Ingredients

• 4 pears - peeled, stem left in tact.
• 2 cups of unsweetened apple juice
• 2 cups of water
• 1 heaping tablespoon of grated ginger
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions

1. Cut peeled pears in half, carefully remove core with spoon and cut out woody section as needed.
2. Add juice, water, ginger, vanilla and honey to large pot. Gently place pears into liquid. If not covered completely by liquid, lay a piece of parchment paper directly on pears to avoid exposure to air.
3. Simmer on medium-high for 15-20 minutes. Pears are done when paring knife can easily cut the flesh.
4. Remove pears and cool in a bowl. Discard paper.
5. Bring poaching liquid to a low boil and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until it turns syrupy and golden.
6. Serve pears warm or cold with warm or cold syrup. I served them at room temperature with rice pudding and a generous pour of syrup.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of shredded Chinese cabbage
• 3 cups of shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup of shredded carrots (lengthwise to get soft curls)
• 1 cup of unsalted cashews
• 1/4 of chopped chives (try cutting with scissors)
• 1 cup of roughly chopped mint leaves
• 1 cup of torn cilantro leaves
• 4 small red thai chillies, seeds removed and finely sliced (optional if you don't like spice)
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked in pan and cut into slices
• Coconut Lime Dressing:
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons of lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar

Instructions

1. Combine cabbage, carrot, cashews, chives, mint, cilantro and chicken in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.
2. Combine coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a measuring cup and stir well to combine. Pour half the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Divide between plates and top with chillies. Add more dressing to taste.

Notes

Ingredients

• 200 g flour
• salt
• 4 eggs
• 200 ml milk
• 200 ml water
• vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted in pan
• whipping cream
• maple syrup

Instructions

1. Combine flour and pinch of salt in a medium sized bowl. Mix eggs, milk and water in a measuring cup and mix with flour, starting with a well in the centre of the flour. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps. Let rest about 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. While waiting, whip as much cream as you think you'll need (I used one cup) until you have firm, but soft tips. Mix in a table spoon of maple syrup. Set aside.
3. Chop your pecans and toast them on low heat for a couple of minutes. Set aside and let cool.
4. Once batter has rested, heat a medium frying pan on medium-high heat with a teaspoon of oil. Add a ladle of batter and tilt pan until the bottom is covered evenly and thinly with batter. Let cook until batter looks almost set on top. Use a silicon spatula and gently lift crêpe and flip. Cook another minute or so or until other side is golden. If the crêpe doesn't release easily to flip, wait a little longer as it's not yet done. You can also flip the crêpes with the pan if you dare.
5. Keep the crêpes on a plate and put in warming oven until all are done. Serve with whipped cream, sprinkled with chopped pecans and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Notes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of unpeeled hazelnuts
• 4 large apples, such as Golden Delicious
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons of dried cranberries or raisins
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar (or sugar of choice)
• 1 cup of unsweetened apple juice
• 1 vanilla pod
• Sour cream

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375F. Put nuts on a cookie sheet and roast about 8 minutes. Remove and put on a clean towel. Rub nuts together until most of the shells come off. Chop roughly.
2. Cut lids off apples. Core with an apple corer. Remove some flesh to create a cavity. Chop the removed flesh and add to a bowl. Mix with lemon juice. Combine apple flesh with chopped nuts, cranberries and sugar. Fill apples. Put tops on apples and add to a casserole dish. Pour apple juice around apples. Cut open vanilla pod, scrape out seeds and add both to juice.
3. Bake on lower rack for 35 - 40 minutes.
4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or unsweetened whip cream.

Notes

Ingredients

• DULCE DI LECE (from Donna Hay) *Feel free to use store-bought dulce di lece.
• 2 cans (about 395g) of sweetened condensed milk
• BANANA BREAD CAKE (makes 3 nine inch layers)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• CHOCOLATE GANACHE
• 280g (10oz) good quality chocolate (I chose 70% Lindt)
• 400ml (14fl) oz double cream

Instructions

1. DULCE DI LECE:
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the condensed milk in an ovenproof baking dish. Press a piece of parchment paper on top of the condensed milk. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place the baking dish in a larger deep-sided baking tray and fill with boiling water until it reaches two thirds of the way up the sides of the dish.
3. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until caramel in colour. Spoon the caramel into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Spoon into sterilized glass jars. Keep in the fridge for up to 1 month. Makes 2 cups.
4. BANANA BREAD CAKE (3 layers):
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 nine (9) inch cake pans and add a piece of cut-to-size parchment paper at the bottom of each pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat until combined.
6. In a medium bowl, quickly mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and stir until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pans.
7. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
8. Once cooled, place one layer of banana cake on plate. Smear with about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dulce di lece. Add second layer. Top with more dulce di lece and cover with last layer of cake. Since the caramel is slippery, you might want to add a skewer to avoid layers sliding around. Avoid having caramel drip onto the sides of the cake since the chocolate ganache won't adhere very well.
9. Once assembled, follow ganache instructions below and pour the icing onto the middle of the cake. Gently spread it over the top and sides of the cake and let it set. You might want use half of your chocolate for a thin coat and then add a second coat once the first coat sets. This will result in less waste of ganache and a thicker coating.
10. CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
11. Break the chocolate into pieces. Heat the cream until very hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then cool a bit until you have coating consistency. Pour the icing on to the centre of the cake. Spread it gently over the top and down the sides, and leave to set.

Ingredients

• 2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 4 inches in size)
• 1/2 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon chardonnay vinegar
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili (optional)
• 6 large shrimp, steamed, sauteed or grilled - peeled

Instructions

1. In a blender, puree tomato until almost smooth. Add cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil and season with salt, pepper and chili. Pulse until mostly smooth.
2. Chill soup in the refrigerator 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours). Adjust seasoning; thin with water if necessary. Before serving, chop 4 shrimp into small pieces. Garnish soup with chopped shrimp, a drizzle of olive oil and add one shrimp on each bowl as a garnish.

Notes

Ingredients

• 1 heaping teaspoon of NESCAFÉ instant coffee
• 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (optional)
• 4-6 ice cubes
• 1 cup of milk (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the coffee , sugar and 3 ice cubes to a cocktail shaker or water bottle. Close tightly and shake vigorously until you get a good amount of foam.
2. Pour into large glass, add additional ice cubes and fill glass with milk. (if you prefer not to use milk, add more water to fill your glass). Enjoy!