Sous Vide

What is the difference between this and boil-in-the-bag?

It's in French, that's what.

System Administrator Chocolate Cake

This recipe for chocolate cake was given to me by our firm's systems and networks guy - a man who likes his chocolate. I love it as it tastes great and works every time.

225g self raising flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tblsp good quality cocoa (I favour Green and Black's with a de minimis of Bournville)
pinch salt
150ml natural yoghurt (1 small pot)
150ml sunflower oil (use the yoghurt pot to measure)
4 tblsp golden syrup
3 eggs
175g caster sugar

1. Line and grease a loaf tin
2. Put eggs, syrup, yoghurt, sugar and oil in a big mixing bowl and beat.
3. Sift in everything else and stir into a smooth mixture
4. Pour into tin
5. Cook in oven at 180 degrees Celsius for between 60 and 90 minutes. (test with a skewer. Cake is done when skewer comes out clean. Cover with tin foil if it seems to be burning on top but uncooked in middle).

Your cake is now ready to eat. As a final flourish I sometimes like to do one of the following:

• Cut the cake in half and add a thick layer of Nutella in the middle to make a sandwich.
• As above but instead of Nutella add a layer of good quality cherry jam and a layer of butter cream to create a homage to black forest gateau.

Tuna Pasta Bake... a student special

With Christmas over and everyone feeling poor it's time to re-live student days with tuna pasta bake. Here's how to make 1 tin of tuna serve 4 people!

1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp Mediterranean herbs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin tuna (to be really parsimonious, get tuna in oil and use oil from the tin to fry the onion and garlic in!)
1 small tin sweetcorn
4 portions of pasta twists
optional guest vegetable (whatever you have in the fridge. the following work quite well: courgette, sweet pepper, mushrooms or finely chopped carrot)
grated cheddar

• Put a pan of water on to boil
• Chop the onion and the garlic and fry in a little oil in another pan
• Chop the guest vegetable (if using) and add to onion and garlic. Add the herbs.
• Flake tuna into onions and garlic
• Add the tinned tomato, tomato puree and a little water if needed.
• Drain the tin of sweetcorn and tip into the sauce
• Simmer the sauce and cook the pasta in the boiling water until nearly cooked (about 7 minutes)
• Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Tip the mixture into an oven-proof dish and grate cheese over the top.
• Bake in the oven at whatever gas mark 6 is in new money until it goes crispy on top or you can't wait any longer.
• Divvy it up between housemates or family members. Serve with green salad, or, if times are really hard, with that vegetable of last resort the pickled beetroot.