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.

This is a very simple, quick sauce to prepare and on top of grilled, fried or baked white fish, or salmon, makes the dish look elegant and also makes for a great complementary flavour. 

1 tablespoon blanched baby spinach, l tablespoon watercress, 1 tablespoon creme fraishe (you can use yogourt if you're callorie counting), a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Simply chop the spinach and watercress coarsely and mix into the creme fraishe, then add lemon juice, season to taste.