Salt
ounces dried Chinese egg noodles, or 10 to 12 ounces fresh
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 pork chops, thinly sliced
1 small head Napa or savoy cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
2 carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons mirin, or a bit of sugar
Few drops Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 bunch scallions, chopped, white parts only.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it and add noodles. Cook until just done, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water. Toss noodles with sesame oil to keep them from sticking together, and set aside.

2. Put peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add ginger and cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pork and cook for about 5 minutes or until it is no longer pink and starts to brown around the edges.

3. Add cabbage and carrots to skillet and stir; sprinkle with salt. Continue to cook until vegetables soften, adding a bit of water as needed to keep them from sticking.

4. Meanwhile, stir together in a small bowl ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mirin and Tabasco. When vegetables are soft and any liquid has evaporated, add noodles and sauce to skillet. Toss to coat everything well and cook until noodles are warmed through. Serve, topped with chopped scallions.

Yield: 4 servings.

Directions
1Cut off the dry end and a few top leaves of the lemongrass stem.
2Bruise the stem with the handle of a knife and cut into 1-inch long pieces.
3Reserve.
4Bruise the chilies, cut them in half, scoop out and discard the seeds.
5Reserve the chilies.
6Bring the water to boil.
7Add lemongrass and ginger, and squeeze out half the lime into the water.
8Boil 2-3 minutes.
9Add fish sauce and chili-garlic paste.
10Cook for another minute.
11Add tomatoes and mushrooms.
12Cook for 2-3 minutes (or longer, until it boils and the tomatoes start to fall apart).
13Squeeze the other half of the lime into the soup.
14Take off the heat.
15Add the chilies and let stand a few seconds, then add the shrimp.
16Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
17Leave lemongrass, ginger and chilies in the soup and warn your guests not to eat these.

· Sauce: 4 Tablespoons butter, 3 fresh red chili peppers, chopped (seeded if you don't like it too spicy), 2 cloves garlic, chopped, 1 large shallot, chopped, Grated rind of 1 lemon, 1-1/2 cups coconut milk (fresh if possible), 1/2 cup white wine, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1/2 cup grated coconut (fresh if -possible), 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, 1 teaspoon paprika, Salt and pepper to taste, One whole chicken, cut up into pieces.
· For sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the chili peppers, garlic, and shallot. Sauté until softened. Stir in lemon rind, coconut milk, wine, evaporated milk, coconut, tarragon, and paprika. Bring to a boil; then turn down heat and simmer for about 30-45 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and other seasonings; let cool.
· Place the cut-up chicken in a container and pour on some of the sauce to marinate. Marinate for at least 1-2 hours. To cook, place marinated chicken pieces on a broiler pan, spread with more sauce and broil until cooked, turning and basting often. (You could probably also bake the chicken at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, or even grill it). Serve chicken with extra sauce, a big salad, and French-fries.

Makes 24 truffles

Ingredients
200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
6 tablespoons Tia Maria
2 tablespoons clear honey (ie. acacia)
cocoa powder (to dust)
Directions
1Gently melt the chocolate (either in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water, or nuke it in the microwave in short bursts)and set aside.
2Gently pour in the liqueur and, using a spatula, give it a slow turn of the bowl until the consistency thickens. The texture of the chocolate will thicken really quickly.
3Add the honey a tablespoon at a time, slowly mixing with the chocolate until the mixture gets really nice and glossy.
4Chill the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the truffle mixture has returned to a nearly solid form.
5Sieve three generous tablespoons cocoa powder onto a clean chopping board / large bowl / work surface.
6Scrape out a teaspoonful of the mixture into the palm of your hand and roll into a marble-sized ball, then roll this through the cocoa powder until fully coated.
7Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
8Store in the fridge in a jar or Tupperware.

SERVES 12

Ingredients
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons cognac
6 large eggs, separated,at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
ASSEMBLY
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
GARNISH
3 ounces milk chocolate, melted
Directions
1Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
2Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper, butter the paper.
3In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter.
4Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the chocolate and butter are melted.
5Gently whisk until smooth.
6Remove from the heat and stir in the cognac.
7Let cool.
8In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar until well blended.
9Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
10In the 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy.
11Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form.
12One tablespoon at a time, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
13Continue beating until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.
14Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions.
15Do not overmix.
16Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
17Bake until the cake is puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
18Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
19Using a small sharp knife, cut around the sides of the cake to loosen it.
20Release the panside.
21Invert the cake onto a wire rack.
22Peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completely.
23Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
24Make the chocolate glaze.
25Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.
26In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil.
27Using a wire whisk, stir in the honey.
28Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate.
29Whisk the mixture until smooth.
30Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
31Assemble the cake.
32Remove the cake from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap from the cake.
33Place the cake on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
34Using a metal spatula, spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
35Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, covering it completely; spread evenly with a metal spatula.
36Drizzle the top of the glazed cake with the melted milk chocolate.
37Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate.
38Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg white
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position the rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350F. Spray 8- to 10- inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray.Use a wire whisk to combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift together. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine espresso powder, cocoa, and 1/3 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup water. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk whole egg with egg white. Set aside.

Cut the butter into pieces and place in an electric mixer bowl. Beat for about 1 minute to soften. Gradually add remaining 1 cup of sugar and beat at high speed for about 3 minutes. Dribble eggs in slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly for about 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture. On medium-high speed, beat in half of the yogurt. On low speed, beat in half of the remaining flour. On high speed, beat in the rest of the yogurt and the vanilla. On low speed, beat in the remaining flour.

Measure out 1-1/2 cups of yogurt batter and mix into the cocoa mixture; set aside.

Use a large spoon to fill the bottom of the pan with about three quarters of the white batter placed in dollops. Cover the white batter with dollops of chocolate batter. Top the chocolate batter with small dollops of white batter spread so that the chocolate batter shows through. Use a table knife to marble the batters together with a circular or zigzag motion; be careful not to blend them too much.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake in several places comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes on a rack. Unmold the cake. Cool completely before serving or storing. Serve cake upside down or right side up. Cake may be stored, well wrapped, at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Nutritional Information: 230 calories and 6.9 grams of fat per serving.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 8 ounces each
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 5-inch-long piece fresh ginger root, peeled
8 fat garlic cloves
4 jalapeño peppers
1 quart chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice, more to taste
Cooked rice, for serving
Sesame oil, for drizzling
1 bunch roughly chopped basil, for serving
1 bunch roughly chopped cilantro, for serving
1 bunch thinly sliced scallions, for serving
1 European cucumber, thinly sliced, for serving.
1. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise and season with salt and pepper.

2. Slice about an inch of ginger root into thin rounds and place in a large pot. Coarsely chop remaining ginger and place in a blender. Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves and add to pot. Coarsely slice remaining garlic and add to blender. Thinly slice 2 jalapeño peppers and add them to pot. Halve remaining peppers, discard seeds and coarsely chop flesh; place in blender.

3. Add chicken broth to pot and bring to a simmer. Let cook for 10 minutes. Add chicken pieces to broth and let liquid come back to a simmer. Immediately turn off heat, cover pot and let sit for 10 minutes. Cut into a piece of chicken to test for doneness. If it is not done, bring broth back to a bare simmer, then turn off heat, cover and let sit for an additional minute or two.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce and brown sugar until sugar mostly dissolves. Set aside. To the mixture in blender add fish sauce and lime juice along with 1/4 cup broth from pot. Puree, if necessary adding a little more broth to help mixture move in blender. Taste and add a pinch of salt and more lime if needed.

5. When chicken is done, transfer to a cutting board and slice. Remove garlic and pepper from broth and discard, if you like. To serve, heap rice in 4 shallow bowls and top with chicken slices. Spoon several tablespoons broth over chicken and rice, then drizzle with sweet soy sauce and sesame oil. Sprinkle on the herbs, scallions and cucumber. Serve garlic-chili-ginger sauce on the side; have additional sesame oil and sweet soy sauce on table for more drizzling.

Ingredients
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2-1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco or cayenne pepper or to your taste.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canned corn or frozen corn
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups okra, sliced (fresh or frozen)
1/2-1 lb shrimp, cleaned & shells off
rice
Directions
1Add oil to skillet, heat over medium heat add the flour, to make a roux.
2(It is ready when it's color matches that of a penney).
3This may take about 15 minutes.
4Stir in onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and black pepper.
5Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes or till vegetables are crisp tender.
6Gradually stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, corn, okra, Basil, thyme, cumin and bay leaf.
7Bring to boiling point; reduce heat.
8Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
9Add SHRIMP during the last 5 minutes.
10Serve over Rice.

icing: 3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 lb cream cheese, 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar, 2 tbsp milk

Set oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans.
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together twice. In a separate small bowl, whisk the cocoa, red food coloring, and water to form a paste, about 1 minute.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar, adding the sugar slowly - about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and orange zest, beating for 15 seconds after each is added. Add the red cocoa paste and mix until incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the butter in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk. To avoid overworking the batter, gently mix with a spatula after each addition. Once the ingredients are incorporated, beat the batter 2-3 times.
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then release the edges with a knife and invert the cakes on a cooling rack. Let cool.

icing: beat butter with electric mixer 30 seconds until creamy. Add cream cheese and beat 1 minute until fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition.

Ice the cake!

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients
CRUST:
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons ice water

FILLING:
3 1/2 pounds small Gala apples (about 9), peeled, cored, and each cut into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar

Preparation
1. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse until combined. Add 6 tablespoons chilled butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water, and pulse until mixture forms clumps. Gently press dough into a 6-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover and freeze 30 minutes.

2. To prepare filling, combine apples, juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 9 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar to pan; cook 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat. Arrange half of apples, rounded side down, in a circular pattern over sugar mixture in pan. Top with remaining apples, rounded side up. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400°.

4. Working quickly, roll dough into an 11-inch circle on a heavily floured surface. Place dough over apples; fold edges under. Cut 4 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Place a plate upside down on top of pan. Carefully invert tart onto plate. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 318 (33% from fat)
Fat: 11.7g (sat 7.3g,mono 3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 2.2g
Carbohydrate: 54.2g
Fiber: 2.6g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Iron: 0.9mg
Sodium: 223mg
Calcium: 15mg

Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 red bell pepper, cored,seeded,and cut into 1/4 inch dice
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, juice of
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 small white onions or yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon pureed chipotle chile in adobo
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 lime, juice of

Directions

To make the salsa, add 1 tsp olive oil and sauté the onion and red pepper over medium heat, stirring, until brown, about 6 minutes.
Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Add the lime juice.
Correct the seasonings, transfer to a small bowl, and set aside at room temperature.
To make the soup, add 2 tsp olive oil to the same pan and place over medium heat.
Add the garlic, ginger, onions, and brown sugar, season with the salt and pepper to taste, and sauté, stirring, until the vegetables are brown, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the chipotle puree and wine, and cook over medium heat until the mixture is reduced by about three-fourths, approximately 6 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes and stock and simmer until the potatoes are very soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
Using a hand blender or food processor, puree the soup mixture.
Stir in the lime juice and correct the seasonings.
Immediately ladle into bowls, spoon a portion of the salsa onto each and serve.

#1 - Thai Pesto (to be thrown in a quick stir fry)

2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves
1 tablespooon peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 little green chilis, deseeded and chopped fine
2 garlic cloves

Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

#2 - Pesto with Almonds and Tomatoes (an attempt to appease the pesto-hater Melik)

1/4 cup raw almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
2 cups fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until they just start to brown.
Mix everything together in food processor except the oil.
Once everything is mixed well, drizzle with oil.
Mix until well blended

#3 - Plain Old Pesto

2 cups basil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix everything together in food processor except the oil and lemon.
Once everything is mixed well, drizzle with lemon and oil.
Mix until well blended

1 pound ripe peaches
1 small or medium banana
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup mild flavored honey, such as clover
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice and water. When the water comes to a boil, drop in the peaches and count to 30. Remove from the water and transfer directly to the ice water. Allow to cool for about a minute, then peel off the skin. Dice the peaches, and discard the pits. Place in a resealable plastic bag. Slice the banana, and place in the bag with the peaches. Freeze overnight.

2. Chill a one-quart container in the freezer. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, mix together the yogurt, honey and vanilla extract. Remove the frozen fruit from the freezer. Break up the peaches if they have frozen into a lump. Place the frozen fruit in the food processor, and pulse until it has broken up in the yogurt. Turn on the food processor, and process until the mixture is smooth, stopping the machine from time to time to make sure there are no big lumps. If there are, pulse to break up the lumps, and then continue to process the mixture until smooth. Scrape out of the food processor into the chilled container, and freeze for two hours for soft-serve frozen yogurt or four hours or longer for solid frozen yogurt. Allow to soften for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator before scooping.