Elegante Fino Sherry is a reasonable priced ($$) sherry from the Jerez region of Spain. It is made from Palomino, resulting in a light, dry Fino. I am personally not a drinker of sherry as past experiences I have found it to be heavy, bordering on a fortified wine. I was very pleasantly surprised that this was light,…
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MENU – Winter Comfort Food!
As the weather gets colder, we long for hearty, soulful, comfort food that is rich and full of flavour! In this menu, I have suggested 2 main beef dishes but you only need one of them, the choice is yours. Both dishes work well with the other courses served! Entree Marinated Bocconcini Chicken Witlof Bites…
REVIEW – Favourite Local Wine Bar!
I am surrounded by great pubs and restaurants but until recently was lacking in a place to go where you could just sit and enjoy really good wine with a bit of cheese and cold cuts! Somewhere local, somewhere friendly, somewhere cosy, somewhere where I can pick something really nice and drink it! Harry &…
DRINKS – Alba Albarino – $$
Alba Albarino is a bargain ($$) white wine from the Rias Biaxas region of Spain. Made from Albarino, it is a contradiction in that it is a full bodied white wine yet is very light and is easy to drink. I love it because it worked so well with the Simply Spanish menu, for all dishes, but it is…
PLANNING – How Much Food to Serve???
You have probably gathered by now that I like to serve far more food at a dinner party than I actually need! It is probably a result of coming from a large family where you missed out if you were late or if a hungrier sibling got there before you!!! Seriously, I make multiple dishes…
MENU – Vive Le Francais!!
I love French food, it is an absolute indulgence – all that butter and cream, wonderful in small doses but not something I would recommend every day! There are so many things that you can cook so I have focused on some of the classics and on keeping it simple. I have made 3 main…
DRINKS – Cave de Lugny Macon Villages Chardonnay – $$
Cave de Lugny Macon Villages Chardonnay is an absolute bargain ($$) white wine from the Burgundy region of France. It is simply a great value chardonnay that is fresh, intense and typical for the region. For the price, it is something you can drink and enjoy every day on its own or with food. For a long while…
PLANNING – Dinner Party is Today!
The day has arrived. With your schedule ready to go, you will know how much time you have before you need to execute the rest of the tasks. If you have the time, relax and enjoy the day until you are ready to start. Make sure that you leave plenty of time to shower…
DRINKS – Cave de Lugny Brut Cremant de Bourgogne Rose – $$
Cave de Lugny Brut Cremant de Bourgogne Rose is a great value ($$) for money Sparkling pink wine from the Burgundy region of France. Cremant refers to French sparkling wine made in the traditional method outside of Champagne and is specific to a handful of regions, Burgundy being one of them. Shortly after I discovered…
PLANNING – The Schedule
Having a schedule allows you to break things down into more manageable chunks. It takes away the enormity of the task and ensures you can relax and pull this off as effortlessly as possible. The following is the schedule I generally use for all dinner parties: 8 – 10 Weeks Before Decision to host a…