Serves 4- 6 • 500 gr carnaroli rice (as a rough calculation: 2 handful of rice per person plus 2 for the pot) • 1 litre of fresh chicken stock or very good quality stock cubes • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped • 150 gr unsalted butter • 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil • 300 ml dry white wine • 1/2 teaspoon saffron • bone marrow (get the butcher to cut 2 large veal bones length way, so you can easily remove the marrow) • freshly grated Parmiggiano • freshly ground pepper • salt • in a saucepan

At the fish market this morning, I found these beautiful, fresh sea urchins. To me they are the real flavor of the sea, so intense! I love to serve them on toasted sourdough bread and butter, or as a ‘carpaccio’ with king fish. •  very thinly slice some king fish • deep fried some capers ( instead of using salt) • arrange the fish on a plate • sprinkled some virgin olive oil over the ‘carpaccio’ • sprinkle the capers around • lay out the sea urchin roe as a center Et voilá

This is such a quick and easy way to make a pie, admittedly there is a bit of cheating going on… but I think from time to time that is OK! • buy a very good quality sweet short crust pastry (this is the cheating part) • 3 granny smith apples • 50 gr ground almonds • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 50 gr raw caster sugar • juice and pith of 1/2 organic lemon • 50 gr unsalted butter • preheat the oven to 200˚ • butter a 25 cm pie dish • spread out the pastry making a wavy border

The reason you should activate nuts, is to get rid of Phytic acids. They bind themselves to the minerals and make the absorption of the nuts more difficult. So it is a healthier way of eating them. • soak the nuts (I have done this with almonds) for about 6 hours in water • drain them • spread them on an oven tray, lined with grease proof paper • put them over night in a very low oven, minimum setting The nuts should be beautifully crunchy and incredibly delicious. Store them in an airtight container.

Friends dropped in last night for a drink. I quickly prepared these delicious little ‘canapés.’ I always keep puff pastry in the freezer, exactly for unexpected moments like this. Anchovies, Parmigiano, prosciutto and tinned tomatoes are also always in my fridge. • spread your favorite toppings on top of the pastry • roll it up tightly • slice the pastry roll in thin little slices • put them on a grease proof paper lined oven tray • bake them in a preheated oven, 200˚ for about 10-15 min • just check and take them out when golden • I had some puff

Chicken soup for my family, is the real saviour in case of illness, feeling a bit low in body and spirit and, as I did today for my son Daniel who just flew in from San Francisco, to fight those nasty bugs you tend to pick up on long flights. It is real comfort food, so easy to make and you have a ready meal for a few days in a row. Of course you can add any other vegetables that you like. • one organic chicken • 1 large onion • 3 large carrots • 4 to 5 celery

Here is a dessert idea for new years eve. It is a pomegranate jelly. You can buy very good pure pomegranate juice at the supermarket. • gelatin sheets soften in cold water • boil about 1/2 a cup of water with • 3 table spoons of sugar, when the sugar has dissolved • squeeze out the water from the gelatin sheets and add them to the sugar water • stir in 1 liter of pomegranate juice with the rest • pour into a jelly mold • refrigerate overnight if possible I have decorated this jelly with eatable gold leaf and berries, to

I love this dessert, ‘Monte Bianco’. My mother used to do it for New Years eve and it always brings back beautiful memories. Having grown up in Switzerland, New Year was always very cold and the snow was thick outside. This dessert takes the name from one of our beautiful mountains in the alps. • use a tin of very good quality chestnuts puree • mix about 2 tablespoons of cream to lighten the paste up • push it through a ‘potato ricer’ or a ‘spätzle press’ • on a serving dish, arrange the chestnut ‘vermicelli’ • cover it with meringues • whip

This Paté is perfect, served with drinks or as a starter with crunchy bread. The recipe below is for about 6 people. • 400 gr organic chicken liver • 400 gr organic duck liver both chopped and rid of any filaments • 200 gr unsalted butter • 4-5 thin rashes of bacon, chopped • 1 Spanish onion, chopped • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled • fresh sage and rosemary leaves • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1/2 class of Oloroso Sherry or Cognac • salt and pepper to taste • in a large fry pan • melt about 50 gr

I am often left with spare egg whites and this is a fantastic way to use them. • 8 organic egg whites • 125 gr unsalted butter • 200 gr raw castor sugar • pinch of salt • 125 gr unbleached self raising flour • 100 gr toasted almonds • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • preheat the oven to 180˚ • butter a 25 cm spring form cake tin • melt the butter and leave to cool a little • beat the egg whites until they hold their peaks then, still beating, slowly • add