Food and Drink: Independent 1993 Cook Competition: Could you feed us for a change?

AT THE risk of seeming rude, I would like to invite myself for dinner. I am bringing a few friends from the food world - Andre Cointreau, owner of the international cookery schools Le Cordon Bleu; Michel Perraud, head of Le Cordon Bleu in London; chef of the year Shaun Hill, of Gidleigh Park in Devon, and his fellow chef Caroline Brett of O'Keefe's; and my colleague at the Independent, Joanna Blythman.

We are coming on a Friday night, so you will not have long to prepare after coming home from work. What will it be?

This simple premise is the basis of the Independent's 1993 Cook Competition. Together with Le Cordon Bleu Cookery School, we are looking for the cook who can produce the most enticing, appetising food to reinvigorate the overworked palates of us, the judges.

You will have two hours' cooking time, though a few basics such as stocks or pastry can be made in advance. However, over-enthusiastic use of the freezer or of pre-prepared props is not the way to the judges' hearts.

Your guests are an open- minded group, who are not looking for anything elaborate and fancy. Quite the opposite. The chefs have spent their entire day masterminding restaurant food, so the last thing they will want is more of the same. The best home-cooking is what will make them happiest. There should be at least two courses, but you may prefer to serve up three or four smaller ones.

A well-judged, imaginative approach, sound culinary skills, fresh vivid flavours and a lack of pretension are what we will be looking for, but remember that even the most brilliant of cooks cannot hope to turn out a prizewinning meal with poor ingredients. Bear in mind that this meal is to be cooked in mid-May, and plan it around the choicest seasonal produce.

HOW TO ENTER

Send us an outline of your menu, typed or legibly handwritten, together with a brief description of your recipes, detailing any special techniques. Tell us a little about the main ingredients you are using, where they come from and why you have chosen them.

Attach your name, address and both daytime and evening telephone numbers on a separate sheet of paper.

Send your entries to: Cook Competition, Weekend, The Independent, 40 City Road, London EC1Y 2DB, to arrive by Friday 16 April. We regret that entries cannot be acknowledged or returned.

The competition is not open to employees of Newspaper Publishing plc, Le Cordon Bleu cookery schools or anyone who already makes a living from cooking.

THE COMPETITION

From your menus we will pick 10 finalists and invite them to cook their meal on 20 May at Le Cordon Bleu cookery school, 114 Marylebone Lane, London W1. Finalists will have two hours in which to prepare and present their meals. In view of the number of finalists, the deadline cannot be flexible.

INGREDIENTS

Finalists bring their own ingredients and are allowed a budget of up to pounds 30, for which they will be reimbursed. Their menu should feed four people.

PRIZES

The winner will be taken on an all-expenses paid gastronomic trip to Paris, eating, shopping and attending a special class at Le Cordon Bleu. In addition, all finalists can relax after their toils over dinner at one of London's best restaurants, which we will take over for the evening.