All I want for Christmas is..chocolate!

It always surprises me the number of people who have friends around and do not put music on. Even if you are the worst host on the planet, everyone must know by now that music creates instant atmosphere. Rule number #1.

It is also surprising how many people seem more worried about their furniture than ensuring their guests feel comfortable. I would suggest to offer plates to your guests so that they won't need to use napkins or,even worse, their hands with the increased risk of dropping crumbs or sauces. Rule number #2.

Finally, and I know that this is very controversial among Brits, I just cannot stand having to remove my shoes. Especially if I have forgotten to wear the clean and holes-free-socks. (My granny always said you had to make sure you have clean underwear and new socks in case you get run over by a bus and are taken to the morgue...not too sure I would be that bothered at that point...).

Of course if your guests have just stepped from a muddy garden, shoes will be abandoned at the entrance. But in that case you hope you have sensible and polite enough friends who don't need to be told. Rule number #3.

Of course the same amount of basic rules exist also for guests. But this will be covered in one of my next blogs.

I do not want to pride myself as being the *perfect* host but it seems to me that these are basic rules that everyone ought to observe, even those who hate having people around, those who go nuts and get into real panic at the mere thought.

It is true that I do love "entertaining". But I think the secret is to invite enough close friends whom you can ask to bring a dish and contribute to the buffet - especially those you know love cooking. Your job will be a lot easier! Cunning eh?

Last Saturday we had most of our best friends at home. I thought of trying a triumphal cake which wasn't too Christmassy but celebratory enough. Sophie Dahl made in her "Celebratory" mood a flour-less chocolate cake. I have modified it a bit to suit my tooth better (less sweet and less buttery). And served it with fresh fruit. I know, I did say that I would never buy strawberries in December. I can call to my defence that it wasn't me who bought them!!...you can replace them with the more seasonal cranberries or any other berries you find in season.

The photo is not the best I could have done but I had a pressing crowd behind wanting to tuck its spoon in it...

Dark chocolate cake

300g dark chocolate

6 eggs

140g sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

160g butter

1 tsp coffee powder

150ml hot water

1 tab of creme fraiche

mixed fresh fruit

icing sugar

1. Cut the chocolate in medium pieces and place them in the mixer. Add to the mixer the sugar and blitz to turn the chocolate into chips. Add the butter and blend more.

2. Transfer the chocolate into a large bowl. Add the water and mix well. By doing this you make sure that there are some bits of chocolate in the final product rather than being a smooth paste as otherwise you can melt it on a pan.

3. Add the vanilla extract, the coffee powder, and the yolks of the 6 eggs mixing in between.

4. Beat the egg whites until they form firm peaks and then slowly and carefully add them to the rest of the mix using a metal spoon.

5. Cook in two Victoria sponge tins (aka sandwich tins) for 40minutes at C180.

6. Let the cakes cool for at least 2 hours.

7. When time of serving comes, remove the cakes from the tins and tear them apart making them in medium/small pieces which you will arrange on a cake stand forming almost a small mountain. Pour on top, very casually, the creme fraiche, and the berries scattered on top. Sprinkle the icing sugar to give it a fairy tale effect.

Everyone loved it.

Chocolate and Rabbits for Halloween

I forgot to tell you that I am part of a cooking group (http://muchpru.homelinux.org/cooking/?page_id=9). There are 5 of us from different nationalities (English, French, Italian and Japanese) and the idea is to meet from time to time and teach one or two recipes from our country. As my cousin Giulia was visiting for the weekend, and Halloween was around the corner, I thought of bringing a slice of Tuscany to Cambridge to celebrate Autumn and All Saints.

Tuscan food is quite simple and earthy. Nothing too fancy. Just genuine, frank flavours with some Medieval touches. Most of it was developed at the court of Caterina dei Medici who brought with her some of her favourites. I am sure nobody knows that the original recipes for crepes and canard a' l'orange were in reality introduced to France from Florence, and I am not making it up! It is based on historical records - but I am sure that no French person would believe this story. Tant pis!

So rabbit with black olives, rosemary and garlic is a very traditional dish from Siena. But please don't even start looking at this recipe if you are squeamish even in the slightest! I have warned you...so don't blame me for shaky legs or sudden sickness!

The meat was locally supplied from the Mill Road butcher - probably one of the best in Cambridge (this is once more in support of our Romsey Town Heaven!).

I would recommend that you ask the butcher to chop the rabbit and clean it as much as possible before you start cooking it. Also make sure you leave it in a bowl with running tap water for at least an hour (I know this sounds like an awful waste of resources but believe me if you don't you will feel like gone back to nature, a bit too much in fact!). I would also suggest that you are away from the kitchen and cannot hear the noise as it does turn into a real Chinese torture after only 15 minutes....

I might not have sold this rabbit very well. True. But it can taste divine - Alison can confirm (she had three servings!).

Rabbit with olives, rosemary, and garlic ("Coniglio alla Toscana")

a medium rabbit (approx 1kg);

150g black dried olives;

2 long sprigs of fresh rosemary;

3-4 garlic cloves;

half a glass of red wine;

4-5 tbsp olive oil;

600g potatoes

1. Pat dry the rabbits pieces (warning! this caused dizziness and sickness in one of our cooking members...who didn't faint though...phew!) with kitchen paper (rather than a towel as the smell that leaves is hard to remove despite two washings!).

2. In a large medium deep frying pan (a casserole would also do), heat the oil with the garlic and rosemary until the garlic is slightly brown.

3. Add the rabbit pieces cooking quickly on each side. Add the wine and let it evaporate.

4. Reduce the heat and add the olives. Cover and simmer for at least 25 minutes. The bottom of the pan will have a sticky layer of fat and olives which you can just scratch gently and add to the rest of the dish.

5. Separately cook the potatoes chopped in a 2-3 cm pieces in abundant salted water. Once they are half way cooking, drain them and add them to the rabbit. Stir well to ensure the rabbit oil covers the potatoes.

6. Serve hot with some mixed salad on the side.

The photo below was taken before the potatoes (and before the camera died).

I know that you are expecting the chocolate recipe too. I hope you have managed to read till now - and haven't been put off by the cute rabbit....

This chocolate cake is heaven. Not only because does it taste fantastic but also because it doesn't have many calories. So double good!

Dolce al cioccolato fondente (Fondant chocolate cake)

3oog dark chocolate (Sainsbury's basic will do perfectly well);

4 eggs;

4 tbsp sugar;

300g butter;

2 tbsp flour;

1 espresso cup

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180C. Melt the chocolate in a bowl on a boiling pan. Add the butter and incorporate well. Add the espresso and mix well. Let it cool.

2. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with the sugar and add them to the chocolate mix. Beat the egg whites until firm.

3. Add the flour using a sift to the chocolate mix. Mix well to ensure there are no lumps. If there are use a whisker and they will disappear.

4. Fold the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mix (with a clock-wise movement from down to up) with a metal spoon to avoid the air created in the whites doesn't disappear.

5. Grease and flour well a 20cm baking tray. Pour the mixture into the tray and cook in the oven for 30 minutes at C180.

The photo was taken only a couple of minutes after the cake was brought to the table. So you have an idea of how good it was!!