Birthdays are funny things. They arrive without you really noticing and suddenly you are six years older. Which is what has just happened to this column – Paula’s Wines of the Week is now six. It was July 21st 2008 when the first bargain wines were recommended and since then I’ve been sorting out the bargains from the you’ve-got-to-be-kidding bottles for you. So it’s time for birthday cake and plenty of tasty wines to help wash it down.
I’m rather fond of cake, particularly sticky ones that require plenty of finger and plate licking to finish them off. And such a cake should have enough substance to hold a birthday candle and still taste nice when matched with wine. What is this cake? Lemon drizzle yoghurt tatlisi – a moist, easy-to-make cake covered in lemon juice and sugar.
Set your oven to 180 degrees C (Gas 4) and find some plain yoghurt (a small tub or so), 3 eggs, 200g sugar, 250g of self-raising flour, melted butter (marg or olive oil spread works just as well) and a couple of lemons.
Grate your lemons into the yoghurt, egg, melted marg and sugar mix and gradually stir in the flour. If you add all the flour in one go there is a danger the cake mix will go lumpy, so a bit at a time is best, but a few lumps won’t hurt. Then pour the mix into a loaf tin and bake for 45mins or until you can stand it no more and you must get a closer sniff at the wonderful aromas coming out of the oven. Then pour on a lemon juice and sugar syrup mix (put 2 tablespoons of sugar and the juice of the 2 lemons in a saucepan and simmer for 10 mins) and leave to cool in the tin.
Finally add a candle, or six, then slice and devour with ice-cream/cream/crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt and of course several glasses of wine.
I’ve recommended a few birthday bottles to get things started.
PG Wine Reviews
Aldi Exquisite Collection Australian Riesling 2013
£6.99 Aldi
High quality wine with a taste of apple and coconut that turns orangey later.
Fetzer Quartz Californian White Blend 2012
£7.99 Tesco
Another wine that turns orangey as it warms up slightly. Honey, apple and lemon flavours initially.
Chateau Le Bernet French White Graves 2013
£9 Sainsbury’s
Floral flavours. Very nice.
MG Reserva Chilean Carignan Syrah 2012
£9.79 Co-op
The cherry, choc, blackcurrant and barley sugar flavours lighten with time after opening.
Vista Alegre Spanish Reserva Rioja 2008
£13.99 Ocado
Cocoa, toffee and blackcurrant.
Tweet me a wine question @huxelrebe
© Paula Goddard 2014 www.paulagoddard.com
