I'm rather partial to nibbles.

This is either an involuntary admission of greediness, or impatience. I just can't wait to get a meal under way. Undoubtedly, behind the gesture of offering someone a wee bite to open proceedings lies thoughtfulness and generosity. Traditionally it was a way of welcoming guests to the table, offered with the compliments of the kitchen. At its most basic, this could be the bread basket proffered in a French bistro. Tearing into chewy baguette loaded with butter while reading over a menu is still, to my mind, a wonderfully relaxing invitation to the table and strangely indulgent.

That must be it: receiving something unexpected, or offering it if you are the host, is a little indulgent: not totally necessary, but no less lovely for that. Italian wine bars have it spot on, serving "pinzimonio'' - literally small pinches of food - not unlike Spanish style tapas. The main difference between the Italian and Spanish versions as far as I can see is the price: For tapas, you expect to pay; in Italy, these treats are often free. These seem elaborate, despite inexpensive ingredients. Pressed pig's head with capers, snails on garlic bread, grilled liver with a dab of chutney are all examples I have devoured with joy. At home a sliver of black pudding and mustard, or toast rubbed with garlic and oil and piled with smoked fish would be simple but effective. Homemade dips or pesto are also brought alive by quality breads, elevating a simple occasion to a generous treat.

Grilled liver and hearts on toasted garlic bread

Receipes serve 6

200g duck livers

12 pieces of duck hearts, raw (these can be ordered from a butcher)

A loaf or small good quality rolls of brown granary or country-style bread

A plump clove of garlic

1 sprig of rosemary

1 small banana shallot, peeled

Olive oil

Sea salt flakes and fresh ground black pepper

Method

1 One liver is effectively made up of two lobes (one small and one a little larger) connected by a sinewy thread. To clean the livers, trim away this connective thread if it is still in place so you are left with two separate pieces of liver. Cut the large one in two if necessary so the livers are all a similar size, about 2 or 3cm across. You want at least 12 pieces to allow one per skewer. Refrigerate until needed.

2 To clean the hearts, trim off the base where there is often some connective tissue, and peel off the outer membrane, like a see through skin, which may still be around the heart. Set these aside for now.

3 Cut the bread into suitable sized croutons, about the size of a large finger. Lay them out on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil then season lightly with sea salt. Place under a hot grill and toast until the first side is light golden brown then turn them all over and repeat. When done, rub each piece with the clove of garlic then allow the toasts to cool. Once cold, store in an airtight container for up to a day in advance.

4 To prepare the liver and heart for cooking, cut the rosemary into even sized pieces to act as long skewers. You may also want a metal skewer to help thread the hearts onto the rosemary. When you are ready to start, run a metal skewer through the first piece of liver and through the first heart then remove it so you can thread the rosemary through the small hole you have made. Once it is threaded through, place on to a baking tray and continue until all are done. You should have 12 pieces of long rosemary acting as skewers with a whole heart and a piece of liver on each. This can be done several hours in advance, and refrigerated until needed.

5 Slice the shallot into very fine rounds and press out individual rounds of the shallot then set aside.

6 To cook and serve, heat a wide frying pan for one minute on a medium high heat then add two dessertspoons of olive oil. Season the meat with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper then add three or four at a time, depending on the size of your pan, and sear over a very high heat. When a brown crust has formed on the first side, about a minute, turn them over and brown on the second side. Once browned all over, but still pink in the middle, remove and drain on absorbent kitchen paper towel. Place one on each piece of toast and scatter the shallot rings all over. Give one final twist of black peper before serving at once while still hot.

Chicory with hazelnut and parsley pesto

Receipe serve 6

2 heads of chicory

A lemon

Olive oil

Sea salt flakes

For the pesto

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, washed and dried in a salad spinner

4 dessertspoons of peeled hazelnuts (or more if you prefer)

50g grated parmesan

1 lemon

100ml olive oil

100ml hazelnut oil

Method

1 Make the pesto in advance: place the hazelnuts on a roasting tray and toast in a pre-heated oven at 180c/gas mark 4 for a few minutes until golden brown then leave to cool.

2 Pick the leaves from the parsley stalks; you can keep the stalks for soups or stocks. Place the leaves in the bowl of an electric blender and pulse until finely chopped. You may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula once or twice.

3 Add the nuts, half of the cheese and then zest the lemon, adding the zest as well. Pulse again until a thick paste is achieved.

4 With the blender running on a medium low setting, add the oils in a slow steady stream. Once they are both added, add the rest of the cheese and give a quick pulse once more then transfer to a jam jar or similar to store in the fridge until needed. This can be done a day on advance.

5 To finish and serve: cut the root and base off the chicory so the leaves are of an even length, about 8cm, depending on the size of the heads. Now separate out the leaves into individual pieces and fan out on a serving plate. Give the pesto a good shake and pour into a small bowl and place this in the centre of the serving dish. Drizzle a little olive oil over the leaves then, with the help of a micro plane, zest the lemon all over the pieces of chicory. Finally season with sea salt then serve for everyone to dip the chicory into the pesto.