I like this recipe because it’s a riff on the classic pairing of blinis with caviar. The caviar conveys a sense of luxury, so it elevates any celebration—the same way a great bottle of Champagne would. SERVES 12 CRÈPES 1¼ cups milk 3 large eggs 2 tablespoons butter,...
This dish was inspired by the Tsuji Cooking Academy in Osaka, Japan, where I have a long relationship as both student and teacher. The professors and I tested more than 800 recipes for the opening of one of my restaurants in New York…and this was one of our favorites....
MINESTRONE IS, LITERALLY, A “BIG SOUP,” a vegetable soup that also contains beans and pasta or rice. The flavor is deep and Mediterranean, and has savory layers of garlic and onion, tomatoes, and Parmesan, along with simmered beans in some soups, lentils in others. In...
A great way to use up leftover egg whites, meringue is easy to make and is a lovely dessert served very simply with poached fruit and whipped cream. It’s also a wonderful topping for sweet tarts. A word of warning: you must make sure your utensils are very clean, as a...
These individual tarts look great as a display. Because they are small, we roll the pastry between two pieces of baking parchment to make it easier to handle. A good tip is to use little ‘bean bags’ made from lentils or rice wrapped in foil for the blind-baking; this...
Most treacle tart recipes call for just golden syrup, but we use black treacle and dates here, too, which give a rich, sour depth that works beautifully with the fresh acidity of lemons. Of course you can use shop-bought lemon curd, but it’s much more satisfying, not...
This is one of those dishes which make you look really smart, but is actually really easy to make. Lemon, lime and coconut are good friends and this is an interesting way to present them. The dish is assembled at the last minute so that, when your guests jump in, it...
These cakes are outrageously rich. Buy the best chocolate you can afford, as it will make a huge difference to the flavour. A word of warning: do make sure that your microwave is on the lowest setting and that you stir the chocolate every 10 seconds, as it can burn so...
A rich, indulgent dessert which shows a little quirkiness. It also feels a bit restauranty, so you may want to save it for when you have guests. On the other hand, you may feel as if you deserve it yourself, so go ahead. The muesli is actually crossed with a kind of...
Soaking prunes in brandy (we like to use Somerset cider brandy) makes this a great dinner party dessert, and it can be made the day before. Serve it with good-quality vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche. If you want to add a further touch, soak a few more prunes, say...
A very bad dessert, almost an overload of naughtiness, if there is such a thing. We have included cocoa nibs, which are roasted cacao beans; they are quite bitter, yet have a deep chocolate flavour that helps to give the base an intriguing taste. As there is no baking...
This is an amazing dessert; however, with this recipe you are entering a chef’s world: using caramel and roasting white chocolate. Those of you who have worked with chocolate before will know that it does not like extreme heat. However, the results are quite...