After the amuse-bouche and the starter, my stomach welcomed a fillet of beef au gratin with gorgonzola cheese, accompanied by potatoes with rosemary and presunto, peperonata and grilled courgettes. The desert was a creamy tiramisu and Tia Maria liqueur, stracciatella ice cream and a fresh fruit sabayon with Amaretto. The wines were [...]

Lunch with the chef of the Cliff Bay hotel was another highlight during my trip to Madeira. Our aim was to try some of Cortes de Cima’s wines and to experiment with some wine and food pairing ideas, during a casual encounter. Benoît Sinthon, who had just arrived from his holidays, prepared various dishes [...]

Yesterday, our busy harvest activities nearly came to a standstill, while we played host to a visit by Henrik, His Royal Highness The Prince Consort of Denmark, the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II. Accompanied by a group of friends, he was visiting Portugal to participate in the Cascais Dragon Gold [...]

One of the small pleasures of the long, hot summer months in Alentejo, is the profusion of cheap and deliciously ripe melons. During the course of the season, different varieties appear in the market and most Alentejans abide by the hierarchy of eating the right melon at the right time. But we, for a [...]

António Nobre, one of Alentejo’s best and most creative chefs, is an old friend of ours from Beja.  When we first met Antonio, he was working at the Hotel Melius in Beja.  Now he practices his exciting culinary skills at the first class Hotel Cartuxa, in Évora,  where he continues to create mouth-watering recipes influenced [...]

Cucumber rolls filled with mayonnaise and served with Toasted Alentejano Bread and Chamine Branco
Serves 4
Ingredients for Mayonnaise
3 Egg Yolks
Fine Salt
Pepper
Juice strained from 1 Lemon
Cortes de Cima Olive Oil
Preparation
Add egg yolks, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix at high speed. Add lemon juice and olive oil slowly, while you are mixing, until you get [...]