Ham and bacon

This is a super way to serve asparagus as finger food. It also makes a lovely starter, especially with some ripe figs on the side. If you want to take it up a notch, you can put a small slice of fontina cheese under the prosciutto, and quickly pan fry to melt the cheese before serving.

The glaze can be made ahead of time. Note

Each of the topping recipes here makes enough to cover four mini pizza bases. You can buy prepared pizza bases from the supermarket, they can be found in the refrigerated, freezer or bakery sections. Note

Many countries have similar kinds of dishes: Spain has a cocido with chickpeas, the French have the pot-au-feu - the origins are always peasant food where cheap cuts of meat and seasonal vegetables are cooked together in one big pot.

A rustic version of the French toasted sandwich that is a classic in bistros and cafés.

Crispy Swiss rösti with pan-fried ham and cherry tomatoes from Australian Women's Weekly.

Gruyère is a hard-rind Swiss cheese with small holes and a nutty, slightly salty, flavour. It is a popular cheese for soufflés as it melts easily. Like a traditional soufflé, this soufflé omelette should be eaten straight away to prevent it sinking. Note