“Is this the summer of the can? I’d say so,” said Jane MacQuitty in The Times. Gone are the “dull, tinny, beery and oxidised notes” common in the canned wines of years gone by. Now, thanks to advances in technology, quality is “on the up” with more choice than ever before and “roaring” sales. Easier to transport and with better “sustainability” credentials than hefty glass bottles, these red, pink and white wine tins are ideal for “a picnic, the beach or a festival”.

Vinca Organic Red Wine

“Fuller-bodied, more robust” reds with higher alcohol content “take best to the canning process,” said MacQuitty. This Sicilian offering is made of “summery nero d’avola and frappato grape”. It is bold in flavour and boasts “red berry pizzazz”. And of course, it’s organic and vegan.

£3, ocado.com

Most Wanted Pinot Grigio

This can lives up to its name if you are looking for a “vaguely floral and fruity” wine, said Tina Gellie in Decanter. The palate remains true to the Pinot Grigio tradition; and it tastes a little “like pears in soda water with a dash of peach syrup”. There is also a tinge of “green apple acidity” for balance. Light-bodied and highly drinkable, this is a vegan wine that will satisfy a Prosecco lover’s needs.

£2.55, tesco.com

Mirabeau Prêt-à-Porter Rosé

If you’re in the market for a “pale and pink” wine, this one is for you, said Rosamund Hall in The Independent. Coming from renowned Provençal producer Maison Mirabeau, this organic wine is “delicate” in taste and has “aromas of ripe raspberries”, alongside notes of rose petals and “a lick of cream”. One for the next grocery run.

£4, waitrose.com

When in Rome Pecorino

Italian wines are summertime’s best bet and a refreshing can of Pecorino is an “uncomplicated, fun” way to drink your grapes, said Hall. It is “packed full of soft nectarines, ripe pears and a lemon sherbet twist”.

£3.50, ocado.com

In south Lebanon, this was always a weekend favourite, says Jad Youssef. Served from a big tray in the middle of the table, it was the kind of dish that brought the neighbours in, uninvited but welcome. You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks if you prefer – but whichever cut you choose, remember that bone-in chicken will always have better flavour. For even more garlicky punch, leave some of the garlic cloves whole in the traybake and mash the roasted garlic into the potatoes before serving.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.4kg-1.6kg), cut into 6-8 pieces, skin on
• 16 large garlic cloves, finely grated
• 250ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 150ml olive oil
• 1½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp baharat (Lebanese seven-spice seasoning)
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 800g Maris Piper or chipping potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1cm-1.5cm rounds
• 1 large bunch fresh coriander (about 80g), washed, picked and finely chopped

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C fan/220C/425F/gas mark 7.
• In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with half the grated garlic, half the lemon juice, half the olive oil, and all the spices, salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for at least 30 mins (or up to 2 hours in the fridge).
• Rinse the sliced potatoes under cold water to remove excess starch and pat dry. Layer them in a large baking tray and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• In a separate bowl, mix the remaining garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil with the chopped coriander and 200ml water to make a fragrant dressing. Place the marinated chicken pieces on top of the potatoes, skin-side up. Pour the dressing all over the traybake, making sure that the potatoes are well coated.
• Use your hands to rub everything in gently. Wash hands thoroughly.
• Cover the tray with foil and bake in the oven for 45 mins. Uncover, baste the chicken in all the juices, then roast for another 25-30 mins, until golden and slightly crisp on top.
• Serve hot in the tray alongside Lebanese rice with vermicelli or a simple salad, and lemon wedges.

Taken from “Lebnani: a journey through family, food and the flavours of Lebanon” by Jad Youssef

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Visit the “specialist aisle in most British supermarkets” and you’re almost certain to find a “red jar with the kindly face of a middle-aged Chinese woman staring back at you”, said Ammar Kalia in The Guardian.

These are jars of Lao Gan Ma chilli crisp – a “spicy, crunchy and moreish umami condiment” that has made the woman on the label, Tao Huabi, a fortune. Generously dolloped on top of everything from dumplings to fried eggs, chilli crisp has become a “social media sensation” and inspired countless spin-offs from independent producers.

It is usually made by “pouring hot oil over chilli flakes, spice mixes and fresh ingredients such as spring onions, garlic and peanuts”, resulting in a “multi-sensory flavour bomb”.

Both “comforting and punchy”, Lao Gan Ma is “stupendously addictive and can be added to basically anything”, said Dusty Baxter-Wright in Cosmopolitan. “Fiery yet sweet”, it’s “crunchy with soybeans and tingly on your tongue”.

Lao Gan Ma is a “classic for a reason”, said James Park in Eater, but there are other options. As a “self-proclaimed chilli crisp hype man”, I discover “creative” new brands almost “daily”. Momofuku Chilli Crunch is “full of umami with a surprising level of heat”; what “sets it apart” from other jars is the addition of shiitake mushroom powder. Try serving this with baked brie and “you will be hooked”.

Other stand-out jars include Barnacle Foods Kelp Chilli Crisp, which features “salty” Alaska-grown kelp, in addition to spicy chilli flakes, fried onion and garlic. Fermented black beans add an extra “layer of depth” and it goes perfectly into a “light vinaigrette to top off fresh oysters”.

Or you could try making your own. Start by heating a neutral, high-heat oil then add sliced garlic and shallots, and fry “until golden”, said Great British Chefs. Remove the crunchy bits from the oil before mixing in dried chilli flakes and Sichuan peppercorns. Then return the fried garlic and shallots to the oil, “allowing everything to infuse together”.

There are so many dishes a drizzle of chilli crisp can lift to another level. Consider “using it as a topping for pizzas and tacos” or even folding it into bread dough to make a “spicy, aromatic loaf that pairs wonderfully with savoury spreads”.

If you love feta as much as I do, I reckon this dip will be a winner, says Marina Georgallides. Think tzatziki made with courgette instead of cucumber, and with feta cheese as well as yoghurt. The result is creamy, tangy and silken – and extremely moreish.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 courgette
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 200g feta cheese
• 100g Greek yoghurt (10% fat)
• 1 garlic clove, grated or crushed
• handful of dill fronds, finely chopped
• ½ a lemon, juiced
• salt to taste

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/400F/gas mark 6)and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Slice the courgette into rounds roughly 5mm thick. Place the slices on the baking tray and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Toss to coat them evenly in the oil then bake for 25-30 mins, until soft.
• Transfer the courgette to a serving bowl and add the feta and yoghurt. Mash with a fork to a smooth consistency, mixing for about 2 mins to ensure everything is combined. Add the garlic, dill, lemon juice and remaining oil and mix until well incorporated. Check the seasoning and add salt to taste.
• Serve the dip at room temperature or chilled – it will keep until the next day stored in the fridge. Enjoy with flatbread or pitta.
• Tip: another way to cook the chopped courgette is to place it in an air fryer and coat in 1 tbsp of olive oil and the pinch of salt. Air-fry for 12 mins at 180C, turning halfway through.

Taken from “Eat Like a Greek”by Marina Georgallides

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“Tropical fruit and chilli sauce” is a tried-and-tested flavour combination that “works”, said Lucy Knight in The Guardian. The zingy mix of fruity and spicy – “fricy” – flavours has been around in South American cuisine for years. Now, though, it’s being tipped as the food trend of the summer here, with “more fresh, spicy, exciting flavour combinations” appearing on UK menus.

‘Fricy’ may sound like a “silly word” but the demand is real, Holly Thomson, food editor at online food retailer Sous Chef, told the paper. The website has seen a 19% year-on-year increase in sales of the “hero product” of the trend: a Mexican lime, salt and chilli spice blend called Tajín.

“The hashtag #fricy hasn’t quite gone viral” yet, said BBC Bitesize, but there are “plenty” of posts celebrating the flavour combination. The Mexican drink mangonada, more traditionally known as chamoynada, a mix of mango with chamoy, a condiment made from pickled, spiced fruit, has “more than 47k TikTok posts with people trying the fricy taste for themselves”. Spicy fruit bowls that mix “fruit such as pineapple and mango covered in spices like chilli” are also having a moment.

Food trends usually rely on “emotional pull” and “visual appeal”. Just as the “striking purple” hue is responsible for the rise of ube, or purple yam, the “vivid yellows, oranges, reds and browns” of the mangonada makes people “curious” to taste it.

The mangonada has lured many customers into Mango Twist, a London café founded by Peru-born Dominic Vargas, which sells its own version of the drink. The “tangy, spicy, sweet, salty” combination is “something you wouldn’t find in the UK that easily”, Vargas told The Guardian.

But this isn’t the first trend marrying the sweet and savoury. People have been “endlessly seeking umami” flavours in their food, Marks & Spencer food trends lead Annette Peters told The Times. She added that this explained the increasing demand for miso-infused desserts because the “balance of sweet and savoury gives you such a depth of flavour”. As long as the dish doesn’t “tip into cloyingly sweet”, the pairing can be “delicious”.

This lovely summer dish is one to prepare if you – or someone you know – has a glut of courgettes, said Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. But it also brings out the best in shop-bought courgettes. It only takes about half an hour or so, and contains lots of fibre and other nutrients. Perfect for a weekday lunch, or as a simple dinner-party starter.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 firm, medium courgettes (about 350g total weight)
• 1 garlic clove, slivered
• 2 tsp baby capers or chopped larger capers
• 2 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon, or finely grated zest of ½ a lemon
• 400g tin cannellini beans, drained with 1-2 tbsp liquid saved (or from a jar, about 240g drained weight)
• 2 large slices of wholegrain bread
• sea salt and black pepper

To finish:

• a squeeze of lemon juice
• extra-virgin olive oil, to trickle
• a small handful of parsley, chopped (optional)

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (ideally at least 28cm) over a medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and fry, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until soft and golden. In the meantime, slice the courgettes about 5mm thick.
• Add the courgettes to the pan and fry for 10-15 minutes, until they are softening and colouring in places, turning up the heat a little if you need to.
• Toss in the garlic, capers and preserved lemon or lemon zest and cook, stirring now and then, for a minute or two.
• Now add the beans with the saved liquid (a nice way to lubricate them a little). Stir well, then put the lid on the pan and cook gently for a few minutes to heat the beans through. Taste to check the seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
• Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread.
• Pile the bean and courgette mixture onto the hot toast. Spritz with lemon juice, trickle with extra-virgin olive oil and scatter with chopped parsley, if you like. Serve straight away.
• Tip: you can switch in any tinned beans or chickpeas here. You can also use frozen edamame beans: put them into a pan, cover with boiling water and simmer until tender while you cook the onions and courgettes; drain and add at the end.
• Tip: for a crunchy finish, toast 2 tbsp pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds in a dry pan before cooking anything else; set aside. Scatter over the courgettes before serving.

Taken from “High Fibre Heroes” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

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Though caffeine remains the world’s most widely consumed drug, some people are turning to a smaller dosage to achieve their morning kick. A slew of lower-caffeine drinks are hitting the market as consumers look for ways to shake the negative effects of caffeine, while still having their daily cup of coffee.

‘Experimenting with a new range of options’

Even as millions of Americans consume mass quantities of caffeinated drinks, some question their caffeine intake. Many started “experimenting with a new range of options beyond the traditional cup of hot java, paying heed to caffeine’s impact on their sleep, mood and energy level,” said Bloomberg. Some people still consume multiple caffeinated drinks per day, but others are “becoming more cognizant of ‘energy management’ in their beverage choices,” Daniel Jhung, the president of the coffee and beverage division of Nestlé USA, told Bloomberg.

Many of the options are changing to accommodate shifting preferences. Younger consumers have begun to “embrace cold, canned beverages over hot coffee,” said Bloomberg. The change is not only evident in “rapid growth of energy drinks but also in less-supercharged options.” Sales of ready-to-drink, low-caffeinated bottles of coffee and tea were “up almost 15% in the 52 weeks ending March 22” of this year, while “sales of coffee beans and cocoa fell nearly 10%,” according to data from market research group Spins cited by Bloomberg.

A number of companies are also moving toward this trend. Panera Bread began “rolling out a new line of lightly caffeinated drinks,” said Business Insider, which comes about two years after the company’s discontinued, ultra-caffeinated Charged Lemonade was “linked to two deaths and multiple lawsuits.” While the Charged Lemonade had about 260 milligrams of caffeine, or the equivalent of three Red Bull cans, Panera’s lighter caffeinated drinks “contain about as much caffeine as a can of soda.” There has also been a resurgence in sales of Coca-Cola Zero Zero, which has no sugar or caffeine, said Bloomberg.

‘There are also some concerns about excessive consumption’

Many doctors seem to be happy that caffeine is trending the way it is due to potential health issues. Caffeine can “have positive effects on alertness, cognitive function and athletic function,” but there are also “concerns about excessive consumption and potential health risks,” said the American Medical Association (AMA). “One of the things that people don't realize is, if you think of it as a medicine, then the best way to use it is in small, frequent doses,” Dr. Shannon Kilgore, a neurologist, told the AMA.

Most people, despite the shifting tides, are consuming too much caffeine, which could have negative health effects. About 85% of adults “consume 135 milligrams of caffeine daily in the U.S.,” approximately “equivalent to 12 ounces of coffee, which is the most common source of caffeine for adults,” said the AMA. While drinking up to three cups of coffee per day “can reduce dementia risk and slow cognitive decline,” according to a recent JAMA study, even that would still be over the recommended daily dosage of caffeine.

The shift toward low-caffeine is because “health and wellness trends have persuaded many consumers to scrutinize ingredients more closely, with many trying to cut back on artificial dyes, added sugar, processed food and, in some cases, caffeine,” said Bloomberg. The anxiety of Jeremy Clark, an engineering professor in Montreal, has declined “almost to negligible levels” since he cut back on caffeine, Clark told Bloomberg. “So I think it was worth it.”

It’s the ice, people! Yes, ice is central to the making of any cocktail — unless it’s a hot one. In the playland of frozen drinks, though, ice plays an all-the-more crucial role. It doesn’t simply chill then bolt for the sink. Ice becomes integral to the lush texture of a blended cocktail. These frozen reconsiderations of classic cocktails are summer manna.

Frozen Banana Daiquiri

An instant coconut cordial is made by combining coconut milk and sugar. Then you’re off to the banana-daiquiri races by blending together two kinds of rum (1 part each) with fresh lime juice (¾ part), half a way-ripe banana, that cordial (2 parts) and a load of pebble ice. (Get the recipe)

Frozen Caribbean Coffee

What happens when Irish coffee, tres leches cake and spiced coconut syrup take a trip to the islands? You get a lively, luxurious blended drink that merges a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and whole milk (2 parts) with an egg, coffee liqueur (¾ part), rum (½ part), brandy (½ part) and a heady masala-coconut syrup (¾ part). (Get the recipe)

Frozen Gin & Tonic

In this brain-freeze-y adaptation of a G&T, the tonic water is substituted by a tonic syrup. Because no one wants a watery frozen cocktail. A touch of that syrup (½ part) tangoes with gin (1½ parts), simple syrup (½ part) and lime juice (¾ part). (Get the recipe)

Pink Frozen Margarita

Campari (1 part) provides the pink element in this animated variation on a classic margarita. The tequila (3 parts), triple sec (2 parts), lime juice (2 parts) and agave nectar (2 parts) all play their roles like they typically would. The blender and ice step in for this performance, turning everything the right kind of chill. (Get the recipe)

Frozen Mojito

All that you admire about a mojito is present here. The mint (1 part), the rum (2 parts), the simple syrup (1 part), the fresh lime juice (1¼ parts). Start the four together in a blender so the mint is properly blitzed. Then add ice (8 parts), zap away and pour a few out for your pool mates. (Get the recipe)

Frozen Moscow Mule

You know the quartet — vodka (2 parts), ginger beer (3 parts), lime juice (¾ part), simple syrup (¾ part). Pour the lot into a blender, add ice, and your Moscow mule becomes even more of a warm-weather lounge-fellow. (Get the recipe)

Frozen Negroni

A Negroni is always an appetite-whetter. Come summer, one wants it to do double duty by dragging it into refreshing territory too. Freeze the base combination of gin (4½ parts), Campari (2½ parts) and sweet vermouth (2½ parts) for at least eight hours. Then whir that with ice in a blender. Zip, hunger, poolside nap. (Get the recipe)

Paloma Slushy

A handful of ingredients turn a classic paloma into a summertime icon for you and three pals. Start by freezing together grapefruit juice (2 parts) and lime juice (1 part) for a chunk of time. Toss the frozen juices in a blender along with tequila (1½ parts), sugar (¼ cup) and ice (4 cups). And if you like, line the rims of those glasses with salt. (Get the recipe)

Instead of reaching for biscuits or chocolate to “combat the 4pm slump”, people are turning to a “more natural sweet alternative: dates”, said The Guardian.

The wrinkled fruit has been “thrust into the snacking spotlight” thanks to a slew of viral online recipes and a growing demand for alternatives to ultra-processed foods. Ocado reports that sales of Medjool dates have soared by 100% year-on-year and searches for date butter have shot up by 458% over the same period.

Some fitness experts are suggesting their followers swap “additive-laden” protein bars for energy balls made with a mix of dates, nuts and oats. And TikTok is bursting with ideas for comforting yet nutrient-dense snacks like “sticky fried dates drizzled with olive oil and served with tangy yoghurt”.

First cultivated in the hot, arid climates of the Middle East and North Africa, “dates have had a place in culinary culture for millenniums”, said The New York Times. Traditionally used to break the fast during Ramadan, they are a staple ingredient in everything from tagines to sticky toffee pudding.

With more consumers interested in adding fibre to their diet, dates are “emerging as a simple vehicle for the macronutrient”. One serving of dates (around two to three large Medjools) contains about 5g of fibre – “a helpful step towards the daily recommendation of 25g per day for women and 38g for men”.

Brands like Date Better are opting for “bold flavour choices” to stand out in the crowded market. Varieties include dates stuffed with cashew butter, coated in chocolate infused with lime and dotted with toasted quinoa “for texture”.

But it’s important to “manage your health-related expectations” if you’re reaching for a jazzed-up version of the fruit. “If it’s stuffed with peanut butter and covered in chocolate, enjoy it!” said nutritionist Maya Feller. “But don’t think it’s going to support gut health. Right? That’s a dessert.”

If you don’t want to splash out on pricey on-the-go packaged snacks, consider adding the fruit when baking cakes, said The Times. Dates can be “chopped or blended” and “stirred through the batter instead of sugar, substituting the weights like-for-like”. They also make a delicious caramel sauce: simply soak them in boiling water before “blending them with butter” and “adding enough hot water until you have a smooth sauce”.

Dates aren’t only suitable for sweet treats, though. “I do a simple but brilliant lemon, chickpea, feta and date traybake,” said author and cook Melissa Hemsley. “The sweetness of the roasted dates with the salty feta is amazing. I’ll have that in a wrap or toss it into a warm salad. It’s perfect.”

I always say you get more flavour from the shells of a crustacean than you do from the meat, said Theo Randall. That is why, for this risotto, I start by making a stock based on the prawn heads and shells: it’s very easy to prepare and uses up all the parts of the shellfish that usually go to waste. The resulting risotto is intense and delicious.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the prawn stock:

• 500g frozen shell-on prawns, defrosted
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, washed and chopped
• 2 celery sticks, halved
• 6 parsley stalks
• 2 litres water

For the risotto:

• 2 courgettes
• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 300g tomato passata
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 300g carnaroli risotto rice
• 100ml dry white wine
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Remove the heads and shells from the prawns and place in a saucepan with all the prawn stock ingredients except the water. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the heads and shells turn red.
• Add the water and cook for about 20 mins to reduce by a third. Strain through a fine sieve, season with salt and keep to one side.
• Slice the prawns in half lengthways, keep to one side.
• Cut the courgettes into 1cm rounds, then stack three rounds on top of each other and cut into 1cm matchsticks.
• Put 2 tbsp of the oil, the garlic, courgettes and a pinch of salt into a small frying pan over a medium heat and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, so the courgettes have a little colour. Add the passata and cook over a low heat for 5 mins. Check the seasoning, then set aside.
• Put the remaining oil, the celery and onion into a large, hot, straight-sided saucepan and cook for 3 mins over a medium heat. Add the rice and cook for 3 mins until the rice absorbs the oil and turns translucent. Add the wine and cook until absorbed.
• Start adding the prawn stock, ladleful by ladleful, stirring until the rice is just covered before adding more. Do this for 10 mins, then add another ladleful and check the seasoning. The risotto should be wet, almost soupy; the rice should have a good bite.
• Add the courgette and tomato sauce and stir until the risotto starts to thicken. Give the pan a shake, and when you feel the risotto is becoming emulsified, add the prawns, butter and parsley. Stir until combined, then remove from the heat, add a lid and set aside for 2-3 mins. Remove the lid, add some black pepper and give it one last vigorous stir. Serve in warmed pasta bowls.

Taken from “The Italian Table: 100 Classic Recipes Celebrating the Spirit of Italy” by Theo Randall

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“It wasn’t long ago that chilling red wine was the sort of niche sommelier activity everyone laughed at,” said Will Lyons in The Times. “How times change.”

Chilled red wines are popping up in trendy bars and on supermarket shelves. Aldi recently launched its first “chill-to-reveal” red, in a bottle with a “clever” thermodynamic label that turns blue when the wine is at the perfect temperature to drink.

Cooling down lighter reds with a brief spell in an ice bucket brings out their “vibrant, fruity notes and makes them all the more refreshing”. While it’s more traditional to chill beaujolais or cinsault, “adventurous” wine merchants are introducing a wide variety of other grape varieties to the “chilled-reds lexicon”, including frappato and nerello mascalese from Sicily.

But not all red wines should be put in the fridge, said Rosamund Hall in The Independent. “I would avoid overly chilling big, heavy reds with high tannins”, like malbec or cabernet sauvignon, as you’ll risk bringing out “astringent” notes.

Instead, try chilling Gerard Bertrand’s Le Chouchou Syrah – a “dangerously moreish” blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault that’s like a “posy of pretty scented flowers” and “bright red cherries”. Or grab a bottle of The Interlude Pinot Noir and “chill it down for an easy BBQ summer sipper”.

You can’t go wrong with Domaine de Vavril Cuvée de l’Ecluse 2024, said Victoria Moore in The Telegraph. This “silky” beaujolais “smells of redcurrants” and has a “very seductive ease and brightness”.

And if you want to try chilling a “slightly heavier” red, I’d recommend Araldica Barbera d’Asti 2022, said Lyons in The Times. Packed with vivid notes of black fruit, spice and a “smidge of oak”, it’s “gloriously drinkable” and pairs well with “robust salads, cold sausages or pizza”.

Whichever you pick, avoid serving it “ice cold, as you might a sauvignon blanc”. Chilled reds only need “an hour or two in the fridge door, or half that lying down at the back”. The bottle should just “feel cool to the touch”.

When I first tasted elderflowers, I fell in love, said Jerusalem-born chef Sarit Packer. The combination of strawberries and elderflower in this recipe is just perfect, and makes a light, fresh dessert.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 large gelatine leaf
• 400ml single cream
• 140ml elderflower cordial

For the macerated strawberries:

• 200g strawberries, trimmed and quartered
• 2 tbsp elderflower cordial

Method

• Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water for about 5 minutes, until it is soft. Bring 50ml of water to the boil in a small pan and add the softened gelatine. Mix until completely dissolved.
• Pour the cream and cordial into a large jug and add the gelatine solution. Stir.
• Pass the mixture through a sieve into another jug so there are no lumps, then pour into six small serving glasses. Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set.
• To macerate the strawberries, mix them with the cordial in a small bowl and set aside for at least 30 minutes. You can do this up to 4 hours in advance.
• Just before serving, top each glass of elderflower cream with a couple of spoonfuls of the macerated strawberries, along with some of their liquid.

Taken from Honey & Co. Daily by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer.

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We all have our favourite neighbourhood pub but if you want to be more adventurous, visiting a beer festival is the way to go. These events are spread across the UK and feature an array of beers that may help you find your next go-to pint. Here are a few of the best ones taking place this year.

St George’s Hall Beer Festival, Liverpool

This festival in Liverpool promises a long list of “real ales, craft beers, continental lagers” and a “specialist gin and rum bar”, said the Liverpool Echo. There is no shortage of drink options and the event “blends respected national breweries with some of the most exciting local names in the region”.

Port Sunlight’s Hulme Hall has staged the last 21 festivals but the organisers, the Ship & Mitre pub, is bringing its celebration of beer to the “historic” St George’s Hall, marking a “new partnership between two Liverpool institutions”.
Tickets from £3
24–27 September, liverpoolcityhalls.co.uk

Chelmsford Beer and Cider Festival

As summer approaches, most of us are looking forward to soaking up some sun. This festival takes place at the perfect time of year to enjoy a “refreshing pint” in the “largest beer garden” in the city, said Chelmsford City Life.

Taking place in Admirals Park, the festival will offer a wide range of “ready to enjoy” beers and ciders. If you get peckish, there are several food options, including “burgers, sausages, Caribbean and African food, pizza and ice cream”.
Tickets from £17
13–18 July, cbcf.camra.org.uk

Bristol Craft Beer Festival

Lloyds Amphitheatre in the “heart of Bristol” is the venue for a festival that gives the “craft beer revolution” a platform to promote local brewing communities, said The Drinks Business. More than 300 beers will be available to try, alongside cocktails, ciders, wine and a range of specially curated food options.
Tickets £62
12–13 June, bristolcraftbeerfestival.co.uk

London Craft Beer Festival

Whether your drink of choice is “a funky sour, cheeky saison or a fruity IPA”, London’s “biggest beer celebration” has something for you, said Time Out. The event takes place in Southwark Park over two days and “promises four-hour sessions of non-stop-beer-drinking bliss”. There will be more than 800 brews to choose from, including “London’s best beers as well as some international standouts”. Keep an eye out for the drool-worthy food stalls with menus from the likes of Meltdown Cheeseburgers, Bone Daddies and Chick N’ Sours. The price of the ticket covers all the beers and there are group discounts available. “Happy drinking, folks.”
Tickets from £59.50
17–18 July, londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk

Cooking in paper is nothing new, but it makes for a super-simple way of serving delicate fillets of fish, said Nathan Outlaw. Marrying fish and shellfish with beer may sound a bit strange, but trust me – it works so well. I use a wheat beer because it is not too bitter, but has a touch of acidity and freshness that works beautifully with the fish.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the leeks and bacon:

• 100g unsalted butter
• olive oil
• 8 slices smoked streaky bacon, finely sliced
• 2 leeks, washed and shredded
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 150ml wheat beer

• 4 x 150g skin-on hake portions
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
• 20 live mussels, cleaned and beards removed
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• zest of 2 oranges
• 8 tbsp wheat beer
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• To cook the leeks, heat a large pan over a medium heat and add the butter and a drizzle of oil. When the butter is bubbling, add the bacon and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. When the bacon has started to brown, add the leeks and cook for another 5 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Now add the garlic and cook for 1 min, then pour in the beer. Cook for about 5 mins until the beer has reduced, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/425F/gas mark 7. On a clean work surface, lay out four large sheets of baking parchment (roughly 30 x 30cm/12 x 12 inches). Divide the leek and bacon mix into equal portions and arrange over one half of each sheet of parchment.
• Season the hake portions with salt, pepper and ground coriander seeds and place on top of the leeks together with five mussels in each parcel, a sprig of thyme and an equal share of the orange zest.
• Fold over the paper and crimp the edges so they are firmly sealed, leaving you with four parcels.
• Make a small opening to allow you to pour 2 tbsp of beer into each parcel. Seal the hole by folding it down tightly. If the quality of the paper isn’t great, you may need to use two sheets for each parcel or add a layer of foil on the outside. The aim is that the moisture inside doesn’t escape – this is crucial.
• Place the hake parcels onto a baking tray or two and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the parcels and serve immediately. Allow whoever is eating to open their own parcel – that’s the magic and the drama.

Taken from “On Fish: a Seafood Handbook”, by Nathan Outlaw.

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“Maxed out on matcha lattes?” said the Financial Times. Try swapping the trendy, green-hued drink for its “toasty cousin”.

Hojicha has many of the same benefits as matcha but with much less caffeine. Made from green tea leaves roasted at a high temperature over charcoal, it has a distinctive “nutty” flavour. While it’s not traditionally paired with milk in Japan, in the UK hojicha lattes are starting to appear in cafes up and down the country.

At London matcha chain Jenki, for example, sales of hojicha lattes were 55% higher between January and April than the same period last year, said the BBC. The popularity of hojicha “feels like where matcha was two or three years ago”, Rashique Saddique, director of How Matcha, told the broadcaster. “It’s moving from niche to mainstream quite quickly.”

Less bitter and more earthy than matcha, hojicha also contains “significantly lower” levels of caffeine, with around 7.7mg per cup, compared to matcha’s 70mg, said Country & Town House. But it still boasts a range of health benefits; hojicha is “packed with antioxidants” like catechins and polyphenols which help to protect cells from damage, and the amino acid L-theanine which may help to calm the nervous system and improve sleep quality while enhancing focus.

The roasting process also breaks down the tannins and lowers the acidity, making it perfect for aiding digestion after a meal as it’s “gentler on the stomach than raw green tea”.

Traditional hojicha is “steeped like a loose-leaf tea” but it can also be mixed with milk and served hot or cold in a latte, said Vogue. “Look out for organic, shade-grown hojicha from Japan to avoid contaminants and ensure purity”, nutritionist Rhian Stephenson told the publication. And if you don’t fancy a latte, try adding the powder to smoothies or mix it into cakes, cookies or even ice cream.

The briefest spell of sunshine sends Brits rushing to the park or pub. But if you’re looking for somewhere a bit more special to soak up the rays, try a buzzy terrace with a view. From trendy, canal-side spots to swanky rooftop bars, these are some of the best places to catch up over a cocktail.

The Gun, Docklands, London

The waterfront terrace at the Gun “feels a little like one of many harbourside restaurants in Amsterdam”, said London’s The Standard. Open all year round thanks to the retractable roof and glass walls, the views are “superb”, looking out “where the river bends around the O2 on its way to the Thames Barrier”. Sip a glass of rosé and “feast on oysters” or, come summer, enjoy a pizza from a van in the riverside garden.

Lock 91, Manchester

This “charming canalside garden” is one of the city’s “best-kept secrets”, said Secret Manchester. The fashionable bar is set within a carefully restored 19th-century lock-keeper’s cottage, and you can usually “snag a spot” on the “intimate” outdoor terrace. Once you’ve settled with a drink and begun soaking up the “serene” views, it’s hard to “pull yourself away” from this “addictive little suntrap”.

Blackstock Roof Garden, Liverpool

Set atop the newly revamped Blackstock Market, this “Mediterranean-inspired rooftop brings a slice of coastal Europe to Liverpool”, said Condé Nast Traveller. “Sun-drenched” breaks can be spent here enjoying brunches, afternoon teas and cocktails, while in the evening the terrace transforms into “the perfect place to dance under the stars”. Inside, there’s a “chic” lounge, ensuring the party continues “rain or shine”.

The Raeburn, Edinburgh

This “smart boutique hotel” is “often unknowingly overlooked”, said Condé Nast Traveller. Its “secret rooftop terrace” becomes a “real suntrap” over summer, and there’s also a first-floor mezzanine looking out over the historic Raeburn Place sports grounds for an “out-of-the-city type view that you won’t find anywhere else”.

Rockwater, Hove

“A beach bar with a rooftop terrace, what more could you possibly ask for?” said The Telegraph. Rockwater offers a “huge wine collection, along with cocktails and spritzes”, all with a sea view. And if you’re feeling peckish there’s a great selection of “luxurious seafood dishes” and handmade pizzas. Down at the beach, you’ll find “extra food shacks”, too.

In Istanbul, beetroot is often served in salads, mixed with garlicky yoghurt, said Özlem Warren. This easy meze is inspired by such dishes. The pomegranate molasses in the dressing adds a natural sweet-and-sourness that goes well with the beetroot, complementing both the cooling yoghurt and the heat of the pul biber oil. You can replace the hazelnuts with any nut, if you wish.

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the garlic yoghurt:

• 170g full-fat Turkish or Greek yoghurt (use a plant-based version, if preferred)
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• salt

• 650g beetroot, raw or pre-cooked
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 85g stoned green olives, halved
• 55g shelled hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• small handful parsley, finely chopped, to garnish

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt

For the pul biber oil:

• ½ tsp pul biber
• salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Method

• For the garlic yoghurt: take the yoghurt out of the refrigerator about 45 mins before serving, to bring it to room temperature. Stir in the garlic, season with salt and set aside.
• If you are cooking the beetroot, preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/425F/gas mark 7. Wash the beetroot, trim and pat dry. Wrap each beetroot in foil (first cutting small ones in half lengthways and large ones into quarters), place on a baking tray and bake for about an hour. Allow to cool before peeling and cutting into 5mm-thick slices. If using pre-cooked beetroot, drain the excess liquid from the package, halve any large ones, then cut into 5mm-thick slices.
• Place the beetroot in a bowl, add the spring onions and olives and combine well.
• Toast the hazelnuts in a small, dry pan over a medium heat for 2½-3 mins, until they start to turn golden, stirring often. Remove, and set aside.
• For the dressing: pour the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice into a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and give everything a good mix.
• For the pul biber oil: pour the olive oil into a small pan, stir in the pul biber and allow to infuse over a low heat for about 45 seconds.
• Stir most of the hazelnuts into the beetroot mixture, reserving some for garnish. Pour on the dressing, stir to combine, then spoon onto a wide serving dish and top with dollops of the yoghurt, swirling it to reveal the shades of red. Sprinkle with the reserved hazelnuts and the parsley, and drizzle with the pul biber oil.

Taken from “İstanbul: Delicious Recipes from the Heart of the City” by Özlem Warren

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Most standard-size cookbooks showcase between 100 and 150 recipes. In 2008, the author and cooking teacher Raghavan Iyer said “pshaw” and published his magnum opus, “660 Curries.”

“To us Indians, a curry is a sauce-based dish,” said Iyer, meaning “curry” as employed in Western instances like all-purpose “curry powder” is a term so general as to lose all significance. Curry instead is both the alpha and the omega. It’s both a saucy dish across the subcontinent and a hyper-regional way of preparing said saucy dishes.

Name your cooking weapon

Pick a base, and you are nearly guaranteed at least one recipe for it in “660 Curries.” More often, you will be bombarded with an array of options.

Consider the legume. Yellow split peas, horse gram, chickpeas, brown lentils and moth beans — Iyer assembles an armada of more than 15 different types of legumes for the Legume Curries chapter. The hits are present, including a faultless recipe for the restaurant icon, dal makhani, with its whole black lentils opulent with Punjabi garam masala, yogurt and heavy cream.

A behemoth is forever going to do the absolute most, so lesser-known regional specialties are everywhere across the book. Toovar dal (split yellow pigeon peas) is softened in a bath of unripe green mango, green bell pepper and coconut milk in a dish from the southwestern state of Kerala. Stressing the omnipresent influence of the Portuguese colonizers, chorizo cooks with red kidney beans and black-eyed peas in a spunky chile-vinegar tomato sauce in a Goan adaptation of Brazilian feijoada. Here and in the book’s other chapters on vegetables, seafood, poultry and eggs, meat, and paneer, curry is no catch-all. It slips, shifts and adapts.

To the curry-sphere and beyond

Iyer cheated a touch with the book’s title because some chapters exist outside of the sauce world. The opening chapter, Spice Blends and Paste, provides a constellation of building blocks and endless masalas with seven types of garam masala alone.

The final chapter, Curry Cohorts, dabbles in a touch of everything: rice preparations, including a Maharashtrian-style fried rice with peanuts and curry leaves; all manner of breads, such as poori, roti and naan; and even a mango cheesecake and saffron-licked green tea. “660 Curries” is an imposing endeavor. And, oh, how the book’s recipes work.

Iyer died, too young, at 61 in 2023. He was an admired teacher and an indefatigable researcher. And almost 20 years later, “660 Curries” remains as essential as it was when it first appeared. Scratch that. “660 Curries” is all the more pertinent now. The world needed time to embrace its sweeping, detailed grandeur.

“Is it a red wine, or a white?” said The Economist. “It is both.”

Trendy “blouge” wines have started popping up in bars around the world. A mix of white (blanc) and red (rouge) grapes, the resulting tipple is “light and refreshing, like a white, but with the structure and depth of a red”.

Mixing red and white like this is “not a new idea”. Winemakers have long been making champagnes from different coloured grapes. But recently producers have been “breaking new ground” with a growing number of “fresher” blouge wines often with “playful names to emphasise their novelty and expand their appeal”.

While rosé is made from red grapes alone with limited skin contact, and orange wines are made from white grapes in the style of a red with extended contact with the skins, blouge wines are a hybrid made by co-fermenting both red and white grapes. They are targeted at “younger, more adventurous” consumers keen to try something new.

Combining grape varieties gives producers more “flexibility” in the face of climate change. Hotter weather can lead to red grapes accumulating sugar faster, while the “ripening of skins and seeds can lag behind, causing a mismatch”. By adding white grapes to the mix, acidity is boosted while the high alcohol level found in ripe red grapes is diluted.

The pretty colours “tempt the Instagram lens”, said The Telegraph, luring “aperitivo-hour drinkers” on the lookout for wines with the “appeal of a light cocktail; often fruity and chilled, perhaps with a vestige of florality and a tinge of either astringency or sweetness”.

BoogieWoogie from Aubert et Mathieu is due to arrive in the UK this month, said The Guardian. A “light and juicy blend of red and white grenache grapes”, this is the “perfect match for tapas, pizza and picnics”.

Or try Domaine Lucas Madonia: The Blouge 2024, a “high-quality, natural” wine that uses grapes grown at a vineyard nestled on a “steep mountainside in the Swiss Alps of Valais”. Best enjoyed “cold on a sunny day after work”, the “fruity, aromatic blend” of chasselas white and gamay red grapes has a “clean, lively finish” with hints of “juicy strawberries and raspberries”.

Everyone in my family is a fan of bread studded with salty briny olives, and this recipe takes that craving a step further, said Joe Woodhouse. Feel free to add a block of grated halloumi to the mix. You can also cut the flatbreads in half and freeze them. Just put them in the toaster to defrost and crisp from frozen.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400g self-raising flour, or plain flour with 1 tbsp baking powder
• 200g wholemeal flour, plus more to dust
• 250g yoghurt, or kefir
• 3 tbsp olive oil, or oil from the sundried tomatoes, plus more (optional) for cooking
• 200g jar of sundried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and sliced
• 50g black olives, pitted and sliced
• 25g basil, stalks finely chopped, leaves chopped
• 3 tbsp drained capers
• 1 tbsp dried oregano

Method

• Put the flours in a mixing bowl. Mix the yoghurt or kefir in a jug with the oil and 200ml water. Add to the flour and knead to combine. Knead in the sundried tomatoes, olives, basil, capers and oregano.
• Divide the dough into 4 and roll out each piece on a floured surface to a diameter of about 20cm.
• Heat a griddle pan over a med-low heat. Add the flatbreads one at a time, brushing with olive oil first to get them extra crispy. Cook for 4-6 mins on each side until puffed and cooked through. To check if they’re ready, break a chunk off one, pull it apart and see if it is fluffy in the middle.
• Serve as is or spread with pesto, harissa or tapenade, or with a bowl of pickled chillies.

Taken from Weeknight Vegetarian by Joe Woodhouse

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Long used as a “staple” in Filipino desserts, ube is now “increasingly appearing on the menus of UK cafes”, including “big hitters” like Costa, Starbucks and Pret A Manger, said Country & Town House. Native to the Philippines, the colourful yam is similar to a sweet potato, with an “aesthetic purple hue”.

As a "key part of the country’s food culture", it is used to make halaya (a sweet jam crafted from ube with milk and sugar) as well as pandesal, which is essentially a “fluffy bread roll”. Now, it’s popping up in the UK in all kinds of lattes, cocktails, pastries and more.

A root vegetable may not sound like the most inviting ingredient. “I remember the faces people used to pull when they saw the purple ice cream,” said Filipino restaurateur Omar Shah. Many would “walk in and walk straight back out” of Mamasons, his dessert shop in London, when they realised familiar flavours like strawberry or vanilla weren’t on the menu.

Now, the tide has turned and the “majority of our customers come specifically because we do ube”. Its natural nuttiness and vanilla notes work well in “European formats” like pastries and tiramisu, said Shah, adding to the visual appeal “without feeling gimmicky”.

Now, high street chains are investing in ube-flavoured menu items in an attempt to “replicate the viral success of matcha among younger, higher-spending customers”, said the Financial Times. As brands tap into social media trends, ube’s “unusual and vibrant colour” is appealing to big brands, said Kiti Soininen, a food and drink analyst at Mintel.

Companies are in a “flavour arms race”, actively investing time and money finding novel ingredients, said The New York Times. Most of these new flavours are offered for a “limited time” and Gen Z customers “rush to become one of the first to review the new summer drink or fall snack”. However, unlike the Dubai chocolate trend, ube is more of a “slow burn”, said industry veteran Mark Webster.

There are some “mixed feelings” about ube “going mainstream”, said Philippines-born bakery owner Maria Leyesa. She hopes the “proliferation of ube brings greater awareness to Filipino cuisine” but worries most people engaging in the trend won’t understand its origins.

If you do want to try it for yourself at home, strain and whisk ube powder with a “splash of hot water until in forms a paste”, said The Times. Then add your milk of choice (coconut milk works “exceptionally well”) to a glass and pour in the lavender-coloured mixture.

Something special happens when cinnamon and puff pastry come together, says Moroccan chef Nargisse Benkabbou; it’s like culinary alchemy. And these knots are extra special because they include amlou, often referred to as “Moroccan Nutella”, a paste traditionally made with roasted almond butter, honey, and argan oil. The amlou in this recipe is slightly thicker than normal, so that it can be used to fill the knots without risk of it running out of the rolls during baking. Eat while warm – but they will keep in a sealed container for up to three days.

Ingredients (makes 12 knots)

For the amlou:

• 120g natural (ideally, roasted) almond butter, or substitute with peanut butter
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp (35g) honey
• 1 tbsp argan oil, or substitute with walnut or groundnut oil
• 1⁄4 tsp fine sea salt

For the knots:

• 2 sheets puff pastry (about 400g each)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100g granulated sugar
• 3⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

• Combine the almond (or peanut) butter, honey, argan (or nut) oil and salt in a medium bowl and stir together until smooth and well blended.
• Unfold one of the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface. Use the back of a large spoon to spread the amlou over the sheet in a thin, even layer, about 3mm thick. The layer shouldn’t be thicker than a coin, as too much amlou will leak out when you slice the filled pastry.
• Place the second puff pastry sheet on top, making sure that the edges are aligned. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the pastry rectangle lengthways into 2.5cm-wide strips.
• Line two baking trays with baking paper. Pick up one strip and shape it into a knot: hold the opposite ends of the strip, pull on them slightly, then roll it up into a spiral and tuck the end of the strip into the centre of the knot. Place the knot on a tray and shape the rest, dividing them between the two trays and leaving about 5cm between them.
• Cover the knots and transfer to the fridge. Let them rest for at least 45 mins, and as long as overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan, with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Brush the knots with the beaten egg and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 mins, switching the positions of the trays about halfway through, until the knots are puffed up and golden. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on the trays for 1 to 2 mins. Gently transfer each knot to the bowl of cinnamon sugar and turn to coat thoroughly, then transfer to a plate. Serve the knots warm or at room temperature.

Taken from Madaq: Simple Everyday Recipes with the Flavours of Morocco by Nargisse Benkabbou.

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“There are few better ways to immerse yourself in the great outdoors than to forage,” said Connor McGovern in National Geographic. As the countryside springs to life with an abundance of edible plants, now is a great time to start keeping an eye out for ingredients on your next walk.

April is “peak nettle season”. Packed with minerals and vitamins, the herbaceous perennial is surprisingly versatile and can easily be added to soups or used to make tea. Best harvested “sooner rather than later”, make sure you wear gloves to avoid getting stung and only pick the “top few leaves”.

Look out also for wild garlic, which “often grows in dense clusters on the floor of damp woodland and along shaded hedgerows”, said Helen Keating on the Woodland Trust. The leaves and flowers of the native bulb have an “unmistakable” garlicky smell, and can be used to whip up a “wild garlic pesto” or mixed with butter to make a “delicious version of garlic bread”.

Cow parsley, also known as wild chervil, is an “excellent all-round” ingredient. The perennial herb features tiny white flowers in “umbrella-like clusters” and “fern-like” leaves, and can be used in the same way as parsley when cooking. A word of warning: be careful not to mistake it for poison hemlock, which has distinctive purple blotches at the base of its stems, and an unpleasant musty odour.

Now is also the time dandelions “explode across fields, verges, scrubland and any patch of your garden they can set down roots in”, said Carys Matthews on BBC Countryfile. The petals of the bright yellow wildflower can be used to make desserts and “look lovely sprinkled on a cake”.

Be sure to look out for blackcurrant leaves, too, which have palmate lobes and a “serrated margin”. A handful of “fresh, young leaves” from the deciduous shrub can be used to make a “tasty tea with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory” properties.

And if you’re on a health kick, try swapping out spinach for common mallow leaves or using the edible weed to thicken up soups. Identifiable by its “five-lobed leaves”, it’s rich in vitamins A, B, C and E and come summer its mauve-coloured flowers can be used to garnish cocktails and salads.

You can’t go wrong with a meatball, says chef Georgina Hayden. Light, lemony and spring-like, this brothy meatball recipe is both comforting and fresh – and a gorgeous way of getting greens into your dinner. My kids love it, especially when I roll the meatballs really small.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 bunch spring onions
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
• a few mint sprigs
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 400g minced meat (beef or pork, or a mixture)
• 1 unwaxed lemon (zest and juice)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 180g mini pasta shells, or other small pasta shapes
• 150g peas, frozen or freshly podded
• 40g pecorino or parmesan (optional)

Method

• Trim and finely slice the spring onions.
• Peel and finely slice the garlic.
• Finely chop the herb leaves.
• Place half the sliced spring onions in a food processor with the sliced garlic clove, the breadcrumbs, half the chopped herbs and the minced meat.
• Finely grate in the lemon zest, season generously with salt and pepper and blitz until it all comes together. (You can of course do this by hand and mix well in a bowl.)
• Roll the mixture into small meatballs, around 2.5cm wide.
• Set a large casserole over a medium heat, drizzle in 3 tbsp olive oil and fry the meatballs for around ten minutes, turning, until they are browned all over.
• When the meatballs are browned and gnarly, pour the stock into the pan, bring to the boil and then stir in the pasta shells and the peas.
• Return to the boil, and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
• Remove from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice.
• Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• Finish by stirring in the remaining herbs and spring onions, and serve in warmed bowls, finely grating over the pecorino or parmesan cheese, if using.

Taken from MEDesque: Everyday Recipes with Mediterranean Roots by Georgina Hayden.

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“It wasn’t long ago that crunchy or smooth was the sum total of our nut butter options,” said Sue Quinn in The Telegraph. But there is now more choice than ever and the “humble peanut is jostling for shelf space with almond, cashew and pistachio” spreads.

Sales of peanut butter overtook jam in the UK for the first time in 2020, and nut butters are “now making a bid to unseat honey from its long-held perch as number one”.

Filled with “fibre and healthy fats, it’s easy to see why nut butters appeal to the health-conscious among us,” said Lauren Shirreff in The Telegraph. They are a fantastic source of protein, “especially for people who are following plant-based or vegan diets”, nutritionist Jenna Hope told the paper.

A 30g serving of peanut butter contains around 8g of protein, which is “roughly the same as that in a large egg”, and a large spoonful “would also contain nearly three whole grams of fibre”.

One of the best alternatives to peanuts is almond butter, said Shirreff. It ticks lots of boxes, having the “most fibre” of any nut butter, and “fewer calories” too. Though it has “marginally” less protein than peanut butter, it’s “packed with magnesium and calcium”.

Pistachios have been all the rage as TikTok-viral sweet treats – think Dubai chocolate – but the best way to unlock their “bold, subtly sweet, roasted-nutty taste” is in savoury dishes, said Autumn Swiers on Tasting Table. A dollop of pistachio butter can be “placed under the skin of a chicken breast pre-roast for extra crispy, sweet-nutty moisture”, or as an “elevated candidate for homemade salad dressings”.

It is important to check the label for additional ingredients, said nutritionist Brianna Sommer on Delish. “I would look for a pure nut butter that has no added anything.” It is much better to add a pinch of salt, or a dollop of honey yourself than relying on whatever the “manufacturer has decided to include”.

The easiest way to eat nut butters is “on a slice of sourdough” or “poured over porridge”, said Stacey Smith in Women’s Health. But we all know they taste just that bit better “sneakily spooned straight from the jar”. For a “treat day” indulgence try Pana Organic Cashew Caramel Spread. “Packed with good stuff”, it includes coconut sugar for a hint of sweetness, while maca and sesame seeds bring “extra oomph”.

And if you’re looking for a classic peanut butter, try the M&S range, said Martha Roberts on Which?. Its smooth version is “rich”, “creamy” and “high-oleic” with the highest fibre content of the 56 items tested. Not only is it "reasonably priced”, it contains high levels of protein, and is “extremely low” in salt. Its crunchy alternative “comes a close second to its smooth sibling” because of its higher calorie and lower fibre content, but it’s “still high-oleic and with the same keen price”.

There’s always one person in a family that makes the best version of a particular dish, said Brin Pirathapan: and in my family, everyone knows that my mum’s fried aubergine is the best aubergine dish around. There would be a full-on revolt if anyone turned up to a party at our family home and there wasn’t a vat of it waiting to be demolished. Mum passed on the recipe to me, but there’s an element of intuition that can’t be written down. None of us can fully live up to her famous dish, but we can try.

Ingredients (serves 4-6, as a side)

• 3 aubergines, cut into 1cm cubes
• vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• 6 garlic cloves, 3 peeled and left whole, 3 grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 dried red chillies (optional)
• 1½ red onions, finely diced
• 10-15 curry leaves (fresh, if available)
• 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• ½ tsp hot chilli powder (or more if you like it spicy)
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• sea salt (optional)

Method

• If you sprinkle the aubergine cubes with salt to draw out a bit of moisture before frying, it can really enhance the flavour of the aubergine, but this is up to you.
• Heat enough oil in a deep-fat fryer (if you have one) or in a heavy-based saucepan (don’t fill the pan more than two-thirds full) to 180C (or until a small piece of bread browns in 30 seconds).
• Add the aubergine cubes to the hot oil in batches and then remove (using a slotted spoon) when the flesh turns a deep golden brown colour and the skin is shiny. Transfer them to lots of kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil, while you fry the remaining batches.
• When the aubergine is cooked, turn off the heat, add the whole garlic cloves to the hot oil and leave to soften and colour for 5 minutes, then add to the cooked aubergine.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan or wok over a medium-high heat, then once it’s hot, add the cinnamon stick and whole dried red chillies (if using). After about 30 seconds, add the red onions and curry leaves. Give it all a decent mix and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the grated garlic and ginger along with the chilli powder and tomatoes. Mix, then add the fried aubergine cubes and whole garlic cloves. Give it a good stir and pop a lid on, then let that cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Plate up and enjoy!

Taken from Elevate: Everyday Ingredients, Incredible Flavours by Brin Pirathapan

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With its “green, rolling hills” and “patchwork of pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards”, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has been compared to Burgundy, said National Geographic.

The valley is home to 11 designated grape-growing regions with diverse terroirs, spanning all the way from Portland to Eugene. In recent years, the “cool nights and warm summer days” here have provided the perfect conditions for some “top-notch sparkling wines”. Grape varieties used in champagne like pinot meunier have been “thriving” here.

Method Oregon is a non-profit established by a coalition of producers to ensure high standards and help place their wines on the map. Bottles carrying the stamp must be “100% fermented, bottled, riddled, and disgorged in Oregon”, use the traditional method that requires sparkling wines to go through a “natural secondary fermentation in a bottle”, said National Geographic, and be aged for no less than 24 months en tirage (“the crucial stage where wines are aged on yeast”) to develop a complex flavour.

Gran Moraine’s sparkling brut rosé is “exquisite, rich and lovely”, said Clive Pursehouse on Decanter. The delicate wine spent six years en tirage and is bursting with “floral notes of apple blossom, sweet lemon cream, and ripe, fleshy pears”.

But chardonnay remains the “king of Oregon white wines”, said Mike Desimone on Robb Report. For a special occasion, consider splashing out on a bottle from Eyrie Vineyard where winemaker Jim Maresh makes “small-batch, high-quality wines from estate-grown grapes under his family label”.

Or, you can’t go wrong with a Résonance chardonnay, said Vine Pair. When renowned French winemakers come to Oregon “you know to pay attention”. That’s exactly what happened when Thibault Gagey and Jacques Lardière embarked on their “first project outside of Burgundy” in the Willamette Valley – and this bottle is an “excellent example” of how the chardonnay grape variety is flourishing in the cool climate. Expect refreshing mineral notes, hints of “ripe pear and crisp apples”, with a “wonderfully balanced” palate.

This is an incredibly quick way to get your spicy-oily noodle kick, said chef and Japanese-cookery fan Tim Anderson. Three ingredients, about five minutes of cooking, and the flavour is like pizza, in udon form. Embellish it however you like: it’s nice with spinach, mushrooms or artichoke hearts.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 75g ’nduja
• 1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
• 2 portions udon noodles, par-cooked according to the packet instructions
• a few leaves of fresh basil (optional, to serve)
• grated Parmesan (optional, to serve)

Method

• Place the ’nduja in a frying pan set over a medium-high heat.
• Break it up into small chunks and, when it starts to melt into a scary red puddle, add the fennel seeds and let things sizzle for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the par-cooked udon and sauté for a few minutes to coat the noodles (a splash of the udon cooking water, or just tap water, may help to liquefy the ’nduja and form a sauce).
• Dish up and garnish with basil and grated parmesan, if you’ve got it.

Taken from JapanEasy Kitchen: Simple Recipes Using Japanese Pantry Ingredients by Tim Anderson

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Be it as a coffee companion or a frozen yoghurt flavour, “small, gently spiced” Biscoff biscuits “appear to be everywhere this spring from Easter eggs to hot cross buns”, said Emine Saner in The Guardian.

Biscoff is a modern take on the “traditional Belgian speculoos”: a biscuit dating back to the 17th century made with the glut of spices brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company. The individually wrapped biscuits have “nostalgic relevance”, Lisa Harris, co-founder of the food and drink consultancy Harris and Hayes, told the paper. The distinctive caramelised flavour is “quite old-fashioned”; it feels like the type of sweet treat that would be served “on the side with a cup of tea”. Crucially, Biscoff’s relatively affordable price means they are an “accessible indulgence”. In the midst of the cost of living crisis, “people are looking for simple ways to feel as if they’ve done something special”.

In recent years the sweet treat has become a “Gen Z obsession”, said The Times. Ice cream sellers now often offer to “roll your scoop in Biscoff crumbs”, while “armies” of social media influencers are cooking up viral recipes for everything from mousses to milkshakes.

The latest hype is “Japanese cheesecake”: a two-ingredient recipe that involves immersing layers of Biscoff biscuits in a pot of yoghurt and leaving it in the fridge to soak overnight. As a result of the viral TikTok trend, Biscoff sales “rocketed 30% year on year”, said The Grocer. Supermarkets also joined in as Morrisons posted their own version of the dessert and Sainsbury’s went so far as to give “various yoghurt and biscuit products their own dedicated landing page” on their online shop.

And in a move sure to “delight Dairy Milk enthusiasts” the confection giant Cadbury is launching an indulgent new chocolate bar featuring crumbled Biscoff biscuit pieces, said The Mirror. A hard one to dislike.

I first ate this in Jerez in the south of Spain, and it’s now a regular on the menu at my restaurant Bar Lourinhã, says Matt McConnell. We haven’t messed around with it too much: it’s all about the classic flavours.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 300g free-range, hand-picked chicken livers, cleaned
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 60ml dry sherry
• 125ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp cold butter
• 10g flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn
• 30g flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish

Method

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan, then place the chicken livers face down in the pan. Cook over a high heat until brown, turning with tongs.
• Season the livers well before adding the bay leaf, garlic and shallot. Cook until the liver is well browned.
• Add the vinegar, sherry and chicken stock and cook until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter and parsley, stirring until the butter has been incorporated into the sauce.
• When the livers begin to feel slightly firm – around 4-5 minutes – remove them from the pan and arrange on a serving dish. Cover with the sauce and garnish with the flaked almonds.

Taken from Lourinhã by Matt McConnell with Jo Gamvros

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Britain is a “dip-obsessed” nation, said The Guardian, and hummus is at the top of the list. The chickpea-based Middle Eastern dip first hit UK supermarket shelves in Waitrose in 1987 and has since become a “staple” of shopping baskets across the nation.

Social media has added fuel to the hummus craze in recent years thanks to TikTok’s “obsession with #grazingboards and #girldinners”. These trends focus on the massive appeal of finger foods. As for offline, bread and dips have become a “culinary calling card” at restaurants. A good dip makes sure meals “start on the right foot” and shows customers you’re “serious about detail and sourcing”, said restaurateur David Carter.

Being a “handy source of fibre and protein”, hummus’ growing popularity also reflects Britain’s “efforts to become a physically healthier nation”, said The Times. In a sign of its “importance in the national diet”, hummus was recently added to “that ultimate consumer accolade”: the Office for National Statistics’ virtual shopping basket of popular goods used to measure the cost of living in Britain.

With so many varieties to choose from, picking a pot of supermarket hummus can be a “minefield”, said Tomé Morrissy-Swan in The i Paper. Stand-out options include Waitrose’s No. 1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Houmous, which has a “smooth, moussy” texture with a “strong but not bitter” tahini taste, and Sainsbury’s Organic Classic Houmous, which isn’t as smooth but has a “very strong, pleasing tahini flavour”. I could “happily eat the whole lot”.

But for those keen to avoid the “long list of unnecessary ingredients” sometimes found in store-bought tubs, it is fairly straightforward to make hummus at home, said Phoebe Cornish in the Daily Express.

If you’re looking to “forgo additives, preservatives, and added sugar”, Jamie Oliver’s 10-minute recipe is a good place to start. He uses just five ingredients. Drain and wash a 400g tin of chickpeas, and throw them into a food processor along with a small clove of garlic, a tablespoon of tahini, olive oil and a “generous squeeze” of lemon juice. Blitz until smooth, top with a “sprinkling of paprika” and “get dipping”.

This method of cooking chicken breast is sure to become a favourite, said Ed Smith: it’s speedy, self-saucing and – perhaps surprisingly – succulent. Although sage is not typically involved in a piccata, I like the way it imparts its flavours into the cooking fats, and subsequently the pounded, dredged chicken. Typically, I’ll serve sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes with this. But it’s great with a lot of combinations of potato, green vegetable, leaves and/or bouncy bread for soaking up juices.

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 12 sage leaves
• 2 tbsp baby capers nonpareilles
• 100ml chicken stock or water or white wine
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 large skinless chicken breasts (370g-425g)
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2-3 tbsp neutral oil
• 40g butter, cubed
• flaky sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• Before you start preparing and cooking the chicken, make sure any sides you plan to serve alongside are in hand. Dice and slice the shallot and garlic, pick the sage leaves, locate your capers and stock, and zest and juice the lemon.
• Butterfly the chicken breasts. Hold them flat on a board with one hand and use a sharp, long knife to cut them in half horizontally. Cut each breast in two and use a rolling pin or meat tenderiser to bash the thicker parts so it’s an even 1cm thick all over. Season all sides of the chicken very generously with salt and pepper.
• Spread the flour over a plate, then dredge the chicken pieces in it, dusting off any excess.
• Set a heavy-based skillet or frying pan over a medium-high heat. It probably won’t be big enough to hold all the chicken at once, so cook it in two batches. Add the oil, half of the butter and half of the sage leaves. Once the butter has melted and begins to foam, push the sage leaves to sizzle on one side and begin to fry the chicken for 1 1⁄2 minutes per side, plus another 30-60 seconds for luck. It really doesn’t take longer than 4 minutes in total. Transfer the chicken and sage leaves to a warm plate and repeat.
• Once the chicken is resting and the sage leaves are out, add the shallots to the fat that remains in the pan. Fry for 45 seconds, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for a minute more. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer energetically for 2 minutes to deglaze the pan and reduce the liquid by a third. Whisk in the remaining butter, then add the capers and lemon juice. Pour over the chicken breasts and serve.

Taken from “Peckish: An Inspirational Collection of Winning Chicken Dinners” by Ed Smith

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The ingredients themselves are the luminaries of spring. They are often verdant — peas, leeks, asparagus, spinach. A pink (rhubarb) or brown (lamb) jumps in too. These recipes center the season’s finest ingredients, using techniques and sauces to complement, not overwhelm, their pristine gestalt.

Asparagus Pakoras

A tender asparagus stalk is a perfect specimen. It needs little to twinkle. Then you go and coat it in a chile-spiked batter made from chickpea flour, fry it til it shatters, and dust it with salt, and suddenly the spear downright scintillates. Get the recipe.

Braised Leek with Chile Bean Sauce

Searing long leek halves turns them charred, sweet-bitter and melting. Braising then softens them into willing submission. They soon clamor for a finishing complement, which a frisky combination of Sichuan chile bean paste, soy sauce, garlic and black vinegar readily provides. Get the recipe.

Broccoli, Bacon and Boursin Quiche

Quiche is always the right idea. It’s all the better when loaded with smoky bacon, lush Boursin cheese and nubbins of Broccolini. Serve the entire entity for a brunch gathering, or parcel it into meals for days on end. Get the recipe.

Lowland Celery Salad

Celery, please step center stage and into the spotlight. No, more to the right and pick up some dates, toasted walnuts and extra-sharp cheddar. Close, but to the left a touch, that mustardy sherry vinaigrette can join you. There! You made it. Feeling the love and attention you have always merited? Get the recipe.

Rhubarb Crisp

A crumble topping is loaded with oats, pecans and Chinese five-spice powder. Rhubarb done two ways: unadulterated and treated with baking soda to shave away some of the plants’ sharp edge. A rhubarb crisp is classic springtime, and this variation nudges the dessert into the modern age. Get the recipe.

Sabzi

We are just on the other side of the spring equinox, but the hunger for an ongoing, explicit spring jubilee persists. Spinach has the tonic earthiness the season necessitates, and lamb is the holy protein of now. This Afghan braise stars not just spinach as the green blast but also a wallop of green onions and cilantro. Steadying and lush, sabzi is a spring headliner. Get the recipe.

Shakshuka

Shakshuka, that stewy egg dish, is everywhere. You may as well have a baseline recipe for your home kitchen. This one from chef Yotam Ottolenghi is basic with no frippery to speak of — just tomatoes, harissa, red peppers, cumin and final filip of yogurt. It’s an optimal diving board for shakshuka-fiddling. Get the recipe.

Spring Peas with Mint Butter

Nearly every possible kind of pea shows up here. Snow peas, English peas, snap peas have all come to play. That means frolicking, after a quick blanching, in a butter bath loaded with chives and mint. Use the best butter you can find, and finish with chopped toasted hazelnuts and flaky salt, just because. Get the recipe.

Supermarkets have long been obsessed with the “novelty” hot cross bun, filling shelves with takes “that skew from genuinely delicious to properly weird”, said Sadhbh O’Sullivan in The i Paper. This year’s “array”, including everything “from Cheddar and carrot cake to tiramisu, Neapolitan ice cream and Marmite”, simply brings on cravings for the traditional “lightly spiced, sweet bun, studded with currants and candied peel, and topped with a cross”. Here are our favourites.

Honey & Co. Hot Cross Buns

These “utterly delightful” buns are so good, all of them were “gone within half an hour”, said The i Paper’s O’Sullivan. They are flavoured with “deep and warming” spices and the “subtle nuttiness” of spelt. Dried fruits are “generously shared” and “the crumb is light and fluffy”. I scored it 10 out of 10.
From Honey & Co outlets in London or mail order at catering@honeyandco.co.uk

Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns

Aldi’s buns are “neat, fat” and “square”, said Xanthe Clay in The Telegraph. They have a “lovely chewy heft, delivering a heady mix of citrus and spicy flavours”. They’re the “perfect bun to scoff after a long country walk”.
aldi.co.uk

Costa Classic Hot Cross Bun

“When a hot cross bun craving strikes, make a beeline for Costa,” said Stacey Smith in Good Housekeeping. Our panel of experts crowned these the “tastiest classic”: the “cinnamon-spiked” dough is dotted with a “generous helping of juicy dried fruit” and candied lemon peel.
From Costa Coffee stores or costa.co.uk

Asda Exceptional Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns

Asda’s buns had the “most appetising appearance” of all those we tasted, and the flavour, texture and amount of fruit were all “spot on”, said Brianna Watson in Which?. “Great flavour at a great price.”
asda.com

Gail’s Hot Cross Buns

Gail’s buns are “hard to beat”, said Alice Reynolds in The Independent. They are “stunning” on the eye, with a darker, heavier look than most supermarket offerings. The “artisanal” cross perches on a “crispy” shell of clove, star anise and nutmeg syrup “that’s oh so moreish”. The dough inside is “perfectly” spiced, with candied orange peel giving it a “complex citrus hit”. Stand-out buns that bring a “ray of sunshine on each bite”.
From Gail’s bakery outlets or gails.com

After the boozy beverages of winter, spring requires, or at least requests, a lighter approach. So the coming months are a period for cocktails in bigger glasses that welcome more liquid for more leisurely sipping. Let’s get tall, baby!

Batanga

Blanco tequila, lime juice, cola and salt — welcome to the Batanga, a low-key icon of La Capilla, the “oldest cantina in the town of Tequila, Mexico,” said Imbibe magazine. There are easy drinks, but the Batanga is so effortless you could make it while horizontal in a hammock.

Caribeño

Take a daiquiri, and make it long and tall, and now you have yourself a Caribeño. The rum, lime juice and simple syrup are there, of course. Coconut water does the heavy work, creating a cocktail that will not knock you on your rear.

Champ-Ale

You can have your cocktail and beer, too. The Champ-Ale has you pour a light cream ale and sparkling wine into a big ol’ glass with ice and then shake it with sweet vermouth, lemon juice and cane syrup in a separate vessel. Pour the second mixture into the glass, stir and embrace the best of two booze worlds.

Earl Grey-Aquavit Spritz

Throw some Earl Grey tea leaves and a chunk of lemon peel in a bottle of aquavit, the caraway-seed-flavored spirit. Let infuse for 20 minutes or so, then combine with honey syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine. Serve this plucky spritz to a crowd of pals.

Kombucha-Vodka Highball

The best of the basics, this highball combines vodka, ginger-flavored kombucha, lime juice, simple syrup and, oh yes, ice. Garnish with a lime wedge to prove you bothered a little.

Oita Chu-hi

A touch of future-thinking is required for this shochu-based highball. You will need to infuse a bag of barley tea in a bottle of shochu and blend sweet, herbal pandan leaves with coconut water, then carbonate the mix to make yourself a coconut soda. From there, it is all about assembling — a little rigmarole for much rejuvenescence.

Serpent-less Swizzle

A drink with ballast, the Irish whiskey base of the Serpent-less Swizzle is a hearty anchor. Sweet white vermouth, lemon juice and grenadine provide contrast and sharpness. Swizzles, a genre of cocktails served over crushed or pebbled ice, are meant for sipping. You may find yourself guzzling.

Watership Down

The “flavors make me think of fields,” said bartender Jeremy Oertel to Punch magazine about his Watership Down cocktail. Yes, its name is an homage to the classic leporine book, with grassy notes a rabbit might adore. Gin, dry vermouth, celery shrub and ginger syrup guarantee a balanced and refreshing drink.

Move over, protein. There’s a new dietary trend that’s doing the rounds. Fitness aficionados and wellness influencers are now “fixated” on how to “increase your daily fibre intake”, said Amelia Bell in Harper’s Bazaar.

Fibremaxxing is the latest addition to the “wellness glossary” and for good reason. Apart from its role in “digestion, weight management and gut health”, fibre also helps “stave off diseases” and reduce inflammation. A high-fibre diet can be highly beneficial but like any other TikTok-fuelled obsession, there is always a risk of “overdoing” it if one does not proceed with caution.

Fibre acts as “food for the microbiome”, said nutritionist Rhian Stephenson. Eating fibre-rich food “slows gastric emptying and carbohydrate absorption”, which helps stabilise blood sugar levels and provides metabolic support by “increasing the feeling of fullness”. This is why those with a healthy fibre intake often see “less weight gain and easier weight maintenance”.

According to NHS data, “most adults don’t come even close to hitting the daily recommendation of 30 grams”, said Dean Stattmann in GQ. Such a low level of consumption could take an “insidious toll on our collective health”.

Fibre is the indigestible part of plants that gives them their structure. It works as a gut cleanser by “shuttling away things that might otherwise overstay their welcome”. Without it, unmoving stools can “create little ‘pouches’ in the colon, called diverticuli, which can trap bacteria”, said Dr Dana Ellis Hunnes, a clinical dietician at UCLA Health. The bacteria can “potentially increase the risk of colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and just inflammation in general”.

Consuming plant-based foods is a great way to increase fibre intake. Lentils, beans, chia seeds and almonds are all rich in the nutrient. There are also many oral supplements available to help reach the recommended 30g daily intake level.

However, it is important to note that these supplements “don’t behave in the body in the same way that fibre from a whole food does”. Apart from fibre, whole foods have vitamins and minerals as well as water. This makes them more “synergistic” and less dehydrating.

The fibremaxxing trend certainly “carries a message” that many health professionals have been “banging the drum about for years,” said Polly Weeks on the BBC. But there’s a lot “we still don’t know about the gut and its microbiota” and one should be wary of “uninformed views, extreme advice and miracle quick-fix claims”.

Kieran Tuohy, a professor of energy metabolism and microbiome at the University of Leeds, said trying to “fibremax” on powders could be a “worrying” trend but “self-regulating” fibre levels by consuming plenty of whole foods is a great step to take.

Long-standing claims of verbal and physical abuse at world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma have finally “come back to haunt” its founding chef, René Redzepi, said The Times.

The “culinary god” has stepped down after shocking details of his “toxic” kitchen culture were revealed by a damning new investigation. “An apology is not enough,” Redzepi said in a statement on Instagram. “I take responsibility for my own actions.”

Empire built on ‘pain’

Redzepi has been “rewriting the rules of fine dining” since Noma opened in 2003, crafting “jewel-like plates” from sustainable and foraged local ingredients, said The New York Times. His innovative approach scooped him three Michelin stars, and Noma has topped the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list on five occasions. He became a revered figure in the culinary world: in 2013, Anthony Bourdain proclaimed he was “without a doubt, the most influential, provocative, and important chef in the world”.

In 2024, Noma transitioned from restaurant to “full-time food laboratory”, developing new dishes and running fine-dining pop-ups in different locations around the world. But an upcoming residency in Los Angeles, with a tasting menu priced at $1,500 (£1,300) a head, “sparked a public conversation” about Redzepi’s treatment of his staff, some of whom came forward to claim his “empire” was built on their “pain”.

Thirty-five former staffers, employed between 2009 and 2017, gave accounts of serious abuse, alleging that Redzepi “punched employees in the face” and “slammed them against walls”. Several claimed he would “crouch under the counters” and “jab them in the legs with his fingers or a nearby utensil, like a barbecue fork”. They also described verbal threats, including to have staff members “blacklisted” from other restaurants or to “have their families deported”. Until 2002, Noma had over 30 unpaid interns, working 16-hour days and covering their own living costs. The restaurant’s “one-woman human resources department” also “happened to be Redzepi’s mother-in-law”.

‘Signs’ were all there

This will come as no surprise to “anyone who has followed modern restaurant culture”, said former restaurateur Richard Crampton-Platt in UnHerd. I visited Noma a decade ago and found it “suffocatingly self-regarding”. It developed a reputation as an “enlightened kitchen” and the “progressive future of fine dining” but the “signs of what was really going on” were all there. Redzepi was filmed “screaming at chefs” in the 2008 documentary “Noma at Boiling Point” and, in 2015, he wrote an article in a food magazine admitting that “I have been a bully for a large part of my career”.

“The backlash was inevitable,” said US chef Andrew Gruel in the New York Post. But it’s “ironic” that a lot of the “outrage is coming from the same elite food world that helped build a culture of abuse”. For years, fine-dining kitchens have been “run like military brigades”, with long hours, unpaid or poorly paid workers and a culture of harassment. The tacit “bargain” aspiring young chefs accept is to “endure the brutality, work the hours, and maybe one day earn your place in the hierarchy”. The price of the excellence that food critics and “elite diners” demand is professional kitchens marred by exploitation, burnout and alcohol and drug abuse.

“It’s dehumanising” and it’s been going on for too long, French food journalist Nora Bouazzouni, author of “Violence in the Kitchen”, told CNN. Her work “exposing the extent of physical, emotional and psychological abuse” in professional kitchens across France “has helped spark a national reckoning” that’s “reached the ears of the country’s lawmakers”. Last year, a motion to create a commission of inquiry into violence in professional kitchens was tabled in the French National Assembly.

Undoing this entrenched “French system” that kitchens around the world have “replicated” won’t be easy. But a 2021 paper which drew on 47 interviews with elite chefs, and was published in the Journal of Management Studies, offers one “compelling, but simple solution: create more open kitchens”. A shift away from the “isolated, closed, hidden spaces” where “regular rules don’t apply” could help to establish a healthier work environment.

Before Redzepi’s resignation, tickets for Noma’s LA pop-up had sold out. This only demonstrates, said The Times, that there are “plenty who can happily separate the art from the artist” as long as “the kitchen is thoroughly soundproofed”.

This fresh and vibrant salad is delicious warm or cold, as a nutritious lunch or shared at a gathering, said Madeleine Olivia. The final touch of pomegranate molasses in the dressing and seeds for topping takes the flavour to another level.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 150g brown, black or wild rice
• 150g whole grains (such as buckwheat, quinoa, barley, amaranth, farro, bulgur wheat)
• 400g tin of beans (such as kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed beans, butter beans, pinto beans), drained and rinsed
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 6 radishes, very thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• handful of lamb’s lettuce (or rocket or young spinach)
• pomegranate seeds, for topping (optional)
• lemon wedges, to serve

For the dressing:

• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

• Cook the rice and grains according to the packet instructions. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• When the rice and whole grains are cool, add to a large bowl with the remaining salad ingredients, adding the lamb’s lettuce (or rocket, or spinach) last, and tossing everything together.
• Pour over the dressing, sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds, if using, and serve with lemon wedges.

Taken from “A Year in a Cottage Kitchen” by Madeleine Olivia

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Diners are spoilt for choice in London. The capital is a delicious melting pot of different cuisines – from flavour-packed Filipino dishes and the finest sushi to classic Greek meze and authentic Indian street food. These are some of our favourite spots.

Kebab Queen, Covent Garden

The kebab, at least in Britain, is not usually considered a worthy rival to a Japanese omakase tasting menu, writes The Week’s Holden Frith. Yet that is the comparison invited by Kebab Queen, a restaurant that serves eight courses of flame-grilled meat, fish and vegetables in the basement of Le Bab, a more conventional fast-casual spot. There is a paradox here, but a fun one: each course, constructed and cooked with evident care, is served without plates, directly onto a heated counter, sauces and all. You have no choice but to eat them with your hands, scooping up any leftover sauce with a finger or, if you’re brave, your tongue. This is not recommended at the Japanese equivalent. A playful (and generous) wine flight adds to the sense of conviviality: early in the evening, a rich aubergine-stuffed dolma paired with tawny port prompted murmurs of appreciation, but course six, an ox cheek manti and a glass of smoky German pinot noir, received loud acclamation from around the counter table.
eatlebab.com

Sushisamba, Covent Garden

It’s early evening midweek but there’s already a queue of people trying to get a table at Sushisamba, writes The Week’s Irenie Forshaw. Set in the Opera Terrace on the top floor of Covent Garden’s historic Market Building, the buzzy restaurant is thrumming with life. Lush greenery springs from every corner and a team of chefs are hard at work behind the counter in the sleek open kitchen. The menu is filled with unexpected delights: inventive dishes that fuse elements of Japanese, Peruvian and Brazilian cuisine. Plantain chips, served with a spicy aji amarillo dipping sauce, and salted edamame beans set the tone of the signature tasting menu. The salmon ceviche doused in a rich sesame dressing and topped with crispy slices of sweet potato and toasted sugared macadamia nuts was the highlight of the evening. Other twists came in the form of California rolls (drizzled with truffle oil) and yellowtail tuna (diced and served in mini taco shells). Be sure to save room for the chocolate banana cake, and wash everything down with a cocktail or two. The fiery Tom Yam – a heady mix of gin, coriander, chilli, ginger and lime – is a must.
sushisamba.com

Belly, Kentish Town

Small and buzzy, Belly (pictured above) in Kentish Town has all the warmth of a neighbourhood bistro – with a frisson of Filipino flair, writes The Week’s Helen Brown. The brainchild of restaurateur Omar Shah (Ramo Ramen, Hoodwood, Mamasons), it serves up bold dishes that blend European and Filipino flavours. Scallops, for example, come cured in a chilli, annatto and coconut cream, and tiramisu turns an Instagrammable shade of violet with blueberries and purple yam. The smoked trout kinilaw, with its citrus, cane vinegar, coconut milk and shiso leaf dressing, is a top-notch starter if you arrive too late to bag the super-popular but limited tempura cod pandesal: a shareable slider of warm, flaky cod in a soft fluffy Filipino breakfast roll, with American cheese and salmon roe – like a clever, tangy take on Filet-O-Fish. For mains, there’s a paprika-spiked seafood caldereta, with clams, mussels, squid, roasted tomato, red pepper and prawn-head emulsion, wagyu bistek with braised shallot and charred lemon and woodland mushroom arroz caldo with soy-cured egg yolk. But the stand-out dish is the oak-smoked tinola herb chicken in a buttery, herby, ginger, caper and coriander sauce. Order it with the beef-fat fries and dunk deliciously away. There’s an esoterically good wine list, including a Lebanese Grenache, and a small but wickedly inventive selection of cocktails: the watermelon and calamansi margarita is definitely worth a try.
bellylondon.com

MA/NA, Mayfair

The name brings together twin Japanese concepts of “ma”, the space between moments, and “na”, the energy within them, and the designers have done a good job of giving both a physical form, writes The Week’s Holden Frith. In MA/NA’s warm cocoon of a dining room, Tokyo-style wood panelling is offset by a splash of art deco drama. Recessed panels of light around the doorways and in the stairs emit an amber glow, as does the curvy, copper-fronted bar. It’s opulent but comfortable too: plush banquettes and chairs suggest the ambience will be a little less buttoned-up than the Kobe, caviar and truffle-heavy menu might imply. The service is warm too, offering a friendly guide through pages of maki, robata and sashimi. Diners may be lured in by the hero dishes – the fatty otoro tuna and prized Japanese beef – but they will find subtle treats on every page. Rock shrimp tempura with wasabi mayonnaise, for example, with its crisp, delicate batter and a kick of heat from the spiced mayo. manarestaurants.com

Luna Omakase, City of London

Tucked away in a private room inside Los Mochis London City, Luna Omakase is a sensory Japanese dining experience for those with adventurous palates, writes The Week’s Deeya Sonalkar. Its chef-selected nut- and gluten-free menu has 12 courses inspired by the rhythm of the moon, and changes as the lunar cycle shifts. The 12-seat counter is designed to allow diners to immerse themselves in the preparation of the dishes and learn about the ingredients selected for the day. The venue has low lighting, to mimic moonlight, and the courses are served on wood or stone plates. Each course is intricately crafted, and every ingredient plays a crucial role. The chef’s take on the onigiri was one of the best courses, with a single bite offering a world of flavour. A good number of dishes featured caviar, an ingredient that can sometimes overpower others. The taco maki, a Japanese-Mexican fusion of tacos and maki sushi, with avocado, jalapeño salsa and coriander, was simple, fresh and unique. Every dish offered something new: this place is a joy for anyone who loves traditional Japanese cuisine and fancies an experimental tasting adventure.
luna-omakase.com

Pyro, Southwark

With its open-fire chef’s station, rustic wooden interior and huge outdoor terrace, Pyro, in Borough, combines the warmth of a taverna with a super-elevated take on traditional Greek food, writes The Week’s Helen Brown. It’s the debut restaurant of Athens-native Yiannis Mexis, formerly of Hide, The Ledbury and Petrus, and radiates energy, refinement and excellently inventive cocktails. Most of the plates – from the small potato pittas to a showstopper slab of Dorset lamb – are made for sharing, and bear the charred, smoky marks of the flame. Classic Greek meze, like tzatziki and melitzanosalata, are uplifted to top-quality taste and texture experiences; spanakopita, made with barrel-aged feta, is served as dainty tartlets, and ember-cooked pork souvlaki skewers reach a whole new level with prunes, radicchio and sour apple. Stand-out dishes include a sea bream crudo, with green olives and caper leaves, crispy-topped, fluffily layered potatoes with skordalia, and that hunk of alder wood-cooked Dorset lamb, served with a smoked anchovy yoghurt and a fabulous bitter-leaf salad. Food to fill the stomach, and fire the soul.
pyrorestaurant.co.uk

Sachi, Belgravia

Discreetly hidden on the second floor of the Pantechnicon building, Sachi is one of Belgravia’s swankiest sushi spots, writes The Week’s Irenie Forshaw. The kappo-style (cut and cook) Japanese restaurant reopened in November after an extensive revamp, adding a moodily lit rooftop bar. Expect minimalist interiors with flowing cream-coloured drapes, plenty of teak and potted plants positioned in every corner. For a buzzy atmosphere, book a table upstairs in the bar or escape the after-work crowd by requesting a quieter spot downstairs.

The pared-back menu features an assortment of dishes from tempura and sashimi to decadent sushi platters and oscietra caviar. Everything is simply yet elegantly plated, allowing the quality ingredients to shine. The wagyu, eringi mushroom and yuzu maki rolls are perhaps the most inventive dish; topped with a sliver of marbled Japanese beef, each morsel tastes like a bite-size burger. But the real highlight is the bluefin tuna: both the truffle-dusted carpaccio and the maki rolls are delicious. There’s also a drinks list filled with Japanese whiskies and enticing cocktails, as well as a collection of sakes. Be sure to enlist the help of the knowledgeable sake sommelier for perfect pairings with every dish.
sachirestaurants.com

Patri, Hammersmith

You might miss Patri on the street outside but, once you step inside, it is like being transported to a train in New Delhi, writes The Week’s Rebekah Evans. With its shutters, dark wood interiors and multicoloured hanging light bulbs, the intimate setting cocoons you. But once the food starts to arrive, the last thing you will be thinking about is your surroundings. Patri offers The Grand Thali, a unique experience allowing a group to sample two starters alongside 26 authentic Indian street-food dishes, with rice and garlic naan. You should be prepared for a wait, but it’s certainly worthwhile. With so much to choose from, it’s difficult to pick a stand-out dish. Surprisingly, the vegan chatpati aloo tikki chaat starter is perhaps one of the best: fragrant spicy potato patties and chickpeas, tossed in a chutney bursting with flavour. Dishes like this that really sing are truly cooked with soul. The butter chicken has a rich, creamy, and so moreish, sauce, while the paneer curry is soft and delicious. Be sure to wear trousers with a loose waistband; you’ll certainly test its capacity to give.
patri.co.uk

With Easter fast approaching, supermarket shelves are already groaning with seasonal sweet treats. “It doesn’t matter how old you are”, said Luxury London. The truth is, “everyone loves an Easter egg.” If you are looking for something out of the ordinary this year, why not treat yourself or a loved one to a luxury Easter egg?

Melt’s Coconut Easter Egg

This luxurious Easter egg is beautifully packaged, immediately making it stand out from the crowd. But while luxury is the name of the game, the chocolatiers at Melt have also clearly leaned into whimsy by creating an egg cleverly designed to resemble a real coconut, complete with creamy white centre. While the traditional milk chocolate is rich and enjoyable, it is the coconut-flavoured interior that is the standout treat, with the desiccated coconut giving a unique texture. Reminiscent of a pina colada, the tropical taste pairs perfectly with the chocolate and feels like a more grown-up take on the Easter egg.

meltchocolates.com; £39.99

Coco Chocolatier’s Marc de Champagne Truffle Easter Egg Tin

If you love chocolate liqueurs at Christmas, this Easter is the chance to meet their sophisticated sister. These velvety, feather-light truffles are dusted in icing sugar, but the decadent flavour quickly gives way to a silky white chocolate Marc de Champagne ganache. The champagne adds a confident kick, unmistakably boozy but balanced rather than overpowering. The treats come packaged in a sleek keepsake tin, with distinctive artwork by French painter Otto Iram.

cocochocolatier.com; £29.95

Hôtel de Crillon’s Chocolate Easter Egg

Hôtel de Crillon’s Easter egg feels just as refined as its Parisian address. Crafted by pastry chef Matthieu Carlin, this limited edition confection transforms the iconic lampposts of Place de la Concorde into an edible work of art. The intricate sculptural design is crowned with delicate detail, with small nods to the hotel’s seal and the emblem of Paris – both elegant and evocative. And the flavour further elevates this creation: a pairing of milk and dark chocolate encases a crisp, almond-hazelnut praline enriched with crumbled gavotte biscuits. The result is not just a visually stunning egg, but one with a balanced flavour ideal for the discerning chocolate lover.

shop.rosewoodhotels.com; €85 (£74.40)

Audrey’s White English Spring Garden Hand-Decorated Easter Egg

This Easter egg is just as delightful to look at as it is to eat. Exquisitely hand-decorated with intricate flower and butterfly motifs, it beautifully captures the essence of spring, making it a stunning seasonal centrepiece. Craftsmanship evident in every detail, and the creamy and indulgent white chocolate melts effortlessly on the tongue. Its very sweet profile is likely to delight those with a fondness for rich flavours. Elegant, eye-catching, and delicious, this is a thoughtful, premium egg that feels every bit as special as it looks.

audreyschocolates.co.uk; £39.95

Cox&Co.’s Aleppo Chilli & Cherry Easter Egg

They might be alliterative, but chilli, cherry and chocolate may not strike you as a natural combination for an Easter egg. However, they perfectly complement one another in this Cox and Co. creation. The dark chocolate is smooth, deep and indulgent, with sharp pops of sour cherry cutting through the richness before finishing on a surprisingly pleasant warmth from the Aleppo chilli. This Easter egg is ideal for those seeking something different but delicious, and it's also vegan-friendly with mostly plastic-free packaging, making it an eco-conscious option too.

coxandcocacao.com; £15

Baked Alaska traditionally consists of a cake base, an ice cream filling and a meringue topping that is browned under the grill, said Edd Kimber. This version is more of a quick assembly job: it includes shop-bought elements, plus a couple of simple home-made ones. The recipe is intended only as a guide: you can vary as you see fit. You might want to use brownie offcuts as the base, for example, and jam in place of the compote.

Ingredients

For the blueberry compote:

• 50g blueberries
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the milk chocolate sauce:

• 20g milk chocolate
• 40% cocoa solids, finely chopped
• 30ml (2 tbsp) whipping cream

For the Swiss meringue:

• 1 large egg white
• 50g caster sugar
• small pinch fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste

To serve:

• 20g (2 tbsp) salted pretzels or salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 2 large scoops of vanilla ice cream

Method

• For the compote, put everything in a small saucepan, place over a medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the fruit has broken down and the liquid is thick and syrupy. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside until needed. It can also be refrigerated for a couple of days before using, if needed.
• For the chocolate sauce, place everything in a small bowl and heat in a microwave, using short 15-second bursts, until the cream is hot. Stir everything together to form a smooth sauce. Set aside until needed. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so stir to loosen when needed. The sauce can also be refrigerated for a couple of days before using, but once refrigerated it will firm up and will need heating slightly to loosen.
• When ready to serve, make the meringue topping. Add everything to a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove and use an electric mixer to whisk until the meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 3-4 minutes.
• To assemble, divide your pretzels/peanuts between two coupe/martini glasses or other small bowls. Top with a scoop of ice cream and use an ice cream scoop or spoon to press down on the ball of ice cream to create a small well.
• Add the compote and then the sauce atop the ice cream. Spoon or pipe over the meringue. Use a kitchen blowtorch to burnish the meringue until it’s as dark as you want. Serve immediately.

Taken from Chocolate Baking: The Ultimate Guide to Cakes, Cookies, Desserts & Pastries by Edd Kimber.

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The resolute tango between the personal and the practical is a hallmark of a cookbook humdinger. Doing so merges two apertures — the narrow and the microscopic — into a wide-angle lens.

Andrea Nguyen’s 2006 debut, “Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors,” is a sublime example of that intermixture. She opens the book with the following scene: “We heard the plane coming in low, and I was scared. Mom grabbed me, pulling me underneath the staircase as a bomb exploded nearby. I shrieked, believing the end was near.”

The rare turned common

The end was not quite near, but it was imminent. That opener took place in Saigon on April 8, 1975, when Nguyen was 6 years old. A little more than two weeks later, Nguyen and her family were loaded on a plane, landing eventually in Southern California. Life, and with it, the family’s cooking, was upended.

One makes do, and new traditions are born. Western noodles, like fresh fettuccine, and butter were luxury items in Saigon. Thus, noodles with butter went from a rare novelty to a kitchen staple for the Nguyens. She shows the reader how to dress just-boiled noodles with umami-laden Maggi sauce, then warm garlic in melted butter, adding the noodles and tossing. The “nutty, savory caramel qualities of the Maggi sauce” come to the fore as you toss and sear the noodles.

Cabbage also receives special status in the family’s new home, because “cool-season crops such as cabbage and cauliflower are difficult to grow” in Vietnam. So ribbons of the vegetables are sauteed until wilty, then fish sauce and beaten egg added, the egg lacquering the cabbage with a custardy coating. If you thought you knew all there was to know about buttered noodles and cabbage heads, you have just been shaken out of culinary complacency.

Icons, dissected

“Into the Vietnamese Kitchen” is not only a Nguyen tale. Classics from the diasporic Vietnamese repertoire are included too, with irreproachable instructions. An exemplary version of bo kho (beef stew) is heady with lemongrass, fish sauce, ginger, five-spice powder and star anise. Salmon, shrimp, catfish and chicken all appear braised in recipes using the savory, bittersweet, burnt-caramel sauce known as nuoc mau. Pho is here; bun (rice noodles) are as well, alongside grilled pork and punchy herbs, and in comforting soups with crab or beef.

Feeling adventurous? Dive into a round of project cooking to make the charcuterie, like gio lua (silky chicken sausage), that stars in banh mi, those irresistible spiky Vietnamese sandwiches. In Nguyen’s text, you will be guided by sure hands, as welcome storytelling is whispered in your ear.

Bone broth “has undergone the PR glow-up of a lifetime”, said Saskia Kemsley in The Standard. Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry and Kylie Jenner have all jumped on board, extolling its rejuvenating benefits.

So what is bone broth? Put simply, it's a nutrient-dense liquid made by simmering animal bones with vegetables or other natural ingredients for up to 24 hours, similar to making stock for use in soups or stews. Drinking the broth for its health benefits is a “phenomenon” that has “skyrocketed” in recent years, even if the evidence is somewhat unclear.

“Of all the wellness trends, this one’s probably up there with the strangest,” said Daisy Jones in British Vogue. “A broth? Made from bones, you say? Sounds a bit fee-fi-fo-fum to me.”

But bone broth promises an “array of supposed health benefits”. Some studies have shown that it is an anti-inflammatory “gut-healing powerhouse”, rich in electrolytes, and full of amino acids that help “regulate the immune system and promote gut health”. People are also indulging in a bid to improve their skin with the high collagen content. “Hmmm, maybe not so unappealing after all?”

Some of the most popular brands are “hugely expensive”, and often not much better than you can make at home, so you don’t need to “spend a fortune” buying the stuff, said Clare Finney in The Times. All you have to do is pop into a butcher’s for some “broken-down bones” at a “fraction of the price”, Michelin-star chef Emily Roux told the newspaper, “or if you’re making a roast chicken, never throw away the carcass”. After a four- to six-hour “long, slow simmer”, you can add combinations of “star anise, black peppercorns, any veggies or herbs that are suffering in the fridge” to “zhuzh it up”.

If you do want to splash out on a shop-bought broth, one of the best on the market is Borough Broth, whose organic beef bone broth is “filled to the brim with umami excellence” and has a “whopping 40% bone content”, said Kemsley in The Standard. Freja is another brand “taking supermarkets by storm for good reason”. Its broths have a two-year shelf-life, making them a “pantry essential”, and there’s also a fish-based version for pescatarians.

Despite the frenzied uptake by influencers who think it is a “wonder stew for your face”, some experts have a “bone to pick” with the trend, said GQ. Though it can be a great source of amino acids, the results can be inconsistent depending on what is cooked, and how.

“My personal advice would be that it doesn’t add anything that a healthy diet containing a good source of proteins wouldn’t do”, Dr Christine Hall, NHS GP and aesthetics doctor, told the magazine. “In fact, a healthy, balanced diet will actually contribute more.”

I first made pineapple kimchi when celebrating Thanksgiving in Hawaii, said Linda Shiue. I wanted something to make our turkey dinners taste more “local” – and came up with the idea of combining chunks of pineapple with kimchi to use in place of cranberry sauce. Here, it makes a super accompaniment to teriyaki salmon.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500g salmon fillet, skin on, cut into four pieces
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 3 small garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
• 2 spring onions, cut on diagonal into 5cm lengths

For the kimchi:

• 2 tbsp grated garlic (about 6-9 cloves)
• 1 tbsp peeled and grated ginger
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) or Aleppo chilli flakes, or 2 tbsp crushed chilli pepper flakes, smashed in a mortar and pestle, or ground in a spice blender into finer flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 ripe pineapple, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes (core included)

Method

• To make the kimchi, place the garlic, ginger, sugar, gochugaru, coriander leaves, fish sauce and 3 tbsp water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Combine the spice mixture with the pineapple in a bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate, unless you’re using it right away. It makes around 1 litre.
• While the kimchi rests, prepare the salmon. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Season both sides with the salt. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the garlic, then the salmon, skin-side down. Cook for about 4 minutes, then drizzle with the honey before flipping over. Pour the tamari on top and allow it to swirl under the salmon. Add the spring onions and reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until both sides are glazed and browned and flesh begins to flake apart when pierced with a fork or the tip of a knife.
• Spoon the kimchi over the top of the salmon. Serve immediately. Refrigerate the remaining kimchi in a tightly sealed container – it will last for up to 3 months.

Taken from The Apothecary Chef by Natasha MacAller

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“After decades of terrible PR”, the humble cabbage is “quietly gaining cultural capital”, said Business Insider. The sad memories of soggy “WWII boiled cabbage recipes” and the “Cabbage Soup Diet of the ’80s” are things of the past.

Some would call this boom a “recession indicator”, but many are flocking to the vegetable’s high-fibre and low-calorie content. Whatever the reason, cabbage is certainly “having a moment”.

Currently, the “fibre-maxxing” movement is in full swing, with fermented foods all over social media as users scramble for better gut health. Cabbage “punches well above its weight” in terms of nutritional value, said Rob Hobson, nutritionist and food author. It is a “rich source” of fibre, and also vitamin C and K, and he says it “will overtake protein as the trendiest nutrient” this year.

Cabbage has “never enjoyed the glossy halo afforded to avocados, blueberries”, or any other sought-after superfood, said Hannah Twiggs in The Independent. “It is the vegetable equivalent of sensible shoes: practical, reliable and almost aggressively uninterested in seduction.” The green leaves have fed people of all backgrounds for thousands of years – in soups in central Europe, kimchi in Korea, and becoming “fused” into the “national psyche” of Ireland alongside potatoes.

Perhaps what is fuelling this resurgence is its “lack of glamour”, low price tag and wide availability. Cabbage “asks little, delivers much and carries none of the aspirational baggage of trendier ingredients”. It is “not new. It is just newly appreciated.”

“Everything’s coming up cabbages”, even in fashion, said Anna Grace Lee in Vogue. After the “Pinterest Predicts” trend report said that 2026 is the year of “peak cabbage obsession”, the vegetable has become “chic”. There are cabbage motifs everywhere, from the “Sandy Liang cabbage bag” to the “Dodie Thayer for Tory Burch ceramic line”.

“I always keep a head or two in my fridge so I can throw together a quick, healthy, and budget-friendly meal at a moment’s notice,” said Charlyne Mattox in Country Living. Cabbage is one of the best ingredients to “stretch your grocery dollar”, while still providing a “nourishing” meal.

“Butter-braised” cabbage with cream and garlic is a “quick and easy” way to use up any “pantry staples”. You can add “roasted salmon, bone-in chicken breasts, or a tender pork chop” for a delicious meal. For a lighter option, try rustling up a classic bacon-cabbage panzanella, adding meat and bread to your taste – and sprinkling a little “crumbly cheese” like feta on top.

For those who want to eat well without spending a fortune, here’s a selection of restaurants newly awarded a Bib Gourmand (given to establishments offering excellent, good-value cooking) in the 2026 Michelin Guide. Prices are between £25pp and £50pp for three courses.

The Clarence

At this “likeable neighbourhood spot” from the team behind the popular Cail Bruich, there’s a “generosity in the portions and pricing”. That’s especially true if you choose the set menu, which offers three courses for £29. The chefs use “prime Scottish product” – seasonal girolles, “super-fresh Loch Fyne mackerel”, Barnsley chop – and make ample use of the charcoal grill. Excellent service “adds to the appeal”.

168 Hyndland Road, Glasgow

Norman’s Neighbourhood Kitchen

If you “find yourself near Huddersfield”, then a diversion to this “wonderful” bistro is a must. Named after the owner’s dog – and his grandfather – it offers great-value sharing plates in a rustic setting. The menu roams the globe (with Japanese and Indian influences), but local fare features too, as in a dish of pig’s cheek glazed in “cult” Sheffield condiment Henderson’s Relish.

22A North Road, Kirkburton, West Yorkshire

The Yurt at Nicholsons

Lunch in this “lovely yurt” – fashioned from upcycled materials – is certainly “a little different”. But it’s an experience that will make you smile. Located at Nicholsons nursery, where some of the ingredients are grown, it offers generously sized, Mediterranean-inspired dishes packed with “bold, natural flavours” – cider-cured Chalk-Stream trout with crab bisque is a “wonderful example” – as well as “bright and breezy” service.

The Park, North Aston, Oxfordshire

Post

“Straightforward is the name of the game” at this “delightful bottle shop and bistro” close to the River Severn. The concise menu – which is chalked up each day on a blackboard – uses produce from the restaurant’s nearby smallholding. Dishes might include homemade pappardelle with braised ox cheek ragù and salt-baked celeriac with hazelnut cream and black grapes. On Sundays, there’s a sharing set menu offering three courses for £35pp.

Horwood House, High St, Newnham, Gloucestershire

Ssam Ssam

This family-operated Korean restaurant is “run with palpable pride”. Some tables have their own BBQ, allowing you to grill the sensibly priced meat, such as spicy pork belly or Wagyu ox tongue. At the standard tables, “bansang” dishes – consisting of a main component such as grilled mackerel along with three sides and “top-drawer kimchi” – are “surefire winners”.

149 Merton Road, London SW19

Counter Culture

This “lively restaurant” – inspired by the “pintxos” bars of San Sebastián – offers “terrific Spain-meets-Cornwall cooking”. Local seafood is the “bedrock” of many dishes, as in Cornish monkfish tail with cavolo nero, salsify and anchovy jus. For those who want a drink and a quick bite, there are cocktails and delicious snacks, including smoked eel with apple and cauliflower, and smoked cheese “croqueta”.

4 Beach Parade, Newquay, Cornwall

Food has a unique ability to transport you somewhere else – maybe to a moment from your childhood or back to a sunny holiday – and for me this dish does just that, said David Gingell. As with all cooking, the finished product is only as good as the ingredients you use. Good olive oil and excellent clams are the keys here (and with seafood in particular, it is important to use a trusted supplier). Clams can be the ultimate fast food: this dish should take you no longer than 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1kg palourde clams
• 5 shallots, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 30ml olive oil
• 500g cooked, jarred butter beans
• 50ml dry sherry
• 40g jamón, chopped into strips (any kind of fancy Spanish or Italian dry-cured ham will do the job well)
• 1 small handful chopped parsley
• ½ lemon

Method

• Start by checking each of your clams is closed tight and clean. I like to pop a few at a time into a plastic lidded container and give them a little shake. This will root out any dead ones, which will open and should be discarded. You can also leave them in the fridge just covered in salty water for an hour or two; this will trick them into thinking they are back in the sea and start filtering out any internal sand.
• Assuming you are in possession of clean clams, you can get started. You will need a fairly shallow and, most importantly, wide pan with a lid that fits.
• Slowly sweat your shallots and garlic in olive oil with a small pinch of salt for a couple of minutes, until soft and sweet.
• Add the clams and drained butter beans, add a good glug of sherry, turn up the heat to high and cook with a lid until all the clams are open (discard any that aren’t).
• Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped jamón and parsley.
• Taste it and spend a little time adjusting the seasoning with a good squeeze of lemon, a couple of twists of black pepper and salt if needed, maybe even a little extra glug of olive oil.
• Serve in the pan that you have cooked it in, in the middle of the table. A few nice chunks of bread served alongside to mop up any juices at the end is a welcome addition.

David Gingell is the chef/co-founder of Primeur, Westerns Laundry and Jolene, all in north London.

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When hot honey burst onto the food scene about five years ago, it was “something unusual” to drizzle over pizza or use as a meat or halloumi glaze, said Lucy Knight in The Guardian. But now the demand for it has “gone a bit crazy”.

It’s all about its “swicy” – sweet and spicy – appeal. For Gen Z in particular, “swiciness reigns supreme”. And even brands like Walkers and Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut have jumped on board, with limited-edition hot-honey-flavoured crisps and cornflakes.

It’s definitely the “buzzy new flavour sheriff in town”, said Abha Shah in The Standard. Hot honey is versatile and a very “approachable way to enjoy chilli”. Much like salted caramel, a mixed-sensation trailblazer, you get the best of both worlds: a sweetness that isn’t too sickly, and a spiciness that isn’t going to knock your head off. This is perfect for those who might normally be “scared off by too much heat”, Waitrose’s Emilie Wolfman told the paper.

Hot honey may have “made waves” in the food industry but it does split opinion, said Alice Reynolds in The Independent. It’s “arguably the new Marmite” because people “either hate it or can’t get enough.” Either way, “it’s here to stay’.

There are also some concerns that the hot honey boom could cause the market to become “flooded” with lower-quality products, said Knight in The Guardian. Fake honey – bulked out with sugar syrup – is on the rise. When new food trends are identified, people will “try to cut corners to get a better margin”, Ben Lippett, co-founder of Dr Sting’s hot honey, told the paper.

You can easily make it yourself: just put some honey in a pan over a low heat and then add dried chilli flakes (or diced fresh chilli) and a little vinegar or hot sauce. Simmer gently and then allow to coo. Strain the chilli out before serving or, if you like a bit of punch, leave it in.

If you’d rather buy it from the professionals, the “acacia and Pasilla chilli pepper rendition” in Daylesford Hot Chilli Honey, £15, is a seductive luxury choice, said Shah in The Standard: “plonk it dead centre on your cheeseboard after supper” to get your “guests’ tongues wagging”. Or you could spice up your sweet barbecue sauce with M&S Hot Honey Sauce, £2: “perfect as a grilled chicken-wing dip”.

This dish originates in the Loire, specifically the Touraine region where they make wonderful, gastronomic wines, said David Hart, chef-proprietor of Franc, a French restaurant and wine bar in Canterbury.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• ½ bottle of demi-sec Vouvray wine
• 24 pitted prunes
• 4 pork loin steaks, around 2cm thick and of fine provenance
• a little sunflower oil
• 300ml double cream
• 1 lemon

Method

• At least a day before, pour the wine over the prunes and leave them to macerate. After about 24 hours the prunes will have plumped up nicely on each side and the wine will have taken on the flavour of the prunes.
• Take the pork loin steaks out of the fridge a good half an hour before cooking. Put a large heavy-based frying pan on a medium to high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of oil.
• Season the steaks liberally with salt and brown them well for three minutes on each side. Lower the heat, turn the pork over and cook for a further minute on each side. Remove the pork to a warm plate and pour over any pan juices. Loosely cover with foil while you make the sauce.
• Put the pan back on the heat and pour in the wine. Use a wooden spoon to dislodge all the caramelised brown spots on the bottom of the pan (these will dissolve into the sauce and add flavour).
• Boil down the wine until you have about six tablespoons of liquid, then add the cream. Once the sauce has come back to the boil, add the prunes along with any resting juices from the pork. Combine all and taste the sauce for seasoning. You may like to add a few drops of lemon juice to balance the sauce, too.
• Serve the pork on hot plates with the sauce poured liberally over and around. Some spinach or mashed potatoes would work well alongside, as would, of course, a chilled bottle of Vouvray.

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Wine drinkers are usually a picky bunch and have a list of go-to bottles they never betray. But while people’s loyalty to their favourite tipples can be strong, some newer Portuguese wines have enjoyed a surge in popularity.

The “inexpensive yet un-boring” nature of these wines have turned them into “fixtures on the dinner table”, said Victoria Moore in The Telegraph. Portugal’s “portfolio of characterful indigenous grapes” and pocket-friendly prices helps explain how the country “quietly overtook” Chile on the Wine Society’s sales leader board last year.

Gone are Portugal’s days of “lagging” behind its EU neighbours, said John Mariani in Forbes. Following Spain’s “progress and global recognition”, the Portuguese wine industry is having a deserved moment in the spotlight. From “tinta roriz and castelăo red grapes to the alvarinho and loueiro white”, the “wide variety of styles” can make it “confusing” for consumers.

There are over 250 types of grapes native to Portugal, “but I’d wager that many of us wouldn’t be able to name many more than two of these indigenous varieties”, said Hannah Crosbie in The Guardian. The “old vines of different varieties are often planted side by side” which avoids the “painstaking process of separating harvests”. This is why it’s “the norm” in Portugal to make “blends” instead of “single varietal wines” which only feature one type of grape. With so much choice, here are three of the best bottles to try.

Symington Family Estates, Pequeno Dilema, Douro, Portugal 2022

This “complex yet subtly approachable” white wine has an “assertive freshness”, said Decanter. Viosinho, arinto, códega do larinho and a “sprinkle” of alvarinho come together to create a wine with “equal amounts of classicism and energy”. Expect hints of white pepper, aniseed and chopped almonds with a “strong mineral backbone”. The "vividness and depth” comes from the 10-month aging process in French and Hungarian oak barrels.

Bando de Corvos Murder of Crows Tinto 2023, Lisboa, Portugal

“Fruity with a touch of earth”, this high quality blend is made with castelão, trincadeira and touriga nacional grapes, said Moore in The Telegraph. Produced “expressly” for the Wine Society, it’s a “very good value” red wine.

Taste the Difference Douro White 2024, Portugal

For lovers of white wine, this “brand new vintage” is an “excellent” choice, said Moore. “Bright and fresh”, the wine is almost “sherbetty” with “tangy notes of lemon rind” as well as hints of white peach and quince. “Shiveringly clean and crisp”, it’s a deliciously refreshing tipple.