How to cook in someone else's kitchen

So you're the popular cook who travels to friends in distant parts only to end up cooking for them in the kitchen?

The gourmand with the magical touch who doesn't mind whipping up a little something to enliven evenings at a night out at someone's place? The one who'll carry a jar of chives in a bag just in case someone wants a sandwich dished up fancily?

It isn't an easy life being a spot-cook, the guinea pig whose abilities are always on test . But a cook (in the loosest sense of the term) has got to do what a cook's got to do. Which means that no matter where you are, and what the cuisine is, you must come prepared to walk out of the kitchen with your hosts and their guests literally eating out of your hands.

First things first, then. Expert chefs tell us that with amateur cooks, the packaging is more important than the substance. Therefore, call for all the trimmings. Want to jazz up a salad?

Add anything you can lay your hands on "" croutons or olives, shavings of cheese, a spot of olive oil, a hint of mustard. Don't worry about what works with what "" when you aren't responsible for a full menu, experiment. You'll be surprised at how easily tastes fall into place.

Remember that surprise works brilliantly. Dunk in meat balls into a bowl of soup. Spice up the main course with anything from paprika to mustard. Add anything from jalapenos to gherkins in an omelette. Decorate chocolate mousse with coconut shavings, a jelly with dry fruits broken into small bits.

Almost all kitchens will have herbs and spices tucked away into cupboards that are not in daily or even occasional use. Pull them out and decide what you can do with them. Cinnamon? Powder some and add it to anything from tea (yes!) to apple tart (but be sure to let it cook). Oregano? Sprinkle some over a salad. Rosemary? Great on your dopiyaza or your aloo-gobi sabzi.

If you're travelling out of town and expect to do some cooking, do carry some essentials with you, no matter what. If it's to interior parts, some fancy pasta will do the trick "" you can then cook it cheesy (provided you remembered to pack some cooking cheeses), or in white sauce (butter and cornflour or maida) or a pungent tomato puree with high garlic content.

Interesting breads (brown, whole wheat etc), a few blocks of cheese, and a couple of jars of now easily available gherkins and Spanish olives (those stuffed with pimentos are best). Remember, tabasco, white vinegar and Worcestershire sauce are brilliant weapons to enliven most dull dishes (use with caution though).

A lot of the flair lies in the fussiness. Add soaked and chopped almonds to practically anything from rice to the main course to the pud (similarly, raisins). Browned onions are great for flavour "" add to anything Indian or Continental.

In fact, chop up crisp fruits (pear, apple) over pulaos; even potato crisps do well as a garnish to almost anything. If you take the trouble to fry small chunks of garlic, red pepper (which must then be pounded) and so on and keep in a bowl, you'll be surprised how well they'll be received by diners who'll sprinkle them over their food and tell you it was a meal made in heaven.

Finally, don't forget the dramatics. Light a candle, pour rum or brandy in a tablespoon or serving spoon, heat till the alcohol catches fire, and pour over the dessert. Voila!