A Matter of Taste: Inspired Seasonal Menus with Wines and Spirits to Match

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Are you intimidated by a wine list? Do expressions like “dashing
Italian cult red Sagrantino” or a “lightly oaked Sonoma
Chardonnay” cause you to erupt in nervous self-conscious giggles? This
book can help. Lucy Waverman is a chef and veteran cookbook author.
James Chatto is one of Canada’s top food columnists and wine experts.
Both have a knack for writing engaging, jargon-free prose that helps an
outsider understand why certain foods and certain drinks go together.

The book is divided into four chapters based on the seasons. Within
each chapter, the text is divided between into food and wine. Waverman
usually leads off with a set of recipes based on seasonal ingredients.
Each meal is broken down into its basic components of appetizers, soup,
main course, starch, vegetable, and dessert. Like an attentive wine
steward, Chatto eases in and out of Waverman’s ongoing food commentary
to provide beverage information as needed. Sometimes Chatto just tops up
a paragraph with a quick drink suggestion. Other times, he will uncork a
whole new mini-chapter with an in-depth discussion on the real
differences between red and white wine or why single-malt Scotch is
really the companion of choice for Triple Chocolate Truffle Tart. Dozens
of lovely black-and-white and full-colour photographs support the text.

Although Waverman’s traditional and fusion recipes will make any
foodie reader want to rush immediately to the kitchen, this is really a
book that demands to be savoured slowly in an armchair flanked by a
glass of wine and a plate of artisan cheeses. A very thorough index is
included for easy reference.