The symbol for Libra is the scales. Friends of that ilk are skilful and diplomatic, and given scales are all about balance, peace and harmony is essential to their well being.

Librans do, however, have difficulty with decision-making, as they can’t help but see both sides of the argument, and often identify and empathise with both.

When attending a F.O.O.D. dinner many years ago featuring food by Charmain Solomon, I had hoped that she would have served an entirely Asian menu.

When I got home I discussed this with my BFF (Best Food Friend) and we started to come up with some ideas that we'd like to eat. I said something like a potato and panir (substitute goat's curd) samosa would be yummy, and Del added a dried fig chutney.

We made these for our Christmas celebrations and they were very tasty with our Bloodwood bubbly, Chirac. Now I've short cut the process to this delicous recipe: Homemade Potato Crisps with Tamarind Fig and Garlic Yoghurt.

Serve with Bloodwood 2009 Chirac

First came up with this years ago with duck-loving friends who live very close to Sydney's Chinatown: simply combine one delicious takeaway duck's meat (picked from the bones), some extra finely chopped mushrooms, chopped asparagus and lots of chilli and coriander (Stephen thinks coriander smells like North Qld stink beetles, so he's not a fan!), to make quick work of Sang Choi Bau, with crispy duck skin on top to finish it off.

Use the duck bones to make a beautiful duck stock, thus using everything and keeping it all in balance.

Asparagus is plentiful at this time of year and is absolutely wonderful with our Riesling, as much as it is with a grassy Sav Blanc.

I noticed recently that Neil Perry has a quite complex Duck and Pork Sang Choi Bau recipe in the Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/recipe/duck-sang-choi-bao-20141215-3ml4m.html

But read on to make mine…

Best served with Bloodwood 2012 Riesling

A touch of citrus (particularly lemon rind) helps with the matching of food and our cool climate whites, both Riesling and Chardonnays (even the dessert Riesling.)

Enjoy this entrée with Bloodwood 2013 Chardonnay

Cabernet and lamb are usually a match made in heaven. Our 2014 Cab Franc is young and sweet fruited, quite robust for a CF. Being a more medium-bodied red, it can cope with the combined richness of beetroot and the sweetness of pumpkin, with those fine but youthful tannins counterbalanced by the crunch of hazelnuts and the chewiness of underdone lamb.  Hope you agree it balances out and works...

Serve with Bloodwood 2014 Cabernet Franc * New

(In fact any of our family of Cabernet reds would suit this dish: e.g. Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Maurice).

This Australian cheddar is great with a number of reds.

Serve with Bloodwood 2009 Maurice, our special red blend.

Our rhubarb is growing well now in spring so it's a treat to use it. 

Serve with Bloodwood 2013 Silk Purse

This dessert is too rich for our just released 2015 dessert wine. But if you still have some 2013 Silk Purse it has a similar palate weight needed to balance this dessert.

Sweet and earthy to round the dinner off and finish with your cuppa.