What’s cooking

Trends, best buys and reviews for the month ahead

Now we know that fermented foods are good for us, 2016 is the year to love your gut. Take kombucha – popular in New York – a fizzy tea packed with friendly bacteria. Much like sourdough, you can make it at home using a starter, or grab a bottle from health food shops.

Another favourite is kefir, a probiotic drink – rich in vitamins and minerals – made by adding a live culture of yeast and bacteria to milk and leaving it to ferment for a few hours. You can buy it ready-made in some supermarkets, wholefood shops and online.

For more on fermenting, visit Wine Atlas Frappato 2014, Sicily, Italy, 12.4%, £4.97, Asda From Asda’s awardwinning Wine Atlas series comes this lively southern Italian red. All the wines in the range deliver great value and individual character.

The Frappato is straightforwardly fruity. Spot on with spicy curries, venison sausages and shepherd’s pie. Pedrino Alcoholic Tonic, 5.5%, £1.90, larger branches of Waitrose, Fortnum & Mason, The Whisky Exchange Here’s a surprise – a tonic based on citrus botanicals, Pedro Ximénez Sherry, plus citrus flavourings and quinine. Serve it over ice with a slice of lemon or orange. It has a fashionably light bitterness, plus fnd cocktails to try on Pedrino’s website. Winemakers’ Selection Cava Rosado NV, Spain, 12%, £5.50, Sainsbury’s At this price, you can afford to swear undying love to your Valentine and have money left over! Made by the fast-improving, historic Codorníu Winery, this Cava is all about the delicious flavour of strawberries.