We have a regular haunt in the Caribbean, it is a tiny island that has to import everything from surrounding islands (which in turn have to import from US or Europe) consequently, sausages cost as much as filet steak, since the biggest cost of any product is shipping, not the item.
What they have had to do is make food go a long way, so there are lots of tiny highly flavoured portions on offer. And despite the fairy portions, you never feel hungry or unsatisfied.
A more unusual dish is coffee and sweets, it is offered on all of the dessert menus and is basically just a coffee with tiny taster sized bites, with coffees on average about 8 euro and this option about 12 euro, it is probably the best value on the menu.
I thought that I might use my multicoloured Carolyn Quartermaine coffee cups and adapt just such a dish for the Thermic plan. It is quite important that the tiny portions are presented in a pretty way, on a normal plate you would feel short changed and want to eat more.
There are lots of flavours, it looks quite substantial and the whole thing is 200 calories tops, and it has a high Thermic index thanks to the chopped nuts which is the base of one of the mini puds.
This has nothing to do with cooking, it is more like flower arranging and tests you ingenuity with what you can produce in super quick time from cupboard leftovers.
This trio is a lemon curd and meringue, frozen summer fruits with a sprinkling of dried stevia leaf, chopped nuts covered in dark chocolate chips (the smaller the chunk, the larger the total surface area vs weight, the more punch it packs on the taste buds)
Took about 1minute to prepare and I am looking forward to eating after bath and chicken salad with large glass of white wine (and hopefully Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple or similar on TV).
PS I have the last few sets of these CQ coffee cups and saucers at the Spirit of Summer fair they come as sixes, all different colours and each one is covered in (hand stuck) diamonte crystals, so you couldn't present food or coffee in a prettier way (and I am selling off the last of them for £20 for 6, they were originally £80!)
