Escape to the Caribbean with this hot and hearty Jamaican pork stew. A bit of fire, some rum, and the mellowness of molasses – all combine to give you a devilish treat. Eat it as is or spooned over some rice.

Note: If you prefer less fire, cut the cayenne pepper down to ¼ teaspoon.

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

12 oz (350g) pork, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

¼ cup dark rum

1 15oz can tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock (or water and 1 bouillon cube)

2 tbsp molasses

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

Dash ground clove

1. In a medium bowl, coat the pork with flour.

2. Heat oil in large pot and lightly brown the pork – cooking 8-10 minutes.

3. Add the onion and cook for 5 more minutes.

4. Add the rum and scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

5. Add tomatoes and break up with wooden spatula.

6. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.

7. Remove cover, turn heat up to medium-low, and cook 8-10 minutes – until stew cooks down and thickens. Stir often.

Is there a better way to say “Happy Valentine’s Day” than with rich and elegant chocolate truffles? Add in some Irish whiskey and you have devilish Irish love.

The first chocolate truffle was created by Antoine Dufour in Chambery, France in 1895. Named after the lumpy truffle fungi (mushroom) that they often resemble, these chocolate delights have attained the same height of sophistication as their pricier mushroom relatives. In The Devil’s Kitchen, we make our chocolate truffles in the decadently rich Swiss manner – with real chocolate, real cream, and real butter – for a melt-in-your-mouth treat.

We also add in some peaty Jameson Irish whiskey to infuse Irish love into our truffles. You can substitute another alcohol to add love from another nationality. Rum for Jamaican love. Kahlua for Mexican love. Kirsch for some Swiss alpine love. Whatever you add to your chocolate truffles, they’re sure to be a big hit on Valentine’s Day … or any other day.

Ingredients (40 truffles)

8 oz (220g) high-quality dark chocolate

½ cup whipping cream

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp Jameson Irish whiskey (or other nation’s favourite alcohol)

2-3 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a medium bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and butter over low heat. Carefully heat until the butter has melted and the cream starts bubbling prior to boiling.

3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and gently stir until the chocolate has melted. Add the whiskey and combine well.

4. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or more. Can be left in refrigerator overnight.

5. Use a small spoon to scoop out small amounts of the stiff chocolate mixture.

6. Rolling the scoop of chocolate between your palms, form the chocolate into a rough ball or slightly oblong shape. The warmth of your hands should slighly melt the outer layer, which helps the cocoa powder stick to the truffle.

7. Roll the chocolate ball in the cocoa powder to give it a light coating.

8. Place the chocolate truffles on a tray or plate, and put in the refrigerator to cool for 1 hour.

The truffles can be kept in a covered container (in a cool place or the refrigerator) for a few days. Best to hand them over to your Valentine as fresh as possible, for optimal taste sensation.

The crumbly, golden topping. The apple slices peeking through. The rustic, far from snobby cake. Just the look of this apple cake tells you it’s going to be tasty.

And once you take that first bite, you get a fantastic mingling of flavours that confirms that this cake is devilishly tasty. There’s the deep tang of the yogurt and the light bite of lemon, playing a perfect foil to the sweet crumble topping and the toothsome apples.

Yes! This rustic yogurt apple cake is tempting and delicious. It’s also devilishly easy to make.

Ingredients (8” or 21cm round cake)

Cake

2 medium apples, peeled & cored

2-3 tsp lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

3 tsp grated lemon rind (1 lemon)

2 eggs

¾ cup natural cane sugar

½ cup melted butter

½ cup plain yogurt

Crumble Topping

¼ cup natural cane sugar

¼ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup walnut pieces

2 tbsp flour

Make Cake Batter

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F (180c).

2. Cut the apples into thin wedges and toss in a medium bowl with the lemon juice. Toss until well coated.

3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and grated lemon rind.

4. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes.

5. Beat in the melted butter and yogurt.

6. Gently mix the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Stir in 2/3 of the apple slices.

7. Spoon the batter into a buttered and floured 8” (21cm) round cake pan.

8. Arrange the remaining apple slices on top of the batter.

Make Topping & Bake

9. In a processor, pulse the sugar, butter, walnut pieces, and flour until the mixture just starts to clump together.

10. Spread the topping over the cake batter.

11. Bake for 60-75 minutes – until a skewer pushes into the cake comes out clean and the top is a wonderful golden colour.

12. Cool the cake for at least ½ hour in the pan before removing.

Lovely to look at and absolutely fantastic to eat. Bring these to the breakfast table and you’ll have one happy crew of devils. As your spoon breaks through the softly cooked egg and melted cheese, dives through the creamy polenta, and scoops up the fragrant sausage at the bottom. Each bite is a taste sensation.

Oh yeah! They’re also easy to make. Brown the meat, cook the polenta, layer the fixin’s in a ramekin, stick ‘em in the oven, and go get dressed while breakfast cooks.

Ingredients (4 ramekins)

Sausage

½ lb (220g) ground pork

2 tsp dried sage

½ tsp dried thyme

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Polenta

1½ cups water

½ tsp salt

½ cup coarse-ground cornmeal (aka polenta)

2 tbsp butter

¼ cup cream

¼ tsp pepper

Egg Topping

4 eggs

4 oz (110g) cheddar cheese, grated

¼ tsp pepper

Prepare Sausage

1. In a large bowl, combine and mix well all of the sausage ingredients.

2. In a large frying pan, over medium-low heat, brown the sausage meat for 10-12 minutes.

Make Polenta

3. In a medium pot, bring the water and salt to boil. Stir in the polenta and simmer, covered, and on very low heat, for 15 minutes – stirring occasionally.

4. Take the polenta off the heat and mix in the butter. After the butter melts, add the cream and pepper.

Bake The Eggs

5. Pre-heat oven to 350F (180c).

6. Divide the sausage meat amongst four buttered 8 oz ramekins.

7. Divide the polenta and spread it over the sausage meat. Smooth out evenly.

8. Crack an egg over each ramekin.

9. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the eggs, and lightly sprinkle with pepper.

10. Bake for 12-15 minutes – until whites have slightly set, cheese has melted, but yolks are still wonderfully runny.

In my home canton of Graubünden, high up in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, this barley soup is served in every little mountain restaurant. After a morning of hiking in the fresh mountain air, there’s nothing better than lunch on the sun terrace of a rustic mountain restaurant. A large bowl of Bündner Gerstensuppe with an endless supply of thick slabs of rye bread for dunking, carried out to be eaten in the alpine sunshine, really hits the spot.

Eating Gerstensuppe At Alp Garfiun Near Klosters, Switzerland

Chock-a-block full of wieners, barley, and vegetables, this hearty soup is more like a stew. And it gives you lots of energy for an afternoon of vigorous hiking in the high Alps.

Note: Use good European-style wieners – not hot dogs.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil

½ lb (220g) wieners, cut into ¼-½” (5-12mm) rounds

¼ cup barley

4 cups chicken stock (or water and 2 bouillon cubes)

1/8 head cabbage, thinly sliced

1 carrot, sliced into ¼” (5mm) rounds & quartered

1 stalk celery, sliced ¼” (5mm) thick

1 leek, sliced into ¼” (5mm) rounds

1 bayleaf

½ cup whipping cream

Copious quantity of rye bread, sliced thick

1. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-low. Add wieners and lightly brown them – cooking 5-8 minutes.

2. Add barley and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add stock, cabbage, carrot, celery, leek, and bay leaf. Bring to simmer. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours.

4. Stir in cream and serve with a large basket of rye bread.

This earthy chestnut soup banishes the chill on a cold winter day. With a dash of brandy to send Jack Frost away, bowls of this chestnut soup will be greeted with devilish delight.

And, it’s very simple to concoct.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

½ lb (220g) cooked chestnuts

3 cups chicken stock (or water & 2 bouillon cubes)

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

½ cup cream

2 tbsp brandy

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

1. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until tender.

2. Add the chestnuts, stock, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove the bay leaf, and puree the soup in a food processor.

4. Stir in the cream and brandy, and gently reheat.

5. Serve with minced parsley as an optional garnish.

In Japan, New Year (Oshogatsu) is an annual festival of much greater importance and focus than Christmas. Starting with Buddhist temples ringing their gigantic temple bell 108 times on New Year’s Eve, Oshogatsu goes on for the next few days. On the 1st, we visit a local shrine for Hatsumode (first shrine visit), with larger shrines offering a large selection of food stalls.

Preparing For Oshogatsu

A few days before the end of the year, we trek up to a large department store at the northern end of Osaka city. There, a large floor offers all the fixin’s for Osechi (New Year’s food). We’ll purchase a number of delicacies to use in making our family’s Osechi.

One of the main ingredients for Oshogatsu is Mochi (small cakes of pounded glutinous rice). We use these in Ozoni soup, on the Oshogatsu decorations of the home shrine, and for Yakimochi (grilled mochi). A traditional ceremony, called Mochitsuki, has a team pounding the glutinous rice into paste with a massive wooden sledgehammer. Note: The brave fellow wearing the blue gloves will reach in and turn the mass of paste between falls of the large sledgehammer.

On this visit to the Hankyu department store, we were lucky enough to time it just in time for the cutting of a massive tuna. This individual tuna weights 250kg (550lbs) and the specialist deftly sliced it up with large saws and knives. This will make a lot of tasty Sushi.

Oshogatsu Eating

On our New Year’s Day, we start off the day with a bowl of Ozoni soup. This soup varies greatly throughout Japan, with very salty version in some areas, and a mild, white ozoni in Osaka. Made with white Miso, this Ozoni is made with small Daikon (Japanese radish), Tofu, Mochi, and Koimo (a small taro potato). On top, we sprinkle Katuobushi (dried bonito flakes).

We also drink a cup of green tea (Ocha) with small, tied strings of Konbu (sea weed). We call these Musubi Konbu, and the way they are tied symbolizes a wish for family unity.

Then, we have our Osechi (fancy New Year’s food served in beautiful, lacquered stacking boxes). In the picture below, are the following delicacies:

Left box, starting in the top left corner and going clockwise: The colourful ball and mini apple are made of Mochi, the squares are Kamaboko (fish cake made from fish paste) with cheese and ham inside, on the right are chicken rolls, on the left is more Kamaboko, and in the middle is smoked Saba (mackerel).

Right box, starting in the top left: Stewed Shiitake mushrooms, more Mochi, Kurikinton (mashed sweet potato with chestnut), Kombumaki (seaweed packets), Tainoko (bream eggs), Kuromame (black soy beans), Kintokininjin (a red carrot cut into flower shapes), Gomame (small dried fish coated with a sweet sauce and sesame seeds), and Musubikonyaku (a firm gelatin-like food made from a type of yam, which is used in many Japanese dishes).

2012 is the Year Of The Dragon and, here In The Devil’s Kitchen, we like to think it’s another year of good, devilish eating. Happy New Year.

If all you’ve ever had is the insipid excuse for eggnog that appears on the dairy shelf of your supermarket every Christmas … you’ve been cheated. No matter how much rum you drown that eggnog with, it never comes even close to being in the same neighbourhood as real, homemade eggnog.

With just a blender, an electric mixer, and the right ingredients, you can whip up a devilishly delicious (and dastardly sneaky with all that rum and brandy) Christmas treat – which can be enjoyed at least into February or March

Ingredients (2 glasses)

2 egg yolks

3 tbsp icing sugar

½ cup whipping cream

½ cup milk (none of that sissy 2% stuff)

2 tbsp dark rum (Myers is our choice)

2 tbsp brandy

2 egg whites

Nutmeg for dusting

1. In blender, blend yolks for 15 seconds.

2. Add 2 tbsp of the icing sugar and blend for ½ minute. With a rubber spatula, scrape down icing sugar that collects on the blender walls.

3. Add whipping cream and blend for ½ minute.

4. Add milk, rum, and brandy. Blend for 10-15 seconds.

5. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer, until you can form soft peaks.

6. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of icing sugar and beat until the whites get slightly glossy and can be formed into stiff peaks.

7. Add the egg white mixture to the mixture in the blender. Blend until combined.

9. Pour into glasses and dust top with nutmeg.

After a day of skiing, there’s nothing more inviting than a steaming, spiced glass of glühwein. Actually, any time there’s snow on the ground and a snap of cold in the air, glühwein (German for “glow wine”) is a great way to “warm the cockles of your heart”. And, In The Devil’s Kitchen, we add a little extra glow.

Ingredients (4 glasses)

1 lemon

15 whole cloves

1 750ml (26oz) bottle red wine

½ cup natural cane sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

¼ – ½ cup brandy or Kirsch

1. Slice the lemon into ¼” (5mm) thick rounds. Stud the slices with the cloves.

2. In a large pot, combine the studded lemon slices, red wine, sugar, and cinnamon sticks. With the pot covered, heat the wine slowly and gently over low heat. Heat until just before the wine will simmer and remove from heat immediately. Important: Never, ever let the mixture boil, as that cooks off alcohol in the red wine.

3. Let the pot stand, covered, for at least ½ hour – to infuse the lemon and spices into the wine.

4. Gently reheat before serving. Pour into heat-proof wine glasses and add 1-2 tbsp brandy or Kirsch to each glass – depending upon how much glow you want in your glühwein.

Christmas dinner tradition calls for somebody in the family to be shackled to the kitchen all Christmas Day, to fix a turkey for the feast. We kitchen devils say, “To heck with that idea!” After all, the best part of the turkey is the stuffing, anyway. So, we tossed out the turkey.

Unlike the full day of galley slave duty demanded by a turkey, these tasty (rich in stuffing) rouladen only take 1½ hours to prepare. And … no leftovers!

Note: This recipe is easy to scale up. We’ve made it for two, but you can make it for four, six, eight, a small army. Just double, triple, quadruple, etc. and increase the size of your casserole dish.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

For each extra person at the Christmas dinner table, add another chicken breast and increase the amount of other ingredients accordingly.

Chicken Rouladen

2 tbsp butter

½ onion, chopped

½ stalk celery, chopped

½ cup chopped cooked chestnuts (4oz or 110g)

2 cups ½” (12mm) rye bread cubes (cut from 2-3 slices of bread)

2 tsp dried sage, crumbled

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1/3 – ½ cup chicken broth (or water and 1 bouillon cube)

1 egg, beaten

2 chicken breasts (6-7 oz or 170-200g each)

Basting Sauce

¼ cup butter

½ tsp dried sage, crumbled

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, until tender.

2. Add the celery and chestnuts, and cook for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, sage, salt, and pepper. Mix in the onion, celery, and chestnut mixture. Add half of the chicken broth and mix well. Over the next 10 minutes, toss the mixture occasionally and add more broth as it is absorbed. You want the bread to become soggy with broth, but not have extra broth remaining in the bowl.

4. Add the beaten egg, and mix well.

5. Use a kitchen mallet or other heavy object (In The Devil’s Kitchen, we prefer an empty wine bottle, but that may just be an excuse to empty the bottle), to flatten the chicken breasts to about ¼” (5-6mm) thick.

6. Lay the chicken breasts on top of 3-4 lengths of kitchen string.

7. Spoon a generous amount of the stuffing onto each chicken breast.

8. Fold up the sides and gently pinch together.

9. Tie the strings to hold the chicken rouladen together.

10. Place the rouladen in a casserole dish that is just slightly larger than them. Spoon the remaining stuffing around the rouladen.

11. Pre-heat the oven to 375F (190c).

12. In a small pot, melt the ¼ cup butter for the basting sauce. Add the sage, salt, and pepper.

13. Baste the chicken rouladen.

14. To protect the stuffing from drying out, mould foil over it and around the chicken rouladen.

15. Bake for 1 hour, generously basting the rouladen every 10-15 minutes. For the final 15 minutes, remove the foil.