Fancy a Nibble? While staying in Savoie in France, I discovered a genius cold hors-d’oeuvre that’s quick, cheap and easy. Here’s a colourful nibble that’s also brilliant with a wide range of wines, whether white, rosé, sparkling or sherry. What you only really need is a courgette, aka zucchini. My example of this is vegetarian, but it’s easy enough to create a …
Pignoletto, Part 2: a Grechetto Gentile shopping list.
Pignoletto, Part 2: a Grechetto Gentile shopping list. Part 1 of this article explained Pignoletto and its transformation. The grape variety is now called Grechetto Gentile. Pignoletto is now a wine from a specific, legally protected location. This Part 2 is a companion piece focusing on 18 representative examples of Pignoletto DOC and DOCG wines. These include wines available in the UK. …
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A brilliant Winemaker Dinner in the Alto Adige
A brilliant Winemaker Dinner in the Alto Adige One of the best Winemaker Dinners that I’ve been to was earlier this year in the Alto Adige (Südtirol), where Italian and German cultures meld together. The Winemaker Dinner took place in the town of Merano, some 30 kilometres north of Bolzano in Italy at the “Ansitz Plantitscherhof”. It’s one of the 29 …
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St John Bread and Wine – offal needn’t be awful
St John Bread and Wine – offal needn’t be awful Back in 1994, Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver opened the St John restaurant. It’s still around the corner from Smithfield Market in a once dilapidated part of Clerkenwell. The emphasis is on British recipes, simplicity and seasonality. It also includes all the meats now ignored by squeamish Brits. Yes, we’re …
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Ambrosus – from Farm to Fork with Blockchain
Ambrosus – from Farm to Fork with Blockchain A few weeks ago, I wrote a speculative article on how Blockchain technology will revolutionise the wine industry. You can read about that here. In so doing, this article attracted lots of interest and attention from the Blockchain community. So much so that it ended up going to number one in the Google …
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Une Table Corse – authentic eating in Corsica
Une Table Corse – authentic eating in Corsica Une Table Corse is a restaurant perhaps like no other. In an ancient and isolated farmhouse, Pauline Julliard, its owner, provides one of the island’s most fabled dining experiences. You’ll eat authentic Corsican cuisine in small converted dining rooms. Pauline learned all the recipes from her mother and grandmother. She is now …
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Losing My Extra-Virginity in Corsica: Oltremonti Olive Oil
Losing My Extra-Virginity in Corsica: Oltremonti Olive Oil I love Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, (or EVOO for short). However, I knew little about making it and less about how to taste it. Losing my Extra-Virginity was overdue. Hence I visited Domaine Oltremonti recently. Oltremonti is near Bastia, in northern Corsica, between the wild high Maquis and the coast. The Domaine has 35 …
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Seasonal Eating: soon time for Samphire
Seasonal Eating: Soon time for Samphire I consider myself blessed to have a Fishmonger that turns up every week at the local market. When in the season, he includes a couple of handfuls of emerald green samphire for free. In Britain, Samphire grows naturally in muddy salt-water marshes and estuaries around the coast. It’s a seasonal delicacy, at its best …
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Terre à Terre in Brighton – bohemian like me
Terre à Terre in Brighton – bohemian like me Terre à Terre in Brighton is possibly the finest vegetarian restaurant in Britain. It was opened in 1993 by Amanda Powley and Philip Taylor. Since then, their vision of fine dining has become legendary, a celebration of the ethical and sustainable, without meat or fish. It’s been six years since I …
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Recipe: Spaghetti alla Norma, a real taste of Sicily
Recipe: Spaghetti alla Norma, a real taste of Sicily A big bowl of Spaghetti alla Norma is truly the essence of Sicilian cuisine. I first ate it in Ragusa many years ago. It’s a tomato and aubergine pasta heaven that forms a regular part of my diet. Hearty and healthy, it’s so foolproof to make that even I can do …
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