Garlic and capers spaghetti.

S4

700g spaghetti
200g bacon
3 big cloves of garlic, chopped
70ml capers, drained
80g rocket, roughly chopped
1 large red chili, thinly sliced
1oml of lemon zest
45ml lemon juice
250ml grated Parmesan
black pepper
olive oil

Cook the pasta in a large pot with lots of salt. Meanwhile fry the bacon till crisp.
Saute the capers and the garlic for about 2 minutes on medium heat in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chili, zest and lemon juice and stir for one min, then take the pan of the heat.
Drain the pasta once its done and toss with the garlic mix. Then add the rocket and Parmesan.
Serve with bacon strewn on top along with black paper and some extra Parmesan.

drink: hartenberg merlot, 2003

Mozzarella and rocket salad.

S4

3 slices of nice white bread, torn into pieces
100g rockets
100-150g mozzarella, torn
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
30g tapenade
12 basil leaves
60ml olive oil
30ml red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 225c. Toss the bread with 30ml of the olive oil and cook it in the oven for 8-10 min or till crusty and golden.
Place the rocket, tomatoes, mozzarella and bread on four plates. Top with the tapenade and basil leaves. Drizzle with the dressing.

drink: nothing

rocket penne with grilled proscuitto.

S4

400-500g penne
15 slices of prosciutto (about 150g)
150g rocket
30ml olive oil
30ml balsam vinegar
s&p

Start by turning on the grill in the oven.
Cook pasta according to instructions. When its about 3 min to go on the pasta, put the prosciutto on a baking tray under the grill , remove when the pasta is drained and returned to the pot.
Toss the rocket, oil and vinegar with the pasta in the pan, season to taste.
Serve with the prosciutto on top and a side salad of tomato, cucumber and chopped onion drizzled with olive oil.

drink: water

Tomato soup.

If you are a vegetarian you can ofcourse substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock.

S4

1 liter chicken stock
1kg plum tomatoes, halved
250g rosa tomatoes on the vine
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 sun dried tomatoes, drained
3 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed
4 thyme sprigs
15ml caster sugar
15ml barbecue sauce
10 basil leaves
90ml olive oil
sea salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 225c. Take 60ml of the olive oil and pour into a baking pan. Heat it in the oven till well hot then put the plum tomatoes, onion and garlic on the pan. Sprinkle with the caster sugar, season generously and throw on the thyme. Shake the pan then replace in the oven and bake for 20 min, stirring the tomatoes after 10 minutes and add half of the basil with 3 min to go.
Meanwhile bring the stock to the boil. Then tip the contents of the baking pan into a another sauce pan, removing the thyme. Pour over the stock and bring the tomatoes and stock to the boil. Add the sun dried tomatoes and the barbecue sauce then cook for five minutes.
remove from the heat then strain into a bowl. Place the tomato mix into a second bowl and using an immersion blender mixing it till smooth, adding the stock a bit at a time till all combined. The texture should now be creamy.
Pour through a fine sieve, use a wooden spoon to push the soup through. Taste and correct the seasoning if needed.
Meanwhile heat a saute pan, add the remaining oil and add the rosa tomatoes. Cook for one minute.
Serve with some sprinkled basil on top the tomatoes.

drink:

Grilled panini with prosciutto and mozzarella.

S1

4 slices of good bread (not to big)
2 slices of fine prosciutto
3 slices of mozzarella
1 tomato, finely sliced
2 leaves of basil, torn
olive oil
s&p

On two of the slices of bread, drizzle some olive oil, place the prosciutto, the mozzarella, the basil, the tomatoes and season with pepper and salt. Put the remaining bread slices on top.
Bring a grill pan up to high heat, then fry the panini's for about 2 min on each side, or until the mozzarella melts. Serve as is, as in no side salad.

drink: milk

Almost Teriyaki

Ok, didn't post this last night as i promised, but here it comes.
Serves 4 (surprise)

3x200g sirloin or porterhouse
250g green beans
1 onion, sliced
30ml peanut oil
1 chili, deseeded and sliced thinly

marinade:
100ml soy
45ml castor sugar
80ml red wine
3 cloves of garlic
20ml grated garlic

Mix the marinade and let the beef soak in it for 15 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, cook the beans for 2 min then immediately rinse in cold water, then set aside.
On a plate, pour out 15ml of the oil over the onions and season.
Bring a griddle pan up to high heat, then fry the onions till they get the golden ribbs on both sides, then remove the onions from the pan.
Pat down the beefs so they are mostly dry, then fry on high heat in the griddle pan for about 2 min on each side (medium-rare, it really needs to be pink). Set aside and let the meat rest while
you heat the beans and onions in the pan.
Strain the marinade in a sieve then bring to the boil in a saucier.
Slice up the beef into about 1.5 cm thick slices.
Serve with rice on the side and be generous with the sauce. Garnish with the chili.

drink: L'ormarins Optima 2003

'the' tuna sub.

S4

sub:
2 baguettes
170g canned tuna
10 black olives
some rocket
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
4 anchovies fillets, sliced
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
4 marinated artichoke hearts, sliced

dressing:
30ml olive oil
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml dijon
1 chopped garlic clove

Cut each baguettes into half. Brush the bread with some olive oil.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and season. Toss the rocket leaves in dressing.
Pit the olives. Now, layer the leaves, tomatoes and onions on the bottom part.
On the top layer tuna, artichokes, egg, anchovies and olives.
Put the top back on and either eat directly or wrap in cling wrap if you gonna bring it to a picnic.

drink: whatever

Salsa di pomodoro (del Grosso style).

S6-8

4 cans of whole plum tomatoes (400g each)
145ml good olive oil
5-6 med cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
12 leaves of fresh basil
Salt to taste or approx. 1/2 tsp
Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan, throw in the garlic and fry for a min or two without browning them.
Throw in the tomatoes. bring to the boil and the simmer for 10 min. Throw in the basil and salt.
Emulsify using a immersion blender.
Serve with pasta, a good amount of fresh ground pepper and parmesan.

Best tomato sauce I've had, thanks Bob.

drink: nothing

Roasted tomatoes with asparagus, goat's cheese and walnuts.

S4

salad:
4 ripe tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
200g asparagus, blanched
2 small leeks, washed and thinly chopped
20g rocket leaves
150g goat's cheese, slightly crumbled
5 walnuts, roughly chopped
30ml olive oil
s&p

dressing:
10ml mustard seeds
90ml olive oil
30ml balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic
s&p

Preheat the oven to 200c. Start with the dressing.
Crush the garlic in a mortar untill smooth, add salt and mustard seed and blend. Then whisk the oil and vinegar into the mix. Set aside.
On a baking tray place the garlic, oil and tomatoes, roast for ten min. remove from the oven and place the leeks and the asparagus on top of the tomatoes, roast for another 10 minutes.
Place on a serving tray thanand sprinkle with the cheese and walnut. Serve while still hot, sprinkling the dressing just before serving.

drink: a nice nice red.

Fish with mango/chili.

S4

4 fish fillets, about 150g each
4 cloves of garlic
4 slices of lime or lemon
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
kosher salt
crushed black pepper

rub the salt and pepper onto the fish and let it rest for 15 min. Snap the fillet in two.
One one half place onesprig of thyme and one of rosemary, one clove of garlic and one slice of lime or lemon. Place on a oiled oven pan.
Throw into a hot really hot oven and let it bake till done.
Serve with a mango chili salad and some green on the side.

drink: a decent chenin blanc

Tagliatelle with potato.

S6

pasta:
500g tagliatelle (dry)
2 large potatoes
60ml olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
15ml mascarpone
200ml vegetable stock
30g parmesan, grated
s/p

pesto:
125ml olive oil
200g pine nuts
30g fresh basil
120g parmesan, grated
juice of one lime

Begin with the pesto. Add half of the olive oil and the pine nuts into a hot fryingpan and fry for about 2 min while stirring. Take off the heat and let it cool.
Chop basil and mix with parmesan, lime and the rest of the olive oil. Then pour the pine nuts into the bowl and smash it up with either a rolling pin or a pestle until it becomes a paste.

Peel potatoes, slice into 4ml thick discs. Slice the discs into 4ml wide slices. Then chop into 4ml cubes. Let them lay in water for 5 min to get rid of the starch then drain and dry.
Bring the olive oil up to heat in a frying pan then throw in the potato cubes and fry till crisp and golden. Once golden stir the garlic into the potatoes and take of the heat.
Cook the pasta in salted water. Once done strain but keep some water and put it back into the pan. Over low heat, pour the pesto, mascarpone and stock over the pasta. Season then mix well.
Take the remaining parmesan and shake with the potatoes.
Place the pasta on plates and toss with potatoes.
Serve.

drink: Niti'da Calligraphy

Salmon and avocado sushi.

S4
400g fresh salmon
1 ripe avocado
cold rice, sushi or normal rice is fine (no salt or vinegar in the rice though)
1/2 a cucumber, thinly sliced
chives for garnish, chopped
sesame seeds
30ml soy
30ml rice vinegar
60ml sesame oil
pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix the soy, vinegar sesame oil and cayenne pepper.
Cut the salmon and avo into cubes. Add them to the marinade and chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
In a ring mould, put rice a quarter or so up the side and pat it. Should be fairly tightly packed.
Add the salmon/avo mix and pack. Put in fridge for 20 more minutes to set.
Once ready, sprinkle seeds on top, remove ring mould carefully and garnish with chopped chives and the sliced cucumber. Serve.

drink: sake or water