Seasonal Snackage Package and Festive Libations In the run up to Christmas we always invite a few friends and neighbours round for drinks. Experience has taught us that people like a definite cut off time and it is best to avoid trying to provide a fully catered meal. That said, a few canapés or snacks […]

    David Chandler: "Jason's well-known for keeping a tight ship, but like the egalitarian oenophile we know him to be, he's not averse to granting other mariners of the wine dark sea an opportunity to take the helm and plot a course through the beneficent waters of the bacchanal either. In this instalment, no […]

Chicken with Chorizo, Chillis, Onions, Peppers and Garlic with Rice I've come across a few recipes that are very similar to this, but I devised this version years ago and I like it because there is very little to weigh or measure. Most recently, I cooked it for my long-standing, 5 strong book group and […]

Since childhood I've been an avid Francophile. Clearly, that is due, in no small part, to parental influence but I think it goes further than that. We spent almost all of our family holidays self-catering in France and then when I was 15 years-old I participated in our school's French exchange. Cigarettes, mobylettes, bangers, flick-knives, […]

Scallop and King Prawn Ramen with Vegetables and Rice Noodles This recipe evolved during the pandemic when I was looking for food that was healthy, easy to prepare and versatile. You can switch the scallops and prawns for diced tuna, chicken or tofu and get an equally satisfying outcome. It does come pretty close to […]

    David Chandler: " The Bordeaux region may be home to some of the most famous and long-lived wines in the world and play host to any number of celebrated appellations, but, says Jason, you can do it on a budget... But would you really you want to? With six sedulously selected bottles to […]

Greasy Beans For as far back as I can remember I have enjoyed travelling in France. A significant part of that pleasure has been in partaking of the rich variety of food and wine available and the Gallic passion for cooking food that is both seasonal and locally sourced. There are some quite vocal people […]

Restaurant Review – 'La Voile Bleue', Les Halles, Angoulème, France. By long-established family tradition, we enjoy regular holidays in the backwaters of the Dordogne which provides a great location for swimming in freshwater lakes, cycling (Le Tour graced the village this summer, although Mark Cavendish won't have fond recollections of that) and al fresco dining. […]

    David Chandler: "In this episode, Jason and David sample a sextet of wines devoted entirely to one 'grately' underrated grape, prized by none other than Cardinal Richelieu, (l'Eminence Rouge of France) and Jason Yapp, (l'Eminence Rouge ou Blanc of Frome). They begin with a perfectly balanced, rose hip and mint, Chinon Rosé 2022 […]

Several Summer Salads While I am not known for being overly-enthusiastic about salads, after much recent nutritional advice from well-informed observers, such as Chris van Tulleken and Tim Spector, highlighting the dangers of consuming too much overly-processed food, they are definitely going to be served more frequently chez Yapp in the future. It has taken […]