Baba ghanoush with a chunky nutty twist

Andre Burgener has been immersed in all things food since she took over the making of the family's lunch box sandwiches aged eight (her mom could make a mean creme brulee and a staggering souffle, but could never butter the bread all the way to the edges.

BABA GHANOUSH UNWRAPPED

THERE'S not a thing wrong with the usual baba ghanoush; that smooth-ish highly flavoured aubergine paste. But this chunky, chopped, colour-flecked version - traditional in Syria (and slightly adapted here by London chef Silvena Rowe) - is a truly glorious alternative. Use it with grilled meats and fish of all manner and means, or even just with good bread.

For four people: 2 large aubergines / 1 tablespoon ground cumin / 1 green pepper, 1 small onion, 1 ripe tomato, half a cup flat-leaf parsley; all finely chopped / 2 garlic cloves crushed / juice of one lemon / salt to taste / 50g walnuts, roughly chopped.

How: Bake whole aubergine for 20minutes, or until soft, at 200C. Place in a plastic bag to sweat until cool, which makes peeling easier. Peel and chop aubergine finely, place in a sieve and press out excess liquid. Mix aubergine with all remaining ingredients bar the nuts. Sprinkle with the nuts before serving.

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

THE above recipe suggests pomegranate syrup or molasses as a drizzle topping. I'm including the recipe not because I think the ghanoush really needs it (though the syrup is certainly delicious), but because the sweet-sour ruby mass is also brilliant to use as an icy cordial (diluted), or to spoon over vanilla ice-cream or to drizzle over goat cheese salad. You will no doubt find dozens of other uses for it.

You need: 1 litre pomegranate juice (carton type) / 115g sugar / 4 tablespoons lemon juice. In a large saucepan, stir all until sugar is dissolved. On low heat, cook uncovered for an hour, or until juice is syrupy and about 25% of original volume.

Keeps in the fridge for a month or so.

THE EGG OF DARKNESS

THE world is divided into sensible, sensitive people who avoid being grossed out, and those who get a weird thrill out of it (these are the same people who ask to see the fresh scar when you've had an operation, welcoming the freaky "ick" factor).

If you're one of the latter, you'll be as fascinated as I am (and yes, totally utterly deliciously grossed out) by that bizarre Philippine treat, balut.

Balut is 16-day-old duck foetus, including all attendant juices and veiny unidentifiable bits. It's quite possibly the most repulsive-looking food item in existence (if you disagree, I think you might have a big blob of political-correctness in your eye). If you want to check it out, see www.deependdining.com where deep end diner Eddie Lin takes you on a hilarious balut-eating induction in his piece "The Egg of Darkness". Great edge-of-the-seat stuff, and educational.