Wine and Food Guide

Last Saturday night after a few too many wines my cheerful alter ego offered to make dinner for a couple of male friends.

When Jules Clancy's 5 ingredients 10 minutes (Penguin) arrived on my desk I thought at first it would be like the 4-ingredients books, worthy but fairly pedestrian.

For the adventurous, weeds and other wild plants offer an unusual resource, not only for cooking, but also for making cosmetics and remedies and dyeing. Charmian Smith talks to Johanna Knox, the author of The Forager's Treasury.

Because it is still relatively untrendy, riesling is great value. Without exception, all the wines in this tasting developed over two or three days, indicating their potential for cellaring. Although they are all exciting now, if you are patient, you'll find a more delicious, integrated wine two to five years after you buy it.

I love rhubarb and I love cookies. So why not combine them?

Samples of Dole's Real fruit bites (with yoghurt and whole-grain oats) arrived on my desk recently. At first glance, they look relatively healthy snacks.

Seriously Dunedin. One minute you are freezing my bum off and the next I'm stripping off the layers. Make up your mind already.

Ask a Chef reveals the secrets of those superb dishes you ate in cafes and restaurants and wanted to try yourself.

The combination of sweet baked apple, comforting potato and black pudding makes this one of my all-time favourites.