OK, it might be a bit girlie, but Kidzjé is pretty particular about food and well, every stately home needs a good kitchen, and what else should go in a good kitchen but excellent cuisine! Below are a few of Kidzjé's favourite recipes. A note on quantities, I cook with instinct, I do not enter the kitchen with a periodic table of elements, stick in how ever much stuff you like! If you are vegetarian, feel free to omit those bits you find offensive with my blessing. I'm too old to change my ways. One of the great things about living in Australia is our exposure to a wonderful range of flavours and aromas, take your pick! I am particularly fond of Greek food, but I also like Japanese...

Tomato and basil soup.

1 Tin of tomatoes 1-2 fresh tomatoes Basil Mint 1 med. onion 1 bacon rasher handful of pine nuts worchestershire sauce 1 cup stock olive oil 1 cup water

1. Briefly cook the onion and bacon with a little olive oil. 2. Add tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes-chopped, water, stock, herbs and sauce to taste. 3. Turn down heat, don't allow to boil, just heat through. Add pine nuts just before serving

Additions: You can add minced garlic, mushrooms and serve with grated mozzarella cheese or Parmesan. Yum! Serves 4

Zucchini Fritters (Greek)

5 Zucchini, grated 1 onion,grated 1/2 cup flour 3 eggs, beaten oregano basil parsley salt/pepper olive oil

1. Stick everything in a bowl, mix it up. 2. Shape it into portions. 3. Squash 'em and fry on both sides in a little olive oil. That's it! Food doesn't have to be complex to be delicious.

Additions: Greek yoghurt dip: mix up some plain natural yoghurt, a small grated cucumber, 1 crushed clove of garlic, some fresh mint and a little lemon juice for a tasty dip for your fritters. Serves 4

Mint Beef and Pine-nut Pastries

Olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon cumin ground coriander 300g minced beef 2 tablespoons pine nuts 2 medium potatoes 1/2cup tasty cheese 10 sheets filo pastry 125g butter sauce Olive oil 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic 425g can tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste or tomato sauce 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons fresh mint

Make the pastries first and make the sauce while the pastries are cooking. 1. Cook potatoes until soft and mash. If you have a microwave do this whilst doing step 2. 2. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, spices and onion. Cook until onion is soft, then add beef mint, nuts. 3. Combine potatoes and beef mixture well. 4. Brush pastry sheets with butter and cut into large strips. put about 1 tablespoon of mixture at the end and fold up into a triangular shape. Pinch to keep pastry together. When complete, bake on a greased tray for about 10 minutes (180C) or until they are brown and crisp. 5. Sauce: heat oil, add garlic and onion as before, then undrained crushed tomatoes, paste, sugar, mint and simmer for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

It is helpful if you have a clever person to fold the filo for you! When I make this for friends we always get a production line happening. One in charge of the sauce, one doing the mixing and cooking and my friend Donna is always in charge of the filo.

Veal (Greek)

1 Eggplant 1/4 cup olive oil 1kg diced veal 2 onions, chopped cummin allspice cinnamon coriander paprika 4 cloves crushed garlic 2 bay leaves 2 tins of tomatoes 1/2 cup of water 1 1/2 cups of dry red wine 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 each of Kalamata (pitted) and green olives parsley 1/2 teaspoon sugar salt/pepper

1. Cut up and salt the eggplant and set aside for 30 min. 2. Heat oil and add rinsed eggplant, and brown - set aside. 3. Cook veal then set aside. 4. Cook onions add veal, spices garlic bay leaves. 5. Add crushed tomatoes, water wine simmer (low heat) When veal is tender, add lemon juice parsley, sugar, salt & pepper, simmer til heated through.

Additions: you can cook this successfully in a microwave. Well, I can anyway. Use your common sense. This dish is great in winter. Serves 4-6

Pork and Noodles (Japanese)

1 sheet nori (1/2 will do) 1 tablespoon oil 150g lean pork loin cut into narrow strips 5 sping onions cut into short lengths 1 carrot cut into thin strips 200g of Bok Choy, shreaded 500g Hokkien noodles, gently pulled apart 2 tablespoons of water 2 of Japanese soy sauce 1 table spoon Worcester Sauce 1 mirin 2 teaspoons caster sugar 1 cup bean sprouts.

1. Toast the nori gently over a low heat. This can be tricky- be careful or you will tear it. Cut into thin strips. 2. Heat the oil in a pan or better still, a Wok and lightly stir fry the pork, onions and carrot. 3. Add bok choy, noodles, water, sauces, mirin and sugar. Cook covered for about a minute. 4. Add the bean sprouts and toss the ingredients to cover the vegetables and noodles with the sauces. Serve straight away with shredded nori on top.

Even my Grandfather (Mr Conservative) likes this one. Sometimes I use Udon noodles for this one. Like everything else, adapt and use what you like. You should be able to get all these ingerdients if you look carefully enough. It's worth the effort to get "the real thing".

Medieval Fig Pastries

450 g Figs, minced Powder fort mix: 1/8 teasp each of ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon and pinch of black pepper 1/4 teasp saffron and salt 1 egg, separated 6-7 sheets of pastry olive oil 225ml warmed clear honey

1. Prepare dried figs by soaking for at least 8 hours. Save liquid. 2. Combine all but egg white in a bowl and give it a good whiz with a food processor. 3. Cut pastry, brush with egg white and place fig mix in and wrap up. 4. Fry lightly and serve with warm honey and liquid mix.

Additions: this is really excellent with ice cream.

Kidzjé's Tea

Russian Caravan Tea Vanilla Water

Brew tea as you would normally do, then add vanilla just before serving. Don't put more than 1 teaspoon per cup as this spoils the flavor. The effect should be warm, subtle and sweet. Just like me ;)

Additions: If you're a coffee freak you can do the same. Both these recipes are great winter treats for rainy afternoons spent inside with friends.

Summer Surprises

Midori Liqueur Fresh mint "Coola" or GI cordial Ginger Ale Fruit juice

Put fruit juice of your choice and cordial together (as if you were going to drink them on their own) and mix with mint. Add ginger ale and Midori (be generous but too much creates bitterness). Serve with ice and sit somewhere pleasant on a summer's afternoon/evening. I know it sounds odd, but I've made this for a couple of years now and I've had no complaints so far!!