Bought a bottle of Taittinger from a popular Deli only to find out it’s corked – buying booze from anywhere other than tried and trusted dealers is a no-no in this country. While unpleasant to drink, it seems such a waste to go down the drain. So onto the dinner table it goes.

More aromatic and floral than the one dimensional wine sauce, it compliments the delicate morel very well. A bit of fresh sage from the garden and the best cream available, toss with fresh pasta and the fancy dish is ready to impress.

Champagne Sauce:

• Garlic, onion – finely diced
• Dry Morels (someday I’ll try some fresh ones!) – soak in water until soft, preserve liquid
• Pancetta – finely chopped, optional
• champagne
• cream
• sage – finely chopped

Sautee pancetta, garlic and onion, add champagne (admire the bubbles and fragrance), add morel liquid (sieve out the possible bits of…