Grease the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) round spring form, then line the bottom of the tin with greaseproof (baking) paper. Make topping first by combining the flour, coconut, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub in the butter and form the ingredients into a ball. Refrigerate until firm.

While the topping is in the refrigerator make the cake by creaming the butter and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Add one egg at a time and beat until combined. Remove mixture to a larger bowl. Stir in half of the sifter flours (plain flour and self-rising flour) with half of the sour cream, then stir in the remaining flours (plain flour and self-rising flour) and the remaining sour cream; mix until smooth.

Spread 1/3 of the cake mixture into the lined spring form, top with half of the chopped apples, sprinkle with half of the cinnamon, then spread carefully with another 1/3 of the cake mixture. Top with the remaining chopped apples and cinnamon. Spread carefully with the remaining cake mixture. Grate the topping coarsely, add almonds and sprinkle evenly over the cake.

Bake in a moderate oven (375-400° F / 190-200° C) for 1-¾ hours. Cover cake with foil halfway through the baking time to stop the topping from getting too brown.

*Castor sugar is a fine, granulated sugar.

Cut the vanilla pods in half length-wise and scrape out the pulp inside. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the wine, vanilla pulp and sugar to a boil, reduce heat and cook until sugar is dissolved.Peel the apples, cut in half, remove the core and slice into thick wedges. Simmer them in the wine stock for about two minutes or until just tender. Remove from the wine and set aside to cool. 

Cut the pitted prunes in quarters or if using plums, cut them in half, remove the pit and cut again (into quarters). Pour the wine stock through a sieve and pour over the prunes or plums. Set aside to soak in the wine for two hours. Soften the gelatin (follow directions on the package). Drain the plums/prunes and place in a saucepan - reserve 3-4 prune pieces for garnish. Pour half of the wine stock over the plums/prunes and bring to a boil. Add the dissolved gelatin, stir through, remove from heat and let it cool.

Line a ¾ liter loaf pan with cellophane paper and arrange the apples and plums/prunes in layers. Pour a little more of the wine stock over the fruit just to the rim of the loaf pan. Cool and place in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. 

Ice Cream

Chop the plums/prunes and mix with the wine. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the milk and half of the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar and add 1/3 of the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly. Pour the egg and wine mixture back into the saucepan and heat slowly until the mixture reaches ca.

180° F (90° C) or until the mixture is set. Sieve the ice cream mixture and cool. Place in freezer. Add the plum/prune and wine mixture just before the ice cream is firm. Serve a slice of the apple and plum terrine with the ice cream. Garnish with a thin wafer and a little of the reserved plum/prune chopped.

Remove the lower part of the stipes (stalks), and tear mushrooms into smaller pieces. Heat the butter to a foam in a large saucepan. Over medium heat sauté the shallots and garlic for about 1 minute, without browning them. Add the mushrooms and sauté them for about 2-3 minutes. Add the white wine and let it come to a boil. Add the chicken stock, cream and sun-dried mushrooms and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes over medium low heat. 

Season the soup with thyme, salt and pepper. Serve immediately with small pieces of toast or fried bread. 

This is quite an easy way to fix veal. The mushrooms add a wonderful flavor to the meat.

Wrap the bacon around the outside of the veal steaks and secure with a wooden toothpick. Grill (barbecue) 4-5 minutes on each side and set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes. Wash, trim and slice the mushrooms. Spray a heavy skillet with olive oil. Add the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and mushrooms and simmer about 5-10 minutes. Wash the broccoli and drain. Divide into small florets. Blanch in lightly salted water (for about 3-4 minutes)

To serve, place a small heaping of broccoli in the middle of the plate, place the meat on top and serve the mushrooms around the outer edge of the plate. Accompaniment: Freshly boiled new potatoes and a good Italian or French bread.

Divide the cauliflower into small florets and blanche them in lightly salted water for 3-4 minutes. Shock with cold water (to stop the cooking process) and drain. 

Chop the olives. Wash the tomatoes, cut them in half and remove the seeds, then chop them. Mix the capers, chopped olives, tomatoes, minced red onion, and chopped basil with the vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the cauliflower and gently mix. Set aside in a cool place for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. 

Mix the meat with the chopped basil, crushed garlic and chopped olives. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Form into four patties. Grill (barbecue) for 5-6 minutes each side over medium heat. Serve with the marinated cauliflower and new, boiled potatoes or a good garlic bread.

* You can substitute 3-4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar for a milder taste.

In a small saucepan, cook the cream and half of the sugar and chopped tarragon until butter has melted. Beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar until light and airy; add the cooked cream a little at a time and continue beating the egg yolks. Cool the cream and sieve.

Cut 2-3 rhubarbs in small pieces. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape out the vanilla. In a small saucepan, cook the rhubarb, vanilla, brown sugar and ½ Cup water for about 10 minutes. Remove the rhubarb from the liquid, pressing out as much of the liquid as possible, and continue cooking the liquid until you have ¾ Cup (1-½ dl) left. You will use this sauce for the dessert.

Wash and cut the rest of the rhubarb into pieces which fit the four ramekins. Butter the ramekins, sprinkle brown sugar into the ramekins and place the rhubarb on the bottoms. Roll out the pastry and cut into four circles so that the edges fit over the ramekins. Press the edges of the pastry over the rhubarb and into the inside of the ramekins. Cut slits or use a fork to prick the pastry. Bake in the oven at 350° F (170° C) for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Pour a little of the tarragon sauce in a lacy pattern onto a dessert plate, pour a little of the rhubarb sauce in a lacy pattern over the tarragon sauce, and turn out the ramekins onto the sauce so that the tart tatin sits in the middle of the plate up-side-down. Garnish with sprig of mint if desired. The dessert is served warm.

Wash and scrub potatoes clean and prick them with a fork. Mix salt and oil, pour over potatoes and mix until potatoes are well coated. Place potatoes in a shallow oven-proof casserole dish in a single layer, pouring any left-over oil over the potatoes. Bake for about 25 minutes or until tender. Stir the potatoes once or twice while they are baking.

Use a wooden pestle and mortar or use a food processor or blender to crush the cumin. Add the chili or paprika and grind again. Remove mixture to a small bowl and add the garlic and oil and stir a few seconds until the mixture is a thick paste. Add the water, vinegar, and salt and stir again. (If using a blender, just keep adding the ingredients in the order given above. Be aware, however, that the quantity is very small and may get lost in a blender.) Pour sauce over the baked new potatoes and mix through. Allow individuals to help themselves. A great accompaniment to a barbecue or grill.The mojo can be made ahead and refrigerated for 24 to 30 hours.

Scrub the potatoes but do not peel them. Cut the potatoes into 6-8 wedges. In a large saucepan, bring enough water to a boil, add the potatoes and boil for about 5 minutes or until potatoes are nearly cooked. Drain the potatoes and let them cool. Heat the olive oil in a large wok and add the cooled potatoes.

In a little bowl, mix the lemon juice, water and tomato paste. Add the black pepper, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, cumin and stir through. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, and stir through. Add the garlic, bay leaves and lemon wedges. Cook the potatoes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Serve with barbecued or grilled meat or seafood.

Note: This dish can be prepared in the oven. Simply preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C),

Place the potato wedges in a greased casserole dish, and add all the ingredients as indicated above to the potatoes. Bake for 35-40 minutes, turning the potatoes occasionally.