As a mama who prepares three square meals a day for two highly opinionated, discerning food critics I find that I have to think on my feet and resort to imagination and inventiveness, otherwise the slightest hint of greenery or legume can trigger off a chain reaction that makes Chernobyl (I kid you not) seem trivial.

I don't know about you, but I just don't have the time or the inclination to pander to the whims of a six and ten year old each and every mealtime. Consequently, one of the ways I have attempted to make my life easier is to employ the use of exotic and elaborate food titles, whilst limiting details, such as ingredients, strictly to a need to know basis. If the ten year old insists on trying to single out ingredients, I find that feigning ignorance or appearing distracted works equally well.

I generally manage to get the little people to try and eat new things by using alluring titles. For instance why call it a lamb stew, when you can call it a spiced Moroccan lamb tagine. An everyday vegetable soup is suddenly elevated to minestrone with herbed polpette and chocolate gelato becomes Gelato di Cioccolato del Cipriani. Even those simple, last minute ingredients such as flour, sugar and eggs can get slapdashed together as a Spanish Peach Clafoutis.

I've also found that this tactic works brilliantly with adults, especially when you're having an impromptu lunch or last minute dinner party and time is not on your side. The quick and easy recipe below is simply a lush, velvety, dark chocolate custard that has been resized and rebranded as Belgian Chocolate Pots. Hence, if your wanting to make these chocolate pots a little more adult, then try adding a splash of Frangelico or Grand Marnier to the mix.