As all wine beginners know, there are sometimes uncomfortable moments in restaurants when somebody will ask you to choose the wine and, frightened of ordering the bold Californian red with a salad of asparagus, you decline. However, Michel Roux Jnr cleverly benchmarks classic and not-so-classic combinations that can be used as a sensible rule of thumb.
He's honest in his approach to wine matching and advocates that personal taste is a key influence in the enjoyment of food and wine.
He also suggests thinking of wine as a seasoning. For anyone serious about food and wine matching, this is a great method to use because as cooks we season everything to extract and highlight certain key flavours. Wine does exactly the same as conventional seasonings; some ingredients need bold or delicate flavours to bring out their value and wine delivers these variants.
When it comes to matching his recipes with wine, Roux gives the reader scope for personal taste by leaving his suggestions open, so that you can make an informed, flexible choice rather than be confined to a rigid and quite often difficult selection. In addition, he offers an insight into why he has made those suggestions and what to look for when tasting.
I like the fact that Roux demystifies wine, but he also offers practical information for serving it.
The recipes in the book are achievable, too, making it usable rather than an expensive dust-collector. The progression and improvement of the dining experience across all sectors of the industry (not to mention at home) means food and wine knowledge is an integral part of true hospitality and this book should be infused into every cook's repertoire.
John Campbell, executive chef, Vineyard at Stockcross, near Newbury, Berkshire
Matching Food & Wine: Classic and Not so Classic Combinations
Michel Roux Jr
Orion Publishing Group, 20
ISBN 0-297-84379-6