Grind the following ingredients with a large stonr pestle and mortar, do the coarsest spice first. The following ammounts should make a good stock, one teaspoon of which is enogh for a cup or two.

3 tsp cloves

1 tsp black cardamon

2 oz cinnabar

1 tsp green cardamon

1/4 of a nutmeg

1 tsp black pepercorns

2 whole star anise

To use the mix add a teaspoonfull to half a pint of milk in a pan and simmer gently. Dunk in a teabag for as long as you like or not at all and add a good few teaspoons of fine mucovado suggar. Serve piping hot.

Adapted from the Asturian fabada.

This beany number should serve two hungry lads when served with a little bread and rough zider.

1 tin butter beans (washed)

1/2 tin baked beans

1 pint of hot water

2 oz bacon

2 oz black pudding and some hogs if you like

2oz spicy sausage

1 handfull of greens

1 dried hot pimento

1 dash tobasco sauce

1 drop worcester sauce

A few twists of black pepper

Put the beans and water in pan, bring to simmer and drop in the bacon cut into inch long pieces, use chunks of unsliced if you can get it. Next add the spicy sausage in half inch lengths, use chorizo if you have it or thai style might be fun. Then fire in the greens chopped down quite small and strippy. As the greens soften prepare the blood pudding drop it in and season. In about ten mins a delicious stew appears (you are aiming for a consistency slightly runnier thasn baked beans).

Cidery adaptation of a recipe from Floyd's trip round the Med. which includes flavours from Arabic, Moorish and now Devonian areas.

3 onions chopped

6 chicken thighs whole

Seal and soften as usual then add;

3 lemons sliced into half slices (discard the ends)

a large handful of rasins

half a pint of hard cider

half pint of pasata or sieved toms

6 inches of cinnebar and a dozen good cloves

Simmer for an hour or more.

Serve with bread or mash.

I love to hate red veg, namely the dutch cabbage and those nasty little beetroots for their somehow sickening flavours but by some miracle my sister has coverted me with a fine red cabbage number starring a few nips of good old zider vinegar and some apples.

You need:
a good size heavy lidded pot or casserole
a red cabbage
3 large red onions
2 cooking apples
a teaspoon of chai spice fines
3 tablespoons dark sugar
3 tabelspoons strong cider viegar
a knob of butter
salt and pepper to taste

layer the sliced cabbage and chopped onion into the pan seasoning as you go, once it's all in pour in the vinegar and cook slowly for at least two or three hours. Cider pixie sis takes up to five hours to do this on the hob..but tis luuuvlie

2 onions or equivalent in shallots is better (just over 1/2 lb)

6 chicken thighs or a whole small chichen butcherd and boned to your taste

1 pint of stock from chicken carcase or veg. boulion

1 lime

4 cloves garlic

1/2 a star anise

1 tblsp tamarind paste

1 tblsp hot madras curry powder

3 or 4 inches of cinnebar (cinamon) cinnamon

1 to 3 tsp of extra hot sambal (make mine from scotch bonnet and birdeye chilies ground fresh with a dash of vinegar)

1 tbsp fish sauce (cock brand is best)

1 oz fresh coriander

1/2 dozen fresh chillies green india stylee or birdeye is best

To cook.........

Soften the finelt chopped onions for as long as you can give it in ghee, at least 1/2 hour is best and don't burn them!

Add the sambal on a moderate heat and let colour and flavour diffuse into onions.

Add chicken thighs or pieces and garlic, lightly sear.

As pan dries add fish sauce and stir the bubbeling pungent mix as it dries, before too much has gone add the tamarind and the juice of 1/2 a lime and continue stirring.

After a good bubbeling add the stock and the star anise and cinamon bark and curry powder.

Now simmer for an hour

When nearly ready to serve add the chopped fresh coriander and sliced deseeded chillies.

Serve before chillies are over cooked with 1/4 of a lime by each portion!