A snapshot of the Hub-UK menu in December 2000

Back then the internet was a very different place with much more of an amateur feel to it. In a lot of ways it was a pleasanter and more friendly place to hang out. For those of us interested in food and cooking it was a great opportunity to chat and share ideas with people living in other parts of the world.

It was also a time when everyone involved in cooking, whether they were just a keen amateur, a busy mum, a grandmother with a lifetime of kitchen experience or a professional chef just starting a career in the kitchen or one who was an old hand working at the stove, was happy to share recipes so others could enjoy them.

A lot of the details of who contributed what have either become blurred or disappeared over the years but the recipes are still worthwhile either in their own right or for the inspiration they might give.

Ingredients

1 New York strip steak (2 pounds) trimmed of fat
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

• Heat grill to high.

• Pierce the steaks all over with a fork - at least 8 times - to let the oil penetrate.

• Rub steak with olive oil.

• Crack the peppercorns with the bottom of a heavy pan. Combine pepper with minced garlic and salt to make a paste.

• Cover both sides of the steak with the mixture.

• For medium steak, cook on a hot grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steak from heat and set aside.

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the herbs.

• Slice steak on the diagonal and drizzle with the herb butter.

Serves 2

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