Winter warmer with a Pinot Noir

Today has been sunny yet chilly and as I've been in snowy Amsterdam for the last few weeks, I've been craving comfort food. Tonight I cooked a Nigel Slater recipe: haricot beans and chicken bake. It's got rosemary, mushrooms, garlic, cream and parmesan to boot.

Wine choice: Pathway Pinot Noir 2008, 13%, Marlborough, New Zealand (£9.98, Morrisons).

It's raspberry red in colour and quite transparent, with cherries and a hint of American bacon on the nose and on the palate the cherries carry through with roasted hazelnuts.

Probably not quite interesting enough to drink on its own. But it is transformed with the food. The acidity and light tannins cut through the cream and really works with the dish.

Minty fresh

Mr DBFB and I have almost finished eating the last of the Christmas chocolate (we have a Terry's Chocolate Orange lurking at the back of cupboard and one of those beady-eyed Lindt reindeer left).




But I did buy some strong after dinner mints from Fortnums on Christmas Eve which were screaming to be opened. So I obliged last night.

And guess what? You'd hate them. The packaging is rubbish, the minty-filling is strong and isn't too sweet. And the dark chocolate on the outside, well it's DARK CHOCOLATE.


You would just go, "bleurgh!"

I would be doing you a favour by not offering you one or recommending them at all.*




Not your cup of tea? Nevermind. Have a Party Ring instead.






* More for me then!

Buffalo chips

I was in Buffalo NY at the start of January and got to try beef on weck (excellent, but couldn't eat one every day). However, there is one edible highlight for Mr DBFB on my return: Buffalo Chips.

These are chewy moist macaroons the size of golf balls, topped with dark chocolate. Billed as the 'ultimate macaroon', I can't say I've eaten a better one. Delicious with a strong coffee if you're quick enough to get one!

Asda Extra Special Fiano: does it live up to the label?

Costing a whopping £5.98, this cheap and cheerful Asda wine is good value for money. It's simple, uncomplicated and makes a pleasant alternative to an unoaked Chardonnay. On the nose, ripe lemons and on the palate more lemons (like a lemon curd) and passion fruit.

We drank this with rainbow trout, celeriac mash and roasted veggies.

Three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge for my tea...

Christmas is over, but partridge is still on the menu.

Friday night, Mr DBFB and I ate at the Only Running Footman in Mayfair. We had walked passed it about 6 months ago en route to the cinema and I spotted it on Top Table, so booked to eat there.

First thing to note: downstairs gets super busy in the post-work drinks on a Friday night. But the dining room upstairs is far more serene. On to the food and drink.

I had the partridge (very tasty) served with kale and melt-in-the-mouth potato dauphinoise. Mr DBFB opted for the chicken, so we drank a New Zealand Pinot Noir from the Sherwood Estate Vineyard on the South Island.

Not a wine I'd drink on it's own - it has some plum fruit on the nose but on the palate there is more of the vegetal (and slight hint of bark) flavours you get from Pinot Noir. But all of this complements the meat very well. And for a 2008, it has good length.

Can M&Ms get better?

Yes they can.



Dark chocolate ones. Please can we have these in the UK?

Terroirs

Mr DB and I had a long overdue catchup with Mr J and Mr D on Wednesday eve. We had dinner at Terroirs just behind The Strand on Mr J & D's recommendation and what a find! Although they had run out of a few dishes (our first choices) the food was fabulous as was the wine.

We drank the Clos du Gravillas 2008, produced by Nicole & John Bojanowski, from the Languedoc which is an organic wine made from a blend of 6 grapes including Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise. Very fruity: ripe raspberry and blackberry with a liquoricey, mineral edge.

However, I was tempted to order this from the Minerve, just purely from the description: Fontédicto, produced by Bernard & Cécile Bellahsen:

One man, one woman, one horse.

The mind boggles. Definitely one for next time...

As for the food, the duck scratchings were amazing (hate to think of the calorie value!) and I had the bavette, rare. Cooked to perfection. Dieting in the new year is going to be a bitch.