"Little boat." Small boat-shaped pastries about 2 inches (5 cm) long, which can be made from puff pastry, short pastry, rice, semolina or vegetables. They can have either sweet or savoury fillings. It also refers to the tin in which they are cooked.
A type of comber fish. Painted comber or lettered perch, more common in the Mediterranean than in the Atlantic. A bony fish with very good flavour, useful for soups or cooked whole. The skin looks almost as if it has been written on.
Basil. An aromatic plant of the mint family with white flowers which probably originated in India. The leaves are generally light green and have a strong flavour of lemon and jasmine, liquorice and cloves and a warm, spicy smell. It is particularly good with tomatoes. Only use at the last moment, to enhance the flavour.
