FEEDING TIME AT THE ZOO

Have you ever had an embarrassing meal with someone when for instance you suddenly notice that they've got spinach between their teeth and you don't know whether or not to tell them?

I recall that my wife was acutely aware on our first date that choosing the rack of ribs might not have been her best option in what was presumably an attempt to appear attractive to me as the grease dribbled down her chin.

Worse still, it might be the first time that you've dined together and you see that a friend's table manners leave a lot to be desired.  

I recall one such occasion when my 40 year-old friend Roger was eating an orange most of which was smeared round his mouth with the occasional squirt hitting my face or clothes.

Well I just had another such experience. Again, it was the very first time that she and I had been out for lunch together on our own. I soon discovered that she preferred using her fingers to any form of cutlery and like Roger, a great deal of it seemed to be settling around her mouth. I must admit to feeling a little embarrassed when I realised that some of her food had fallen on the floor. So much so that she was becoming the object of attention of other diners.

In the end though I made allowances for her. After all, she is only 9 months old. 

REFINING YOUR DINING (2 of 2)

The first half of this piece on wine and food matching seems to have been received favourably. This conclusion looks to inform you of a new taste which you may not be aware that you had.

We discovered last time which wines to drink with some of the basic food tastes so sweet foods need an even sweeter wine, acidic foods need acidic wines, bitter tasting foods need a sweetish wine with low tannin to balance them and salty foods bring out the fruitiness of strong reds or a nice oaked chardonnay.

You were aware of these sweet, salty, acid, and bitter tastes but may not have known that there is another taste called 'umami' which was officially recognised in 1985. This is the savoury taste which you get with tinned salmon, eggs, asparagus or cooked mushrooms.

The best wine to pair with these foods is again a low tannin wine. Pinot Noir would be a good accompaniment. 

As a general rule of thumb,  powerful food flavours need a powerful wine to match them and vice versa. But remember, apart from sustaining life, food is also useful since it gives you a good reason to drink wine - if you needed one.

REFINING YOUR DINING (1 of 2)

I recently undertook an accredited wine course with an exam at the end which I hopefully passed and will thus be fully licensed to drink wine.

I thought I would pass on some tips about matching wine to food which you might find helpful. I have suggested wines to go with certain food types but of course you can find a wine below and reverse the process to see which food to serve with it.

I would stress that these are merely guidelines and ultimately, it's all down to what works for your personal taste.

Acidic foods:

If the food you are serving is acidic e.g. fish with lemon or pasta with tomato, you need an acidic wine to balance it. The food will make the wine taste fruitier and a bit sweeter but less acidic. Example wines would be a Chablis or if you prefer red, a Sangiovese.

Salty foods:

These will make wine taste fruitier and richer so if the food is bacon, nuts or crisps for instance, uncork your favourite rich red wine, a Shiraz perhaps. If you prefer white, try an oaked Chardonnay.

Sweet Foods: 

We all know that a 'pudding wine' will go best with a pudding but what if the food is a sweetish tasting main course like some Asian or creamy dishes? These will make wine taste less sweet and more bitter unless of course, the wine is sweeter than the dish as it is with pudding wines. Try an off-dry Gewurtztraminer or Riesling wine.

Oh and the best wine to have with fish and chips? Try champagne - it works a treat!

More to follow...

I hope you found this helpful. Don't bother to thank me, just send a nice bottle of Argentinian Malbec - my favourite.  

THE REUNION DINNER

Couldn't resist telling this one...

A group of four friends who went to the same girls school reach their fiftieth birthdays within a few days of each other and decide to mark the occasion by dining out in style.

"Let's go to the Jubilee Restaurant" says Daphne - "I've heard that the waiters there are really good looking." They all agree and have such a fine time eyeing up the waiters that they decide to meet up again when they reach their 60th birthdays.

A decade later they have to decide a venue once more.

"Let's go to the Jubilee Restaurant again" Susan suggests - "the food and wine there were so good last time." So the Jubilee it was and they had a great meal.

Ten years later they are faced with the same decision. "Let's go to the Jubilee Restaurant" says Bridget - "the wheelchair access is excellent there."

Finally they reach their 80's. "This time let's go to the Jubilee Restaurant" says Maureen - "It will be so nice to go somewhere we've never been before."

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

Let me state at the outset that I am well aware that this feeble attempt at a restaurant review is no threat whatsoever to A A Gill who I regard as supreme in this field. (He refers to one of his dining partner's as 'The Blonde'. Since my wife is blonde, I shall do the same without fear of plagiarism!) In case you either don't know him or have not fully appreciated him before let me cite an example of his work.

Describing a visit with friends to restaurant where his group were sitting round a selection of delicious dishes he wrote this:

"The plates came, the forks hung over the table like metal herons in a linen pond...". Poetry!

So the blonde and I found ourselves in The Juniper Restaurant, Bristol. The blonde loves the place for its decor alone which is an amalgam of her favourite colours, purples, mauves and lilacs. It feels intimate with its minimal homely lighting and furnishing and you just feel welcomed and comfortable as soon as you enter.

The waiting staff were naturally friendly and chatty as opposed to forced politeness which led to a pleasant level of banter. For instance having asked for time to rest a while while we finished our wine, the waitress asked me to attract her attention when we were ready. I said I'd stick my leg out as she passed and she laughed and retorted that she would prefer it if I ensured she was empty-handed as I did so.

So foodies, if you're ready....my starter consisted of oak-smoked salmon served with welsh rarebit, beetroot pickle, drizzles of mustard sauce and something delicious which I shall name chive & cheese terrine having forgotten how it was described on the menu. This was the best of the three courses by a nose and was truly scrumptious since it achieved what a good starter should by offering the diner the chance to create several different taste combinations. This means that the palate is titivated seductively but without filling you up, leaving you totally ready for the main course.

I chose a bottle of 2008 French Merlot which went very well with our selections, together with a large bottle of sparkling mineral water.

In my case the main dish was duo of organic pork (tenderloin & crispy belly), black pudding, bubble & squeak cake, warm apple & shallot purée and creamy rosemary jus. The tenderloin came as medallions and the belly as a satisfying crispy-topped chunk. This was served with a selection of steamed vegetables which included leeks, carrots, sprouts and cabbage. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish but was pleased to discover that I just about had room for one of the delicious sounding desserts.

My choice was the 'Trio of peaches and cream'. Not that I am greedy or anything, but the more discerning of you will have spotted that my eyes had been drawn to the 'Duo of' and 'Trio of' options! So how do they manage a trio of peaches? The answer is firstly a large ramekin of hot peach crumble (which was to die for). Secondly a scoop of peach and vanilla ice-cream which was just perfect with the crumble. Having consumed those, I still had the delight of the peach trifle which was served in a tall glass topped with whipped cream and mint leaves.

We rounded things off with coffee feeling totally replete and wondering how soon we could justify a return visit.

The prices are not cheap but we regard them as commensurate with the high quality of the food. Our bill including service came to £82 for the two of us. There are various schemes which Juniper is party to which can give you a discount. In our case our dining card took £20 off that bill so we paid £62.

You will gather that I strongly recommend Juniper but as always, I'd advise you to book well ahead because it is very popular.