Time for a pink peppercorn revival
It’s funny how things go in and out of fashion. There was a time back in the 80s (I think) when every dish seemed to incorporate pink peppercorns. Then a…
A bin end bonanza
If there’s one thing that beats raiding the reduced items in the supermarkets for bargains it’s doing the same thing in a posh shop. Harvey Nix to be precise where…
The problem with bin ends
Having crowed about my bargains on Saturday, yesterday brought me down to earth with a bump: the Cuilleron Marsanne was badly corked. There’s nothing for it but to take it…
A Fairtrade liqueur
I’d been vaguely thinking I should write something about a Fairtrade product this Fairtrade fortnight when an opportunity presented itself in the unexpected form of a Goji-based liqueur called Fair.…
How Elizabeth David made scrambled egg
When I was in Suffolk the other day the pub I was staying in, the Anchor at Walberswick, included among its splendid breakfast menu Elizabeth David’s scrambled egg (above) I…
South African straw wine
I meant to announce I was off to South Africa on a wine trip but was so busy before I went away and so rushed since that I haven’t had…
A wine called Darling
You remember that running gag in Blackadder Goes Forth about Captain Darling who Stephen Fry, who plays the general, keeps calling ‘Darling’? Well there seem to me to be plenty…
The curious craze for ‘coffee’ Pinotage
Let me ask you straight out – would you fancy a red wine that tasted of coffee? No? Me neither but could be we’re in a minority. As I discovered…
Emergency – and non-emergency – chocolate
Weird though it may sound to most of you I don’t spend a lot of time looking at or thinking about chocolate so I may well be passing on a…
Wild garlic pesto
One of the things I love about Twitter is that it puts you in touch with people who share your passion and creates the most unlikely and serendipitous opportunities to…
Bread by post
Now you can buy almost every other kind of food – and drink – online there seems no reason why you shouldn’t buy bread but it feels slightly counter-intuitive. Bread…
Love Food – a real community festival
One of the problems I have with food festivals is that they’ve ceased to celebrate local food. Too many are dominated by celebrity chef theatres and big tents, producers who…
Lancashire Eccles Cakes
I’m not a great one for pre-packed cakes and biscuits but I make an exception for Real Lancashire Eccles Cakes which I can miraculously buy in my local newsagent. It’s…
Cynical champagne ‘deals’
Having been to a champagne tasting this week I’ve been giving quite a bit of thought as to how good these headline-grabbing half-price champagne offers are. Initally I got quite…
My quest for the perfect Earl Grey
My favourite cuppa since I can’t remember when is Earl Grey. It’s the tea I start the day with and the tea, up to now, I’ve invariably enjoyed. But recently…