Gabriel Gaté:
Yes, basil goes well with both salmon and pasta. Here is a recipe that you can add to the cooked pasta or drizzle on top of the salmon just before serving. For 4 people – in a blender place 1 clove garlic, a pinch of cayenne pepper, ½ tsp finely ground black pepper, 2 tbsp walnut halves, 4 tbsp olive oil and 1 cup basil leaves. Blend to a purée and set aside until required. Just before serving, season with a little salt. You can add a bit of grated parmesan to the pasta and squeeze some lemon juice over the fish.

Gabriel Gaté:
I’m not aware of a Romanian restaurant in Sydney. There used to be one in Parramatta called Café Rodica but I think it’s now closed. Ask your Romanian friends if they know of one or call the Romanian Consulate.

Gabriel Gaté:
Yes, you can poach peaches in a light syrup or make a stew/compote and freeze it.

Gabriel Gaté:
It’s great to make your own muesli. In a bowl, mix 2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup wheat bran, 1 cup quick cooking oats, ½ cup hazelnuts, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup sunflower seeds and ½ cup almonds. In a small saucepan, boil together ½ cup apple juice or ½ cup honey or maple syrup for 3 minutes. Pour this over the muesli mix in the bowl and toss together. Spread the mixture in a shallow dish lined with baking paper and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 25 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.

Gabriel Gaté:
I saw the recipe for manjar blanko being prepared on Food Safari. You may have seen it too. If not, it’s on the SBS food website. You should be able to keep it for several weeks as it’s cooked for a long time and contains lots of sugar. It’s like a milk jam.