I know, it's been a while...

Possibly the oldest story that there is, but it's always different when it happens to you - meeting someone quite unexpectedly, the initial squeeziness of heart and belly as you try to behave in your natural, fabulous (yet best behaved) way, falling in love and having that person putting a whole new spin on life.

Oh, and he's also pretty good in the kitchen, so there's been the added bonus of having someone to cook for and even better, with.

So, easing back into things with a recipe that I read once, years ago, but thought might be a bit different for the spread that's being put on at work tomorrow - think meaty, herby, olivey, cheesy goodness, all wrapped up in puff pastry.

SAVOURY PALMIERS

These are rough measurements. Makes around 30.

Before

150g sliced salami - German and Danish are both good
80g shaved or grated parmesan cheese
70g pitted olives - kalamata are good here
2 good sized sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 good sized tsp wholegrain mustard
2 to 3 tbs good olive oil
4 sheets of puff pastry or one 500g block, defrosted but cool

Turn the oven on to 180 degrees celsius for fan forced, 200 degrees if not.

Paste - tasty!

Put all ingredients except for the pastry into a food processor and blend to get a thick paste. You may need less or more oil, so try 2 tbs to start with.

If using a block of pastry, start rolling it out on a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half to make it easier to deal with. You want a rough square that is around 20cm by 20cm and about 3mm thick (basically, go for what you would have got if you'd managed to find ready rolled sheets).

Paste spread onto pastry

When you have your square, spread the salami mix from the end of the sheet that's away from you, down to the end closest, leaving around 10cm clear on each of the other sides - see the photo. You want an even covering with the paste, but not a thick layer.

Roll the left side (one of the sides with no salami paste) in towards the middle, as tightly as you can without stretching the pastry. Stop once you get to the middle. Roll the other side to the middle in the same way and gently push the two rolls up against each other.

Rolled up, sliced and pinched

With a sharp knife, cut 1cm thick slices from the pastry.

On a lightly greased, non-stick tray, arrange the slices, cut side down, lightly pinching at the base of the two rolls to get the circle bits to slightly flare out - very technical description, I know.

Bake for around 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm if possible.

This is an easy one to muck around with - a bit of pesto, some parma ham spread out on top; chopped, blanched baby spinach with some grated romano, a bit of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Run riot!

The finished product