South African flavours for the UK winter

Food blogger Kerstin Rodgers and award-winning South African chef, Reuben Riffel, have developed a range of tasty recipes using South African stone fruit.  South African plums, peaches and nectarines are at their seasonal best during the UK winter, until mid-April, and are widely available in UK supermarkets.

Zaika restaurant review

With creative cocktails to kick off and a menu full of unusual ideas, Zaika is certainly a cut above the average. It’s no more than you’d expect of a sibling of Tamarind of Mayfair of course and as a local it’s lovely.

Heritage Sean Brock book review

All in all this a book of dreams, many of the recipes you’ll think about cooking but never will. But Brock’s writing on history and sense of food place is worth the cover price alone and no modern food fan can fail to be impressed at the culinary creativity coming from such an unlikely part of the world.

Nicolas Feuillatte champagne

They bill it the non elitist’champagne for every day’ and why not? Most of us usually keep champers for celebrations so one that can be poured a bit more often is welcome. And on New Year’s Eve, an affordable bottle of bubbly is as welcome as a man bearing coal at midnight