Cooking, Recipes, Wine............ and Ethical Foie Gras - At Last!

From a blog called hollow legs (because she's always hungry) comes this very very simple pasta recipe. Now don't you know Jamie Oliver would put chile in this or some additional ingredient but pasta is best simple, right?

Here's the original recipe:

http://lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.com/2009/10/onion-anchovy-pasta.html

And just in case anything ever happen's to Lizzie's blog, here, straight from her page are the quantities and ingredients to serve two:

3 large white onions
8 anchovies (the ones in oil, not fresh)
A large handful of fresh parsley

There are many kinds of cheesecake: with fruit, with chocolate, with... you name it, it seems that some people want to add to cheesecake but we think it should be creamy and rich but delicate with a little taste of vanilla and that it shouldn't need any enhancement at all.  So here's what I think is THE cheesecake recipe. Leave the fruit for decoration - everyone loves this one just the way it is.

Ingredients:

Use the trimmings, bones, heads of any white fish.  Don't overcook or it will become bitter.

1 Kg bones and trimmings
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, sliced
1 stick of celery or 1 leek, sliced
3 stalks of parsley
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
6 peppercorns
1 glass of white wine or 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar

Put all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain into storage container (maybe use something disposable or a freezer bag as plastic will hold the smell).

No photo for this one because it's not a beautiful dish - so I try to put it in a decorated dish.  But it's easy to make and delicious.

2 aubergines
1 large onion
2 tbspn tahini
1 clove garlic
salt to taste

Roast the aubergines in a hot oven on a baking tray for about 40 mins, then let them cool. Always best to prick the aubergines first. You can also burn the skins before baking if you have a gas hob to give a smokey flavour.

Chop the onion and saute in about 3tbspn olive oil but let it caremelise and brown quite a bit.

They've got oats so they must be good for you.  Not just for the kiddies these - everyone loves them.

Ingredients:

115g unsalted butter at room temperature

85g light brown muscavado sugar

1 large egg, beaten

60g self raising flour (or almond powder or a mix of the two)

1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

115g porridge oats

175g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks