Charmian Smith

Annabel Langbein follows last year's bestselling The Free Range Cook with a new book, Free Range in the City.

There's a flood of pinot noir available, from cheap and cheerful to showy and expensive, as well as some superb ones to linger over and think about, but the best will amply repay a year or two's bottle age to develop their full potential.

Sauvignon Blanc is often accused of being simple, fresh and boring, but that's certainly not always the case as some of the delicious, complex wines in this tasting demonstrate.

Rosés, lightly chilled, are lovely for sunny summer drinking, whether at a long, lazy lunch or a watching the sun go down on a warm evening. They are good with simple food such as salmon, turkey, ham, chicken, and the sweeter ones will go with strawberries or fruit salad. Try making a rosé jelly.

Any wine, whatever its price, should be in balance and have reasonably intense fruit, according to Prof Steve Charters, MW.

Cecylia Klobukowska, from Poland, shows how to make traditional Polish Christmas fare: barszcz with uszka (clear beetroot soup with mushroom dumplings), honey cakes and honey cookies.

Fans of Australian Donna Hay will be interested in her latest book, Simple Dinners (Fourth Estate).

You would not believe that meat from different lambs could vary so much in aroma, taste and texture, but they certainly can.

Waimate, north of the Waitaki River, may not spring to mind when you think of wine and vineyards, but Gary and Ann Dennison have been making wine from their 2.5ha Point Bush Vineyard on the Hunter Hills above the town for a couple of years.

Good Times: Favourite recipes to share from Viva (Penguin) is a collection of recipes from Amanda Laird's columns in the New Zealand Herald's "Viva" magazine. The Auckland writer and owner of Ruby Red cafe includes Polynesian, Asian, Indian and American influences in her many enticing recipes, such as Jewish egg salad with anchovies, dill and mayo, served with pumpernickel; warm roasted parsnip salad with blue cheese; caramelised pork belly with rice and Asian greens; a gluten-free orange and passionfruit cake flavoured with Drambuie; or old fashioned honey ginger snaps.

Although few of us realise it, chocolate, like wine and tea, can taste different depending on where it comes from. Charmian Smith talks to Alison Holland and has her eyes and tastebuds opened to the world of chocolate.

The dark fruits, savoury undertones and the sometimes grippy tannins of bigger reds are ideal with slow-cooked stews and casseroles, and hearty soups that we enjoy this time of year.

Lien Trinh from Vietnam shows how to make pho bo Viet Nam (Vietnamese beef noodle soup).

Training a voice for classical singing is a long, studious process, but two young singers from the Far North studying in the Deep South are relishing the experience. Charmian Smith talks to Kawiti Waetford and Maia Vegar about a new skill they are learning - singing and performing in opera.

If you encounter someone - or a group of people - striding along with a pair of slim poles, you've probably come across participants in a new exercise and fitness technique called nordic walking. Charmian Smith joins a beginners' group and becomes hooked.

Negociants, one of the larger wine importers and distributors, held a tasting in Dunedin last week with 24 of its Australian and New Zealand producers showing their wines.

Many of us feel uncomfortable throwing out food - something we have bought too much of or not got around to using, or has reached its best-before date. In these days of rising food prices and transport costs, it makes sense to waste as little as possible. In a two-part series, Charmian Smith looks at some of the issues and how to turn leftovers into a delicious meal. Next week, best-before dates and more leftover suggestions.

Beatrice Lin shows how to make a vegetarian version of three cup chicken using aubergines, followed by Giigi Tsai demonstrating the traditional version.