John Gormley Bellinis

The key to summer cocktails should be ease of prep. Who wants to spend hours in the kitchen when the party is on the deck? Two ingredient cocktails are best. Also you want low alk. Highballs and sunshine are a road to an early evening hangover, sunburn etc. Champagne cocktails meet both of the above… Continue reading John Gormley Bellinis

Chocolate and Red Wine

Here’s a chocolate maker, Brix, trying to tilt the chocolate towards wine. They succeed. It’s better than the sweeter commercial pairings to which I’ve been subjected. The suggested pairings here are: Milk Chocolate with Pinot Noir/Port [Ruby & Tawny I suspect]/Riesling/Icewine Medium Dark Chocolate (60%) with Merlot/Shiraz/Zinfandel/Rhone wine. (And this is the best pairing I’ve… Continue reading Chocolate and Red Wine

Lousy Summer

You know the summer’s been bad for the crops when you see those eggplants. Those are the ONLY and BIGGEST eggplant available in the local farmers’ market. If you’re not a gardener, eggplant grow like zuchini, usually with way too many fruit. Controlling the size to get flavour is the challenge. Not this year up… Continue reading Lousy Summer