Miscellaneous

Long-life cream and milk can be used for sauces and soups when you have run out of fresh; refrigerate after opening.

Tubes of olive, garlic and tomato purées are perfect for flavouring mince mixtures, dips and pâtés, and for stirring into casseroles.

I always keep plenty of the darkest cooking chocolate but I have a special hiding place or it gets eaten by members of my family. Stirred in before serving, a little dark chocolate enriches the juices of a game casserole and is also useful for quickly made sauces for ice cream or poached fruit.

A few chicken, meat, fish and vegetable stock cubes should be kept for when you have no homemade stock, and they can also be used for intensifying the flavour of a sauce.

Vacuum-packed French-style crêpes save time and skill. As they are slightly sweet, they are better for quick puddings, stuffed with fruit or jam, or simply rolled up, soaked in a fruit syrup, and served with cream.