• 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* 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

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

In a medium bowl, combine the apple, blue cheese, celery, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt.
To assemble, mound a small spoonful of the apple mixture onto the core end of each endive leaf. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve.

• 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

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

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

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

Steam or boil cauliflower and garlic until soft. Drain, add buttermilk, light butter, salt, pepper and purée with a hand blender or regular blender.

• 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

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

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

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 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

Prepare the PATE SABLEE crust, baked (see recipe)

Melt the dark chocolate in a water bath, then add the liquid cream while mixing vigorously to obtain a smooth and unctuous ganache.

Pour this preparation onto the precooked pie bottom, then allow to cool.

Arrange the fresh raspberries on top and sprinkle with a icing sugar.

• 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

In a medium saucepan, Heat the water and sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil, simmer 2 minutes and leave to cool. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the sugar syrup. Chill the mixture.
Freeze the mixture in an ice cream machine, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line 2 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour bottom and sides.
Whisk whole eggs and sugar in an electric mixer. Beat until triple in volume. In another bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to form soft peaks. Add sugar while beating. Fold egg whites into whole egg mixture. Fold in ground almonds, flour and butter. Distribute batter between the two pans. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until lightly brown and springy to touch. Cool in pans and unmold over racks.

• 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

Gently drop the peaches into a pan of boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain the peaches and peel them carefully.

Bring the 6 cups water with 350 g (12 oz) of the sugar and the vanilla pod to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the peeled peaches and simmer for about 10 minutes. Allow the peaches to cool in the syrup.

Beat the remaining sugar and the whipped cream.

Blend the strawberries into a coarse purée. Fold the strawberries and the sparkling wine into the cream and refrigerate until needed.

Place the drained peaches in a serving bowl. Spoon the strawberry sauce over the fruit or to the side, sprinkle with pistachio nuts and serve.

• 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.