In today's Bite: Whip up some food for sharing

From left: Paella, chocolate orange cheesecake, tabbouleh with poussin and calamari. Photo / Bite magazine

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Tabouleh is one of my favourite salads. I usually serve it family-style with roast or barbecued chicken and lots of crusty bread. Laurie Black is serving her tabbouleh with poussin, which brings a touch more elegance to the presentation.

This makes a great weeknight dinner for guests, especially if you marinate the poussin overnight. I buy Canter Valley poussin and store them in the freezer, mostly for weeknight dinner parties because they are low on fuss but high on impact.

Geoff Scott's house-smoked salmon. Photo / Bite Magazine

Cheesecake is another item in this category. Made the night before, it just needs topping, slicing and serving. Use this chocolate orange cheesecake recipe as a starting point for different flavoured biscuit bases and toppings (from a jar is good for weeknights).

Geoff Scott is also preparing some not-as-fussy-as-they-look classics this week. His simple method for smoking using a wok over the hob now has me proudly serving house-smoked salmon to guests - "oh, it's just something I whipped up ..."

Geoff also has a paella recipe, trimmed down from the one he makes for 200 each year at his kids' school fair, and some salt and pepper squid that are looking very tempting.

Also in Bite this week:

Ray McVinnie is talking artichokes this week. Photo / Bite Magazine

• Peter Gordon has some deliciously helpful tips on pancakes.
• Ray McVinnie has all you need to know on artichokes.
• Warren Elwin has menu blackout for the quarter finals of the Rugby Wold Cup.
• Aaron Brunet makes a mighty miso orange stir-fry for World Vegetarian Month.