Heat the oven to 190 C/375 F/Gas 5. Wipe the butternut squash with a damp cloth, cut in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Put 2 tbsp of the sunflower oil in a roasting tin, turn the squash in the oil then lay them in the tin cut side down. Bake for about 40 minutes until soft. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10-15 minutes until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile soak the saffron in 2 tbsp of warm stock. Fry the onion gently for 10 minutes in the remaining oil until soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic, cumin, coriander and paprika and cook for a minute then add the plum tomatoes and their juices. Crush them with a wooden spoon and cook for about 5 minutes until you have a pulpy sauce. Scoop the pulp out of the squash, place half of it in a blender or food processor along with any juices in the baking tin, and half the tomatoes, onions and soaked saffron and blitz until completely smooth. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Pour the soup back into a large saucepan and stir in the stock. Add hot sauce and salt to taste.

Cut the tortillas into fine strips. Heat 250ml of corn oil in a wok over a medium heat until nearly smoking (about 4 minutes) and drop in the tortilla strips a few at a time. They should puff up and crisp in about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel. To serve ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle over a swirl of sour cream, top with a few strips of crispy tortilla, and scatter over a few coriander leaves.

Preheat the oven to 140 C/275 F/Gas 1 Cut any excess fat and sinew off the beef (don't worry about leaving some - it will render down in the cooking) and cut the meat into about 12 large even-sized pieces. Sprinkle with the flour, season with the allspice, salt and pepper and and toss well together. Put the meat in a large casserole dish with the onion and bayleaves pour over the port, porter, stock and 2 tbsp of mushroom ketchup or vinegar. Gradually bring to the boil then cover and cook in a low oven for about 2 1/2 -3 hours until the meat is tender (slightly less if you're going to cool and reheat it). Turn the heat down a setting if it seems to be cooking too fast. About half an hour before the stew is due to be ready cook the swede in boiling vegetable stock for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain well and mash roughly. Add the butter and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper

When the meat is cooked check the seasoning, adding a little more mushroom ketchup or vinegar if you think it needs it and an extra splash of port to taste. If it's too bitter add a little tomato ketchup. Some dark leafy greens go well with this. Wine choice.

First make the pastry. Sift the flour, ginger and icing sugar into a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes, cut the butter into the flour then rub lightly with your fingertips until the mixture is the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tbsp ice cold water, add to the pastry mix, mix lightly and pull together into a ball, adding extra water if needed. Shape into a flat disc and refrigerate for at least half an hour. (You can also, of course make this in a food processor)

Next make the pumpkin puree. Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6 Scrape away all the pumpkin seeds and fibrous pumpkin surrounding them and cut into even-sized chunks. Put the chunks on a piece of lightly oiled foil. Sprinkle over the bourbon, sugar and mixed spice and dot with the chilled butter. Bring the foil up round the sides and fold over carefully to form a loose but airtight package. Place on a baking dish and cook for 40 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Carefully open up the foil, cool for a few minutes then tip the pumpkin and juices into a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth.

Roll out the pastry and lower into the tin. Trim the edges and press the base well into the tin. Prick lightly with a fork and chill for another half hour. Cover the pastry case with foil and weight down with baking beans or dried beans. Bake at 200 C/400 F/Gas 6 for about 12 minutes then remove the foil and beans, brush the base of the pastry with the reserved egg white to seal it and return to the oven for about 3-4 minutes. Remove the flan case and lower the oven temperature to 190 C/375 F/Gas 5.

Add the sugar and maple syrup to the pumpkin puree, then the spices, salt and bourbon. Add the eggs one by one, beating them in well then sift in the flour and mix lightly. Finally add the cream and pour the filling into the flan case. Put the tin on a metal baking tray, transfer to the oven and bake for about 50 minutes until the filling is just set and firm, reducing the temperature to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4 after about 25 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time chop the pecans finely (by hand, not machine - you don't want to reduce them to a powder). Put them in a pan with the sugar and warm gently till the sugar starts to melt. Sprinkle the caramelized nuts evenly over the surface of the tart and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or so. Take the tart out of the oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting it. Serve lukewarm with lightly whipped, sweetened cream.