If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck . . . fry it!

Duck is fatty but only really in a single thick layer between the skin and flesh – the meat itself is rich but lean. Get the fat out and use it for something else (Roasties)

65 million Buddhists can't be wrong

Do this with prawns, beef, vegetables, whatever you can find, you can't go wrong with this absolutely beautiful thing

What do you mean you don't speak Thai? You eat Green Curry don't you?

You can buy perfectly reasonable thai green curry paste and the shop-bought stuff includes kaffir lime leaves which makes life easier, But Thai food is all about freshness; bright, fresh flavours - herbs, chillis lemongrass. You should try it

Not that yellow stuff, this is much, much better

Don't get me wrong, I love standard paella; the yellow one with seafood, saffron, chorizo and tomatoes. It tastes of sun, sangria and sex

This is what cheap olives are for

There's no real recipe for this in terms of proportions, make it how you like and adjust as you go

Sometimes you just need to make stuff

This is it, no need to mess with it at all, but you can obviously

Potatoes and bacon with wine, cream and cheese. And not just any old cheese - it's Reblochon!

You can make this as a side dish (this recipe) or you can beef it up a bit with chicken and make it almost like a fish pie (a bit more wine and cream) with the potatoes on the top of a creamy chicken and bacon base

Easy-peasy Lemon (or orange or lime or whatever you want or vinegar for that matter) squeezy!

Ahh, it trips off the tongue but you'll never eat mint sauce out of a jar again! So is it just a posh version of mint sauce? Not really. It has basil and parsley as well as mint and can be eaten with anything: try it with fish, it is fabulous.