May 2005 : How many books have been published on wine?

How many books have been published on wine? I expect, literally thousands - and that's just in the UK! If you include other countries - the mind boggles! I even wrote a small book myself in 1964 on Burgundy (the sales were even smaller!!). Is there a need for all this information?

I don't think so. The most informative book published during the past few years has been the Oxford Companion to Wine - compiled by Jancis Robinson. It's a real winner and particularly good as a reference file. So it will remain a firm favourite with me.

However, I have just read a book which is seriously challenging the Oxford Companion in my affections! It's only just been published and sent to me for review and it's a stunner. Entitled "Secrets of Wines" by Giles Kane, available at Waterstone's at £12.99. The reason I'm raving about it is because the contents actually provide all the info you could ever need to know about wine, in layman's terms! It contains the very best ideas and tips to becoming a free-thinking wine imbiber! You don't have to wade through waffle or thrash your brain with theory, everything is in easily understood terms. It's especially good on teaching you how to taste and is an insider's guide to the real world of wine without any pretentious imagery. For anyone interested in the subject, this is a must and excellent bedtime reading!

Which takes me back to 1974 when I owned a restaurant. My VAT inspectors were appalled at my ignorance of all the recently introduced legislation. They suggested I make VAT manuals my bedtime reading... I leave to your imagination my thoughts on their suggestion!

Happy & Healthy Drinking!
Kenneth Harry Putt

This month's recipe : Chicken Salad with Pesto,Tomatoes, Sugar snaps and Toasted Pine Nuts

As we are getting into summer I always think of basil - a herb which I love. Pesto is a great example of how we can get that really intense flavour of basil with the nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Cherry tomatoes too have a lovely flavour and I am finding that I am also using the yellow tomatoes more now - not so common perhaps in the supermarket - but at the farmers markets they are easily available. You can of course use a jar of pesto for this dish and add some fresh basil to it but the home made is much more impressive!

Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts (organic or corn fed free range are the best tasting)
- Chicken stock ( fresh or a cube )
- 1pnt ½ punnet red cherry tomatoes
- ½ punnet of yellow cherry tomatoes
- I packet of sugar snap peas
- 1 packet of pine nuts
- ¼ clove garlic
- 3 packets of fresh basil
- 1 block parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper

Method:
Place the chicken breasts into a dish and season. Heat the stock and then pour over the chicken breasts - this helps speed up the cooking process. Put into an oven at 180'c for 10-12mins depending on the thickness of the breast. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.

Be careful not to overcook the chicken at this stage - the chicken will continue to cook in the liquid even as it is cooling. Leave the chicken in the stock to keep it moist.

Meanwhile make the pesto. Place into a food processor the garlic ½ packet of pine nuts and whiz till chopped. Add 2 packets of basil leaves, a handful of grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper - and turn the food processor back on again. Have your olive oil at the ready and once the basil has pulped down start to add the olive oil. Dribble it in as you do not want it to end up too runny. Keep adding the oil until you have a paste like texture. Taste for seasoning, and brush down the side of the bowl to make sure that all the basil and pine nut mixture has been blended. Place into a bowl.

Taken the chicken out of the stock and slice thinly on the angle (looks nice!) and place onto a big serving plate. Slice the tomatoes then place in a bowl and mix together with a little salt & pepper, torn basil leaves & a few teaspoons of pesto - taste and add as much or as little as you want. Slice the sugar snap peas and put into the bowl.

Toast the rest of the pine nuts in a frying pan until they are a golden colour. Add to the bowl and mix well.

Mix roughly 2 tablespoons of the pesto with some more olive oil, to make it a little runnier, then dribble this over the chicken. Mix it around a little to coat the meat. Now place the tomato mixture attractively on top and finish with a grinding of pepper and a basil leaf to decorate and there you have it - a wonderful summer dish!