RECOMMENDATIONS

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  Warm mushroom salad

  Celia Brooks Brown stirs up a sensational warm salad of creamy garlic and mascarpone mushrooms laced with Madeira

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  Chocolate cake

  Deliciously moist and light, James Martin's chocolate cake is served with a heavenly passion fruit and mascarpone mousse

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  Cassoulet

  Classically French, Rick Stein's substantial winter dish is a one-pot meal that's a real crowd pleaser, especially on a blustery day

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  Lamb with a spiced samosa and sweet potato chips

  Lamb stars in two different ways in Paul Merrett's Middle Eastern inspired dinner-party dish

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  Courgette Christmas candles

  Serve your guests these stunning looking guilt-free morsels from the Vegetarian Society

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  Apple and rhubarb crumble

  Tom Parker Bowles makes a traditional British pud for when you need a bit of home comfort

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  Chocolate tart with clotted cream

  A simple and sensational chocolate dessert from John Burton Race that can be made in advance and reheated just before serving

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  Rib of beef with salad

  Gary Rhodes' herby butter-smeared beef steaks are divine with a simple salad

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  Louisiana flank steak gumbo

  Sinn Louis cooks for a crowd with a medley of meats and spices - her tasty spin on American-style Gumbo

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  Gingerbread cake

  A sticky gingerbread flecked with pieces of stem ginger from Jeannie Gye.