American biscuits pie crust

For ➑
16 digestive biscuits, crushed
55 g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 175°C.

In a bowl, mix together digestive biscuits crumbs and melted margarine. Place mixture in a 22 cm pie tin and press firmly into bottom and sides of pan.

Bake for 8 m.

Let it cool.

*This crust can be used for several pies. The filling is simply poured in the crust, and put in the refrigerator for several hours. Try American avocado pie.

Spaghetti con vongole (spaghetti with small clams)

For ➋
100 g spaghetti
400 g cooked vongole meat (small clams)
4 tbs olive oil
1 chopped garlic clove
5 stalks of dried chilies
2 ts coarse black pepper
fresh coriander leaves
1 small glass of white wine*

Bring water to the boil. Drop in the spaghetti. Cook al dente.

In a small pan heat the olive oil. Stir in the garlic, chilies and pepper. Do not brown the garlic. Mix in the vongole with some of the cooking juice.

Add a small glass of white wine*.

Mix the spaghetti and vongole.  Shred the coriander leaves for decoration.

*Use half a glass of white vermouth instead.
**Use half quantities for a starter.

Another recipe for spaghetti alle vongole in bianco. Try the similar Spanish version.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with vegetables, shrimps fra diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.

Quick couscous @ microwave

For ➋
100 g couscous
¼ ts allspice
1 tbs olive oil
25 cl water
¼ ts freshly ground pepper

Combine couscous and oil in microwave proof casserole and stir until all grains are coated well. Stir in pepper and allspice,if desired. Microwave,uncovered on high for 1 m. Stir well. Pour in water and stir. Microwave, uncovered, on high until water is absorbed and grains are tender, 2 to 3 m. Add 1 tbs if necessary.

Use for a quick bite or let cool to serve as a salad with cold vegetables (and some cold chicken).

Parfait glacé Dessert 58

For ➍
200 g chocolate bar Dessert 58**
2 eggs, yolks & whites separated, room temperature
25 g powdered sugar
2 dl cream***
3 tbs warm strong coffee

(Cut out 4 chocolate elephant vignettes to decorate the parfait. Set aside.)
Break the chocolate tablet(s) into small chunks. Prepare a bowl for a bain-marie. Heat the water. When warm, put the warm coffee in the bowl, add the chocolate chunks and melt them with the coffee. Let cool a bit.
In a clean bowl, beat the sugar and yolks until foamy white. Mix with the chocolate.
Beat the egg whites and spoon through the mix.
Whip the cream*** until almost stiff and spoon through the mix.
Fill 4 glasses with the mixture and put 3 h in the freezer.
Remove 10 m before serving and add the vignettes.

*Based on a recipe from the Belgian Côte d'Or website.
**A good milk chocolate bar with a good praliné filling might do the trick, but not the magic.
***Reduce amount of cream to have a less creamy texture and a richer taste. You can save the cream to serve with dessert.

Dessert 58 is a speciality chocolate bar created by Belgian chocolate manufacturer Côte d'Or in 1958 to celebrate the Brussels World Fair. Rich milk chocolate enrobes a creamy mixture of, originally, hazelnuts and almonds. Nowadays, the Dessert 58 is made with almonds and cashew nuts.
The illustration shows an early wrapper for Dessert 58, with a modern logo.
The Côte d'Or elephant trademark is a reference to the African Golden Coast, now Ghana, where much of the cacao beans were imported from in the 19th century. In 1870 Belgian chocolatier Charles Neuhaus started a chocolate factory in Brussels, depositing the name in 1883, selling the factory and the name before the end of the century. The elephant logo was created in 1908, with palms and very non-Ghanaian pyramids. Côte d'Or is now part of the Kraft group.
A parfait, French for perfect, is a frozen custard dessert made with eggs, sugar, whipped cream and flavourings such as a purée, liqueur, coffee or chocolate.
Try another Côte d'Or chocolate inspired dessert: ice-cream (crèpes) with chokotoff sauce.

Tuna fish sandwich

For ➊
1 small can tuna (in water), drained
2 tbs carrots, finely chopped
2 tbs celery, finely chopped
1½ tbs coriander, finely chopped
1 tbs mayonnaise
½ ts wasabi*
½ avocado
2 slices toasted bread

Put the carrots and celery in a bowl with the tuna. Add the chopped cilantro.

Add the mayonnaise and the wasabi.

Toss together to combine. Set aside.

Slice half of the avocado into strips, lengthwise.

Arrange all the slices of avocado on one of the bread slices.Spoon the tuna mixture on top of the avocado slices and top with the other piece of toast.

(Slice in small bite sizes to use as fingerfood.)

*Optional. Use horseradish instead.

Quick aïoli (Provençal garlic sauce)

For ➍
1 large egg*
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ts Dijon mustard
25 cl extra virgin olive oil
2 or 3 ts freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine the egg, garlic, and mustard in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream.
Add the lemon juice and pulse again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve aïoli on sandwiches or as the base for salad dressings. Stir in minced fresh herbs and use as a dipping sauce for raw vegetables or fried calamari.

*Discard the egg-white to get a less fluid sauce.

This is closer to a mayonnaise than the classic aïoli, made in a mortar, without any egg but the egg will get the emulsion easier (as will the mustard). Keeps for 2 days tightly sealed in the refrigerator.
Though claimed by the French as Provençal, the same mixture appears in Spanish Catalonia and Italy. Read the related Italian oil & garlic sauce recipe.
Aïoli refers also to a complete dish, composed of a mixture of cooked vegetables (carrots, potatoes, green beans, artichokes), hard-boiled eggs (and poached cod). The aïoli is served separately.
Try a Catalan version.
Read more Provençal recipes: fresh tuna & salade niçoise , salade niçoise dressing, old-fashioned salade niçoise, tartine niçoise, Saint-Tropez (Provençal) chicken.

Tonno all'Etrusca (Etruscan tuna fish)

For ➍
4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
½ red pepper, skinned & seeded, cubed thinly
30 cl canned tomatoes, crushed
4 fresh tomatoes, skinned & seeded, sliced thinly
7 dl fish stock
5 tbs pitted (Italian) black olives, chopped
4 tbs capers, drained
4 tuna steaks, 200 g each
(salt &) freshly ground black pepper

Mix oil, garlic, onion and red pepper and cook for 5 m over medium heat. Add tomatoes, stock, olives and capers and cook on medium heat for 30 m or until thick.
Add the tuna steaks and cover the pan. Cook for 5 to 10 m, depending on thickness. Turn steaks after half the cooking time.
Add (salt &) pepper.
Serve steaks, and spread sauce over them.

Serve with oven-warm Italian bread.

*Serve sauce with  a good pasta, or grilled chicken.

Etruscans have laid the base of Tuscan cuisine (or at the very least giving their name to the region...) This, of course, is based on a modern recipe, tomatoes not being part of the Italian diet before the 16th century.
Read more 'Etruscan' recipes: Schiacciata con l'uva (Etruscan grape-filled bread).

Mumbai seekh kabob (a Mumbai street sandwich)

For ➍
600 g ground lamb or beef
2 ts fresh ground garlic
1 ts fresh ground ginger
1 ts salt
2 tbs plain yogurt
½ ts cayenne pepper
5 sprigs coriander, finely chopped
1 onion, peeled & finely chopped

With moistened hands, combine and mix all ingredients.

Wet hands. Take a small amount of meat mixture and wrap around a skewer. Keep adding and shaping meat mixture around the skewer into a 25 cm long kabob*. Continue this process until all of the meat mixture is used. Broil for 10 m, turning to brown all sides.**

Garnish with tomato wedges and onion rings. For a spicier taste, add a finely chopped green jalapeno pepper.

*Or roll into meatballs. The meatballs can then be served inside a freshly roasted bum, with some tomato, onion and pepper.
**Or put it in a tandoori oven.

Served in a bun, this is one of the favourite snacks sold in the Muslim streets of Mumbai. At home, it can also be served with spinach.
Add a kind of pesto sauce by crushing an onion, some cardamom and coriander in a food processor.
Picture shows Kalbadevi, one of the most populated sections of Mumbai around 1890.

Cavatelli con gamberi e salicornia (pasta with prawns & samphire)

For ➍
500 g cavatelli pasta**
200 g samphire
4 cloves garlic, sliced*
16 large prawns*
6 tbs olive oil*
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Clean the prawns, remove the carapace and inner tube.
Fry the garlic in the oil, add the samphire and cook for 2 m.
Add the prawns and bake for 3 m per side.
Cook the cavatelli. (4 m when fresh, 20 m when dry, start before baking the prawns). Drain well and add to the prawns mixture.

Full Italian name for name-droppers: cavatelli con gamberi all’aglio fresco e salicornia.
*Serve the gamberi all’aglio as an appetizer.
**Use orecchiette pasta instead.

Read more sea vegetables recipes.

Gamberi all’aglio (prawns with garlic)

For ➍
4 clove garlic, sliced
16 prawns
6 tbs olive oil
salt & fresly ground black pepper

Clean the prawns, remove the carapace and inner tube.
Fry the garlic in the oil, cook for 2 m.
Add the prawns and bake for 3 m per side. Add salt and pepper.
Let cool (covered, out of refrigerator) and serve as a appetizer or tapas with some bread during the aperitivo.

Try the quick microwave version or the Spanish version.

Cavatelli con la rucola (pasta with rocket)

For ➍
400 g cavatelli pasta*
300 g rocket
8 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
4 anchovies, desalted & boned**
salt
pecorino cheese

Salt some water, bring to the boil. Drop in the cavatelli. When cooked al dente (when fresh 20 m), drain. Drop in the rocket 5 to 10 m before end.
Meanwhile, chop the garlic and sauté in olive oil. Add the anchovies. Let them dissolve in the oil to make a sauce.
Put the sauce over the cavatelli.
Sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese to serve.

*Use orecchiette pasta instead.
**Use shredded smoked ham instead. Make it vegetarian by using capers.

Gota soboro (minced pork soboro)

For ➋
125 g lean minced pork*
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
vegetal oil
1 tbs soy sauce
2 ts sugar
1 ts mirin**
2 tbs of mushroom soaking liquid

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for about 10 m. Gently squeeze out excess water, cut off tough stalks and dice the mushroom caps. Save 2 tbs of the liquid.

Heat some oil in a pan. Brown the minced meat over medium heat, breaking up all lumps.

Add the mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, mirin and soaking liquid. Turn up the heat and continue stirring until the mixture is almost dry. Let it cool down before packing on top of rice. Add some vegetables as cherry tomatoes or oil-tossed broccoli stalks. Or add peas, chopped spring onions or diced carrots.

Or store it in the fridge for later use (excellent for a stir fry with vegetables.).

*Or use minced chicken, beef or fish.
**Or use 1 ts of dry sherry (with a little pinch of sugar).

The untranslatable soboro is a Japanese classic, made of ground pork (gota soboro), chicken (tori soboro), beef (niku soboro), egg (iri tamago) or fish (oboro). It can also be a combination of pork , beef and chicken. It is seasoned with the standard ingredients of soy sauce, sugar and mirin and will keep well in the fridge for a few days. Soboro is served on its own, or on top of steamed rice in the bento lunch boxes.

Aam ki lassi (mango lassi)

For ➍
75 cl plain yogurt
25 cl milk
25 cl water
pulp of 2 mangoes
100 g sugar
25 g pistachios, ground*

In a pitcher, combine yogurt, milk, water, pulp, and sugar. Whisk briskly until completely mixed. Chill.

To serve, pour over crushed ice. Sprinkle the ground pistachios over the top.

*Use ground cumin instead.
For a quick version for 1 serving: use the pulp of 1 mango, freeze it; mix it in a blender with 15 cl of yogurt.

Lassi is a Indian beverage, originating in the northern state of Punjab. It is generally made by blending yogurt with water, salt, and spices until frothy. Traditional lassi is sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin. It is sweetened with honey for rituals. Lassi with a little turmeric powder mixed in is used as a folk remedy for gastroenteritis.
The cooling drink has spread all over South East Asia. The combination with mango, the national fruit of India, is extremely popular. You can make a less elaborate quick mango lassi.
The illustration shows the surroundings of the Punjab city of Amritsar, beginning 19th century.

Quick mango lassi

For ➊ serving
1 mango
15 cl yogurt

For a quick version for 1 serving: use the pulp of 1 mango, freeze it; mix it in a blender with 15 cl of yogurt until smooth.

Use any fruit pulp to make a lassi. Or go for the classic yogurt with water and some salt. Whisk it firmly until frothy. Drink very cold.

Persian cucumber & fresh dill salad

For ➏
6 Persian cucumbers*, sliced
2 ts extra virgin olive oil
2 ts rice wine vinegar**
juice from ½ lemon
2-3 sprigs fresh dill, finely diced
salt & fresh ground pepper

Combine ingredients. Cover and chill for 1 h.

*Or 2 very fresh western (seedless) cucumbers.
**Use a slightly sweeter vinegar, e.g. sherry vinegar, instead.

Persian cucumbers are smaller than the seedless available in the west, with a slightly less watery, sweeter taste. Nowadays they are grown all over Europe and the Caribbean, and nobody knows if they were ever Persian at all.
Truely Persian is the similar Persian cucumber yogurt dressing.