Many of us in Hong Kong have very small kitchens, often with limited counter space, perhaps no oven and limited cooking stations; I am one of those. I very much enjoy hosting dinner parties but sometimes struggle with the kitchen size and number of guests - I can just manage six but more just gets messy and stressful. What tips or dish suggestions can you give me that would enable me to cook a memorable 4-course meal for ten discerning foodies?

The trick is to be as prepared as possible in advance, and not to leave too much to the very last minute. This is especially true if you are organising a very important lunch or dinner. It's better to make dishes that you are already familiar with and confident that you can produce easily, rather than to try something new.

Four courses seems like it may be too many if you're working in a small environment
so I would suggest you make it more manageable by offering a starter, main course, cheese platter and dessert, most of which you can prepare ahead of time. I believe that only one hot dish would be sufficient for this dinner, but if you want to introduce more hot items, you could include a sophisticated soup in the menu. You could consider serving the main course in a spectacular serving dish on the table, rather than trying to plate everything in the kitchen and this would allow your guests to discover the dish all together. Try to avoid dishes that need last-minute finishing such as flame-grilled items. I would advise choosing dishes that can be prepared the day before, such as beef
bourguignon or duck confit.



Oftentimes the biggest challenge I have at home is figuring out what to do with leftovers. My mother seems to do this with ease (without cookbooks; she cites "experience"), frequently turning tired old dishes into fresh inventions. I just haven't found that same magic yet in my hands. Do you have any advice for a young chef honing this skill?

This kind of cooking is a mix of talent and intuition. There is no recipe for this problem, you just need to follow your instincts; if you really want to produce something from your leftovers for your family or guests, then something will come to mind.



Many people these days are very conscious of their diet for health reasons as well as vanity. Many of the best recipes rely very heavily on butter, cream, cheese and other rich ingredients. What are the best substitutes for these fatty and fattening ingredients?

I believe that none of these natural products are bad for your health and won't make you fat. What you need to do is to listen to your body and eat what you want. Eat slowly, regularly (breakfast lunch and dinner) and of course you need to take regular
 exercise. Don't eat in between meals which is the worst thing you can do for your health. Remember not to overdo the alcohol and avoid all aperitifs which are high in sugar and won't help you. Sometimes you need to choose a light meal such as grilled fish, steamed vegetables, and sometimes you will need a more sophisticated meal. In conclusion, 
eat calmly and always eat what you want, but in moderation; one slice of 
bread, not three; one piece of cheese, but not three.