This is an exceedingly elegant way of serving lobster.
Serve with iced champagne.

It's a good beginning to a dinner party:

Puree in the blender -

The meat of 1 cooked 2 and a half lb. lobster

with -

3 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons cognac
half cup water

mix in -

1 minced clove garlic
1 finely chopped shallot

Cook the mixture over a low heat until reduced by one-third.
Cool, then add -

2 cups mayonnaise
1 and a half tablespoons heavy cream
half a teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
half a teaspoon MSG

Chill for 1 and a half hours. Arrange additional
4 oz. lobster meat per serving in 6 parfait glasses.

Cover the meat with the above sauce, letting it
trickle down in parfait style. Garnish with chilled
whipped cream and water cress.
Serve at once.

I demand an invitation to your next dinner party Foxy.

Dear Craig,

With the greatest of pleasure. I would, in your honour do a
"Russian" theme.

My Beef Stroganov is a favourite.

Though the cultivated gentleman of pre-Revolutionary Russia
was devoted to his homeland, he was at the same time
enamored of things French. This duality was deliciously
resolved in Beef Stroganov: the sour cream sauce was
Russian, the method of preparation French. It is named for
one of St. Petersburg's chief families of merchant
noblemen. My Gran was from St Petersburg - and her sauce
combined - tomato paste, beef broth heavy sweet cream, sour
cream Worcestershire sauce and prepared mustard - in
appropriate quantities. She also used the finest cuts of
beef (sirloin or tenderloin) as well as chopped onions,
flour, butter, and sliced mushrooms.

For Dessert - Strawberries Romanoff.

The thoughtful individual who first combined strawberries
and cream is sadly anonymous, but mention was made as early as
15560 by Henri II's physician that ladies enjoyed this
delicacy as an evening dessert. The Russian version bears the
name of the family which dominated that country's history for
some three centuries and includes fresh strawberries, sugar,
kirsch or rum, heavy cream and vanilla extract.

If desired, strawberries may be replaced by raspberries or
thinly sliced fresh or frozen peaches.

cont'd ...

Ooops excuse my typo. The date should read -
1560.

Yum! I'm a huge fan of the old beef strog and as for strawberries and cream, by any name at all...

I'll return the favour with a more parochial theme.

Roast lamb shoulder (much tastier and sweeter than leg), flavoured with rosemary and garlic and covered with lovely gravy made using the pan juices, some flour, parisian essence and a little red wine. Served with caramellised Qld Blue pumpkin (if you can find it, it's become a rarity thanks to the hard rind); roast potatoes; cauliflower au gratin (make sure the bechamel is made with plenty of butter) and freshly shucked peas with mint jelly.

Follow with bread and butter custard made in a deep dish to my Nan's recipe.
I made one the other day, for the first time in 20 years! It's still as good as it ever was.

Dear Craig,

I love roast lamb with all the trimmings and I
will definitely try your recipe. It sounds delish.
I must confess that I also have a fondness for
home-made pies - steak and kidney is a firm favourite
as is chicken. We recently went for lunch to
Donovans in St Kilda. It was our anniversary.
We had duck for two, and bombe Alaska for dessert.
I can't think of any winter experience more indulgent
than being tucked behind the bay-embracing window at
Donovans.