Unexpected v posh foodie guests and need incredibly sophisticated recipes that can be thrown together in 5 minutes.

[Quattrocento]

Please?

tiny new pots with butter and fresh mint

wilted spinach with butter and freshly grated nutmeg.

perfectly cooked, rested, carved in it's own juices...whoooar.

Lemon posset is lovely. Lemony and fresh, but not sharp/astringent, because of the cream and sugar.

If you can get some shortbread biscuits to serve with it, or some amaretti biscuits those are lovely too - but not essential.

I have a teeny kitchen and loads of cooking and bakeware that I use all the time.

I love to cook and bake.

But this all too Nigel Slater for me, I'm afraid.

yum with some puy lentils.

yes we are all having a bit of a wank on here...but nothing wrong with that expat!

I don't undertand wilted spinach though.

his thai prawn and fish curry is to die for, too, with jasmin rice.

to me, though, for a true foodie, it's not wanky so much as just true, good food.

oh god yes expat, actually that is a good one, you can do all the spicing and sauce in advance and just put the coconut milk and fish in at last minute.

beetroot's dh makes this for us every time we see them and we always eat about 8 people's worth leaving them both gobsmacked at our greed.

great recipe.

nibbles: baby tomatoes cut in half. Feta cheese cut in small cubes. Use cocktail stick to pierce half tom, then cheese, then other half tom. Drizzle with a mix of pesto and good olive oil. Yummy

Pud: Lemon 'cheesecake' (the most delicious thing i have ever eaten, takes literally 10 mins to make)
biscuit base (use digestives only or digestive/ginger mix
topping: mix 1 tin condensed milk with medium size (284ml?) carton dbl cream. Add freah lemon juice to taste (usually about 3) It will curcle slightly then smooth and thicken. Pour on top base. Chill (at least 10 mins, up to several days) mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

it's delicious, and with the freshest and best of ingredients you can source and good wine, you can be a fab host knowing you're enjoying your time with your guests and they'll enjoy their meal.

that's what i like about hugh's recipe and nigella's lamb tagine.

bloody spelling
bloody 'cant be arsed to preview'
fresh
3 (lemons, juiced)
curdle

Rewinding a bit, I don't get wilted spinach either

I think roast chicken with couscous and roasted veg (aubergines peppers and the like with plenty of olive oil and seasoning), then the chicken juices stirres through the couscous and served with the veg on top is a top meal for foodies. And not at all 'nursery'.

Fwiw, my MIL, French, in France, serves my parents and I roast chicken every time she does a special meal. it;s not necessarily passé.

stirred. Damn it.

Do Jamie's roast chicken.

With green lentils on the side (along with the potatoes).

Easy and very very yummy.

Crusty loaves of bread, plenty of wine.

For dessert, his chocolate pots.

the Spanish roasted chicken, that is.

here

expat, I love the sound of that recipe. It's in my favourites right now.

it's delicious and allows you to enjoy the evening with the guests rather than faffing around with overly-complicated food.

Okay, I'll go with chicken.

Not sure which chicken recipe - but definitely will go with chicken.

The secret to great food is confidence, the soul of the cook.

Look at Raymond Blanc. The guy just loves food and feeding people.

That's so true, someone else said, if you serve them lovely pasta with a great homemade sauce, it can be just as good if not better than faffing around.