QUICK BITES: the latest food news

Drinking Champagne has long been the symbol of celebration. To ensure maximum enjoyment, follow these tips.

1 Always serve chilled! Pop it in the fridge for about three hours prior to opening (overnight is too long).This will make it the ideal temperature (10-12°C). While it is open, keep it in an ice bucket rather than the fridge to maintain a good temperature. 2 Don’t be afraid of the cork. If you have adequately chilled your wine there should be no danger of the cork flying out. With the bottle on a 45-degree angle, hold the cork in one hand and use your other hand to twist the bottle from the base. The cork should come out easily with no big bang or spillage. 3 When pouring Champagne, hold the glass on a 45-degree angle and pour towards the side of the glass slowly. Serve only in stemware. Hold the glass by the stem so the heat from your hand dose not affect the wine’s temperature. 4 Invest in a good bottle stopper to keep any leftover Champagne fresh. However, any longer than a day and it will start to lose its beautiful taste.

“Save washed outer lettuce leaves, leftover mint and parsley stalks and ends of carrots, ginger and beans in a zip-up bag in the freezer to use in smoothies.” – Robyn Welsh