Mississipi Mud Cake

                 The reason of the name of this cake is not known, although it has been speculated that the appearance of the mixture was the inspiration.

                 If preferred, an equal amount of milk plus a teaspoon of vanilla may be substituted for the bourbon.

Serves 8

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 5 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 1 cup brewed strong hot coffee
• One-third cup bourbon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• One-third teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven at 350F (180C) ; prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lining the base with wax paper and buttering the sides.
2. Place the butter, chocolate, sugar and coffee in a large bowl or in the top half of a double boiler and position over simmering water, stirring constantly until chocolate melts and the mixture is quite smooth ; leave to cool slightly, then mix in the bourbon.
3. Stir together the flour, baking powder ¼ cup cocoa powder ; gradually stir into the chocolate mixture.
4. Add the beaten egg, mix gently but thoroughly.
5. Pour the mixture (which will be quite liquid) into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour ; then, reduce heat to 300F (150C) and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool before releasing the sides and removing from the pan.
7. Combine the remaining cocoa powder and the icing sugar and dust over the cake before serving.

BON APPÉTIT

Stuffed Party Rolls

Serves 6

• 6 Vienna rolls
• 450 gr curd cheese
• 4 drops Tabasco sauce
• 20 ml white wine
• Pinch of each salt and white pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mixed herbs
• 1 green pepper, washed and seeded
• 2 gherkins
• 225 gr ham
• 100 gr cooked chicken
• 6 button mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons grated root ginger
• 1-2 teaspoons chopped mixed peel
• 20 ml sherry

1. Slice off one third of each roll and scoop out all the bread from inside.
2. Place half the curd cheese in a bowl and stir in the Tabasco, white wine, salt pepper and herbs.
3. Dice the green pepper, with the gherkins and half the ham ; stir in the curd cheese and mix.
4. Finely chop the remaining ham, the chicken and mushrooms and mix with the remaining curd cheese in a separate bowl ; add the grated ginger, chopped mixed peel and sherry.
5. Fill three of the rolls with the wine and herbs mixture, and the remaining rolls with the chicken and ginger mixture.
6. Set the two sections of each roll back together again, wrap in cooking foil and leave to stand for few hours in the refrigérator.

BON APPÉTIT

Szechwan Chilli Prawns

• 750 gr raw prawns, in shells
• 3 tablespoons cornflour
• 1 medium onion
• 45 gr canned bamboo shoots, drained
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• Deep-frying oil

Sauce

• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ½ to 2 teaspoon chilli oil or chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• Pinch of each salt and white pepper

Preparation

1. Remove heads and shells from prawns, leaving tails on ; slit down the center back, cutting almost through and remove dark veins.
2. Rinse in cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper ; coat with cornflour and set aside.
3. Finely chop onion, bamboo shoots, ginger and garlic.
4. Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Cooking

1. Heat deep oil to very hot and reduce heat slightly ; drop in prawns and deep-fry for 1 minute, remove and drain.
2. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons oil and stir-fry onions, bamboo shoots, ginger and garlic for 1 minute.
3. Pour the sauce and bring to a boil ; return prawns and simmer until sauce thickens and becomes clear, about 2½ minutes.
4. Sprinkle with sesame oil and finely chopped shallot.

BON APPÉTIT

Avocado with shrimps (Party starters)

Serves 4

• 350 gr frozen Canadian Atlantic shrimps (Matane shrimps)
• 2 avocados
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons single cream
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• Salt and white pepper
• Bunch fresh mised herbs (dill, taragon, parsley) 
• Few sprigs dill for garnish

1. Place the shrimps in a bowl, cover and leave to thaw at room temperature, then drain.
2. Wash, dry and halve the avocados lengthways ; remove the stones and scoop the flesh out of each half to within 1 cm/½ inch of the shell.
3. Brush the avocado halves with a little lemon juice and leave in a cool place.
4. Finely dice the avocado flesh, place in a bowl with thw shrimps and sprinkle with more lemon juice.
5. Beat the mayonnaise with the cream, brandy, the remaining lemon juice and the salt and pepper.
6. Wash, drain and finely chop the herbs and stir into the mayonnaise sauce ; mix yhe mayonnaise sauce into the avocado and shrimps, spoon the mixture into the avocado halves and garnish each portion with a sprig of dill.

BON APPÉTIT

Pickled eggs (Egg specialities)

• 450-600 ml vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 small hard-boiled eggs

1. Pour the vinegar into a pan with the mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves, and bring to a boil ; cover and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Shell the eggs and place in a tall screwtop jar.
3. Take the pan off the heat, allow to stand for a few moments, then pour the juice over the eggs and leave to cool ; cover the jar with a piece of cling-film, held in place with an elastic band, and seal.
4. Place in refrigerator and allow to marinate for 2-3 days ; by this time the eggs will have absorbed the taste of the marinade and will be delicious sliced in sandwiches, or served with a sauce, like a russian sauce.

BON APPÉTIT

Beef Mayonnaise (Open sandwih)

     Roast beef sandwiches are just as delicious made with lightly toasted bread. In this case mix the mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce and omit the pickled cucumber.

For each sandwich

• 1 large thin slice brown bread
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 slices cold roast beef
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• ¼ pickled cucumber as garnish

1. Thickly spread the bread with the mayonnaise ; fold the slices of roast beef in half lengthways and arrange in a fan-shape on the bread.
2. Shell and slice the egg lengthways, and place on the beef ; garnish with the cucumber slices.

BON APPÉTIT

Smoked fish canapés (Canapés)

Makes 8

• Bunch chives, washed and finely sliced
• 100 gr(4oz) soft butter
• 1 tablespoon bottled creamed horseradish
• Pinch of salt and garlic salt
• 4 slices wholemeal bread
• 400 gr(14oz) smoked halibut or haddock
• 2 firm tomatoes

Garnish

• Dill or parsley sprigs, washed and drained
• 2 lettuce leaves, washed and drained
• Coarsely black pepper

1. Cream the butter with the horseradish, salt, garlic salt and chives ; spread on the bread.
2. Cut each slice diagonally to form two triangles.
3. Skin the fish, remove any bones and cut into pieces to fit the bread triangles ; place one piece of fish on each triangle.
4. Place a slice of tomato on half the pieces of fish and tuck half the lettuce leaf under the rest.
5. Garnish with a dill or parsley sprig ; sprinkle with pepper before serving.

BON APPÉTIT