What’s for Dinner?
Easy and Delicious Recipes for Everyday Cooking
Fay Ripley
Collins £20
Many readers will know actress Fay Ripley from her role as Jenny in Cold Feet or from her previous book, Fay’s Family Food. In many ways, this is a follow on, answering what many parents hear at least once a day – what’s for dinner? Unusual for a cookbook, Ripley’s approach is to set her chapters out in line with the days of the week from Monday to Friday with additional sections on weekend, corner-shop, and sides. While full of no-nonsense recipes for everyday simplicity, it also has its own sophistication with offerings such as green macaroni in minutes; Chinese duck wraps; beetroot and horseradish beef-burgers; crispy soy mackerel; and sultana bran crispies, among others, catching the eye.
On the ground
In step with the various on-going wine sales offers on the retail shelves, Tesco is running a world beer promotion until May 22 showcasing its 75-plus beers while at the same time introducing 12 new additions, including extended ranges from O’Hara’s Brewery, Eight Degrees Brewing, Porterhouse Brewing Company and Whitewater Brewery. To mark the event Tesco has more than 50 of its beers on promotion with offers such as O’Hara’s Leann Folláin (€2.79 each or €10 for five ), a full-bodied extra Irish stout that is blessed with chocolate and coffee flavours, intense bitterness and hoppy flavours; and Eight Degrees Brewing’s Sunburnt Irish Red (six for €10.99 ), a sweet caramel and malt-flavoured charmer with a red hue that takes its inspiration from what an Irishman’s skin might look like on holiday in the Canaries.
On the wine shelf
Catena Zapata, Tupungato Chardonnay 2010 (Independents, €11.99 )
From Argentina’s Mendoza, this 100 per cent chardonnay is a delightful, inviting, mixture of tropical melon and peach and rich green apples on the nose. On the palate it is much more creamy and seductive with fruit carrying a measure of honey to a rich satisfying finish. A bigger wine than you would expect and an ideal combination to go with chicken or pasta in a mushroom or cheesy sauce.
Chono Reserva Syrah Elqui Valley 2009 (Independents, €10.99 )
Chile’s Elqui Valley, on the southern tip of the Atacama Desert, has developed quite a reputation for producing fabulous cool-climate syrah over the last number of years, a fine example of which winemaker Alvaro Espinoza has encapsulated in this winner currently on promotion. Impressive on the nose with wood-smoked blackcurrant aromas, it is even meatier on the palate with intense cherry and black fruit sprinkled with black pepper. Perfect with game or rich casserole. At this price fill your boots.
