

Normandy apples and cream
"The best thing I know between France and England is the sea." Douglas William Jerrold Last week was a guru week and it was Jane...
Oct 16, 2023


Views, lunch, wine, friends ...
reflections on a day out in Nillumbik Nillumbik is the name of our Shire - the local council area. In the bottom corner is where we are...
Oct 15, 2023


L'apéro
"People who wish to discipline the sexual organs should avoid drinking those artificial concoctions which are called 'aperitifs'"...
Sep 26, 2023


Small beer
Small beer - "something that does not seem important when compared to something else" Cambridge English Dictionary Apologies for being so...
Aug 13, 2023


A comfort drink - hot toddy
"If it could speak, the Toddy would whisper, “There, there, now. Just rest and feel better.” And who doesn’t need that every once in a...
Jul 31, 2023


Wee drams
Dram "a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink, especially whisky" Cambridge English Dictionary "A pour of alcohol. The amount is...
Jul 24, 2023


An ancient wine, new to us
"The real magic of Aglianico appears to the patient." Wine Folly To go with our Crème de cassis pork ribs we drank a bottle of wine -...
Jul 19, 2023


A dish to make if you have a spare bottle of Crème de Cassis
"A thick rich taste that is felt as much as tasted. Deep jammy currants roll over and coat the tongue in a wave of black currants. Like...
Jul 18, 2023


Hodgepodge
"Hodgepodge: a jumble, a heterogenous mixture" Merriam-Webster Dictionary "a confused mixture, a hotchpotch" Oxford Languages...
Jun 5, 2023


Supermodel pasta
"Overall, you can’t go wrong with a pasta recipe, and this one is easy to make and absolutely delicious. Plus, you can make it your own...
Apr 25, 2023


Italian yum cha
"Arrive early, appoint a leader and say yes ... maybe that’s all one needs to know about yum cha. The food comes around: you say yes or...
Apr 14, 2023


In passing
"done or said when your main focus is something different" Oxford Learner's Dictionary "briefly and casually" Google? My main focus in...
Mar 9, 2023


En passant
"if you say something en passant, you mention it quickly while talking about something else" Cambridge Dictionary So not really 'this...
Feb 7, 2023


Whim whams
"This kind of thing is more a delicious mouthful at the end of a meal, than a pudding." Jane Grigson It's not the end of a meal - I'm...
Jan 27, 2023


A 46 year-old bottle of wine
"Appreciating old wine is like making love to a very old lady. It is possible. It can even be enjoyable. But it requires a bit of...
Jan 20, 2023


By the way
"By the way - used to introduce a new subject to be considered or to give further information" Cambridge English Dictionary Yes it's one...
Jan 11, 2023


Twelfth night
"On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree." It's Twelfth Night. Well the day that my family...
Jan 6, 2023


A glass of wine
"Every time I open a bottle of wine, it is an amazing trip somewhere." José Andres A few random thoughts on wine inspired from a frame in...
Jan 3, 2023


Sides
"Tasty enough on its own, but humble enough to not take away from the main event" OTK Extra Good Things Just to make clear, this is not...
Dec 3, 2022


Don't throw that spent corn cob away
"Spent corn cobs harbour masses of flavour that is a shame to waste." Tom Hunt Because - would you believe? - you can make this gorgeous...
Oct 30, 2022