Ingredients

• 2 tsp hot curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Half an inch of ginger
• 600g chicken breast (three)
• Half a green chilli
• 4 tomatoes
• Tin coconut milk
• Tin chopped tomatoes
• Pudding spoon of tomato puree (in those squeezy toothpaste like bottles)
• Basmati Rice and Naan

Method

Add 2 tsp hot curry powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garam masala to a good slug of olive oil. It wants to be a paste. Heat until just bubbling a bit.

Add in 1 onion and 2 chopped garlic and half an inch of ginger. Stir about and fry off for a minute or two.

Add in chopped chicken. Fry until mostly white. Season.

Add in half a green chilli.

Cut up 4 tomatoes (quarters). Add in.

Add in tin of coconut milk (shake well before opening) and tin of chopped tomatoes. Add in 1 pudding spoon of tomato puree.

Simmer for about 30 mins.

Chuck in something green to make it look nice. I used parsley.

Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

Ingredients

• Spinach and ricotta ravioli
• Mussels in white wine sauce (boil in the bag from Sainsbury's)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Slug of olive oil
• Half of lemon
• Slug of white wine (small bottle of pinot grigio from Sainsbury's)
• Dash of double cream
• 1 pudding spoon of self raising flour (think plain will work too)
• Black pepper
• Parmesan, lots
• Handful of chopped parsley

Method

Finely chop the garlic and fry gently over a low heat in olive oil. When it looks cooked turn the heat off and move to one side.

Start boiling the mussels in their bag in some water. This takes about 5-7 mins.

Add in the juice from half of a lemon. Suggest you squeeze it into your hand so the pips don't fall in. 

Add the wine. See video for amount.

When the mussels are done, cut the corner off the bag and add the liquid into the pan. Don't put the mussels in yet!

Now add in just a dash of cream, turn the heat on and then the flour. Stir vigorously to get rid of any lumps. It will thicken slightly.

Grate in loads of parmesan and black pepper and stir until melted. 

Now we pop in the mussels and gently stir so they're coated and still hot but don't break. Add in the chopped parsley.

The pasta should be done now so get rid of the pasta water and then add the sauce to the pasta and again gently stir about.

Serve.

Ingredients

• 3 digestive biscuits
• A little butter
• Toffee sauce, a squirt
•  100g dark chocolate
• 150ml double cream

Method

Crush the biscuits into small crumbs with your fingers. Pop in a bowl. I used my standard weetabix bowl. Add in a fork-ful of butter (see video) and then melt briefly in microwave. 

Now mix the biscuits and butter together then fill the base of two ramekins and lightly press down the base with your fingers. We have now created the base of our cheesecake.

Next, we add in the toffee sauce. Just squeeze in enough to cover the base. We want a good layer of toffee.

Pop in the fridge to set a bit.

Now we are going to make the topping. First, pour the cream into a small bowl and whisk with a fork until thick. You could use a proper whisk if you have one; I couldn't be bothered to wash it up so that's why I used a fork.

When the cream is thickened grab another bowl and break your dark chocolate into it. Melt in the microwave. I put it in for 20 seconds then gave it a stir with a fork and then put it in for another 30 seconds and stirred again. This was enough to melt it for me. I would advise doing lots of little microwaves rather than one big one as I believe that one long microwave can lead to the chocolate burning. Not what we want.

Anyhow, now we've melted the chocolate and thickened the cream, we pour the chocolate in with the cream and stir until all nicely combined. Now dollop the mix onto our cheesecake bases and flatten the tops. Cover with cling film and then leave in the fridge for a few hours to set. 

Nice one.

My Amtrak RouteI am a bit of a fan of trains. It's not an unhealthy kind of interest, but I do think there is something pretty awesome about them. You get to see everything, not just clouds at 30,000 ft. Plus, the people I met on the trains were great; they were keen to chat and offer ideas for things to do. I cannot recommend it enough.

I flew out to Chicago and this is where I got my first train. Before I discuss the train, I shall quickly offer some ideas about the so-called 'windy city'.

Chicago (3 nights)

Accommodation: I was staying with some family friends in Chicago in an area called Forest Park. This is quite a long way out from the centre of town and it took about 40 minutes to get in. However, the area felt safe and a nice street with some great little eateries. If you are not sure about somewhere, TripAdvisor it. By and large, it does not get it wrong. 

Transport: Buy a Ventra pass. They have machines for dispensing them. Not something we have in the UK so caught me a bit by surprise. 

Things to do: 
​ 

• The Hancock Building. It's a big building with great views. There is a bar at the top called "The Signature Lounge" and if you go up and have a drink you get all the views without having to pay for the 360 Chicago Observation Deck. 

AMTRAK Train - Chicago to Albuquerque

This is totally brilliant. The journey took 25 hours and it was spectacular. I booked myself into a Sleeper Cabin, which cost a bit more but I would definitely advise it if you are doing a journey this long. The price of the ticket includes all your meals, you get wifi (although patchy) and you have your own space on the train. 

The train has a rather spectacular observation carriage with windows all around it and it has a dining car for the food. The meal times are a fab time to meet people because they sit everyone together. I was travelling alone and so I ended up sitting with all sorts of people. 

It sounds stupid but I could not believe just how huge the US is; and travelling by train was cool as it would pass through places that you just would not otherwise go to. You would pass through plains where you could look out either way and see nothing but grasses. 

Albuquerque (2 nights)

Accommodation: I stayed in an Airbnb near to the Old Town bit of the city. This is a bit of a walk from the train station but I would say the Old Town is the most interesting bit of Albuquerque.

Transport: walk most places. There isn't really any public transport.

Things to do:

• Sandia Peak - this is a huge gondola thing up a mountain. About 10,000 feet tall. It provided great views all around. It was much colder and windier at the top than at ground level (should have probably realised this before I went up in flip flops and a T-shirt. Hey ho.) The only issue you'll have is getting there - it is definitely NOT a walk from Old Town. I booked an Uber there and that worked great. However, when I tried to come back I discovered that there was no wifi in the building so could not hail one back. As such I started walking back. This was a terrible idea. It's a big place and quite hot. Eventually I found a McDonald's (all about that free wifi) and got an Uber from there. If you were doing this, I would look up where the nearest place with wifi is before you go.
• Old Town - this is the 'hub' (but be warned it is small). There is a nice gallery called Weem's Gallery which a lovely lady called Susie told me about on the train. The gallery is run by a lady called Mary Anne; I did not get to meet her, but that could be a challenge..! 
• There is also a pretty church and square in Old Town. 
• Just on the outskirts of the Old Town bit there is the Albuquerque Museum. This was great and to be honest was far more interesting and informative that I thought it would be. 

Places to eat:

• High Noon - in Old Town. Looks a bit dodgy from the outside but inside is cool with a big dining area that you would never know about just looking at the building. Met some lovely locals in there. Enjoyed the Marble Brewery beer. 
• The Golden Crown Panaderia - was right at the end of the street I was staying on and is basically a bakery. They have a "blue corn crust pizza" which is apparently their speciality. Was pretty solid. Worth a try. Also they do Oatmeal Stout which I enjoyed. They also give you a free biscuit thing with your order. It's quite crumbly but free sooooo..... 
• Gold Street Cafe - this was probably my favourite find in Albuquerque. The waiter, Jose, had been in Breaking Bad and was so much fun. They did a mean Southwest Eggs Benedict. A bit spicy and completely delish. 

AMTRAK to Gallup

For this leg of the journey I was in an ordinary seat on the train. I'm fairly tall and still had plenty of leg room. The journey is a few hours; it is not worth doing a sleeper seat for this distance.

Flagstaff (2 nights)

I absolutely loved Flagstaff. It's small but still feels like there is stuff to do. I was staying in another Airbnb and was with a rad lady called Iris! 

After arriving late on the first night I went to the Grand Canyon the following day. I was on a small guided tour (three of us in total, excluding one guide, Matt. I was on this tour and paid £112 for the whole day. It included everything, including food (only extra is a tip for your guide - they're great though, you won't mind at all). The tour info: here.

Places to eat:

• Mother Road Brewing Company - this is an absolute must; had such a fantastic evening here. I'd first heard about it from my Uber driver in Albuquerque; he had taken Michael Marquess, the founder and CEO, on a trip and Michael had given his business card to my driver. I duly went along. They have teamed up with the restaurant next door and offer nice pizzas as well as fab beers. I then met Erik at the bar and he invited me over to chat with Cindy and Adam. They were just the most amazing people. We talked music, the reservation and life in general. One of my favourite evenings of the whole trip! 
• After Mother Road closed we headed over to Altitudes Bar and Grill where we tried a local beer, 928. Fab. 

Greyhound Bus to Tempe, Phoenix (2 nights)

After two nights in Flagstaff, I got the Greyhound down to see an old school friend, Tommy, who is studying in Tempe, Phoenix. Tommy has the most awesome Dodge Ram, which is more like a small bus than a car...!

I had heard terrible things about the Greyhound. It's super cheap and there is a reason for this. To be honest, unless you are really scraping by on a budget, I would avoid it in general. Having said this, if you were doing it in the middle of the day from one fairly obscure place to another then it was absolutely fine. Not sure what it would be like coming out of somewhere like Chicago though.

Things to do in Tempe:

• Papago Park - there is a rock with a hole in it.
• Was not hugely cultural... It is a student town. Fab bars.

Places to eat/drink:

• El Hefe - solid chicken wings and pitchers.
• Postino - beers

Hiring A Car

I used RentalCars.com to hire a car. This worked brilliantly. They have a great app and everything. Plus, you can compare prices and different pick up locations. 

Some tips:

• If you are under 25 then they will try and charge you an extra young driver fee. This can be as much as $25 a day. When Elena and I booked our car from LA to Seattle we found a deal with Alamo that did not have this charge. For this rental I could not find one without the charge but since I was only hiring the car for a few days it did not really matter too much.
• Check the car for scratches/dents/computer faults when you pick it up. The first car I selected in the garage had a maintenance warning when you turned it on. I am not about that so changed cars. 
• Photograph any dents on the car at the pick up so you can prove you did not cause them! Also photograph how many miles it starts off with on the clock.
• Check the fuel policy - I went for a full-to-full policy both times. Just make sure you fill it up before you drop it off. They may end up offering you a pay in advance full to full policy where you lock in the petrol price at the pick up. I did not go for this in Phoenix as petrol is dirt cheap, however, if you were dropping it off on the west coast and could pay Phoenix prices then that might be worth it... you'd have to have a bit of a think.  
• Do you need GPS with the car? No! I discovered that Google Maps can track your GPS even when offline. So the trick is to search for your route on the app over wifi before you leave. Then keep the app and route open and you can map read/follow the blue dot on your journey. This will save you a daily fee for sat nav.

Wickenburg (1 night)

I personally did not rate Wickenburg. The only reason I had gone there was because my Lonely Planet guide said that there was a great road trip between Wickenburg and Sedona. This was absolutely true. However, it was a bit of a dead town to be honest - felt like it was a set off a western. But frankly, I'd rather just watch the western. 

Having said this, to try and drive from Phoenix, along the roadtrip route to Sedona in one day would have been a bit of a nightmare, especially if you are new to driving on the right (read, wrong) side of the road. 

Wickenburg to Sedona - Mini Road Trip

This was a completely fantastic drive. I got up early to avoid the traffic, get out of Wickenburg and enjoy a bit of morning sunshine. 

The route follows Highway 89A and takes you through some amazing mountainous areas. You should definitely stop off in Jerome; this is a small town clinging to the side of the hill. It's a bit of a tourist trap but there's plenty of parking. I went to Mile High Grill and Inn for a spot of breakfast and a coffee. They did a really great granola with plenty of fresh fruit. Thoroughly recommend. 

You should also drop in to Zen Mountain Gallery which is run by Christopher Mull. He takes close up photographs of all sorts of different things and they become abstract art in and of themselves. He was great to chat to and the photography was superb.

After leaving Sedona you will continue along Hwy 89 and come into Sedona. Sedona is an amazing little oasis of incredible red rocks. The only negative thing about it is that it is expensive to stay there and there are loads of people to contend with.

Sedona (1 night)

When you research Sedona you will see that it is split into two areas. There is accommodation to the East and to the West. As a general rule it seems that the eastern side is more touristy and the western side is where the locals live. I stayed somewhere called the Andante Inn. This is in the west side. It was a perfectly nice, clean hotel. The lady on the reception was very nice and suggested some good places to eat. 

Things to do:

• Chapel of the Holy Cross - this is something that turns up on lots of review sites and so I thought I better head along. It was unbelievably busy. Like. Totally nuts. Parking was a nightmare. However, it is free to go in. To be brutally honest it is just a bit of a weirdly designed church right in the rock. 

Places to eat:

• The Barking Frog - it sounds bonkers but it was a place suggested to me by the lady on reception at my hotel, The Andante Inn. I had a very enjoyable meal there; the food was fine but the service was excellent. It is not haute cuisine but perfectly good.

Back up to Flagstaff

I was only in Sedona for one night (and to be honest that was enough for me to see everything I wanted to given my budget). I then drove back up to Flagstaff Airport, which is just outside of town.

If you are driving that way, you should stop off for a look over Oak Creek Vista. There's a pretty good view up there.

I've put a map of the route we took from LA to San Francisco as this is a route lots of people do if they cannot do the whole thing. Also google maps won't let me put more places in. Tragic. 

Having reached LA (admittedly a bit later than planned), I met up with Elena at the station. She had managed to pick up the car, a jeep(!), from the airport. This is something of a miracle given the booking was in my name...

We were staying with an old friend, Maisie, who is completely fab. She lives in Burbank and is an actress! 

Things to do in LA (3 nights, two full days)

First off, it is important to say LA is NOT as terrible as everyone makes it out to be. It is a sprawling mass of city. But there is lots to do. I think the trick we found was to not try to do too much and to ditch the car asap. We did do one day of driving around and it was great to do but we found it quite difficult with the weird traffic light rules and the hunt for (cheap) parking. As such on our second day there, we used the metro. This was great as it meant we had a bit less to worry about. Having said this, it does not go everywhere you want and feels a bit dodgier than something like the tube in London.

• Griffith Observatory - OK, we'd both seen La La Land and thought this place would be huge. It's not. It's actually quite small. But it is a good spot for a picture of the Hollywood sign and there is a museum inside which was pretty interesting. There are slightly weird opening times though so you should check that before you go. 

Drive up to Santa Barbara (1 night)

So this was our first day of Highway 1. Very exciting. It takes you basically the whole way to Seattle (so even we could not get too lost). I had heard that the cafe on Malibu Pier was meant to be great so we stopped there for lunch. Have to say was a bit disappointed with it; still I think I might have chosen badly (went for a veggie sandwich as was yearning something green) so would not discount it totally. You can get a seat out on the pier itself but if it is windy you'll get a face-full of breeze.

Driving to Morro Bay

We left Santa Barbara after visiting the courthouse and drove up to Morro Bay, where we were camping in the Morro Bay State Park. We took some of the back roads around the area before Pismo Beach and saw this beauty (below). Come on America, sort yourself out.

As mentioned above, we were camping in Morro Bay. We had bought a $24 tent from Walmart. Bear Grylls eat your heart out. Elena went hardcore and refused to buy a roll mat. Big mistake. She regretted that decision. I slept like a log though. The camp site in Morro Bay was absolutely fine. If I was camping, I'd stay there again.

What to do in Morro Bay (1 night):

• There's not an awful lot to do. 
• There is a rock you can drive around to and it is very pretty. You can't miss the rock. It's huge.
• Look at the wildlife (see pics below). We saw the otters by the rock.
• Have an epic picnic (see the food section below).

Where to eat:

• We had a completely epic picnic in Morro Bay. There's a restaurant in the town called Giovanni's Fish Market where you can get take out food, including some rather splendid garlic fries. We did not know what to get so we just asked them for whatever they did best. It worked. We then drove around the corner towards the campsite, stopped in a lay-by right on the sea and ate our grub sitting in the boot of the car. Absolutely fab.
• Bayside Cafe - we were camping in Morro Bay State Park and this place was opposite the entrance. We got pretty cold that first night due to poor preparation but this place saved us with tea and a rather splendid mud pie. 

Driving up to King City: Hearst Castle and a detour...

So this year there was bad weather and Hwy 1 had collapsed/been washed away along the bit between San Simeon and Carmel. This is the classic "Big Sur" part of the route and it was a bit of shame. However, having discovered this little problem some time before we left we were able to plan a slightly different route. 

Our alternate route took us inland to a place called King City and to another place called Carmel Valley (note, this is different to Carmel). 

Before we discuss King City's virtues (or lack thereof), I'll quickly pass on our route along the coast from Morro Bay. We left fairly early and stopped in Cambria for a coffee at the aptly named Cambria Coffee Roasting Company. They do fab cinnamon rolls too. Cambria is basically a good stopping spot and is a little way off Route 1; keep your eyes peeled for signs. You can drive through the village and get back on the highway a little further in (so it is a loop).

We stopped at Hearst Castle. You have to do a tour here and they only leave at certain times so it would definitely be worth looking up what time they start and getting there just before it starts as we turned up and discovered we had to wait for about 45 mins for it. Not a disaster but a bit of organisation would not go amiss. 

It's a pretty cool place; a kind of cross between a castle and a palatial house perched on the top of the rolling hills by the coast. You are driven up an amazing hair-pin drive all the way to the top. Not going to lie, was not a massive fan of the designs inside - felt more like a castle (dark) than a funky house but pretty cool. Feel like you could definitely have Gatsby style party up there.

We were both a bit hungry by the time we got to Hearst Castle so we went to a great little place to eat opposite the entrance called Sebastian's Store before we went to Hearst Castle itself. Definitely worth a stop for an exciting hot dog. 

After doing the tour we drove up Route 1 as far as we could as we were determined to do as much of it as we possible could. The road is literally closed so don't think you can get around it. You cannot. However, there is a coffee shop at the end (Ragged Point) so you can get your caffeine fix. 

There is also a place to get out and look at Sea Lions (see exhibit A below).

We then turned around and drove over to King City, where we stayed for one night in a Motel 6. This really is a dive. We knew it was going to be terrible and it did not fail to disappoint. Would never recommend this place to anyone. The reason we stayed there was because the drive up from Morro Bay to Carmel was too far to do in one day. So I would suggest getting there late, and leaving early. 

Needless to say we escaped from King City pretty sharpish the following day. 

We were heading for Carmel Valley, which I was quite excited about as I had heard there are good wines up there. This turned out to be true! We turned off the 101 and cut through along some lovely little roads. 

Carmel Valley (1 night)

We really liked Carmel Valley; the drive to it was great too (the photos above). It is quite small and there is basically nothing to actually see or do except wine tastings. However, that is no bad thing sometimes. We were staying somewhere called the Contenta Inn. This was very good indeed. The room was huge, clean and there was a pool. Winning. We were there on a Sunday and so it was nice and quiet - the chap on the desk said that lots of people come out to Carmel Valley on Friday/Saturdays so if you fancy having the place to yourself, go on Sunday or mid week. 

Things to do:

• Boekenoogen Wine Tasting - there are lots of places to do tastings in town but this is the one we did. It was not expensive and there was a very helpful lady who talked us through everything.
• Swim at Contenta Inn 

Places to eat:

• Cafe Rustica - this was pretty solid. You get huge portions and great service. They also do a good salad for lunch.

Carmel (1 night)

It takes about 30 mins to get to Carmel from Carmel Valley. Carmel is right on the sea and is very nice, if a bit chi chi. We got there before our room was ready so we drove south along the coast as far as we could before the road closed. 

There was a lay-by (marked on map below) where we parked and then climbed down to have a picnic by the river. It was fantastic. This was just before the end of the open road.

Heading to San Jose

We left Carmel and drove along the 17 Mile Drive around to Monterey - this costs I think $10 but it's a great little drive and there are some amazing houses to look at. Quite inspiring really. 

Got to Monterey and walked along Cannery Row to the Fisherman's Wharf, which is a pier with shops on it. Bought a Bread Bowl Clam Chowder which was very filling. You can walk along the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail which is a pedestrianised bit along the sea. Personally I did not rate Monterey but Elena liked it I think. It felt very touristy.   ​

We then drove along the coast to Santa Cruz before tucking in to get to Elena's Aunt and Uncle in San Jose. Santa Cruz is nice if you go around to where the Surfing Sculpture is. I would avoid the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as it is basically a theme park. was a bit meh to be honest; there were some pretty cool surfers there though! Also found a frozen cheesecake on a stick covered in chocolate. Amazing!

San Jose (2 nights)

As mentioned above, we were staying with Elena's relations. This was great! To be perfectly honest San Jose is not famed for its tourist scene but we still went to explore. We got there fairly late in the afternoon so we were essentially in San Jose for one full day. It was great to see Elena's family but if you do not have this advantage it might be worth investigating somewhere else to stay.

Things to do:

• Santana Row - lots of shopping. There is a Tesla car shop! Very exciting!
• I had a hair cut at some slightly dubious place Elena found online....
• History of San Jose in Kelley Park - very quiet place with some old houses. You can park for free on Phelan Drive. Wouldn't pay for it. There was quite an interesting museum about the Vietnam War. It's very small. 

Places to eat:

• Smitten Ice Cream near Santana Row

Driving to Yosemite (3 nights)

Full credit to Elena for suggesting Yosemite as a place to visit. It's a bit of a drive in from San Jose and San Francisco but it is absolutely totally worth the drive. Just the most amazing place. 

We were staying in an unheated pre-assembled tent in Half Dome Village. This had a number of benefits and a few disadvantages. The tent was definitely cold. And this was in the second week of May. You can, however, get free extra blankets. Do this. Bring a wooly hat, it will enhance your life. Having said this, Half Dome Village was a great place to be staying as it is right in the centre of things and there are a few places to get food at reasonable prices; other places in the valley are further away and you'd need to get a (free) bus into the village for your supper. Not about that. When I'm hungry, I'm hungry.

The major disadvantage to the camping situation in Half Dome Village are the showers. They are pretty nasty; I don't think they've been redone for about 20 years. This is frustrating because the tents are not cheap so you do wonder where the money is going... sort it out Yosemite.

HOWEVER, the slightly dodgy showers should in no way detract from how brilliant Yosemite actually is. There are a number of walks (or as Americans call them, hikes) you can do and you can google the routes (or click here). They have ratings and difficulty levels. 

Things to do: walk

We arrived late afternoon on our first day and walked up to Mirror Lake which was a nice easy route. You can walk all the way around but that is quite far so we ended up walking up and back down.

The second day we walked up Yosemite Falls. There is a very easy hike called Lower Yosemite Falls which takes you to the bottom of the whole thing and there is one called Upper Yosemite Falls, which, you've guessed it, take you to the top. We did both!

This is something of a monster walk and should probably only be attempted if you are really quite keen. It's the highest waterfall (counting all three drops) in North America and the fifth highest one in the world. Funky. Now, to be completely honest we were probably a bit underprepared for this. You should really having hiking shoes etc but I just had trainers. This was fine but you should be careful. There are a few things you should definitely carry on a long walk like this:

• Water. Lots of it. I think I was carrying about 2.5 litres but carry as much as you can comfortably (wrap bottles in jumpers in your backpack so it does not poke into your back)
• A zip up coat so you can undo it a bit to let some air in as you'll get hot
• A jumper
• A hat (ideally, wooly and sun)
• A spare pair of socks
• Plasters
• Wear long trousers, it's cold at the top
• Carry a back pack with some snacks in it
• Bring a phone

The view at the top was amazing though! You can actually walk all the way over to the top of the waterfall; it's insane!

On the third day our legs were pretty knackered so we ended up walking up to Vernal Fall Bridge this is a short but relatively steep one. There are great views along the path. It did seem to be a little busier than the other ones we had done. 

We discovered that there are also talks that run in the evenings so we went along to one given by a man named Ron Kauk, a climber. He talked about how we should return to nature. It was a film he had made followed by a Q&A. Talks cost $10 but it's a fun thing to do.

Where to eat and avoiding bears:

The very nature of Yosemite means that there really are not very many places to eat. There is a pizza place, a buffet style canteen and a burger place. There is also a small grocery store which also sells walking gear.

I think the pizzas were pretty good and not too outrageously expensive. The canteen was also good and to be honest we did not go to the burger place as it seemed to close early. 

Now. The elephant, or rather, bear, in the room. 

When you arrive to sign in you are greeted by a reception desk with a TV playing videos of bears breaking into cars on repeat. When I say breaking in, I mean ripping the doors off and bundling in. Understandably, as a bloke who is more used to a fat black cat than a hungry black bear, this initially put me off somewhat. I became Bear-proof Grylls and set about emptying the car of anything that a bear might think of as food.

This includes toothpaste, deodorant, food (even if it is in wrappers). Anything overtly colourful. You name it, it came out. You then have to put this in the special containers provided. You'll want a padlock to lock it up (keeps people out).

This worked out well and I can confirm that all parties survived the trip. Just be bear aware. Elena thinks I went a bit overboard on it all...but hey ho. Better to be save than sorry. 

Heading to San Francisco (3 nights)

So after nailing Yosemite, we drove over to San Francisco. We went out using the 120 as this was different to the way we had come in. It's very beautiful up that way and you can see the whole of the valley. 

We then came into San Francisco over the Oakland Bay Bridge - be aware this is a toll bridge so make sure you have some dosh around to pay. Also be patient, the traffic is slow but it moves.

A note about accommodation: we had initially planned on staying in a highly rated, but cheap hostel in the Tenderloin area. However, we were advised that there is a serious homelessness problem in that part of town and one review even suggested that they would not leave after 4pm unless in a large group for fear of being mugged. Also, the hostel did not have parking, which was a bit of an issue for us. As such we changed to the Nob Hill Motor Inn. This was pretty good; in a good position with FREE PARKING included, close to the bay and on a good street with nice cafes. The major problem with it is that they had a terrible breakfast. Most of the places we were staying had things like cereal, fruit, yoghurt, and even waffles (shout out to the Contenta Inn, Carmel Valley). The Nob Hill Motor Inn, however, had donuts. And that was basically it. 

Now I am not normally a man to shun a good donut (and they were good donuts), but it really is not what I would think of as a good start to the day. It does not fill you up. It really cannot be cheaper to do donuts than a bit of cereal. Please. Sort it out. Other than that, it's a great place to stay.

Things to do:

• Buy a MUNI Passport. This gives you travel. It activates when you scratch the day out, so you can buy it in the whenever and not use it until you need it, then the day limit starts. 
• Cycle around the bay and across the Golden Gate Bridge. We went to Sausalito and then all the way around to Tiburon. Tiburon was quite a bit further. The company we used was called Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals. They were good. When you come to pay may sure you get their most basic one as they might try to upgrade you to the one up, which you will not have asked for. The lady tried this with us. Not having that. The bikes come with maps etc. A must do. You can get the ferry back too; Blazing Saddles give you tickets and if you don't use them, you do not pay for them. 
• Alcatraz - we did NOT do this. We did see the island from the ferry but we were not that fussed about seeing a prison. I aim to avoid them in general.
• Coit Tower - lots of paintings and can climb it (for a fee). We had a bit of a foggy day which was not ideal.
• Pier 39. I thought this was a real dive but Elena liked it. It's like a shopping centre on a pier. That's it. Yay. Skip.
• Lombard Street - an oasis of curves in an otherwise unending chocolate bar of blocks.

Napa Valley (2 nights)

After our stay in San Francisco we drove up to Napa Valley. We drove across the Golden Gate and then on up to Sonoma and then Napa itself. I had heard big things about Sonoma but to be honest it seemed a bit dead when we got there. We stopped and wandered around the town but the highlight was the cheese shop where we sampled lots of funky cheeses. I think that there may have been more vineyards further north but we did not see them so cannot form a judgement. 

Sonoma town is worth dropping into as it is en-route but Napa has more going for it.

The weather was seriously hot here. Caught me by surprise after the cool of the sea in San Francisco. Makes walking around a bit dodgy if you are english and completely useless in anything other than cold rain.

A few misconceptions...

Napa is one of those places we have all heard of. Napa Valley. The home of wine, right? Well it is, but there is a difference between Napa Valley and Napa itself. I had booked an Airbnb on the outskirts of Napa itself and thought this would be kind of surrounded by vineyards. However, you do have to be careful because Napa Valley is, unsurprisingly, a valley. And Napa (town) is right at the south end of the valley. So if you stay there, you are in a town and not in amongst the vines. A bit of research would have made this clear but I just went for it. It is not a disaster as Napa is great but if you are expecting vines, you'll be disappointed if you are actually staying in Napa itself. Just sayin'. 

We were staying with Valerina in her Airbnb. She was absolutely lovely, only thing against the place is that it is a bit of a walk into town. Still, if budget conscious this is definitely worth a look.

Things to do and Places to Eat:

• Wine. As mentioned above, we were staying on the outskirts of town and so we could not drive up to the vineyards and do some wine tastings (not about drinking and driving). However, fear not! Back Room Wines on the bridge heading to the Oxbow Market did a nice little flight to try with a lovely gentleman who told us all about it. Apparently Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon is the stuff to go for. 
• Uncorked at Oxbow - this place was fantastic. They do live music and a range of wines. They do open mic nights on Thursdays; brilliant! Don't do food so a place to go after dinner.
• Oxbow Market - this is a covered market with all sorts of edgy places in it. Can get food here. 
• Drive up and around the vineyards. You can drop in and have a look around without having a drink. V Sattui had a cool shop to drop in on. If you were organised and have the funds, you can get a cab to take you around and you can book yourself onto a tasting. In terms of driving around, the trick is to just choose one and go in as they are all just off the main road and you do not get a second shot at them - once you drive by, it's gone. You can also do a nice loop up the St Helena Hwy and back down along the (prettier, but emptier) Silverado Trail.
• Allegria - a great italian place. 
• Zuzu Tapas - the food was good here but there was not a lot of it and it was quite expensive to be honest. Good service though. We preferred Allegria. 
• Gott's Roadside - an upmarket diner, not too expensive and was always busy.

Driving up to Mount Shasta (1 night)

Instead of driving along the coast we went slightly inland along Interstate 5 up to Mount Shasta. We stopped at the Sundial Bridge in Redding. This is pretty cool but just a quick stop. Was insanely hot here too. 

Accommodation: we stayed in the Strawberry Valley Inn. This had good rooms and a free wine tasting! What a treat.

Things to do:

By the time we had driven all the way from Napa (about 250 miles) we did not really have too much time. There is not an awful lot to do though, so was fine.

• Lake Siskiyou - we swam! It was utterly utterly freezing but completely awesome. 

It is worth noting that you can get into the camping bit for free (we did) after a certain time - I am afraid I cannot remember the times but we were there at about 16:00 according to the photo timestamps #investigator.

The entrance is marked on the map below:

Driving to Heceta Beach (1 night)

Heceta Beach is right on the coast and further north of Shasta. It was simply beautiful. The hotel was right on the beach and every room has a sea view. The hotel is called Driftwood Shores. It must be said that there really is nothing to do in Florence (the nearest town) and the hotel is a bit tired but the view makes up for everything.

We drove up from Shasta in the morning, stopping for a coffee in Ashland at a place called Stone Ridge Coffee; it does not really appear on google but if you search for The Growler Guys they share the same place. 

It was incredibly windy at Heceta Beach:

Driving to Portland (2 nights)

The stretch of coast up to Portland from Florence is spectacular. Arguably better than the Big Sur bit. We stopped off at the Sea Lion Caves. We had a bit of a debate over whether it was worth the money but I think it was. You go down an elevator into 'America's largest sea cave'. Pretty cool.

We stopped for a rather fab coffee and sandwich somewhere called the Green Salmon in Yachats.  

We got to Portland in late afternoon and immediately we were hit by just how edgy the city is. If you are male and without a finely sculpted beard and a fixie bike then I am not sure you fully qualify as a resident. There are an abundance of cafes serving every type of coffee under the sun. You should stop off at Stumptown Coffee for a taste of mainstream-hipster coffee. Nitro coffee is a big thing (but you know that already). I tried something called Cascara which is 'coffee cherry tea' - it is horrible. Try at your peril.

Accommodation: we were staying in the Northwest Portland HI Hostel. It was wonderful. Definitely a good place to stay. They had a cafe and bar onsite, as well as cheap parking permits. One night they were doing $2 beers in big jam jars. Cannot complain.

Things to do:

• ​Living Room Theatres, Luxury Cinema - we thought we would have a nice evening at the cinema and so tried going here. It has a great bar and plenty of food to order; they bring the food to your seat! We were unlucky to have a powercut just as the film was starting! Tragic! It was cancelled and they refunded our tickets. Would 100% go back though.
• Portland Aerial Tram - this is basically for the ride as it actually goes up to a hospital (so somewhere to ideally avoid). However, there are good views at the top. 
• Wander around the Tom McCall Waterfront Park - it is a nice walk around.
• International Rose Test Garden - was not in bloom so not that great in my humble opinion. Elena enjoyed it though I think.

Places to eat:

• Elephant Deli near the Aerial Tram - loved this place; really cool deli.
• Stumptown Coffee
• Everyone raves about Voodoo Donuts so we went and found it but to be honest it did not look that great so we skipped it.
• Ruby Jewel Ice Cream - serious ice cream sandwiches; I fell in love (see below).
• We ate at the hostel too. Was simple but fine.

Cannon Beach (1 night)

Cannon Beach is one of those places which people hype up a lot. It is a great town right on the coast. There is a lovely beach and the town is pretty. We were staying in a place called The Waves Cannon Beach which was right on the front. We did not have a view so if you want one just check when you book. It was good, would stay again; had free DVD rentals which was nice.

Again, there is not that much to do but it was very peaceful and a good place to chill for a bit.

Things to do:

• Walk up and down the beach, look at the rocks.​
• Walk through town and look at the shops.

Driving up to Lake Crescent (2 nights)

It's a long way! But the drive is fab. Very cut off (the beach, above, was down a little track off the road somewhere just after Quinault but before Ruby Beach). We got to Ruby Beach but decided it wasn't as good as our beach so left it. #brutal.

Accommodation: Camping at Lake Crescent in the "Log Cabin Resort". I was very sceptical about this place but to be fair to Elena, it was absolutely great; it is not, however, what you think of as a "resort". But it is fantastic as a camp site. We were camping in our $24 Walmart tent and it was absolutely great. Not sure how good the cabins would be - think it looked like you could walk in front of them so perhaps not so great for a bit of privacy. But can't really comment as we did not use them.

One advantage the site has over the south side of the lake is that it is south facing so got loads of sun! One thing to note is it really fills up at the weekend so if you want to have a quiet (children free) time, best to plan for mid-week.

The reception bit has a nice little restaurant and you can do take out food - we had a picnic by our tent the first night; the waiter was amazingly friendly. 

Things to do: 

• There is a small water sports thing; we hired SUP boards - great fun! 1 hour was $20, 2 hours $35.
• Walk at Marymere Falls near Lake Crescent Lodge. Also walk along the 'Memories in Time' trail - sounds a bit deep and meaningful but it's just a lovely walk by the lake.
• Read by the lake
• Swim in the lake. Freezing but worth it!
• Play catch.

Places to eat:

• You've only really got the Log Cabin Resort cafe. It's good solid grub and the staff were wonderful.

Seattle (3 nights)

What a great city. We really liked Seattle. We were staying with Molly, the friendliest, most lovely Airbnb host you could possibly ask for (stay with her). She also has completely fantastic feline friends. It was a serious walk up to her place but once you are there it is great. We were on 8th Avenue and this seemed to be on the right contour so it was not too beastly walking around the city.

Things to do:

• Pike Place - mad busy but quite cool. Elena queued for the Pike Place Chowder. I ate Ellenos yoghurt; thought it was frozen, turns out it’s just good greek yog. Nice though.
• Olympic Sculpture Park (there’s a cool face)

This really was a wonderful trip. I hope that you have found this helpful if you are planning your own trip. I am by no means an expert and these are just my opinions and reflections on the experience. 

Elena and I then continued on to Vancouver (by train from Seattle), Whistler, Singapore and Hong Kong but I think I will keep those for another post.

Do let me know if this is helpful or if there are any other places you would suggest.

What the Wine Society says:

A moreish and juicy red-fruited cinsault, a traditional grape which has made something of a comeback here as well as in France. 

Award-winning winemaker Duncan Savage produced this wine with the help of friends and contacts in South Africa's Swartland. Liked and admired throughout the industry, he was responsible for putting Cape Point Vineyards, where he still consults, on the vinous map, and for numberous awards. His own labels focus on a variety of grape varieties, producing classic and elegant wines from maritime and high-altitude vineyards with great terroir.

A refreshing counterpoint to an aromatic and mildly-spiced chicken curry. A tomatoey rogan josh would also work splendidly with the sweetness of fruit and gentle tannins in this earthy, peppery red. 

What we say:

Very much enjoyed this one. Had it with Red Thai Prawn Curry and went down nicely. Pretty fruity and medium bodied. 

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of brioche (Sainsbury's do some nice stuff)
• 250g butter
• Handful of sultanas
• 50g chocolate (only if you want)
• Tablespoon of brown sugar
• 450ml milk
• 2 eggs

Method

Melt a hunk of butter and pour it into your baking dish.

Melt some more butter in a saucepan large enough to put a slice of brioche in. Do this over a low heat. When it has melted pop a slice of the brioche in to soak up the butter on one side. 

Pop the brioche in the baking dish, butter-side down. Repeat until the base of the dish is covered with brioche.

Now add in the sultanas, the chocolate (if you're doing that) and half the sugar. 

Next cover with brioche - again melt some butter and dip the brioche in This time lay the brioche in butter-side UP. 

Measure out your milk in a jug. Add in the eggs and whisk with a fork. Pour over the pudding. Add a sprinkling more sugar and a few sultanas.

Let it sit for an hour (or until ready to eat). Cook for 30 mins at 200. Should be golden on top. 

What it says:

A juicy, blackberry-fruit-laden Portuguese red, this is a modern expression of the Douro with supple tannins and ample fruit. 

What we say:

I like this "Douro" wine. Smooth and quite heavy. I am a fan.

What it says:

Delicious fruity, fragrant and luscious Sauternes made at the Dubourdieus' small, beautifully managed estate, Cantegril. The 2014 has lovely freshness. The perfect partner for creamy, salty cheeses or rich pâté. 13.5%.
What we say:

Bought this after a super evening of wine tasting with Charles. Had this bottle with Elena. Splendid evening. The wine tasted great but had a slightly dodgy aftertaste. Would not buy again. Wine society says it's 7/9 sweet so would aim for something a little sweeter.

What it says:

Not a lot. French. Apparently a southern Rhone wine.

What we say:

This was a gift from Tracy. Elena and I had it the other night. We had a splendid evening! Did not quite realise how strong this one was - 15%. A bit of a beast. Having said that, it was very drinkable and we put the world to rights over it! We were celebrating the fact that Elena has just got a grad job - wooooppp! 

Not on Wine Soc.

What the Wine Society says:

Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, to give the estate its full name, dates back to 1764 and its historic winery is still used today. Situated along the banks of the Douro River near the villages of Ferrão and Pinhão the estate boasts 120 hectares of prime demarcated land and was one of the first to embrace oenotourism (hotel, restaurant, wine bar, wine tastings, and grape picking at harvest time). The name, usually shortened to Quinta Nova, comes from the chapel built in honour of the sailors who navigated the River Douro in the 17th century and which houses a statue of Our Lady of Carmo.
​
The Douro's vineyards are classified for port production and 85 hectares of Quinta Nova's plantings are the top 'A' grade. Today the estate is owned by the Amorim family, better known for the production of wine corks, and there is no shortage of money for investment in vineyards and winemaking. A range of wines is produced including the unoaked Colheita, which in the 2011 vintage was bottled part under the classic label, part in a serigraphed bottle celebrating the estate's 250th anniversary in 2014. For this wine the vines are between 20 and 30 years of age and no wood maturation is used, allowing full expression of the traditional local grape varieties - touriga nacional, tinta roriz, touriga franca and tinta amarela - and terroir. The Reserva comes from parcels of older vines and spends around 16 months in French and American oak barrels, with a further period in bottle before release. 

What we say:

Cheeky magnum. Had no idea what this was going to be like and was a little nervous it would be very strong but I found it to be very nice and drinkable. Had this with some good friends over some supper. Slightly sharp. 

Very enjoyable!

What the Wine Society says:

A deliciously plush, ripe blend with cedar and blackberry perfume, spicy notes on the palate and soft tannins. A classic Medoc which is at its drinking peak. 

This cru bourgeois property has well-sited vineyards at the northern end of the Medoc, just north of Saint-Estephe, on deep gravel and clay limestone soils. Plantings are 55% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot and 5% cabernet franc. The wines spend 12 months in French oak barrels, one-third of which are renewed every year. The resulting wines are well balanced and have excellent ageing potential. Now to 2022.

Wine and dine

Time-honoured stuff for the stylish roasts, from turkey to rib of beef.

What we say:

Had some friends over for supper the other day and very much enjoyed catching up with everyone. Had a few of these and seemed to go down well. Pretty drinkable but not what I think of as fruity or sweet. Would buy again but unavailable at the moment.

What it says: 

Not a lot.

What we say:

This was part of a gift from Tracy, my godmother. Tempranillo. Spanish. Very nice, has what I think of as a classic red wine taste. Definite (metallic/vanilla-y) aftertaste. This was good with food. Good with chocolate. 

Fun drinking wine. 
​

What the Wine Society says:

"Full-flavoured, dark, fruity country red from the area behind Uzès in the Cévennes.

Domaine de Gournier is a large estate located off the beaten track in a relatively unknown part of southern France. It lies in the foothills of the Cévennes mountains, not far from the medieval town of Uzès and the ancient Pont du Gard. Current owner, Maurice Barnouin, whose father was the first to plant merlot and cabernet here, was born in nearby Nîmes and it was he who built the domain's first cellar and began bottling his own wines rather than selling to the local co-op. He has overcome catastrophe when his vineyards and cellars were destroyed by floods in 2002, fighting back to rebuild his domain but by bit.

Wine and Dine: 

There's backbone behind that fruity upholstery so treat this to full-on game: venison, from haunches to sausages baked in red wine, or hare, slowly braised until shred-tender and folded into wide-guage pasta. Non-meat eaters should try it with a tomato and olive-infused pilaf." 

What we say:

Had this at a bit of a bash with some friends. Top evening. Mike cooked some seriously good curry and it all went down a treat. Would buy again. 

What the Wine Society says:

"It’s always a special pleasure to see our own livery staring back at us once the bottle bags are removed at our Wine Champions tastings, and this ripe, fragrant montepulciano – the first of six Champions from Italy’s outstanding 2015 vintage – was a popular performer. Vibrant and versatile everyday red. 

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the seldom overpriced but frequently variable wine made from the eponymous red grape variety on Italy’s Adriatic coast. At its best it is flavoursome, deeply coloured and delightfully fruity. Most of the wine here is produced at winemaking co-operatives.

The Society’s version is made by the Roxan co-operative, known for their special relationships with 700 individual growers who, unusually in a co-operative set-up, are given a significant amount of input into the final wines. While up to 1,000 hectares of land is farmed, less than 10% of the grape yield in each vintage is actually bottled by the co- operative which keeps quality control reassuringly strict. These are smooth, stylish wines at the price. The winery itself is located in the town of Rosciano, near Pescara, and each bottling tends to be drawn from vineyard-specific sites.

Buyer Sebastian Payne MW recalls that The Society first looked to buy wines from the Roxan co-operative after Edoardo Valentini, the brilliant but eccentric local winemaker and one of the most influential figures of his generation, sold his surplus grapes to it. Valentini was fiercely secretive, shunning wine critics and the wine establishment in general, yet this particular co-operative was the only one he trusted to turn his grapes into good wine. He died in 2012, but his son continues his estate, and upholds his father’s trust in the Roxan co-operative."

What we say:

One of the first bottles I bought from the Wine Society and it's one of their most popular wines apparently. We had this as a family and I very much enjoyed it. We drank it with bolognese and it went down a treat; not a sweet wine but what I think of as a classic red. 

​Buy again. 

Ingredients

• As many sausages as you like
• 1 pudding spoons of wholegrain mustard
• 3 pudding spoons of clear honey

Method

Mix the honey and mustard together and pour over the sausages in a baking dish. Cook for half an hour or so. 

Easy.

Elena and I went here for a meal a few weeks ago now. It's a little restaurant in Greek Street, which is close to Leicester Square/Tottenham Court Road tube station. There's a cheeky cut through on Manette Street (google it). We had a really nice little meal. You cannot book and the restaurant is small so you have to be aware that you might not get a seat. However, if you are lucky, as we were, then you can expect to enjoy a funky tapas-esque meatball extravaganza. 

In terms of the food, their christmas special dish was fab and quite fun and a bit different. The other huge standout was their brownie with I think candyfloss (sounds weird, tasted divine). 

Top evening. 

What the Wine Society says:

​"About the wine:

A deeply coloured, richly textured, full bodied Languedoc red. The flavour is of a very ripe, dark, fruity blackcurrant and blackberry with a touch of oak. 

Family-owned for many years, this domaine of 60 vineyards produces some of the region's finest carbernet-merlot blends. The Teisserenc family have experimented and innovated for many years now, and farm their many and varied plots sustainably, having earned Terra Vitis certification for their environmental thoughtfulness. Paradoxe Rouge is a blend of Mediterranean and Bordelais varieties, grown on sandy-silty and stoney soils and hand-harvested well into October. Now to 2023.

Wine and Dine:

An excellent time to revisit the art of the daube be it lamb or beef, enriched with olives, orange peel and the extra kick of dried provence herbs. Bursting with deep southern warmth and ripeness, this dark, sweet, velvety red is aso the perfect match for an aubergine stew (see SocietyGrapevine.com)"

What we say:

Germanic came to stay the other day, which was lovely. On the second night, we met up with Elena and we all went skating at the Natural History Museum (unsurprisingly I was terrible but eventually nearly got the hang of it - the other two were pretty good - I was impressed). We then returned and cooked some burgers together. We had a lovely evening and Elena provided some rather splendid apple cake and ice cream! Niiciceeee.

First thing to note about this wine is the bottle. Funky as. The only issue I discovered was that the neck of the bottle is a tad wide for some bottle openers but this really is not a big issue and where there's a will to open a bottle, there is a way!

I personally thought that the wine was nice - it was not too strong and we all seemed to enjoy it with the burgers. At 14% it is quite strong but you don't really taste it as you can do with some wines (if that makes any sense).

Good stuff. Personally think I prefer something a little more "robust" #winewords #technicalterm #basicallyIMeanStrong.

What the Wine Society says:

"Unearthed from a cellar in Vernou, this fully mature Vouvray is chenin blanc in the old-fashioned style, with earthy, mushroomy quince and crab-apple flavour, and a certain soft-pillow charm. It may go on for years yet but our recommendation is to drink it now."
​
What we say:

I bought this for Elena and I as it was the oldest bottle I could find and thought it'd be fun to try something a little older than we are. We had a lovely evening in London and gently made our way through the bottle with some home made curry. 

The wine itself is golden in colour and is much sweeter than I was expecting. However, this made it thoroughly drinkable. It was a great evening and would buy this again for something a bit funky.

(As always, shout out to Will and George who are still kayaking! Go check their page out: here).

Wine Society Notes:

"The inspirational eco-friendly Emiliana was founded in 1986 by Rafael and José Guilisasti. The company produces socially and environmentally responsible wines of excellent quality at a very attractive price, which is why we approached them to create the Society-exclusive Silbador range.

Emiliana owns vineyards throughout the valleys that make up Chile’s best winemaking areas – including Maipo, Rapel, Casablanca, Colchagua and Bío-Bío – each of which possesses different qualities suited to certain grape varieties. For instance, Rapel Valley’s combination of ocean breezes and Andean winds make it ideal for merlot and carmenère, whereas the cool Casablanca Valley, with its sandy-loam soils and Pacific breezes, is perfect for delicate white varieties like chardonnay.

The result of their philosophy and processes is that all of Emiliana’s vineyards teem with natural life, a perfect blend of predators and prey that forms a balanced vineyard ecosystem. In fact, a perfect example is the silbador – an insect- eating bird found in the vineyards. They also have hens, geese and alpacas roaming the vineyards, and they sow flowers between the vine rows to attract insects that prey on other, vine-harming species. The birds, bees and bugs act as a natural pesticide and weed killer, and the compost is made of grape leaves, stalks and stems, as well as manure from the animals that roam the vineyards.

Emiliana was also certified Carbon Neutral for the first time in 2008, after employing methods such as reducing their packaging, investing in solar panels and running their tractors on biodiesel. However, their biggest commitment is to the people that work for them: as well as being IMO-certified, meaning their staff is guaranteed a fair wage and fair treatment, they also offer employees scholarships to universities and colleges, and allotments on which they can grow their own fruit and vegetables. Their workers are also given responsibility (and therefore the profits) for the sale of subsidiary products like olive oil and honey, and Emiliana is even helping to better the next generation by providing computers and internet access for local schools.

The esteemed winemaker Alvaro Espinoza (who studied oenology both in Chile and Bordeaux) has been consulting at Emiliana since 2000, and has helped ensure the hard work in the vineyards is matched once the grapes reach the winery. Grapes are treated with the utmost care, in some instances undergoing a triple selection process on a conveyor belt to ensure only the best fruit is selected.

Interference is kept at a minimum: during fermentation only natural yeasts are used, and wines are stabilised without chemical treatments and only lightly filtered. When it comes to ageing wines, Emiliana uses a mixture of stainless steel and French and American oak, depending on the wine in question and also the vintage conditions. From the more everyday wines to the premium ranges, such as Coyam, Emiliana has earned an affectionate loyalty from Society members, and it is easy to see why."

What we say:

We really enjoyed this wine. It was definitely fruity and a little sweet. Very drinkable. It's the first organic wine I've tried, having heard a lot about it over the summer. It tastes great. Rumour has it you don't get hangovers with organic wine but I didn't have enough to find this out I am afraid. Will have to try harder next time!

Would buy again.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti
• 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• Half a chilli, sliced
• About 5-6 anchovy fillets, chopped
• Handful halved cherry tomatoes
• Parsley, torn

Method

Once you've chopped everything up, heat some oil (from the anchovy tin). Begin to fry the anchovies over a low heat. Add in the garlic and chilli and fry a little. Add in the tomatoes. Finally add in a large knob of butter and let it all simmer together. Slightly press the tomatoes so the juices come out. Season with pepper. #funky

The pasta should just be done now. Spoon two ladles of pasta water into the frying pan and then add in the pasta. Add in some parsley and stir about. 

Serve. I suggest picking it up with two wooden spoons rather than pouring it otherwise it'll be very wet. 

Add in some parsley and stir about. Serve. 

Top with more parsley.

​Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 digestive biscuits
• 6 squares of white chocolate
• 2 pudding spoons of cream cheese
• Large handful of raspberries

Method

Crush the biscuits into a glass. 

Melt the chocolate by putting it in a bowl in the microwave for about 30 secs and then stirring until it melts. 

Spoon in the cream cheese and stir like mad. Chuck in the raspberries and stir it about. 

Pop it on top of the biscuit base. Fridge it until ready. I had it in the fridge for about an hour so it doesn't need to be that long.

Ingredients

• Rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• About an inch of ginger, chopped
• 2 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• A slug of coconut milk, see video
• 150g prawns, cooked and peeled
• A handful of coriander

Method

Fry the chopped onion and ginger in olive oil until softened. Add in the curry paste and then the tin of chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Add a little salt. Allow to boil and simmer until slightly reduced. When the rice is just about done, add in the prawns and turn the heat off - stir around, the latent heat will warm them through enough. 

Add in the chopped coriander. 

Serve. Lovely.