Today's recipe: Birthday platters

I love birthdays. Anybody’s, everybody’s and especially mine – no need for false modesty I say. Bring on the party! Bring on the presents! Let's have some fun! And so what could be better than a birthday while underway in Portugal – yippee!

This recipe falls into the totally easy and magnificently impressive section. Three ingredients, 10 minutes tops of work and you have a starter that will knock the socks off your friends. If this is a good thing or a bad thing depends entirely on the foot hygiene level of your friends…

Forgive me, for I have not posted in 3 weeks. And I have so many things to tell you about. I shall not say (yet again) where has the time gone to, but I really really want to. So I am just going to get straight into continuing on about Tapas. We made quite a religion of it on our travels, sitting ourselves down and making pre-dinner food. Today I am going to show you some of our cheese, chorizo (paprika salami) and olive tapas.

I am finally posting a recipe in February with just a few minutes in hand before March kicks in. I impress myself! Today's recipe is for bunny and although I too don't like to think of the cute cuddly pet in relation to what is on my plate, when I see what “cutey” is currently doing to my cabbages, I become less sentimental.

While blog browsing several months ago, I came across a reference to Cauliflower panna cotta, but no recipe. I was amazed that such a thing existed as I know panna cotta only as the Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, then adding just enough gelatin to make it set (not too much mind you). Upon further research I also found a foie gras panna cotta which I have modified and experimented with just for you.

Only two days to go before my parents arrive to come and live with us and 4 posts still to do this month! As I promised to give you the recipes from “my” birthday, it’s about time I did just that. So without further ado here is the starter/appetizer recipe: Apples stuffed with foie gras.

6 days and 4 hours without internet! How did we cope for all those years when it didn't exist is my question. After a power failure we were computerless for what seemed like an eternity. Pacing the room and begging doesn't work - waiting for the holidays to end and the repairman to return, does. So I'm back (thanks Arnie) and will continue with tales of Africa very soon.

Just before leaving France, we partook in the age old French tradition of bottling confit of duck and foie gras / fat liver. Foie gras is a much discussed product and I am not going to make a judgment about if one should eat it or not – I’ll let everyone decide for themselves. We enjoyed joining our French (and Scottish) neighbors / friends in preparing this traditional French delicacy so I thought I’d tell you about our fun evening and give you the recipes.

I have to make a confession: it’s been 2 weeks since my last post. You’ve noticed? Today is my birthday and I was born in the year of the monkey (I think), but I should have been born in the year of the dog as I seem always to be chasing my tail! Sorry about that, but all that running about in circles chasing my tail put me way behind with everything, but I am back with a vengeance and so let me get back to our holiday (before I completely forget that such a thing exists as not working and having fun!). As always, your oyster recipes will be at the end of the post.