As a cook this is especially pertinent. I can still vividly remember the wonderful impact of my first smell of vanilla, spices or fennel. But one that really stands out in my mind is of a dish I first cooked at college - carbonnade of beef. To a wet around the ears, catering student, beef cooked in beer was such an exotic concoction (how times change!). Since then, I've cooked and eaten some poncey food but beef and beer is still a favourite combination of mine.

Nowadays, I like to slow cook a whole joint of beef with beer, chunky vegetables and a wee bit of honey to cut through any bitterness.

On a cold January day there's something very satisfying about lifting the lid and savouring the intoxicating aroma of rich meat and ale.

When choosing a beer to cook with, the world is your oyster. There's a particular honey-infused beer called Waggle Dance which I love to cook with. The name itself makes me smile and it tastes good too!

Slow roast beef and beer pot roast

1kg piece of topside or rib roast

4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 red onions, peeled and quartered

2 sticks celery, cut into chunks

1 small turnip, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon honey

Fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs

1 tablespoon tomato puree

500ml beer of your choice

1 beef stock cube

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a casserole or saucepan until smoking and add the beef. Seal all over until coloured. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the oil and bacon to the pan and cook until golden. Add the vegetables and cook until coloured. Add the tomato puree and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the beer and honey and add the herbs. Return the beef to the pan, cover and cook in a 180°c oven for two hours. Rest beef for 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and boil the juices to reduce by half. Slice the beef and serve with the vegetables and juices.

Parsnip Mash

750g potatoes

2 parsnips

200ml double cream

50g butter

Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water. Peel and chop the parsnips and cook in the double cream until soft. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and pass through a ricer or mash thoroughly. Blitz the parsnips to a fine puree and fold into the potatoes with the butter. Season with salt and pepper.