FRANCE IS GREAT… What, again?

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     Inspired by my recent purchase of a big book of French recipes called “SIMPLISSIME”, I have been (figuratively speaking) wearing my big French Toque on a daily basis. Aspects of France – and the French – may annoy us, but it has to be generally agreed that they are very good at the cooking. […]

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At Last! Cyprus Wine on the Web

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Many years have elapsed before Cyprus wines have become properly represented on the Internet. It doesn’t seem long – a few months, perhaps – since I searched the Web and there was not a definitive source of information about the vines, wines and winemakers of Cyprus. Looking recently I found one. It is called Cyprus […]

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SEASONAL GREETINGS AND SOME THOUGHTS TO GO WITH THEM

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As yet another year comes to a close (where did it go to?) I realise that I have now been writing professionally about food and drink for almost 55 years. At 85 I wonder if I am – or on the way to be – the world’s oldest food and wine writer? Who cares! Not […]

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Patrick Skinner’s FOOD, DRINK AND OTHER MATTERS–November

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    THE MEZE TABLE The sight of a meze table fully set is an inspiring one. “How on earth have they done all that?” you ask yourself; but if you look, on closer inspection a lot of the little dishes have come out of jars, cans, packets and the freezer. And you can produce […]

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Dining Out

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  “Compliments to the Chef” This cartoon is a from a 1970s issue of the much-missed magazine of humour and good writing, “PUNCH”    For several years, in the 1960s I had the pleasure (mostly) of working as its publicity and promotions consultant.  Sometimes, the chef comes out of his kitchen, generally when last orders for […]

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FAR EAST DELIGHTS IN THE EAST MEDITERRANEAN

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“Vietnam” is a word that excites very different emotions in people of different ages. For the young and adventurous it can mean a back-packing holiday with a difference. For the well-off it may mean comfortable hotels and touring a large country enjoying lush scenery and varied human activity; from a train window on the “Reunification […]

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