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     Salmon tartar are a tasty starter. Because the fresh salmon is served raw, it retains its mild flavor. 

Coarsely chop the smoked salmon and place in a bowl. Mince the fresh salmon and place in a separate bowl. Add fresh lemon juice to the freshly minced salmon and let it marinate for 2-3 minutes. Add the dill, salt and pepper to the fresh salmon. 

Remove the stipe (stalk) of the Portobello mushroom and fry them in a skillet over medium high heat in a little olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Turn the mushroom over and season with salt and pepper.

Place the four large Portobello mushroom four small plates and fill each mushroom with equal portions of the salmon tartar. Garnish with rucolla lettuce. Serve immediately. Good with a small piece of toast.

* Be sure that the salmon has been frozen for about 24 hours before you mince it for the salmon tartar.

(Serves 4)

4 large Portobello mushrooms
1-2 Tbsp olive oil for frying

Salmon Tartar
3 oz (ca. 90 g) smoked salmon
3 oz (ca. 90 g) fresh salmon*
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper mixture
1 Cup rucola lettuce

     Blinis are a nice starter or a nice treat on a warm afternoon with friends. The blinis can be made up ahead of time and warmed or served cold.

Warm the milk and light sour cream (or crème fraiche) and add the yeast. Mix the salt, honey , and egg yolk with the flour and the sour cream mixture. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes. Beat the egg whites stiff and add to the pancake mixture. Place a little butter in a blinis pan and fry the blinis or use a regular skillet and make small pancakes. Fry about two minutes on each side. The blinis should be about 1/8 to ¼ inch (½ cm) thick. 

Wash mushrooms under running water and trim the stems. Cut into quarters. Heat a skillet, add a little olive oil and fry the mushrooms over medium high heat. Season them with salt and pepper.

Whip the cream with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place two blinis on each plate. Place a little lemon cream on the blini, top with 1 tablespoon mushroom mixture; place the second blini on top and cover with more lemon cream and another tablespoon mushroom mixture. Garnish with freshly ground pepper, a piece of lettuce and a sprig of chervil. Good with a glass of cold white wine or other cold drink.

(Serves 4)

1-½ Cups (2 dl) milk
¼ Cup (½ dl) light sour cream or crème fraiche
½ oz (15 g) yeast
½ tsp salt
½ tsp honey
2 small egg yolks
3 oz (90 g) buckwheat
3 oz (90 g) all purpose flour
2 small egg whites, beaten stiffly
Butter for frying
10 oz (300 g) brown, button mushrooms
Olive oil for frying

Lemon Cream
1 Cup (2 dl) cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Grated rind of ½ lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish with freshly ground black or red pepper, sprigs of chervil or a lettuce leaf.

     Wash the limes and using a peeler or zester, cut strips of lime peel and then mince the peel. Wash and slice the fennel julienne, mix with the lime juice from half a lime and let it marinate for 30 minutes. In a medium skillet, dry roast the lime peel, but do not let it turn color, then mix it with the olive oil.

     Wash the tomatoes, cut into quarters, remove the seeds and chop the tomatoes until they are quite fine. Mince the Spanish onion and mix with the tomatoes, and marinated fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the two limes and mix the lime juice with the onion and tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

     Steam* the cod fillets for about 10 minutes or until they turn opaque. Place the filets in a dish and cover them with the tomato and Spanish onion mixture. Let the fish marinate for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

     Serve by placing the marinated vegetables on a small plate and top with a nice piece of cod. If the cod filets are large, cut them into equal pieces before serving them.

     Serve with a chilled white wine such as a Chardonnay, Lindeman’s Bin 65.  This is an Australian wine.

     *You may also poach the cod filets in a medium-sized pot by placing them in a little water, a fish bouillon, and carrot, half an onion, a bay leaf. Poach the fish covered and simmer gently until the fish is cooked (it will turn opaque).

(Serves 8 )

15-16 oz (450 g) fresh cod filets

2 limes

Juice of ½ a lime

3 oz (100 g) fennel

¾ cup (6 fl oz / 1-¼ dl / 190 ml) olive oil

7 oz (ca. 200 g) fresh tomatoes

3 oz (100 g) Spanish onion (red onion)

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash or two of sugar

Accompaniment: Toast or small rolls.

     Julienne the zucchini, carrots and the celery root. Blanch the vegetables separately until just tender and shock them immediately in cold water. Drain and squeeze gently to remove excess water. Arrange vegetables in piles evenly across 8 plates and top each pile with an equal amount of crabmeat. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and salt to taste in a small bowl. 

     Spoon over the crabmeat mixture and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

By Richard Lipton

(Serves 8)

2 small zucchini

2 small carrots, peeled

1 small celery root, peeled

1 pound crabmeat, picked well

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Salt to taste

     Meantime, cut the apples in half, remove the seeds and cut into fairly thin slices. In a small skillet, sauté the apples until soft. Add the honey.

     Serve the grilled bread and cheese served with a generous topping of sautéd apples and a little thyme.

(Serves 4)

8 slices of round goat cheese
8 thick slices of small French bread

2 apples
1 oz (30 g) butter
2 Tbsp honey
Fresh (or dried) thyme

     Beat the egg whites until very stiff and fold in the shredded cheese and crab meat. Pile crab meat mixture on the buttered toast rounds. Sprinkle bacon on top and broil until cheese starts to melt and eggs turn a light golden brown. Top each starter with a couple of stuffed olive slices and serve with a chilled white wine.

     *You can also toast 8-10 slices of bread and with a cookie cutter, cut out 10-16 round pieces.

(Serves 6-8)

1/2 cup (1 dl) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 oz (180-225 g) freshly cooked crab meat (or 1, 6 oz /
180-225 g canned crab meat)
2 stiffly beaten egg whites
20, 2-inch toast rounds, buttered (butter optional)* 
3 strips bacon, fried, drained and crumbled
4-5 stuffed green olives, sliced

     Thoroughly blend the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Add the ground cooked ham, grated hard-boiled eggs, pickle relish and a dash of ground cloves. Season
with a little salt and pepper if you wish.

     Using a cookie cutter, cut out the toast into heart shapes and top with the ham spread. Serve two pieces per person on a leaf of lettuce and a couple of wedges of red tomatoes. Sprinkle a little freshly chopped parsley over the starters and serve with a chilled white wine.

     Mix all ingredients in a crockpot or in a chafing dish that can melt cheese and blend the flavors.  Heat for about 1 hour in a crockpot, less time in a chafing dish.
Serve hot with taco chips.

1 lb cheese - the type that melts easily, such as cheddar,
    Gouda, American or Velveeta cheese - cut into cubes.
1-1/2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1 chopped tomato
1, 8 oz bottle of hot taco sauce
1/2 can hot green chilies  (a whole can creates "heat")

     Wash, clean and slice the fresh mushrooms. Finely shred the fresh bay leaves and finely mince the garlic. In a heavy skillet, pour a little olive oil (ca. 1-2 Tbsp) and sauté the mushrooms, garlic and shredded bay leaves until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are a light golden brown. Remove and set aside. Stir the cream cheese and freshly chopped herbs and mix with the mushrooms. Serve with toast rounds or plain crackers.

10 oz (300 g) fresh mushrooms
A little olive oil
5 fresh bay leaves (if available)
3-4 large cloves garlic
6 oz (200 g) cream cheese
Fresh herbs, finely chopped, e.g. parsley, basil,
coriander, oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

     Beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the light sour cream and mayonnaise and beat again until smooth. (This can be done in a blender.) 

     Drain and chop the salmon and add to the above mixture. Add grated lemon rind, lemon juice, mustard, chopped shallots, parsley and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

     Refrigerate an hour or so to let the flavors blend and serve with toasted bread rounds or crackers.

(Serves 6)

250 g (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 Cup light sour cream
1/4 Cup mayonnaise
2 x 90 g (3 oz) plain or smoked salmon
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp French mustard
4 shallots
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

     Baking time: Approx. 6 mins. at 225°C 425°F Gas 7 Drain the mussels thoroughly through a sieve. Divide them equally between 6 individual ovenproof dishes. Mix the butter with the other ingredients, and spread over the mussels. Bake the mussels in the middle of the oven until golden and serve them hot.

     Accompaniment: Toast and lemon wedges.

Serves 6

2 tins mussels in own juice (approx. 500 g) 
75g butter, softened
1 tbsp finely chopped onion (shallot) 
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley 
2 tbsp Finely chopped hazelnuts 
3 tbsp white breadcrumbs (day-old) 
2 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp coarse salt
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper.

     Beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add the mayonnaise and sour cream and beat until smooth. 

     Finely chop the bacon; peel and finely chop the onion. In a heated frying pan (skillet) gently fry the bacon until crisp and remove from pan. Drain the pan, add a little butter and gently sauté the onions until tender and trans- parent. Remove the onions and set aside to cool.

     To the cream cheese mixture, add the curry powder, mustard, paprika and cooled onion and bacon. Shell and chop the boiled eggs. Add the eggs and chopped parsley to the cheese mixture and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate about an hour to let the flavors blend.

     Serve with toast rounds or crackers.

(Serves 6 - 8) 

250 g (8 oz) cream cheese
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/2 Cup sour cream
3 Slices of bacon
1 Small onion
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper
3 hard-boiled eggs
1 Tbsp chopped parsley