Butternut squash mousse with wild mushroom and herb Israeli couscous, Medjool date puree and Guinness reduction

Serves 5-6

For mousse:
2 cups butternut squash puree (1 medium squash roaster at 400 degrees for 1hr15 to 1hr30)
½ cup mascarpone cheese
½ cup whipping cream

Combine the squash and mascarpone
Season with salt and pepper
Whip the cream to firm peaks then fold into squash mixture
Check seasoning
Keep chilled


For couscous:
1 cup couscous
1 package dried mushrooms
¾ chopped herbs (tarragon, rosemary, parsley)

Boil couscous in salted water with dried mushrooms until al dente (8-9 min).
Drain and mix with herbs before serving

2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp coriander seeds
¾ cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

Sauté the mushrooms with spices, salt and pepper.
Mix in the hazelnuts

For puree:
½ cup dates
Water as necessary

Blend the dates and press through a fine sieve or tamis

For reductions:
1 btl Guinness or pomegranate juice
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter

Simmer the Guinness or pomegranate juice with the sugar slowly until it reaches syrup consistency then add butter.
Flourless Chocolate cake with tamarind crème anglaise and spicy pear jelly



Serves 8-16

For cake:
400 grams chocolate
8 eggs, whipped to triple the volume
10 tbsp olive oil

Melt the chocolate and let cool slightly
Add the oil and mix well
Fold in the whipped eggs 1/3 at a time

Bake at 325 in a greased and lined cake pan for 30 minutes

For tamarind  anglaise: 
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup sugar
3 yolks
3 tbsp tamarind paste

Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat with the tamarind
Mix the yolks and sugar
Slowly pour the cream into the eggs while mixing
Return egg mixture back to the heat and cook until thickened, stirring constantly
Refrigerate before use

For jelly:
1 pear, peeled and quartered
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1tps chili flakes
1 tsp agar agar

Combine the sugar, water, pear and chili flakes
Bring to a boil and add the agar agar
Boil for 5 minute stirring then strain
Pour jelly into moulds, cups or ice cube trays and refrigerate
Saffron Panna Cotta with cardamom almond crumble, caramel tuile and fresh basil foam


Saffron panna cotta
1 cup milk
1 tsp saffron or to taste
½ cup sugar or to taste
1 tsp agar agar (or per instructions)

Scald the milk and add the sugar
Add the saffron and agar agar, and keep just below a boil for 5 minutes
Strain and pour into molds
Chill before serving


Cardamom almond crumble
¾ stick butter
½ cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp cardamom
A good handful of nuts

Mix all the ingredients, except the nuts, together until it forms a dough
Add the nuts
Sprinkle the dough on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 until golden brown (20-25 minutes)

Caramel tuile
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
2 tbsp syrup
2 tbsp flour
4 tbsp icing sugar

Mix all the ingredients together until they form a soft paste
Spread thinly on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 360 degrees on convection until its caramel brown (10-12min)


Basil foam
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
4-5 basil leaves

Heat the cream and sugar, then steep the basil for 5 minutes
Froth using hand blender