THE best kebabs I have ever tasted were in Amsterdam.

After a hard day washing dishes and plates - not hundreds but literally thousands - at the main international airport, I would treat myself to a kebab.

Strangely, they don't call it a kebab in Holland - it goes under the title "showama."

Joints of tender succulent roast lamb are carved from the rotating spit and generously filled into envelope-style pitta bread with lashings of a creamy garlic dressing and just a "vinegar shake" of very hot chilli sauce.

Their success and immense popularity, I believe, was certainly due to the quality of the spit-roasted lamb, which had just the merest hint of garlic and spices.

If you are toying with the idea of taking a European city break, I would put Amsterdam on your shortlist for this reason alone

I would be more than pleased to give you the recipe for showama - if only I had it.

Nearer to home, East Lancashire certainly has an abundance of kebab houses and I have visited many in my mis-spent youth.

Usually it was in the early hours of Sunday morning after a visit to a nightclub.

Who hasn't?

But I bet not many people have considered making kebabs at home.

I have and I do - and so can you if you follow this week's recipe. However, before we delve into the secrets of this Turkish delight, I want to let you know about a Special Food Evening being held at St Hubert's Primary School, in Great Harwood, on Tuesday November 2, at 7pm.

Members of the public (that means you) are invited to submit their own recipes to be included in a Millennium Recipe Brochure.

You are invited to arrive at the school on the evening with the made-up dish and enter it in a competition, to be judged by yours truly.

It is a fund-raising event organised by the PTA, so if you have a recipe you wish to share please send your recipe directly to the school, marking it for the attention of the PTA.

I look forward to meeting you there on the evening.

MORE FESTIVE FOOD IDEAS: A few weeks ago I gave you my tips on how not to cook a turkey.

This week I question whether you should eat turkey at all on Christmas Day. With little more than 60 days before Christmas, I am in a quandary as to what to eat.

I will, of course, be working up until 8pm and always look forward to my special meal at about 9pm.

Most of you will no doubt be having your Christmas meal at lunchtime - but does it have to be turkey?

I think not.

Have you ever considered straying from the usual bird in favour of - let me throw some ideas in the culinary melting pot - goose, duck or pheasant?

It would, of course, disappoint a certain Mr Mathews but it would certainly be a delight to 15 million turkeys if you were to choose an alternative main course this year.

Some things, of course, are a must - mince pies, Christmas pudding and more mince pies.

I have a friend, Gina Villa, who makes the best mince pies I have ever tasted and I am hoping to prise the recipe from her in the next few weeks to share with you.

Chicken Kebabs,Wild Rice and Curry Sauce

(SERVES FOUR)

I ADVOCATE wild rice and a mild curry sauce instead of the usual pitta bread for this recipe.

However the kebab would be equally delicious in pitta bread.

I HAVE in previous recipes given you the recipe for cooking rice so please refe rto it as I assume you cut out these recipes and keep them for future reference.

IF YOU have a favourite curry sauce recipe that you prefer, feel free to use it. If not, try this:

1 onion,

1 carrot,

2 cloves garlic all finely chopped

2 tablespoons medium curry paste

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 tablespoon flour

1 banana - chopped

1 apple - peeled, cored and chopped

1 pint chicken stock

SWEAT off onion, carrot and garlic.

Stir in the flour, tomato puree and curry paste cooking for two minutes.

Slowly stir in the chicken stock.

Add the banana and apple cooking for a further 20 minutes. Whizz in a food processor for 30 seconds, then pass through a fine sieve.

Allow to cool and store in fridge until needed.

CHICKEN KEBABS

4 chicken breasts

2 red, 1 green peppers

3 courgettes (each cut into 1O pieces)

12 button mushrooms

100ml natural yoghurt

2 tablespoons tandoori paste CUT each chicken breast into eight pieces.

Mix yoghurt with tandori paste and add chicken.

Leave in fridge for three hours to marinade. Using either a metal or wooden skewer (I use wooden ones - they are like king size cocktail sticks) available from good cookery shops, skewer the pieces of courgette, green and red pepper mushroom and marinated chicken, alternating each item.

Fry the kebabs in hot oil for one minute to seal the chicken, then place in oven gas 8/200C for 15-20 minutes. PRESENTATION TIPS: The rice is best served in the centre of the plate.

Remove the skewer from the kebab and place around the rice.

Pour the re-heated curry sauce over the kebab.

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