Food and Wine Matching

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Lamb steaks with New Potatoes and Pea Shoot and Mint Salad. Lamb is a perfect summer meat, as it's light and flavourful. New potatoes are in season right now, and they're an ideal accompaniment. They're a bit more delicate than regular potatoes, so they won't overpower the meat. The pea shoots and mint add a […]

Panzanella is an Umbrian and Tuscan salad using old bread, tomatoes and onions, and frequently features chopped cucumber and fresh basil. It is traditionally dressed with a mixture of olive oil and red wine vinegar. There are no hard and fast rules about quantities, and roast peppers, pitted black olives and tinned anchovies are often […]

Spears of Destiny The U.K. asparagus season is necessarily short officially running from Saint George's day, which is also 'National Asparagus Day' on the 23rd April until 21st June. Most supermarkets stock imported asparagus, much of it from Peru, throughout the year but it has a lot of transportation miles and in my (heavily biased) […]

A Gastronomic Meander in the Marais I love Paris and enjoy travelling by the Eurostar, and require very little persuasion to decamp to the City of Light for a few days of culture, cuisine and Parisian je ne sais quoi. On a recent trip we managed to book a bijou but well-appointed studio apartment in […]

Fried Pork Chops in Cider with Hasselback Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts When I have a day to myself, I enjoy a spot of leisurely food shopping and try to innovate, compiling a dish that is new to me and that can be enjoyed à deux as our evening meal. Yesterday was such an occasion and […]

Moules Marinière There is currently much concern regarding the sustainability of lots of seafood and the impact of over-fishing and climate change. Happily, one type of seafood is simple to both source and cultivate and remains plentiful, inexpensive, delicious and easy to cook. Bring on, one of my favourite bivalves – mussels. Why mussels are […]