Best Cellars (1291 Lexington Ave, 001 212 426 4200) has a Unique Selling Point of great merit: no bottle in the joint costs more than $10 (except their one Champagne).Now, it’s a bit tricky to compare wine prices in New York and the UK solely on the basis of the exchange rate. Even though ten bucks equals around pounds 6 at the moment, the comparable cut-off point in the UK would probably be pounds 5 People in New York earn more. But it’s from Weston’s, which is about as far from an artisanal producer as you can get. Who cares, when the drink is as good as their Medium-Dry Organic Cider (around pounds 1.70 a bottle, widely available)? It made all of us say: “I’d drink this again happily.” A lovely apple taste, fine balance of sweetness and crispness, deeply refreshing even at room temperature.

When tasters in other areas asked what they should use to cleanse their organically cluttered palates, we guided them to Weston’s. No one complained.
Close behind was the product of another fairly large firm, Sam Smith’s Organic Best Ale. The brewery launched it in April, not out of a sense of mission but simply, according to their marketing manager Graham Auton, because it “fitted into our range and we are aware of the way the organic movement is going”. If only bandwagon-hopping always had such happy results as this solid brew – sweetness and hoppy bitterness in fine equilibrium Incidentally, it’s finished with seaweed. You will find it at places specialising in organic food and bevvy, but Waitrose also sells it (alone among the big chains). Price: around pounds 2 per bottle.Leaving the organic issue aside for the moment, a recent trip to New York, apart from introducing me to the joys of the Oyster Martini (reported last week), also led me through the portals of a really interesting and admirable wine merchant.

Although the prawn appears to have changed colour, in fact one colour has been destroyed, allowing another to shine through Roy Ballam, British Nutrition Foundation. SOME weeks ago I mentioned that I do not like cider. In one of life’s funny coincidences, this questionable opinion found expression nearly to the day when I was judging alcoholic drinks in the Organic Food Awards – and giving the top prize to a cider My fellow judges and I were unanimous in the decision. It would be nice to announce that the winner originated in a family firm called Pony Withers Farm or something equally quaint. These give the flesh its natural “blueish”, translucent appearance.

Carotenoids are widely present in plants and algae, and are responsible for the orange-yellow colours of many fruit and vegetables.
A few of these carotenoids appear in animal flesh – in prawns, lobster and salmon, for instance – which acquire the pigment via their diet. When the prawn is boiled, the translucent blue carotenoid- protein complex is destroyed, and only the pink carotenoid remains. However, no matter what you call them, one fact remains: they only go pink when boiled. The raw prawn contains a complex mixture of pigments, including carotenoids. In the US they’re called “shrimp”, in India “prawn” and in the UK they’re named according to size. Simultaneously bite a hole in the pastry and suck out the hot broth.3 Dip your dumpling in the vinegar, allowing a little to seep in through the hole.4 Eat Chew slowly. Wait for the slow smile to creep across your face.5 Go for another.6 Go for another Etc I ate 16 So did Helen.