Classic Greek Salad

I use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to make a vinaigrette. The acidity from the tomatoes, the pungent heat from the onion, and the saltiness from the cheese and olives supply the other flavours to make up the vinaigrette. Simple and quick and refreshing and, most importantly, delicious.

3 cucumbers
1½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
3 cups diced roma tomatoes
⅓ cup diced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsps. oil from sun-dried tomatoes (or to taste)
½ red onion, sliced

1. In a large bowl toss together all the ingredients and toss well so that the oil covers the ingredients evenly.
2. Chill until serving.

Chocolate Soda

From Fran Bigelow's book Pure Chocolate, this is a lovely drink, reminiscent of soda fountains.

3 Tbsps Chocolate Sauce
3 scoops vanilla gelato
Sparkling or carbonated water

1. In a tall glass mix 2 Tbsp chocolate sauce with 1 scoop gelato and mix to make a paste.
2. Carefully and slowly pour in sparkling water until the glass is half full - the water will react and foam up. Dilute chocolate ice paste in the sparkling water until uniform.
3. Add the rest of the gelato as balls, then drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of chocolate sauce.
4. Continue adding sparkling water until water is 3" from the edge, to leave room for the soda-fountain bubble.

Chocolate Sauce

Generally speaking I try to avoid using corn syrup. However, I haven't yet found a substitute for a chocolate sauce that remains liquid at room temperature. I wonder what the sweetness difference is between honey or maple syrup is, and how much of their flavour comes through when mixed in the the chocolate? Corn syrup is sweet but has no other flavour. Maybe agave syrup? I believe in the edict "Avoid, don't eliminate". This is from Fran Bigelow's book Pure Chocolate.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder is recommended here because it is de-bittered therefore is milder.

1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup (try substituting with Golden Syrup)
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted into a mixing bowl

1. In a saucepan stir together cream and sugar; heat gently 'til sugar dissolves. Stir in the corn syrup and bring just to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and pour in ½ of the mixture into the sifted cocoa; whisk until smooth, then add the remaining sweet cream and whisk again until smooth.
3. To make sure there are no lumps, pass through a fine-meshed sieve back into the saucepan. Put over low heat and slowly cook until there are large bubbles that begin to break the surface and the chocolate is glossy, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator for as long as two weeks.

Asparagus Ementhal Quiche with Tarragon

1 blind baked pie crust, completely cooled
12 asparagus
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup crème fraîche
½ cup grated emmenthal cheese

1 tsp (0.02oz/4.7gr) butter
½ cup sliced mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh tarragon
1 small red pepper, julienned
salt and pepper

1. You will need a need deep pie dish for this since the egg and cream mixture is quite plentiful.
2. Heat oven to 350°F
3. Blanch asparagus about 90 seconds in boiling water. Cool in ice bath and cut into ½" pieces.
4. Fry mushrooms in a little butter, and add minced garlic for the last minute.
5. Whisk eggs and cream, then add the grated cheese, mushrooms and garlic, and tarragon. Add asparagus and salt and pepper.
6. Pour the mix into the blind baked pie crust.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and add the julienned red pepper in a pleasing pattern on top. Return to the hot oven and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top has started to brown.
8. To keep the quiche warm, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it in a preheated oven at 200-250F.

Asparagus and Brie Quiche

How many delicious ways can one make egg pie? Yes, egg pie. This is essentially what quiche is. I've heard tell a wife who had (or has?) a husband who wouldn't eat quiche (because real men don't), told him one night that she made egg pie. Of course, he ate it and loved it.

1 batch blind-baked pie crust, completely cooled
3 eggs
3 to 4 spring onions
2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) butter
5 to 8 oz brie cheese
1 cup coffee cream OR ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup milk
3 to 4 oz blanched asparagus
1 tsp English mustard powder
1 pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Blind bake the crust. Allow to cool completely before using to allow the crust to set.
2. Blanch asparagus about 90 seconds in boiling water. Cool in ice bath.
3. Fry onions in the butter until tender, set aside.
4. Remove the rind from the brie and cut into small cubes.
5. Beat eggs, add cream, milk and cheese and mix together. Add mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
6. Scatter the onions on the bottom of the shell; pour in the egg mix; pattern asparagus as you like on top. (I'll often measure the asparagus spears and cut the bottoms to create a wheel effect, which means I put the cooked and cut ends in first and submerge them in the egg mix, then arrange the asparagus tips on top)
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the custard sets and is slightly brown.
8. To keep the quiche warm, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it in a preheated oven at 200-250F.

Cucumber Mojito

This is how lucky I am - Ben makes these wonderful drinks, and I am such a sucker for gin. A happy combination. From The Cocktail Guru.

2 oz gin, Preferably Hendrick's Gin
2 tsps (or Tbsps?) of sugar
5 lime wedges
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
3 slices of cucumber

1. Peel the cucumber. Muddle the mint, limes, cucumber, and sugar.
2. Add the gin.
3. Fill the glass with crushed ice, over what you've muddled.
4. Stir the crushed ice with the mix for few seconds.
5. Garnish with cucumber peel and mint leaf 
6. You can also use: a splash of club soda if you want to make this a fizzy drink, it's a great twist

Toasted Sesame Seed Cookies

Mmmm, chewy, sweet sesame cookies. I love the texture and the little pop of seeds.

Makes about 30 cookies

4 oz toasted sesame seeds

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter at room temperature

½ cup (110gr) white sugar
½ cup (90gr) brown sugar
1 large egg
1  tsp vanilla extract

½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup all purpose flour

1. Toast the sesame seeds by placing them in a small saucepan (don't use a fry pan - the seeds will pop and jump out of the pot and onto your floor and counters). Turn on the heat to medium-low and keep an ear out - you will hear a crackling, popping noise from the seeds when they start to get hot enough; stir a bit, listen for the cracking noise, stir again and do this for about 30 seconds. This technique is particularly useful if using black sesame seeds, where you can't see the browning.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar together until it turns quite pale, then beat in the egg and the vanilla. Add sesame seeds and mix well.
3. In sequence, add the whole wheat flour, followed by the baking soda and salt, and ending with the all purpose flour. Mix well to combine.
4. Wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest for 1 hour and up to 72 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
6. Use a tablespoon (about 20gr) to scoop balls of dough onto the lined baking sheets - press the balls into 2" rounds and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Let cool 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.