Food and Wine Matching

Blue cheese is a wonderful punchy ingredient working well alongside sweet autumnal fruit (& sweet wine) but also melted into polenta to give it flavour and depth. Try this simple and delicious dish with a Châteauneuf du Pape: Domaine du Père Caboche - Elisabeth Chambellan 2010 which is full-bodied enough to stand up to the […]

The nights are drawing in and although the weather is mild it’s a good excuse to tuck into some autumnal dishes. The earthy sweet flavour of beetroot makes a lovely dip when pureed with yoghurt and garnished with hazelnuts. It looks pretty incredible too and is lovely served with warm flatbread and a glass of […]

September is an excellent month for fresh produce as there are still late summer soft fruits and early autumn apples and pears. Mushrooms are also suitably autumnal and a good transition away from the lighter greenery of the summer months. Enjoy Cep (aka porcini) crostini on sourdough - delicious and simple with either a dry […]

As a change from the routine I’m writing about summery wines which go with almost anything because at this time of year catering can be impromptu and parties can involve a huge selection of food (especially if everyone is bringing along a dish). If you like a bit of continuity it’s good to have a […]

It really is rosé weather now (or if it isn’t it should be) – sitting out on a sunny evening with friends enjoying some salty snack (my new favourite is chilli chickpeas made by coating chickpeas in a spicy marinade & baking them in the oven) with a glass of chilled Sancerre or Bandol is […]

This June there are a lot of vegetables coming into season that would normally appear much earlier while other seasonal staples are catching up. It is good to make something summery with these late arrivals, such as sprouting broccoli with toasted almonds and a lemon dressing. By the end of the month there should be […]

At last the weather has warmed up, to celebrate uncork a bottle of Coteaux de Cap Corse: Domaine Pieretti Rosé and sit back and sip in the evening sunshine with some good olives, salted almonds and thinly sliced chacuterie (our current obsession is iberico ham). Recently we were lucky enough to have been given two […]

Some of the most delicious dishes that stay in your memory are the simplest. More than ten years ago eating out at Fishworks in Bath I had a salad of thinly sliced fennel with sliced red chillis, Maldon salt, lemon juice and olive oil. I can’t remember the fish dish it accompanied because I was […]

Shellfish and crustacea are some of my favourite foods. A simple and cheap Moules Marinières served with crusty white bread is a feast fit for a King especially when accompanied by a bone dry Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie: Domaine de la Mortaine 2011 Another favourite is Spaghetti Vongole made with fresh clams […]

If life is a little busy at times it’s tempting to resort to some ready meals but this doesn’t mean you have to have something ersatz and dull. If you’re travelling in France stock up on haricots lingots (beans cooked in goose fat) or cassoulet, bake in the oven until crispy on top and served […]