How Linzer torte stood the test of time
Linzer torte has quite the claim to fame: some assert that it’s the oldest cake in the world; others that…
Tricky but delicious: how to make the perfect pretzels
My husband is obsessed with pretzels. The joy that a slightly warm, soft baked pretzel brings him is disproportionate. And,…
You are what you don’t eat
In the past, the ability to preserve food depended largely on people’s means, making Eleanor Barnett’s history of food waste also a history of changing attitudes to poverty
No nonsense in the kitchen
The forthright food columnist Rachel Cooke has little patience with faddy eaters, ‘meditative’ kitchen tasks or the craze for Portuguese custard tarts
Be prepared to wait: how to make French onion soup like the French
Let me be clear: this week’s recipe is not a speedy little number. You can’t knock up a French onion…
Dark, bold and perfect for autumn: how to make the perfect honey cake
I did not plan to cook a loaf cake when I embarked on concocting a traditional honey cake recipe. The…
Glorious and nostalgic: how to make corned beef pie
A few weeks ago I was at the super-market juggling a toddler, several heavy bags and, it transpired, no pound…
The timeless beauty of a French apple tart
There is, as the saying goes, more than one way to skin a cat. The same could be said –…
My two tips for perfect aubergine parmigiana
In the middle of an unpredictable Indian summer, here is a recipe from sultry southern Italy which is suitable for…
Tarte tropézienne, the glamorous dessert named by Brigitte Bardot
Is there a more glamorous piece of pâtisserie than the tarte tropézienne? Born in the inherently chic Saint-Tropez, named by…
Fish and chips: the fast food that made me
The last meal my parents had before I graced the world with my presence was fish and chips, so I…
The ‘historic’ national dishes which turn out to be artful PR exercises
Japan’s ramen ‘tradition’ was created in 1958 to use up surplus imported flour, while Pizza Margherita’s specious royal connection helped boost Naples’s tourist trade
Pavlova: the crumble of summer
Whenever I tell someone that I’m making a pavlova the response is the same: sheer joy. Even the most fervent…
French tomato tart: a simple celebration of summer
Last year, we grew tomatoes for the first time. And we did so with our characteristic enthusiasm, lack of knowledge…
How to make proper vanilla ice cream
I could map out my life geographically and temporally in scoops of ice cream. From the oyster delights handed over…
Cobb salad: a bright idea for summer suppers
They do salads differently in America. Caesar salad, Waldorf salad, even their egg salads and potato salads: they’re big, they’re…
