Food, Wine & Recipes

Tip 1: Always check if people are vegetarian or have any food allergies; you don't want to plan the whole dinner party menu only to have to change it at the last minute!

Tip 2: Have PLENTY of drinks. I can't stress this enough. Keep the wine flowing and make sure you have some soft drinks and nice coffee for the end of the evening.

Tip 3: Stay calm and relax. I know it'd easier said than done but there is nothing worse than going round to someone's for a dinner party where the host is all tense. Try to put your guests at ease!

Tip 4: Have fun!

Ingredients:

1½ limes, cut into wedges
20 fresh mint leaves
2½ tsp granulated sugar
handful ice
65ml/2½fl oz white rum
splash soda water, to taste
fresh mint sprig, to garnish

Method
1. Place the limes, mint and sugar into a sturdy highball glass and 'muddle' or mash with the end of a clean rolling pin, to bruise the mint and release the lime juice.
2. Add the ice and pour over the rum.
3. Add soda water to taste and stir well. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve.

Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients per glass:
1 lump sugar
angostura bitters
2 tsp brandy
champagne

Method
1. Place a lump of sugar in each glass, add a few drops of angostura bitter and the brandy.
2. Pour over the champagne. Enjoy.

I recently had a dinner party and I really think it was one of the most stressful events!

There was a vegetarian who also didn't like fish which practically ruins the whole thing!

How on earth was I supposed to choose a menu around that?

I started thinking about tartlets, quiches, vegetarian moussaka etc.

In the end I chose fajitas! They went down really well, I made all the sauces which turned out fantastic and everyone had a good time making their own.

Ingredients:

45ml/1½fl oz bourbon
1 tbsp sweet vermouth
1 dash bitters
To garnish
1 cherry, stem attached

Method
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass and stir 16-18 times.
2. Strain it into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with a cherry on the stem.

Ingredients

2 oz (50 g) dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids)
1 egg, separated
1 dessert spoon rum
1 slightly rounded teaspoon coffee granules

To serve:

1 fl oz (25 ml) pouring cream
1 level teaspoon coffee granules, dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water
1 oz (25 g) grated dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids)

Method

1. Start off by setting a small basin over a small pan of barely simmering water, then add the coffee granules to the basin. Measure in 2 teaspoons hot water and stir to dissolve the granules.

2.Now break up the chocolate into small pieces, add these to the basin and stir till the chocolate has melted and been incorporated with the coffee and you have a smooth sauce.

3. Next separate the egg, the white into a medium-sized bowl and the yolk into a smaller one. Beat up the yolk then stir it well into the chocolate mixture, off the heat. Now stir the rum into it, and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whisk up the egg white to the soft-peak stage (that is, when it leaves soft peaks when you lift the whisk out of it). Then, using a metal spoon, fold the egg white into the chocolate mixture.

5. Spoon the whole lot into a stemmed wine glass, cover with cling film and chill for a couple of hours.

To serve: combine the cream with the dissolved coffee, pour this over the top of the mousse and sprinkle with a little grated chocolate.

Now, we have all heard on the grapevine (pun intended!) that certain foods go with certain wines.

But should we care? A glass of wine is a glass of wine isn't it?

The reason for matching some wines with some foods is to enhance the taste.

Here are some quick tips for wine and food pairing:

TIP 1: Try to balance flavours; don't serve a heavy red wine with seafood, as the wine would overpower the delicate flavour of the food.

TIP 2: As a general rule, white wines tend to go well with spicy food.

TIP 3: Pair foods that are rich in iron, such as steak, with a wine that is high in Tannin (red wine contains most tannin and gives it the colour). Try rare steak with a nice Claret.