Winter cooking with wine

I have a magnet on my fridge which reads “I like to cook with wine – sometimes I even add it to the food!” and that pretty much sums up most of the reason I head into the kitchen!

I especially like Winter food – partly because my English roots mean we’re good at stews, casseroles and the like, but also because so many of these recipes call for a good slug of wine in them. I was going to say – which makes it a good excuse for opening a bottle – but who cooks with anything other than box wine and who needs an excuse anyway? Not me, that’s for sure!

Wine makes dishes richer and more satisfying as well as helping tenderise meat and adding lots of flavour. Try some of my favourites – chicken roasted in white wine, lemon and herbs for a classic Sunday lunch or how about something a bit more unusual – hake with a creamy red wine and sundried tomato sauce? Cold Winter evenings cry out for everyone’s favourite lamb shank and if you fancy something sweet, how about pears poached in saffron and white wine?

If cooking with booze sounds like too much fuss, then head out to our beautiful wine farms, restaurants, festivals and the like and take advantage of some of the many offers and events coming up involving booze and food. My favourite Shiraz and Charcuterie is coming up at the end of the month and Jozi can look forward to the Juliet Cullinan Show in July. If you’re in the Cape and planning on taking your Mum out for Mother’s Day – check out these 5 Mother’s Day events in Cape Town.

So much food, SOOOO much wine, so little time!

Have fun, cook with wine, drink it whilst you do and we’ll all keep warm this wine-ter ?

Yours with Hanepoot hugs,