Peanut flavour ice cream

to make 500g of ice cream:
200ml cream
150ml milk
85g sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 egg
2+ large tbsp of peanut butter
pinch of salt

1. Slice open the vanilla pod and remove the vanilla seeds with the back of a knife. Place the cream, milk, sugar and the empty vanilla pod in a sauce pan and bring to just boiling.
2. In a large bowl, mix the egg with a pinch of salt and the vanilla seeds.
3. Slowly add the heated cream mix to the egg while whisking vigorously. Scoop out the vanilla pod and discard.
4. Add the peanut butter and mix until the cream mixture is smooth.
5. Leave to cool and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
6. If you have an ice cream maker you can use that from this point on, if you don't own one (like me), pour the cream into a metallic pot and place in the freezer compartment for at least 5 hours. Mix the ice cream every 30-60min to achieve the creamy effect. If you only allow it to freeze without mixing you will taste the water icicles and not iced cream!

French Crêpes

Enough for 5 crêpes:

- 125g plain flour
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 200ml milk
- a knob of butter
- 70ml water

1. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.
2. Mix together the egg with milk and water.
3. Slowly add the egg mix into the flour and whisk continuously to make a smooth batter mix.
4. Melt the knob of butter and stir into the batter mix too.
5. Ready to cook! Grease a non-stick frying pan with butter, spoon enough batter to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Cook and flip the crepe when the edge start to come away from the pan. Cook till both sides are golden.

Ideas: Mushroom, ham and cheese crêpe
Cook some mushrooms with butter in a frying pan. Pour away all the liquids once the mushooms are cooked. Stir in some ham and grated cheese (best is Gruyère). Spoon the filling onto a crêpe and fold into quarters. Bake in 180°C oven for 5 min and serve immediately.

Taiwan pride - Beef Noodle

Base recipe

Beef brisket - 1-1.5kg, cut into 4cm cubes

Group A
4 Spring onion - cut side ways
6 ginger slices
6 cloves garlic
1 red chilli pepper, halved

Group B
2 tomatos, peeled and quartered
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, in chunks

Coriander - to serve
Plain noodle - to serve

Spice base:

Group A
Black bean paste - 3 tbsp
Taiwan BBQ sauce 沙茶醬 - 2 tbsp
Chilli paste - 1 tsp

Group B
Soya sauce - 100-150ml
Rice wine - 3 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Star anise (optional) - 3 pieces

1. Briefly boil beef cubes in boiling water to wash out the blood, set aside
2. Fry Group A ingredients and spice base on medium heat, set aside
3. Fry Group B ingredients and spice base, plus the beef cubes from step 1., add mixture from step 2.
4. Add 1-1.5 litre of water or beef stock
5. Cook on low heat for 2 hours (minimum)
6. Sprinkle spring onion / preserved cabbage / coriander to serve