Dinner party

Tamari and ginger make a puddle of delicious sauce for this steamed Asian bream. We used whole bream for this recipe, but any fairly small white-fleshed fish can be used.

Fresh, plump figs stuffed with nuts and cheese and then baked. Finish this gorgeous walnut and ricotta stuffed figs recipe with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce for a luscious dessert.

Cooking fish on the bone adds bags of flavour to the flaky white flesh. Make this spiced version the star of your next special meal.

To add real zing to a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes, there's nothing like adding a handful of freshly-grated parmesan cheese. The better the cheese, the better the mash will be. In a pinch, you can use ready flaked parmesan from a packet, but the ready-grated stuff doesn't really cut the mustard here.

Piquant tomato vinaigrette makes a wonderful dressing for tender steamed asparagus spears. Serve as a starter, or as a side dish for a meat, chicken or fish main.

The contrast between soft, silken tofu and crispy fried noodles is just one of the things that makes mee krob so utterly moreish. Good thing it's good for you too!

The secrets of making perfect tempura are: use the freshest vegetables you can find; make sure both the vegetables and the batter are really cold (this prevents the batter from soaking up too much oil); maintain a constant temperature by only frying a few pieces at a time; make the batter just before required; finally, don't over mix the batter - lumpy is good.

Crème catalana is the Catalan version of the French dessert, crème brulée. In fact, many regions lay claim to the origin of this dish. It's traditionally prepared on fathers day in Spain. We think you should enjoy it all year round.

Romesco sauce is a Catalonian delicacy, a rich, thick and spicy sauce that is simply perfect paired with grilled leeks and green onions.

Sweet and tart, fruity and creamy, this dessert is a taste sensation that will impress any guest.

Nutty parmesan is the perfect accompaniment to fresh, crisp sliced fennel.

Lighter than custard, lemon chiffon cream adds a citrus kick to this fruity mango trifle. Revel in some old-fashioned indulgence with layers of jelly, fruit, sponge fingers and cream.

This fresh and tasty seafood dish is perfect for a Summer lunch or dinner with family and friends.

The perfect starter dish, vegetable rice paper rolls with a sweet and punchy chilli dipping sauce. They also make a great platter of party food, just make sure to have napkins on hand.

For an easy, elegant dessert, try these decadent sandwiches of golden puff pastry, juicy berries and custard cream.

Elegant and delicate without sacrificing flavour, this angel hair pasta with salmon roe and chervil is a great dinner party or lunch party recipe.

Two dozen oysters on shaved ice topped with our red wine vinegar or spicy lime dressing is a perfect party platter.

Now an established classic in the honour roll of great cookie recipes, these white chocolate and macadamia cookies are crisp on the edges and deliciously chewy inside. The perfect mid-afternoon indulgence.

Three fabulous greens in one dish, this buttery, herby dish of leeks, zucchini and asparagus is an ideal side dish for almost any meat-based main.

Soft, sweet and mild pear makes the perfect sidekick for tart rhubarb in this delicious sponge-topped pudding. Serve with double cream or ice-cream.

This capsicum, fennel and red onion salad is delicious served warm as a side dish with a roast joint of meat. If you prefer capsicum skinned prior to cooking, just hold over a gas flame, using tongs, until the skin blackens, allow to cool and slide off.

Sweet, fruity and zesty, this pineapple, passionfruit and coconut dish is beautiful enjoyed on it's own or with a dollop of cream or ice-cream.

A classic family favourite, this beautiful roast chicken dish is full of flavour from the baked fennel and garlic, and best of all you can cook almost the whole meal in one pan.

Whole fish always make for a sensational centrepiece when you're entertaining. If snapper is unavailable, use any of your favourite whole, firm-fleshed fish for this recipe.

Rizogalo is a traditional Greek-style creamed rice pudding that can also be served cole. Often spiced with cinnamon and lemon peel, it is also delicious served topped with nuts and honey.

Quick, juicy and tender, these roasted pork fillets with orange make a great mid-week dinner. Serve with some crusty bread and a green salad.

This simple little bitter lettuce salad is the perfect side dish to serve with rich stews and pies.

Similar to creme caramel, cinnamon flan has the same delicate custard base topped with a burnt sugar caramel, but with added spice.

This delicious, layered nutty chocolate and coffee ice-cream cake is topped with a layer of tender pistachios and toffee coated almonds. An altogether grown-up take on the classic ice-cream cake.

This is one of those throw-it-together-in-a-flash recipes that come in super handy mid-week, when you're flat-out but still want to eat well. Linguine with tuna, lemon and rocket is a classic pantry special.

Soaked in fragrant honey and tossed in sesame seeds, these honey almond pastry fingers are sticky and nutty and impossible to resist.

Burnt butter adds a gourmet edge to this delicious apple cake. Perfect for an afternoon tea-party, or just because you fancy something special on the weekend.

Like a pared back version of Eton mess, with strawberries alone rather than a mix of berries, this strawberry meringue cream also has a shot of liqueur to spice things up.

These little cherry tomato and marinated bocconcini skewers pack a whole lot of flavour into each tiny bite-sized piece. They're the perfect vegetarian inclusion on a cocktail party menu.

The caramel frosting has a cheeky burnt sugar edge that serves as the perfect pairing for this indulgent mud cake. It's an excellent teatime cake, and the perfect post-dinner dessert.

Deliciously creamy and packed full of the goodness of yellow split peas, this tasty dip is perfect enjoyed with veggie sticks or cracker as a afternoon snack or starter.

Wasabi mayonnaise is a cinch to make and is also great in cooked tuna sushi and California rolls.

Packed with spicy vegetables, juicy chicken and seasoning, whip up this salad in fifteen minutes.

As a sea-faring people for most of their history, the Portuguese know a thing or two about seafood and what to do with it, as this Portuguese-style seafood stew demonstrates.

Salt and Sichuan pepper seasoning does wonderful things to the rich, dark taste of duck. If cooked cucumber is just not your thing, use zucchini instead of the lebanese cucumber.

The delicate flavour of tarragon is beautiful paired with the bitter leaves of a mixed mesclun salad.

A favourite Aussie starter dish, salt and pepper squid is beautiful enjoyed on it's own as an entree or accompanied with this fresh cucumber salad for a more substantial main meal.

Simple, smooth and creamy, buttery mashed celeriac is a fabulous side dish, either in place of or as well as mashed potato.

We used Granny Smith apples for this pork loin with couscous and apples. To simplify making this recipe, ask your butcher to remove any excess fat and butterfly the pork for you.

Quick, tasty and packed full of goodness, this tasty dish made with sardines and a fragrant caper dressing makes a perfect mid-week dinner dish.

Couscous makes a perfect, fluffy base for the strong flavours of tomato and rocket. Add the dressing and herbs with as heavy a hand as suits your palate, the grains will soak it all up.

These classic red dyed eggs are traditionally enjoyed at Greek Orthodox Easter.

Baking the kumara and honey soy pork in the same dish helps ensure that the pork fillets stay juicy, and allows all the flavours of the dish to intermingle and intensify.

A beautiful side dish for a Mediterranean dinner spread, these garlic and herb roasted tomatoes are wonderfully sweet and juicy.

These tasty Japanese chicken yakitori skewers are delicious enjoyed on their own or as part of a big Asian dinner spread.

This lime and poppy seed syrup cake is topped with fragrant lime zest. Before you grate the lime, make sure it is at room temperature and roll it, pressing down hard with your hand, on the kitchen bench to bring out the oil in the peel.

A saucy, spiced Cantonese vegetable mix designed to be served on top of poached or steamed snapper, grilled white fish fillets or poached chicken breasts.

Minute steak is a thinly cut slice that can come from any part of the cow, but is most often rump. It's a tasty and economical cut that can, and should be, cooked very quickly hence its name.

It's the toffee sauce that makes these little sticky date puddings super delicious, and extra indulgent, rich with the dark flavours of caramelised sugar.

Three of the finest fish on the market served up as carpaccio, tuna, kingfish and salmon each come with their own dressing to maximise the taste sensations of this dish.

Slices of creamy camembert on pumpernickel topped with pear compote make sophisticated canapes for a cocktail party.

Putting a tropical twist on the traditional Italian tiramisu, the combination of sweet mango and zesty passionfruit will keep your loved ones coming back for more.

Hot-smoked trout is exactly what it sounds like, trout that has been cured in a hot smoker, a method that is used to preserve fish, meat, cheese and nuts while bestowing a distinctive flavour of wood-smoke.

Totally falling under the category of comfort food, this gnocchi with creamy sauce is a rib-sticker.

Sweet, dense and oozing with sticky golden syrup, this gorgeous steamed pudding is perfect served warm with a dollop of cream or ice-cream for an indulgent weekend treat.

Fresh, fruity and sweet, this gorgeous passionfruit panna cotta and mango dessert is perfect for entertaining guests or an indulgent weekend treat.

This herbaceous and light Thai chicken and lychee salad is a study in contrasts, of both flavour and texture; tender and crisp, sweet and spicy, it's got it all.

Deep-fried crisps make the perfect party snack.

Queso anejo and poblano chillies bring an authentic Mexican flavour to this gourmet guacamole. If you can't lay your hands on any queso anejo, you can use parmesan and other similar cheeses in its place.

The classic French combination of tender veal cutlets and creamy, fragrant anchovy garlic butter is perfect for a special dinner with friends.

The raspberry and almond cake can be made a day ahead, then split and fill the cake with mascarpone cream on the day of serving.

Rich, crunchy, dense and caramelly, this upside-down chocolate caramel nut cake is a slice of pure indulgence. Perfect with coffee as a special afternoon tea, or served up to celebrate a birthday.

You can use any firm white fish fillet, such as ling or blue-eye, for this tasty fish with thai-style dressing.

Crisp and flaky French pastries, palmiers are so-named because they are folded and shaped to resemble the leafy arc formed by palm tree branches. Honey, pistachio and rosewater add a touch of the Middle East to these quintessentially French pastries.

Just as yummy as a pumpkin scone, and more useful for breakfast on the go or lunch-boxes. A delicious variation to this rosemary pumpkin bread is to add 100g crumbled soft goat cheese or crumbled soft blue cheese to the pumpkin mixture.

This is a cold, fruity and deliciously moreish party punch that, funnily enough, packs a bit of a punch. We used a traminer riesling for this recipe, but you can use any medium-dry white.

A kind of variation on sang choy bow, these little parcels of spicy chicken salad in witlof leaves make a great starter or platter of finger food for a party.

Steaming this Thai-style chicken draws the flavour of the seasoning right into the flesh of the fillet. If the silver beet leaves are small, use two per chicken breast. If kaffir lime leaves are unavailable, use 2 teaspoons of finely grated lime rind.

There are few more satisfying dessert experiences than plunging your spoon into a chocolate fondant cake and watching the molten centre run out.

Enjoy this sweet, tangy and deeply citrusy blood orange jelly straight out of the pot as a light summer dessert.

When the occasion calls for a light, tasty dinner you can't go past a plate of salmon steaks with a crisp fennel and apple salad. If you need something slightly more substantial, serve with good bread or a baked potato.

An exotic spice-rub makes this beef fillet extra tender and mouthwateringly delicious. Served on a bed of chickpea and preserved lemon salad, the whole meal is just a taste sensation.

Made from a combination of ricotta cheese and whipped cream studded with chocolate and candied peel and topped with chocolate curls, this Sicilian cheesecake recipe is a delight.

This is a super way to serve asparagus as finger food. It also makes a lovely starter, especially with some ripe figs on the side. If you want to take it up a notch, you can put a small slice of fontina cheese under the prosciutto, and quickly pan fry to melt the cheese before serving.

These traditional Parisian delicacies are named after a palm tree because, when baked, they resemble palm fronds. Palmiers were probably invented as a way to make use of puff pastry scraps; quick and easy, they're great for afternoon tea.

Gyoza are Japanese dumplings, usually pork but sometimes vegetable, that are steamed and then fried, before being dunked in sauce, in this case our delicious soy vinegar sauce.

This frittata, loaded with bacon and potato, makes a great weekend lunch dish, or a light dinner with a green salad and some crusty bread on the side.

Fragrant with lemongrass and lime leaves, this chicken and galangal soup is traditionally known as tom ka gai.

There's something seductive about the melting cheese in this Veal Cordon Bleu that makes it timeless and one of our all-time favourites.

Redfish, usually sold skinned as fillets, is ideal for these fish cakes because of its delicate flavour. You can, however, use practically any mild-flavoured, skinless fish fillet.

Rocket, garlic and chilli add lots of peppery heat to this quick but flavoursome spaghetti dish, while pine nuts and parmesan bring the whole dish together.

This simple swordfish with Thai dressing should be cooked on a barbecue or griddle pan just before serving to help keep the fish at it's tender, juicy best.

You can use feta or any soft, crumbly cheese instead of the goat cheese, and toasted pecan halves make a nice change from walnuts. This roasted capsicum pasta salad makes a great lunch-box meal too.

Tender morsels of meat and sweet chilli sauce combine to make these barbecued beef ribs finger-lickingly good. Be sure to prepare enough per person, or you'll have people fighting over the last bone!

This lamb, eggplant and prune tagine is rich, unctuous and utterly delicious. Best served on a pile of fluffy couscous with preserved lemon.

This dish is sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party.

Chicken liver pate can be served on toast or biscuits, with drinks or, set in small individual containers, it is a perfect first course for a dinner party.

Chocolate, lemon and thyme truffles

It’s important to buy sashimi-quality fish for this recipe. We used kingfish as well as the tuna and salmon in this recipe. Ask your fishmonger for the best sashimi-quality white fish available that day. Note

Equipment: deep 22cm (9-inch) round cake pan deep 15cm (6-inch) round cake pan 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board medium offset metal spatula 3 wooden skewers. Note

Try this cake with other fillings such as apple or pear. The cake is best made on the day of serving. Note