While we are all looking forward to Christmas, why not make a little home-made soup, some stews with the cheaper cuts of meat, and there really is nothing better than liver and bacon with thick black gravy and it is so cheap.

I expect most of you would turn up your nose at chicken livers, but for literally a few pence you can buy some, fresh or frozen.

They simply need to be lightly sauteed in a little butter with some onion and mushrooms.

Add a little flour, some tomato puree, a crushed clove of garlic herbs and a little dry sherry or Madeira and a chicken stock cube dissolved in water then cook for about 20 minutes and serve with some seasonal vegetables and a little rice and you have a meal for two for under a fiver.

May I welcome David Spencer from Wine-Ot to the website who will be informing you on wines from all over the world.

If you have any questions on the best wines to go with your favourite Taylor-Made dishes just drop us an e-mail

This week I have selected you a Belgian dish which will keep ypu warm during the coming weeks

BEEF CARBONADE

This hearty Belgian stew gets flavour from caramelized onions and dark beer.

Ingredients:

3 lb Chuck Steak, cut into approximately two inch pieces
Seasoned plain flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large onions, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups canned beef broth or 2 cups water and 1 1/2 tablespoons concentrated beef bouillon liquid
12 ounces dark beer
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

Buttered egg noodles (see recipe)
Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy, large, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a third of the beef to the skillet and cook until beef is brown on all sides, turning beef occasionally for about six minutes. Transfer to heavy large casserole. Repeat process in two more batches, adding 1 tablespoon of oil to pan per batch.

Heat tablespoon of oil in same pan over low heat. Stir in onions and garlic. Cook until onions are golden brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to oven. Add broth, beer and thyme to beef mixture. Cover and simmer until beef is very tender when pierced with fork, approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

Remove cover. Boil stew as necessary until liquids are reduced to sauce consistency. (Can be prepared three days ahead; refrigerate. Return stew to simmer before continuing.) Serve stew with egg noodles and garnish with parsley.

Serves 6.

HERB OF THE MONTH

Dill

A multi- purpose herb grown for its seeds and foliage. Dill originates from Eastern Europe and is much hardier than most people think.

Fresh, frozen or dried, the ferny foliage and seeds are a tasty flavouring for fish, lamb, new potatoes and peas. Remember to add dill at the end of cooking, because cooking will destroy most of its flavour. The flavour is similar to aniseed, so be sparing when adding it to food or it will overwhelm other flavours.