Butter gem pans and line with fine, buttered, bread crumbs.

Break one egg carefully into each pan, season with bits of pepper, salt and butter, cover lightly with buttered bread crumbs, and bake in oven until delicate brown.

Boil half a dozen eggs hard and let them got cold.

Fry in butter two large onions cut in thin slices, and let them get quite brown, season these with pepper and salt, and add a pint of boiling water; when the onions have stewed for a little while, put in a cupful of milk thickened with arrowroot, or flour, and flavor with curry powder, let it simmer, then put in the eggs cut in halves, making them hot, but do not let them boil.

The amount of curry powder used is a matter of taste; garnish the dish with boiled rice, and serve very hot.

Put into saucepan two tablespoonfuls of butter, add one half teaspoonful onion juice; cook slowly till the onion begins to color; then add one tablespoonful flour and one teaspoonful curry powder; when perfectly smooth add three fourths of a cupful of clear stock and one half cupful of cream; cook for five minutes, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper.

Cut six hard boiled eggs into halves lengthwise; strain the sar.

ee over them and let stand on the stove a few minutes till thoroughly heated.

Serve on thin squares of toast.

Place the spices and the measurement water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes.

Stir in the honey and simmer for a further 4 minutes.

Strain the tea into 4 heatproof glasses, add 1 of the chillies to each and serve with a slice of lemon to squeeze over.

Place the green tea and sugar lumps in a teapot.

Pour over a little boiling water and leave to steep for 5 minutes.

Stuff the mint and lemon verbena leaves into the pot, packing them in as tightly as you can.

Add more sugar lumps to taste – the sugar enhances the flavour of the mint – and top up the pot with boiling water.

Place the teapot over a pan of boiling water or over a low heat on the hob, or simply cover with a tea cosy.

Leave the tea to brew for 10 minutes.

Place 4 tea glasses on a tray.

Pour some of the tea into a glass, then tip it back into the pot.

Hold the pot high above the glasses and pour slowly so that bubbles form on top of the tea.

Serve immediately.

Place the measurement water and cardamom pods in a small saucepan and carefully spoon the coffee and sugar on top.

Gently stir the sugar and coffee into the surface of the water, making sure you don’t touch the bottom of the pan with the spoon.

Bring to just below boiling point over a medium heat, gradually drawing in the outer edges of the coffee into the middle to create a froth.

Just as the coffee is about to bubble, spoon some of the froth into 4 coffee cups and pour in the coffee.

Leave to stand for 1 minute before drinking to let the coffee grains settle at the bottom of the cups.

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

Put the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon and orange blossom water into a food processor and blend to a thick paste.

Place the filo sheets under a clean, damp tea towel to prevent them drying out.

Brush the top filo sheet with a little melted butter.

Roll lumps of the almond paste into fingers, then place end to end in a line inside one edge of the pastry.

Tucking in the ends to enclose the filling, roll up to form a long roll about a thumb’s-width thick.

Place in the centre of the prepared baking sheet, crease the roll like an accordion, then shape it into a coil.

Repeat with the remaining sheets of filo, wrapping them tightly around the first coil.

Brush the egg wash over the coil.

Place in a preheated oven, 200°C Gas Mark 6, for 20 minutes until lightly golden.

Dust with icing sugar and a swirl of cinnamon.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Place the measurement water and lemon juice in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil.

Stir in the honey, cinnamon stick, saffron threads and lavender heads, reduce the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Add the pears and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes, turning and basting frequently.

Serve hot with the cooking liquid drizzled over, decorated with a few lavender petals.

Dry-fry the pistachios in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat for 1,5 minutes until they begin to colour and emit a nutty aroma.

Put into a food processor with the dates and blend to a thick paste.

Transfer the paste to a bowl and knead in the orange blossom water, cinnamon and honey.

Roll about 16 small pieces of the mixture into bite-sized balls.

Sprinkle the coconut onto a plate.

Roll the truffles in the coconut until evenly coated.

Serve with coffee or tea.