Older and larger

A dinner with old friends and the inescapable though impolite observation would be that some, myself included have grown in girth. What once was harder and tighter has become soft and loose. . . Curiously the wines consumed on the night were also old friends; labels and vintages that I'd tried and liked before. Like human bodies they too had changed and matured. The 2004 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay is still buxom and tanned and though I'm more ambivalent now, it is hard not to the notice its poise and refinement. The 2008 Luke Lambert Syrah still smells of root vegetables and stems and the mouth feel is suitably Twiggy. 10 years older, the 1998 Wynns John Riddoch is unmoved and unfashionable. Cedar, shellac and hard edges, I thought it had started to unravel by nights end, but as I interrogate the dregs with a clearer head, I can see that it was my focus and palate being unwound by tiredness and a few too many glasses of the Alvear 1927 Pedro Ximenez. The bottle is sticky from too many clumsy pours and a soaked stopper; the liquid smells of warm raisins and fish sauce, while in the mouth it is slippery and unified.

Baklava:

• 150g shelled pistachio - rinsed under water to remove salt
• 250g walnut
• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of nutmeg
• 1/2 cups of caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons of fine semolina
• Filo pastry
• 200g of melted butter

Syrup:

• 1.5 cups of water
• 3/4 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 6 cloves
• 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

How? The two most time consuming tasks are shelling the pistachios and lining the tray with filo and butter. Once you have enough pistachio nuts - rinse under water to remove salt and then place on a tray with the walnuts and roast in a oven set at 170 degrees C. Remove after 3-4 minutes, to leave the nuts longer will mean they become dark and bitter. If this happens - start again. . . Blend in a food processor until suitably fine, aiming for 2-3mm pieces. Add the spices, sugar and semolina and mix well. Now line your baking tray with filo. First brush the tray (27cm x 17cm) with melted butter and then position a layer of filo and paint this more butter. Repeat this for 12 - 16 layers. Now place 1.5 cups of the nut mixture onto the filo base and smooth out before creating another 6 - 8 layers of filo. Top this middle layer of pastry with the remainder of the nut mix and top with another 10 - 12 layers of pastry and butter. Cut into the desired shapes - for me - 8 squares which are bisected to form 16 triangles. Bake at 170 degrees C for 35 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the pastry does not become too dark.

Make the syrup by adding all the water, sugar, honey and spices to a small pot, bring this to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the spices, add the lemon juice and cool slightly. When the Baklava is just out of the oven and still bubbling and squeaking - pour the still warm syrup over and around the pieces. Don't flood the tray, but make sure there is enough liquid to bath the pieces. There should be some left over syrup. . . Leave to cool and set for several hours, don't refrigerate.