Three new year’s resolutions

January 1st again and I find myself trotting out the same resolutions I made last year - spend more time with friends and family, lose a bit of weight, take more exercise, de-clutter, improve my French . . . But here are three I’ve set myself that specifically relate to food and drink and which might make your year more enjoyable if you follow suit:

• Try at least one new recipe a month (preferably one a fortnight). It’s easy to get into a rut with your cooking, sometimes for lack of time, sometimes because you’re having to cook for family members who all have different tastes but if you really want to develop as a cook you need to experiment. At the moment I'm working through Skye Gyngell's new book with great enjoyment.

• Keep an open mind about food and drink pairings: use the increasing availability of wines by the glass to try new combinations and re-examine old prejudices. (Even if you hate white zin, for example, you’d be surprised how well it goes with Chinese food. Try Beringer's.)

• Put a bottle of beer on the table. Possibly because I’m writing a book about beer and food at the moment but I’m more and more convinced about the virtues of pairing the two.
  

Finally thank you for visiting the site and a very Happy New Year to you all!