Food and Wine Matching

Salad Days Salad season is upon us and I love salad. I especially like salad that contains additional exotic ingredients such as croutons, eggs, anchovies, mozzarella, tuna fish, prawns, chorizo – basically, anything that categorically isn't salad.   This combination of chopped fennel and sliced radishes that we served with a light vinaigrette dressing has […]

Salade Niçoise Our youngest son is back from his final term at university and has been trying to kill off his dissertation like the most lackadaisical of executioners. He is vegan, which has necessitated a few culinary tweaks, but nothing to keep anyone awake at night. Happily, (for me if not for him) we've been […]

Salmon Fillets with Masala Sauce, Basmati Rice and Green Beans The inspiration for my masala sauce comes from Madhur Jaffrey's excellent 'Curry Easy' that was published in 2010 and proved a culinary game changer for our household. It is very clearly and well written and contains terrific photographs to boot.   Ingredients: (Serves 3 to […]

Roast Lamb with Gratin Dauphinois and Brussel Sprouts Whilst I always aim for a minimum of fuss when cooking I am sufficiently enamored of gratin dauphinois to think it merits an additional 10 minutes or so preparation time. Purists – especially French ones – are horrified by the idea of adding cheese but I’ve tried […]

Stewed Beef with Mashed Potato and Celeriac and Watercress Happily, I'm now at an age when I seldom need to refer to texts for stalwart dishes. I rely on a combination of knowledge accrued from reading the likes of Elizabeth David and Nigel Slater as well as from eating with my parents and siblings, coupled […]

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese or ‘Ragu’. I recently cooked this dish for two friends who are both mothers of hungry teenagers and they both asked me for the recipe so it can't have been a bad rendition. My original inspiration came from Claudia Roden's superb 'The Food of Italy' (Vintage) but it is years since I've […]

Kalamata Olive and Chorizo Rigatoni with Onion, Peppers and Passata.   Ingredients: (Serves 4) Pitted Kalamata olives x 70g Spicy chorizo x 40g (peeled & sliced to 4-5mm rounds) Durum wheat rigatoni x 250g Passata x 540g p Spanish onion x 1 (finely-diced) Fresh red chilli x 2 Large garlic cloves x 2 (thinly-sliced) Red […]

Brussel Sprout and Pork Loin Stir Fry with Rice Noodles Few people are happier than I am when sprouts come into season as, although they are all too frequently abusively cooked, they are amongst the tastiest and healthiest of vegetables that can uplift simple dishes to new heights. I've always been a believer in the […]

Contemplating Carbonara I have long been an admirer of one of the most simple and satisfying pasta sauces – spaghetti alla carbonara – which combines eggs, bacon and spaghetti to great effect. I had always assumed that its origins dated back to medieval times but if that is the case it is not well-documented. Culinary […]

Haddock with Serrano Ham, Puy Lentils and Broccoli This combination of fish, ham, lentils and broccoli makes for a quick and easy to prepare, healthy and tasty supper. Ingredients: (Serves 2) Line Caught Boneless Haddock Loin Fillets x 2 [Approximately 150g each]. Air-dried Serrano ham x 4 slices Pre-cooked Puy Lentils x 1 pouch [250g] […]