My Toorak aunt said that when entertaining friends, which she did regularly in her Toorak maisonette, Mr Heinz made better soup than she could, and a simple beef stew served with potatoes and green salad followed by chocolate mousse was the way to be both perfect hostess and chef. I felt sorry for Robert Dessaix when he had his attack of anomie in the soup aisle at Coles (‘Expert Appetite’, June). What worries me about connoisseurship is when pretension masquerades as discernment and exclusion is the main aim of what looks like genuine knowledge. Take the label on a recently purchased bag of roasted coffee: “Carmo Estate: Brazil A, 100% bourbon pulped natural coffee with fantastic honey and almond notes and buttery viscosity”. What on Earth does this mean? And how can this obscure description help me in my appreciation of this coffee? In the wrong hands connoisseurship is a dangerous plaything.

Jill Adams

Glen Iris, VIC