Rosemary Lard

To make traditional ice cream, you need an ice cream maker—but not for this recipe! Simply stir together whipped cream with sweetened condensed milk. The high sugar and fat content in this type of milk prevents the creation of ice crystals. Leave it to freeze for a few hours in the freezer, then serve it in a pretty bowl.

To make this chocolate mousse, you’ll need only three ingredients, plus a little elbow grease to beat the eggs until the mixture forms a ribbon, i.e., until they’ve gained volume. Incorporate melted chocolate at the very end to create a dense mousse. Pour the mixture into ramekins and leave them in the fridge for a little weeknight treat.

It’s plum season and they’re the stars of the syrup in this smooth cocktail. Mix it with aquavit, a Scandinavian alcohol similar to gin, and a dash of lemon for a hint of freshness. It’s like having one foot in summer and one foot in sweater season just around the corner!

In this vegetarian version of the classic stuffed pepper, we’ve used sweet Cubanel peppers and stuffed them with a mixture of ricotta cheese, artichoke hearts and basil. The very thin flesh of this variety cooks very quickly in the oven. The peppers soak in a tomato sauce spiced with gorria chili, which is the same variety as Espelette chili pepper (which must grow in this region of the Basque Country to get its Protected Designation of Origin).

So cute, mini bell peppers are available in most grocery stores now. They’re often eaten as crudités, but in this recipe, they’re roasted in the oven, then marinated in oil, parsley and red wine vinegar to transform them into condiments. They’re perfect with charcuteries for cocktail hour, they make the ideal companion to grilled meat and they’re fantastic toppings in a sandwich.

We completely fell in love with this meal-salad. The dressing includes habanero chili, a very spicy orange chili that’s tempered with honey, peach wedges and grilled bell peppers. Add texture and flavour to this dish with shrimp dipped into lightly beaten egg and cornstarch, which make them extra crunchy when cooked. A super fresh salad, with a hint of heat.

To make the most of the last summer evenings outdoors, we were inspired by a fresh cheese appetizer on the menu at the Café RICARDO restaurants. In a shallow plate, spread roasted plums and top them with a lovely plump ball of burratina, prosciutto slices and basil. Try it before the season is over!

Basil is abundant in your veggie patch, so you have only one craving: to make a ton of pesto! You don’t eat dairy products? We’ve got the perfect recipe for you, which swaps Parmesan with a combination of nutritional yeast and cashew nuts.

The air fryer is your friend at mealtimes because it makes your life easier by cooking food quickly, with very little oil. We love using it in this surprising recipe for two: first, the flap steak, then the pancetta-roasted Brussels sprouts. Save time and dishwashing!