Under the grill: Helen Jackson (+recipe)

Helen Jackson. Photo / Carolyn Robertson/Think Photog

Helen Jackson, New Zealand Woman's Weekly food editor.

The one ingredient I can't live without is ... garlic - it's a background player that adds so much flavour.

I have $20 and four people to feed, I'm making ... fried noodles with prawns, chicken, vegetables and sprouts.

I'm tired and hungry, I'm ordering takeaways from ... KK Malaysian in Epsom, their food is flavour-rich and satisfying.

The person I'd most like to cook for is ... Ray Avery - 2010 New Zealander of the year. His charity work continues to inspire.

The person I'd most like to have cook for me is ... David Thompson from Sydney - his Thai food is divine.

The best meal I have ever eaten was ... chilli crab in Singapore. The crab was the enormous Sri Lankan variety and there were plenty of soft, sweet rolls to mop up the spicy sauce.

This Easter I'll be eating ... I am hoping for freshly caught snapper for breakfast, pan-fried and served with golden fried potatoes, chunks of lemon and plenty of sea salt. We will probably have a slow-cooked leg of lamb later in the day with lots of garlic, rosemary and olives.

Oh dear, it's my last meal, I'm eating ... Light and puffy whitebait fritters with buttered artisan white bread and a glass or two of Veuve Clicquot.

* Helen Jackson's new book, Helen Jackson's Kitchen, is out now. Try her recipe for these quick and delicious chocolate croissants - just in time for Easter.

Chocolate croissants

These are cheat's chocolate croissants. Although I don't pretend they are anywhere near as good as what you buy in a French bakery, they are perfectly acceptable, especially if you make sure you use butter puff pastry and good chocolate.

Makes 9

3 sheets (525g) butter puff pastry
100g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 egg, lightly whisked
Icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 220C. Cut each sheet of pastry into three triangles the length of the pastry.

2. Taking one triangle, place the long side of the triangle nearest to you and the narrow point furthest away. Scatter a few chocolate pieces 2cm in from the long edge of the pastry.

3. Roll pastry over chocolate towards the narrow point. Press edges to seal and fold into a crescent shape. Place on a cold baking tray and brush with egg. Continue with remaining chocolate and pastry. Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

* Images and recipe extracted from Helen Jackson's Kitchen (Random House, $45. Out now).