Snips and snails and puppy dog tails; that's what little boys are supposedly made of. Considering the number of requests for this dish I have to deal with from Rich, I can easily believe that by now he is a good 25% snail. Whenever there is a special meal to be made and he chooses the starter, l'escargot it is. Some people may balk at the slimy little critters, but really there is nothing to it and once you get past the thought of 'snail' you can just enjoy the deep salty mea

If your house is anything like mine then by the time Christmas lunch rolls around (last year, 7pm, mentioning no names) you're already onto your fifth Baileys, which is not so much with the turkey. Instead of whacking a few 'half price' bottles of mediocre white into your trolley during the big Christmas shop, it might be an idea to think about what would be nice to drink with your festive meal this year. I popped into my local butcher / deli / fromagerie / winery Hampstead B