weekend bites

THIS WEEK I’LL BE EATING...

... sweetcorn from what is left of the polytunnel, the recent storm having demolished most of it. There’s nothing to compare to corn on the cob that has been taken straight from the plant and plunged into boiling water for 5 or 6 minutes, and then served with lots of butter, pepper and sea salt. Occasionally I add some lime zest and juice to the butter, and maybe a little very finely chopped red chilli. It’s good on the barbecue too, wrapped in foil.

KYLIE’S RECORDS A CORKER

Kylie Minogue, right, is the latest celebrity to launch her own wine brand. Her rosé, a little off-dry, has been here for some time, and it’s now joined by her Signature Sauvignon Blanc from Gascony and her Signature Merlot from the Pays d’Oc.

They will be available from Carry Out off-licences for €12.99 so you’re paying at least a couple of euro for the name. But I have yet to taste it and if it floats your boat, go for it.

DUST OFF THOSE GADGETS

Another of those strange surveys arrived in my inbox during the week, this time from UK-based Tap Warehouse and listing the most unused kitchen gadgets. Bizarrely, the most ignored item is the cafétière, something I can’t imagine living without. Number three is the spiraliser, something I have so far lived without very happily. But I was reminded that there’s not much point in having number six, a tagine, if you don’t use it. I’m not sure it has ever been used in our current house!

CRITICS BITE BACK AT DIET SHOW

Dr Michael Mosley has got into hot water over his Channel 4 Series How To Lose A Stone in 21 Days and I’m not surprised. Rapid weight loss is not good for you and restricting calories to 800 a day is both extreme and unsustainable. Cutting out sugar, starchy foods and processed foods on a permanent basis reduces weight and keeps it off. But what everyone should know is that it takes effort. A miracle diet doesn’t exist.