Hot fresh cooked rice is something I actually enjoy on its own, but I do usually dress it up a little to go with meals. Because I focus so much time and energy on the main dish of my meals, I'm always thinking of quick and easy ways of to lend flavor and elegance to even a humble pot of rice. After all, even if the rice isn't the starring dish on the menu, as a side it can shine just as much as the main dish with a little love and attention … and seasoning.

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Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables to work with, and also, I think, one of the more under-appreciated ones in this part of the world, despite its popularity in many cuisines around the world. When I was growing up, family meals always featured vegetables, but eggplant never once made an appearance. Unlike other vegetables, it does not have much flavor one its own, but the beauty of eggplant is that, when prepared with some love and attention, it takes on the flavors of what it is combined with and then really shines in its own right.

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Homemade treats are always far superior to store-bought versions. Apart from the ability to control the quality of your ingredients, you'll deliver up positive energy with food made with your own hands in your own kitchen — as a friend remarked, homemade treats made with good quality ingredients feel "alive". And despite what many might think, homemade truffles are remarkably easy to make, with no special equipment needed — all you need is a little bit of patience to let the ingredients cool before handling the mixture, and with the slight messy process of shaping the truffles into the final bite-sized version.

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One of my favorite ways to fill out a meal is to serve some hot-from-the-oven homemade biscuits alongside the central components. These buttery saffron bisuits would go nicely with any variety of entrées as they are free of overpowering tastes but instead feature the complementary and subtly sweet earthy flavour of genuine saffron. A flowery gem that is also quite costly due to the intensity of the labour involved, thankfully only a small amount is needed for colour and flavour.

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