North Northamptonshire based food blogger who is obsessed with good food and proper cooking. I'm part of the Midlands Blogging team for the BBC Good Food Shows. This is where I share my own recipes and carry out recipe development and product reviews for brands, including food and wines. Please contact me using the link below.

Saturday 31 January 2015

Wine Review - Central England Co-Operative - Chablis Premier Cru

My review for the Central England Co-Operative We Like Wine Blog this month is a lovely, crisp Chablis Premier Cru from their Truly Irresistable range of wines.

This French Chablis has the traditional flavours of citrus fruits with the subtle minerality of the soil in which the grapes are grown. This Chablis is no exception to this and has a fresh zingy fragrance with an initial kick of citrus fruits, followed by a crisp dryness as it leaves your mouth. It's got a pale and delicate colour reminiscent of a bright summer's day.


Chablis pairs perfectly with chicken and other poultry as well as fish and goats cheese, yet this is more than capable of being enjoyed on its own as you relax after a hard day's work.  Let the flavour sensation refresh and tantalise your palate whilst tingling your tastebuds.

We chose to have this with a quick and easy midweek meal of sweet and sour chicken served with rice and prawn crackers in a sweet chilli sauce, which my husband prepared as I drove home from work.

The wine, fresh from the fridge and child to perfection, was the ideal balance to the heat of the chilli and the sweetness of the sauce;  truly enjoyable accompaniment to our meal.


I was sent a voucher with which to purchase this bottle of white wine, which retails at £14.99. (Price as at 10/01/2015).


Sunday 4 January 2015

Restaurant Review - La Fonte Italian Restaurant Bistro, Corby, Northants.

Saturday night, 3rd January.  It's my husband's birthday and we had no plans to go out for dinner as I'd planned to cook.  Our eldest, home from University, is away for the weekend with friends, so it's only the three of us at home.  As I'd worked up to Christmas Eve and between Christmas and New Year, as well as on 2nd January, my husband decided that I needed a break and that a takeaway was in order.

I'd heard really good reviews about La Fonte Italian Restaurant Bistro in town so, as we all love Italian Food and, as the restaurant is only a few minutes drive from home, I decided to see if we could get a table.  Being early evening, it wasn't a problem and we arrived about 20 minutes after I called them.  5:30pm and there were already about a dozen other diners in there which is always a good sign so early in the evening on the quality of the food and service.

We were greeted and shown to our table by the window, presented with our menus and allowed a few minutes to settle down before our drinks order was taken.  The drinks were brought within a few minutes along with freshly baked rolls and garlic butter and the order taken for our meals.

My husband and I started with the Bruschetta al Pomodoro.  My daughter didn't want a starter with her meal and was content to continue to enjoy her roll.  The starters were brought within about 5-10 minutes and consisted of three grilled slices of bread topped with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil, drizzled lightly with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  The warm bread, the cold tomatoes and the dressings complimented each other perfectly.


The staff were unobtrusive but obviously very observant as the plates were cleared within a couple of minutes of us finishing.

Being a lover of fish, my husband had chosen one of the day's specials; monkfish in an orange sauce served with potatoes and salad.  The sauce was thick and clear as well as being incredibly flavoursome without being overbearing to the perfectly cooked fish.



My daughter chose the Penne Al Forno; a baked dish of penne pasta served with broccoli in a tomato cream sauce with mozzarella.  The broccoli was cooked beautifully, still al dente but retaining its flavour.


I chose the Penne Pollo; a bowl of penne pasta served with chicken breast in an onion and tomato cream sauce.  The chicken was tender and succulent and enrobed in a delicious sauce.


Three empty plates at the end of the meal laid testament to the quality and flavour of the food.


However, no meal is ever truly complete without dessert and my husband and daughter both chose to end theirs with the Tiramisu with me going for the Torrocino. Unfortunately my choice wasn't available on the evening so I also settled for the Tiramisu.  Three generously sized portions arrived at the table and were thoroughly enjoyed by all.


With no room for coffee and in desperate need for elasticated waisted clothing after so much amazing food, we settled our bill which came in at a very reasonable amount, being just below £60 including drinks, and headed for home.

We can thoroughly recommend La Fonte Italian Restaurant Bistro in Corby town centre.  You can find it opposite the Corby Cube and opposite where the cinema is currently being built on George Street.  We'll certainly be back for a return visit soon.  I can see us tasting the whole menu here!

La Fonte is open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner between 12:00pm and 10:0pm as well as on Bank Holidays between 4:00pm and 10:00pm. They're closed on Sundays.

This review is the opinion of my family and myself.  We were not sponsored, invited or re-imbursed in any way to provide this review and all meals and drinks were paid personally.

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