• preparation

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm milk and a teaspoon sugar. After 5-10 minutes, the mixture should be foamy.
Mix flour, sugar, salt and saffron in an extra-large mixing bowl.
Add yeast to flour mixture and stir.
Add milk and warm melted butter and stir.
Add saffron and one egg and mix well.

Knead until it forms a soft, smooth dough and it no longer sticks to sides of bowl.
Let it rise until it doubles in volume, about 2 hours.

Put dough onto floured working surface, and shape it into two round breads.
Cover baking sheet with wax paper and place loaves on baking sheet.

Use a knife to form a criss-cross pattern on the top of each loaf.
Let dough rise a second time at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180° C. (360° F)
Use a pastry brush to coat each loaf with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool before cutting.

• preparation

Cook potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash with 1 tablespoon cream.
Transfer potato to a large bowl. Whisk in flour, eggs and remaining cream. Season to taste.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan on medium spray with oil.
Add batter to the pan in 1/4 - cup measures. Cook pancakes, in batches, for 3-4 minutes, then flip over and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking tray and keep warm in the oven. Top pancakes with smoked salmon, creme fraiche and snipped chives. Serve with lemon wedges.

• 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.
Saute scallops in butter and lemon juice until transparent. Dice the scallops and cooking liquid to soup together with mussels.
Heat soup and serve hot.

• preparation

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour. Add milk and cream and whisk until sauce is thick and bubbly. Mix in the cheese. Blend well. Stir in egg yolks. Season to taste.
Spread mixture over a greased square dish to a thickness of 1 inch. Cool 1/2 hour.
Cut into 2-inch by 1-inch pieces. Dust in flour, dip in egg white, and roll in fresh bread crumbs.
Deep fry until brown. Serve with tomato sauce and fried parsley.

• 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

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

* 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

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

Rinse and dry the endives, and remove any leaves that have darkened. Trim the ends slightly and using a small knife.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the endives, and cook until soft, about 30 minutes.
Drain thoroughly and place in a single layer on a platter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, and pepper, and set aside until cool enough to handle. (The recipe may be prepared to this point several hours in advance. Cover until needed.)
With your hands, gently but firmly squeeze each endive to extract the liquid.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Add the endives in a single later and brown evenly on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and drain well.
Transfer the endives to a warmed serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

• preparation

1. Place the pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until they're 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

2
If using fresh mushrooms, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and the liquid is mostly evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.

3
In the same skillet, melt the butter, add the flour, and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Continue to whisk constantly until the mixture is a rich, deep golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.

4
Slowly add the beef broth, whisking constantly, until combined. Return the mushrooms to the skillet. If using canned mushrooms, you will add them at this point. Bring the gravy to a simmer, reduce to low, and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the gravy is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

5
While the gravy is simmering, dip the chops in the flour, the egg, and the breadcrumbs. Do not press the breadcrumbs into the meat. Coat gently but thoroughly, and shake off the excess crumbs.

6
Fry the Schnitzel for about 2-3 minutes on each side. When they are a deep golden brown, transfer them to a plate. Serve immediately with the mushroom gravy and your choice of sides.

• preparation

Boil the potatoes in their skin in salted boiling water.
Peel potatoes when cool then grate coarsely.
Cut bacon slices across into small pieces. Fry until crisp. Saute onions with butter.
Add the potatoes and bacon bits. Season with salt. Mix well while turning the potatoes. Brown both sides of the potato cake and serve hot.

• preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add the mushrooms. Season well with salt and pepper and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until very well browned.
2. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. While the mushrooms are cooking, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until just al dente. Drain well and add to the simmering mushrooms, tossing to coat in the sauce for just a minute or two.
4. Divide the pasta among warm serving plates and, using a rasp grater, scatter the dried shiitake mushrooms on top. Finish with the chives and parmesan cheese and serve.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In oven-proof skillet, heat up oil to a smoking point. Brown the lamb pieces. Add onions. Mix with he lamb and brown lightly. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and mix well. Place in the oven for 5 minutes to brown the flour.
Take out of the oven, cover the meat with water. Add tomato paste, garlic, bouquet garni, salt and pepper.
Cover pot, and cook the stew in the oven for 30 minutes.
Evenly shape the carrots, turnips, and potatoes into small footballs. Cut the beans into 1 inch pieces.
Add potatoes and all vegetables to stew. Continue baking until meat and vegetables are tender.
Transfer stew to a serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

• preparation

Heat ¼ cup of the butter oroil in a large ot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add leeks, carrots and onion; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in peas to coat; cook 1 minute. Add stock, 2 cups water, ham hock, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally, or until peas are very tender and falling apart. (Stir bottom of the pot to be sure soup doesn’t stick.)
Discard thyme, bay leaves and ham hock. Transfer 2 cups soup to a food processor fitted with a steel blade; puree. Return puree to pot. Stir in more stock or water if soup is too thick.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp butter or oil in a medium saute pan over medium. Add sausage; cook 5–6 minutes or until browned, tossing occasionally. Serve soup garnished with sausage and parsley.

• preparation

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the chicken, skin side down. Cook for 10 minute, or until golden brown. Turn the pieces. Add the garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
Pour off the fat in the pan and add tomatoes, wine and bouillion. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Thicken the sauce by reducing it briefly over high heat. Add the parsley or basil and serve.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add shallots and wine. Reduce over medium heat until wine is almost evaporated. Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour the milk in the roux. Whisk and heat until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Season with pepper and nutmeg.
Mix in the chopped salmon and the mushrooms sauteed in butter. Stir in the egg yolks.
Whip egg whites until medium stiff. Fold into the salmon mixture. Butter and flour a 7 inch (17.5 cm) round souffle mold.
Spoon the souffle mix into mold.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 F.(180 C). Serve immediately.

• preparation

Rinse the boneless and skinless chicken breast. Pat dry and slice into thin cutlets.
On wax paper, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dip cutlets into flour mixture, shaking off excess.
In a large skillet over medium heat, Heat one half of the butter and oil until the butter is melted.
Add cutlets and brown lightly on each side. Place cutlets on serving plate; keep in a warm place. Stir the wine, capers, lemon juice, and parsley into skillet; increase heat to high and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, swirl in remaining butter until melted. Pour over cutlets and serve.

• preparation

Rinse and dry the endives, and remove any leaves that have darkened. Trim the ends slightly and using a small knife.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the endives, and cook until soft, about 30 minutes.
Drain thoroughly and place in a single layer on a platter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, and pepper, and set aside until cool enough to handle. (The recipe may be prepared to this point several hours in advance. Cover until needed.)
With your hands, gently but firmly squeeze each endive to extract the liquid.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Add the endives in a single later and brown evenly on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and drain well.
Transfer the endives to a warmed serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

• preparation

1.For the aioli sauce, bake the potato in the oven at 180˚C/gas mark 4 until cooked through
2.Meanwhile, start on the stock. Fill a large saucepan up with the 1.5 litres of mineral water and place the vegetable trimmings (fennel tops, carrot peel, celery peel) into the pan
3.Rinse the fish trimmings and bones under cold water and add to the pan with the herbs, black peppercorns, salt, halved onion, leek and 1 1/2 of the garlic heads, sliced open. Cover the pan and simmer on a very low heat
4.After 20 minutes, cook each vegetable one by one in the stock until tender. Set aside the vegetables once cooked, leaving the stock to simmer
5.To prepare the cod, slice the cod into four chunks. Sprinkle a tray with coarse salt and lay the fish on top, sprinkle with more salt to cover the fish. Place in the fridge for half an hour
6.Remove the potato from the oven and scoop out the flesh. Place the 1/2 a head of garlic in a pestle and mash with a mortar. Then, add the flesh of the potato, 2 tablespoons of the stock, an egg yolk, and keep on crushing the mix with the mortar
7.Once smooth, start to incorporate the olive oil incrementally, like you would do for a mayonnaise. Season to taste and set aside
8.Poach the cod chunks in the broth on a very gentle simmer. Add all the vegetables into the broth after 5 minutes of cooking
9.Serve the cod with the vegetables and drizzle with the aioli sauce

• preparation

Preparation of the pancake dough:

Arrange the buckwheat flour in a well, in a salad bowl, with the.
Pour in water as you go and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon. You will thus obtain a fluid and thick paste.
Add the egg which will bring a nice color to your dough during cooking and mix well.
Let the dough rest for about 2 hours in the fridge, covering it with a cloth or cling film.

Cooking the pancakes:

Put butter in your pan or lard on your bilig (crepe maker) and put it on low / medium heat.
If you are making your pancakes in a pan , use a large 12-inch cast iron or a non-stick pan. Once the butter has melted, pour
in a ladle of the dough, then quickly tilt the pan to spread the dough over the entire surface.
Bake both sides for about 1 to 2 minutes each.
To flip the patty, use a spatula to carefully peel off each edge of the patty and flip it fairly quickly.


Chef's tips:
If making sweet pancakes is child's play, sometimes making Breton Buckwheat pancakes can be a real headache and require a little practice before they are perfect (it breaks, it sticks, it crumbles) as this dough turns out to be quite difficult to work unlike sweet pancakes because the batter does not contain gluten which helps to give elasticity to the dough. Normally, the pancake batter is made with buckwheat flour, water, salt and it's all in the pure tradition. But there are sometimes different recipes and techniques to prepare your pancake batter and some ingredients can be added like egg.

Adding an egg (or more depending on the amount of flour) will prevent the batter from sticking (which does not exclude greasing the crêpe maker well) and giving it a slightly darker color.
Adding a little wheat flour which contains gluten will bring elasticity and will make your pancakes more flexible. However, the dough will need to rest for several hours. Some add 1/3 of wheat flour, others 1/5 or even a single tablespoon. Adding whole milk is a common technique in Finistère in particular: the pancakes obtained are more invigorating, softer and darker. However, the taste of buckwheat stands out a little less.
Grease the crepe maker. if you have a bilig (or crepe maker) it's honestly much better to spread out and work the dough and more recommended. Adjust the temperature to 240-250 °, to grease the surface well with lard (or lard mixed with an egg yolk) before placing each ladle of dough. But if you don't have one, a cast iron pan or non-stick pan will be even more appreciated and it will have to be greased very well. Pour a ladle of dough, wait for the pancake to color to peel it off using a spatula and turn it over. Let it cook for about 1 minute more.
For a complete galette, generously butter both sides of the galette and place ham and grated Emmental in the center of one of the two, then break an egg in the center of the galette.
Once it begins to cook, season with salt and pepper and fold the edges of the galette so that only the yolk appears.
It's ready once the egg is cooked enough.


* Cooking is also very important in the success of your pancakes: if you have a bilig (or crepe maker) it's honestly much better to spread out and work the dough and more recommended. Adjust the temperature to 240-250 °, to grease the surface well with lard (or lard mixed with an egg yolk) before placing each ladle of dough. But if you don't have one, a cast iron pan or non-stick pan will be even more appreciated and it will have to be greased very well.

• preparation

Boil the potatoes in their skin in salted boiling water.
Peel potatoes when cool then grate coarsely.
Cut bacon slices across into small pieces. Fry until crisp. Saute onions with butter.
Add the potatoes and bacon bits. Season with salt. Mix well while turning the potatoes. Brown both sides of the potato cake and serve hot.

• 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

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.
In a large saucepan, combine potatoes with butter, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well over medium heat until mixture thickens.
Spread mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold.
Shape duchess potato into small logs, (1 inch round by 3 inches long).
Dip in beaten egg mixed with oil. Coat in flour, and roll in breadcrumbs and sliced almonds combined. Deep Fry at 350 degrees until golden brown

• 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

Peel and wash potatoes. Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices, then into 1/4-inch sticks. Wash thoroughly in cold water. Drain well.
Deep fry in batches at 350 degrees until potatoes are cooked, but not brown.
At serving time, increase oil temperature to 375 degrees. Fry potatoes in batches, until golden brown.Sprinkle with salt. Serve hot.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Butter a baking dish about 6 by 10 inches. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch slices.
Blanch potatoes in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well.
In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, garlic, milk, cream and half of the grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon into prepared dish. It should be no more than 3/4 full. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and gratin is 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.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the leeks and blanch until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
Place leeks in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and dot with butter.
Pour the cream over top. Bake for 25 minutes (can be made ahead up to this point and reheated.) Just before serving, preheat broiler and brown the leeks under the broiler. Serve.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line bottom on 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Over simmering water, melt together butter, chocolate, sugar and orange juice, stirring to blend.
Remove from heat; stir in liqueur and vanilla. Let cool; whisk in eggs, one at a time.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until edges are slightly crusty and middle is just set. Let cool on rack.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
Raspberry coulis:
Purée raspberries in food processor; press through sieve to remove seeds. Stir in sugar, and liqueur.
Invert cake onto serving plate.
Sift cocoa powder over cake and garnish with raspberries. Slice and serve with raspberry coulis.

• preparation

For The Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor until it’s fine and resembles coarse sand. Set aside. Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl, and then stir in the crushed graham crackers, mixing until well combined. Press the crust into a tart pan, and bake for 7-9 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool while assembling the chocolate filling and raspberry coulis.

For The Raspberry Coulis: Combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low boil, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from heat. Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds, and set aside.

For The Chocolate Filling: Heat the heavy cream and chocolate together in a mixing bowl in the microwave at 15 second increments, or until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.

Assembly: Pour 1 cup of the raspberry coulis into the bottom of the crust, making sure it coats the crust evenly. Spoon the chocolate filling evenly on top of the raspberry layer. Transfer to the fridge, and allow to chill for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight. Top with fresh raspberries just before serving, and serve with extra raspberry coulis drizzled on top.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Stir in flour all at once.
Stir vigorously 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.

SHAPING THE SWANS:
Bodies:
Spoon cream puff mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip. Pipe 8 mounds of dough, the equivalent of a tablespoon onto ungreased baking leaving 3 inches apart.
Flatten each mound slightly with a fork dipped in water. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and continue baking until the choux puffs are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Cool on rack.

Heads and Necks:
Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Fit a pastry bag with a small plain tip, pipe S-shaped figure shapes, each about 2 inches long on a baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes longer. Cool on rack.
FILLING:
In an electric mixer, whip the cream with sugar and instant vanilla pudding until stiff.

TO ASSEMBLE SWANS:
To make wings, slice the top off each body with a serrated knife. Cut each top in half, lengthwise; set aside.
Pipe the filling into the cavity of each choux puff, finishing about 2 inches above the top of pastry.
Insert two wings, rounded edges down, into the center of each cream filling, so that they form a V-shape. Insert the S-shaped neck into the cream.

• preparation

Peel, quarter and core apples.
Melt apricot jam in a thick bottom saucepan.
Add apples and cook slowly until apples are melted into a thick sauce.
Dissolve unflavored gelatin in cold water. Set for 5 minutes.
Add to hot apple mix.
Cool mix. Fold in whipped half of the cream.
Line lady fingers on bottom and sides of a charlotte mold.
Spoon apple mixture in mold. Cover and chill.
Unmold apple charlotte unto a serving dish.
Melt the remaining 1/3 cup apricot jam. Strain and spread over charlotte.
Decorate with remaining whipped cream.

• preparation

Combine the powdered sugar and the cream of tartar in a mixing bowl.
Place the water into a 2 cup heatproof glass and sprinkle the gelatin. Let it stand until the gelatin blooms (about 5 minutes), then place in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Then add the corn syrup and continue to stir until no lumps appear.
Make a well in the center of the powdered sugar and add the gelatin mixture. Mix slowly until everything is incorporated. Turn off the mixer and knead by hand for a few minutes. If it is too dry add a few drops of water and continue to knead. When the pastillage is pliable, wrap in plastic and place into a zip lock bag. You should be able to use immediately.
To make the pastillage workable heat small pieces in the microwave for 10 seconds or less. Be careful, if you heat it up too much it will become soft and sticky and/or too hot. If this happens, just let it sit for a few minutes.

• preparation

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a pot. Add chocolate, salt, cocoa and egg yolks, and mix until smooth. Set aside.
Butter 6 ramequins, 3 inches in diameter. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar. Gradually add the cornstarch and sugar. Continue beating until the whites are firm. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into the prepared molds.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
Top should be firm. Remove from heat and unmold immediately on the center of serving plates. Whip the cream with the sugar, vanilla pudding and vanilla. Pipe a star of whipped cream on each warm cake.

• preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a simmer over high heat. Lower peaches into simmering water and blanch just long enough to loosen their skins, about 1 minute. Transfer peaches with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to cool, then peel, halve lengthwise, and discard pits. Put peach halves and vanilla bean into a wide dish and sprinkle with 1 cup of the sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until peach juices run and most of the sugar dissolves, about 1 hour.

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Add peaches and the sugary juices and vanilla bean, reduce heat to medium, and poach, gently stirring occasionally, until peaches are just soft when pierced, 8–12 minutes. Remove pot from heat, partially cover, and set aside until peaches are cool, 1–2 hours. Transfer pot to the refrigerator until peaches are thoroughly chilled, 2–3 hours.

Meanwhile, divide ice cream between 4 wide dessert dishes, making a smooth, even layer in bottom of each dish; transfer to freezer until ice cream is solid. Purée raspberries in a blender, then strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing purée through with a rubber spatula; discard seeds. Add the remaining 4 tsp. sugar and lemon juice to purée, stirring until sugar dissolves.

To serve, arrange 2 peach halves, pit side down, in each dish top of ice cream (save poaching liquid for another use). Spoon some of the raspberry sauce over peaches. Allow ice cream to soften slightly 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.