hand is to stretch it up away from the worktop (it will stick), then slap it back down, make sure that you pull from a different section each time and keep a dough scraper handy. If you are using a stand mixer, mix for 5 minutes or so until the dough is smooth.
3. Add the butter and mix until it is fully incorporated, continue to knead until the dough is very elastic and begins to come away from the worktop (or sides of the stand mixer bowl) cleanly. It should pass the windowpane test - stretch the dough with your hands, you should be able to stretch it to a very thin, almost transparent membrane without it tearing. This can take up to 20 minutes of kneading, especially by hand.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm, leave to rise for 1-2 hours until well doubled in size. Alternatively, place it in the fridge to rise overnight. If you refrigerate it, the following day let it come up to room temperature for about half an hour before continuing.
5. Line an 8.5x4.5in (or thereabouts) loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and fold it in on itself a couple of times. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, divide it in to four equal pieces and roll each one into a ball.
6. Roll each ball out into a long oval, fold one third of the oval over the middle (from the side, not the top), then the other third over the top to form a long, narrow packet. Roll over the seam to flatten it, then roll it up from one end to make a fat sausage. Repeat with the other balls of dough then arrange them in the loaf tin, seam side down.
7. Loosely cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until at least doubled in size, this can take 1-2 hours (mine took nearly 2). If you press the dough gently with a finger the indentation should spring back slowly but remain visible. If it springs back quickly it needs to proof for a little longer. Preheat the oven while the dough is rising to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
8. Brush the top of the dough with some of the beaten egg then bake on the lower middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes until well risen and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, the internal temperature should reach 94C/200F on a probe thermometer. Cover the bread with foil partway through baking if it starts to get too dark.
9. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing.

• 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

In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, chop finely parsley, dill and watercress. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Process spinach in the same way and add to herb mixture. Add scallions, mayonnaise and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
Refrigerate until ready to use

• 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

Cook white and green asparagus separately in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes for white asparagus; about 3 minutes for green asparagus.
Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water (to stop cooking), then drain again. Pat dry.
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté shallots, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add morels and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, tarragon, salt, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and sauté, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve immediately.

• 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

Clarify butter over medium heat.
Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl. Place the bowl over top of a double boiler. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water as it will overcook the egg yolks. Slow, progressive heating is best when making hollandaise sauce.
Whip the yolks until they reach a creamy consistency. Remove from heat.
Slowly pour warm butter into the yolks, whipping continuously to blend. Add seasonings to taste.
The sauce will keep, covered, in a warm place for at least 30 minutes.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut potatoes into large cubes. Boil in salted boiling water until tender. Drain well, and put through a ricer. Mix well and combine with butter, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mixture should be thick.
Cool the prepared mixture and shape into small logs, (1 inch round by 3 inches long).

Coat the logs in flour, dip and cover in beaten egg mixed with oil and roll in breadcrumbs.
Deep fry at 350 degrees F. until golden brown.

• preparation

Wash tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, discarding the cores.
Put them in a buttered baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and oil, blending well to form a crumbly mixture.
Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until the tomatoes are tender.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Recipe of Pate sablée

Beat butter and icing sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in egg. Add almond flour, and beat until just combined. (Frangipane can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.)

Spoon frangipane into cooled tart shell, and smooth with a spatula. Let stand for 10 minutes. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Lightly score bottoms of apricots. Add apricots to boiling water, and blanch to loosen skins, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath to stop the cooking, about 1 minute. Remove apricots, and gently peel. Cut in quarter, and remove pits.
Arrange apricots in concentric circles, sitting upright with the cut side on a slight angle.
Bake until browned, about 50 minutes. Let cool.
Remove the tart ring; dust with icing sugar and serve.

• preparation

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Mix cocoa in boiling water. Cool. Sift dry ingredients.
Beat soft butter with sugar. Add eggs one at the time. Add cocoa mix and flour mix to butter mixture.
Blend at low speed while alternating cocoa and flour. Mix until batter is smooth, scraping edges and bottom of bowl with a spatula.
Line the bottom of one 12-inch cake pan or 2 9-inch pans with parchment.
Grease and flour. Pour batter in mold. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until center is cooked. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold on a rack. Cut in layers.
Fill with the chocolate mousse filling recipe.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Roll dough out into one 12-inch circle, and drape over tart pan that has removable bottoms.
In a medium bowl, toss apricots together with sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, zest and cream. Spoon apricot mixture in tart pans. Spread out evenly. sprinkle with sugar.
Place tart on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes; lower oven temperature to 375°.
Continue to bake until tart is evenly browned and apricots are bubbling, about 25 minutes more. Transfer tart from baking sheet to a cooling rack, and cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• preparation

Peel and core the pears. Cut them into quarters.
Place the pears in a saucepan and add the wine and sugar. Peel the lemon and cut the peel into very fine julienne strips. Reserve the lemon for another use.
Add the peel to the saucepan with cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until pears are tender.
Transfer the pears and the lemon peel to a serving dish.
Bring the liquid in the saucepan to the boil.
Reduce to half or until liquid becomes syrupy. Pour the sauce over the pears.
Let cool and chill.

• preparation

Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the soft Butter and sifted Icing Sugar for a couple of minutes or until smooth.
• Mix in the Egg and Almond Meal, then add the Flour and Salt. Mix on low until the dough is well mixed and smooth.
• Place the flat pastry in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave to come back to room temperature for about 5 minutes.
• Transfer it inside over a Tart Pan (I used a 24 cm / 9,5 to 10-inch diameter Tart Pan with Removable Bottom). Gently press the pastry down into the corner of the pan to create a 90 degree angle.

Poached Pears
• Peel the Pears, slice them in half and core them.
• In a large saucepan, mix together the water, lemon Juice the sugar and vanilla. Simmer over medium to dissolve the sugar. Add the pear halves. Cook on low for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pears are slightly soft.
• Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer them over a wire rack covered with paper towel to cool down and drain slightly. Save 1 cup of the cooking liquid for the glaze below. Cut each pear halves into thin slices of about half a centimetre (1/5 inch). Set aside.
Almond Cream Filling
• In a mixing bowl, cream together the soft Butter and Sugar with a mixer for about 3 minutes on medium speed or until very soft and creamy.
• Slowly mix in the Egg, then the Almond Meal until a thick paste comes together.
Assembling the Tart
• Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit.
• Spread the Almond Cream at the bottom of the par-baked tart crust.
• Place each Poached Pear over the cream using a small offset spatula to lift them up. Lightly press them into the cream. Sprinkle some sliced Almonds between each pear.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the almond filling has puffed up and looks golden.
Simple Syrup Glaze (optional)
• In a small saucepan, combine the cooking syrup, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and reduce to a thick consistency. Brush it over the pears while still warm.