Raise the pulse: Yotam Ottolenghi's chickpea recipes. If ever there was a school for virtuous veg, chickpeas would be the prefects: straight-laced and stuck-in-the-70s predictable, they'd walk around the place marshalling their more colourful counterparts into order. Or would they? It's often the quiet ones who end up surprising everyone. Vegetarian and frugal it may be, but the chickpea is one of the most versatile ingredients you could keep in your cupboards. Take hummus, a dish that's close to everyone's heart in the Middle East (and beyond). Who made the first hummus? Chickpeas also play a vital role in many a stew, curry, casserole or rice-based dish. That's not even the half of it. Gondi These Iranian dumplings aren't to everybody's taste, admittedly, but, like Marmite, if they are, you'll love them. On a medium flame, heat the oil in a medium stockpot.
Put all the ingredients for the dumplings in a large bowl with a teaspoon of salt. Bring the broth to a gentle boil and add the cannellini beans. Strain and rinse the chickpeas. Spuds you'll like: Yotam Ottolenghi's potato recipes. If the British Isles had an official vegetable, it would have to be the potato. After a decade and a half of living here, I think I know just about all there is to know about spuds: how to parboil them before roasting in hot oil or goose fat; how to toss them with butter and chopped curly parsley; how to mash them with milk and butter; and how to bubble-and-squeak them the next day.
Not only that, but my Irish mother-in-law Greta is forever lecturing me about the rights and wrongs of preparing "tatties". But for all the simple beauty of these time-honoured favourites, there is so much more you can do to showcase the potato's versatility and ability to take on other flavours. My beloved Greta may well deem today's recipes as verging on the blasphemous, but they do put her favourite tuber in a fresh context. Consider, for example, the marriage of chips and ketchup. And if it's bitterness or acidity that floats your boat, try dressing new potatoes with lemon-infused oil.
Many splendoured things: Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes for vegetable dishes to feed a crowd. Christmas is a relatively new experience for me. I've only been celebrating it for a few years – ever since I teamed up with a "good" Catholic boy – but I already have some very clear ideas about how this thing should be done. (How Jewish is that?!) I'm terrible at throwing anything away, no matter how little it gets used, and my loved ones get around this affliction simply by not indulging my hoarding instinct when it comes to Christmas presents. So, while everyone else gets to delight in a multitude of novelty knick-knacks and new toys, I'm invariably left to focus on one sensible, what-I-actually-need gift. The kitchen table, on the other hand, is no place for such restraint, and certainly no place to allow any one ingredient to dominate, no matter how impressive.
There's always a sense of occasion about having a star of the show, but it's often the chorus of side dishes and sharing plates that is the most fun. Grilled squash with bagna càuda Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Little marvels: Yotam Ottolenghi's lentil recipes. If the purpose of any food is to sustain, nourish and delight, then to describe a particular dish as "comfort food" is tautologous. At the very least, it's a loose term that means different things to different people. My colleague and friend Sami Tamimi, when asked recently what his favourite comfort food was, said it's any dish that evokes a memory of childhood. It's just as elusive a concept for me: rather than having one particular comfort food, it's all about context. If pressed to commit, however, I'd bet both Sami and I would answer the same.
In fact, I still find it surprising how quick people default to potatoes or pasta when an easy meal is called for. Lentils can be broadly divided into two groups. The most prized lentil has smaller, more rounded seeds and so a finer texture: the slate-green French lentille de Puy leads the way here, followed by the chic black beluga and the robust green pardina from Spain. Crushed puy lentils with tahini and cumin. 10 great vegetarian recipes | Life and style. Did you get the message that it's a good idea to eat less meat, for environmental reasons? Because it's probably better for our health? Or perhaps you've been turned off the animal products because of the various problems with sourcing.
If not, then have a look at the latest missive, from a group of MPs, saying that we should cut down on meat to help ease food crises in the developing world. And if you feel inspired to embrace vegetarianism, at least once or twice a week, we're here to help with a selection of recipes from good old British scotch egg alternatives, to spicy Sichuanese ways with tofu. Just don't go stampeding for the quinoa, eh? Felicity Cloake's vegetarian scotch eggs Now that the weather has finally brightened up, we should be unrolling the picnic blankets. Yotam Ottolenghi's meat-free mezze We can't have a vegetarian recipe collection without Yotam Ottolenghi. Fuchsia Dunlop's pock-marked old woman's tofu Maria Ellis's stuffed tofu Sally Butcher's Swooning Imam. The perfect picnic. Spicy chickpea eggs will liven up any picnic A couple of weeks ago, as weak sunshine dribbled through gusty clouds, I walked through a park at lunchtime.
The grass, straggly and still damp after the long winter, was none the less playing host to numerous office workers, perched awkwardly on their coats, grimly enjoying an al fresco lunch. The British don't let a little thing like weather spoil a picnic. indeed, in hot Mediterranean climates, when everyone with any sense retreats indoors for lunch, you'll often find familiar-looking families happily taking their ease in the midday sun. nothing gets between us and the tupperware, not even sunstroke – our commitment to the rug in defiance of all good sense is one of our most endearing national characteristics. Happily, it looks like it's brightening up at last, but, although the sunshine does make everything taste nicer, there's no harm in seasoning proceedings with a pinch of expertise.
Pick your spot carefully Travel light(ish) How to make the perfect Victoria sponge cake | Life and style. It may not be fancy or fashionable, but I would be hard pressed to think of a cake I liked better than the simple Victoria sandwich. Coffee and walnut, or a damp, whisky-sodden fruited number might come close, but johnny-come-latelys such as the cheesecake or "death by chocolate" could never hope to compete with the quiet charms of this fete favourite. The Victoria sponge* didn't always keep such a low profile, however: once upon a time, old faithful sat proudly at the culinary cutting edge, because it took the invention of baking powder in the 1840s to make such rich, buttery cakes even possible, let alone popular. The sweet-toothed British celebrated this truly world-changing moment with a gloriously patriotic recipe (although anyone who attempted to follow Mrs Beeton's first version would have been left rather underwhelmed by its royal seal of approval, because the original domestic goddess/canny plagiarist left out the eggs).
Flour and baking powder Fat Method Flavourings and toppings. How to make perfect salt and pepper squid. I still remember the thrill of my very first Chinese meal, in a restaurant in exotic St Albans back in the late eighties. There were banana fritters and hilarious chopstick lessons, pancakes you could eat with your hands and carrots carved to look like flowers; in short, it was an eight-year-old's dream meal ticket. My tastes have changed slightly since then – I'm likely to be the one pushing for the pock-marked Mother Chen's bean curd, or the chilli tripe (while secretly hoping someone else will insist on the crispy duck), but one thing I'm unable to resist, if it's on the menu, is salt and pepper squid.
And it usually is, because whatever part of China they're from, restaurateurs are canny operators, and Cantonese spicy, salty fried food is always a winner. The problem is, Chinese meals are all about sharing, and even people who claim to be scared of tentacles usually end up polishing off more of the portion than I'm strictly comfortable with. The cephalopod itself The batter The garnish. The 10 best breakfast recipes. Warm grapefruit and orange with toasted coconut An invigorating, caramelised, citrus fusion, mellowed with sweet, toasted coconut – a great start to your day. Serves 2–3 2 large pink grapefruit3 oranges1 tbsp brown sugar15g unsalted butter, cubed75g desiccated coconut 1 Preheat the grill to high. 2 Using a sharp knife, cut the peel from the grapefruit and oranges, then slice the flesh into 1cm-thick rings. 3 Arrange in a shallow baking dish. 4 Grill until the fruit is lightly browned. The Breakfast Book by Dorset Cereals (Pavilion).
The full Italian Not the lightest of breakfasts – more of a hefty brunch to fuel a long walk or some other mildly strenuous exertion. Serves 8 2 red onions, finely sliced2 tbsp white wine vinegar1 heaped tsp caster sugarA knob of butter2 x 500g rings Tuscan or Cumberland sausageOlive oil2 eggsA splash of milkA pinch of fresh rosemary, chopped8 slices of day-old breadSalt and black pepper 1 Put the onions in a small saucepan with the vinegar, sugar and butter. Felicity Cloake's coconut and cardamom ice – recipe. Makes 25 squares 250ml condensed milk5 cardamom pods, crushed225g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to dust200g desiccated coconutPink food colouring Put the condensed milk and cardamom pods into a pan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until just simmering, then set aside for 45 minutes. Stir the icing sugar and coconut together.
Remove the cardamom pods from the milk and discard, then pour the milk into the bowl and mix well – it should be dough-like in consistency. Divide in half, and put into separate bowls. Add a few drops of food colouring to one of the bowls, and work through until evenly coloured. Dust a work surface with icing sugar, and shape the white dough into a rough rectangle about 1.5cm thick (a rolling pin may be helpful). Transfer to a board and leave to set overnight. Felicity Cloake's veggie scotch eggs – recipe. A British picnic classic with the flavours of Moorish Spain, these are as delicious as the meat version.
Makes 6 8 eggs, at room temperature3 tbsp olive oil1 red onion, finely chopped4 cloves of garlic, crushed2 carrots, peeled and grated1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained2 tsp sweet smoked paprika2 tsp chilli flakesSalt and pepperA splash of milk100g flour, plus extra for dusting100g dried panko breadcrumbs1 tsp cayenne pepper1.2l vegetable oil, for frying Put six eggs into a large pan of cold water, bring to the boil, then simmer for five minutes. When done, drop them into a bowl of iced water. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and soften the onion, garlic, carrots and red pepper. Roughly crush the chickpeas with the remaining olive oil. Stir the smoked paprika and chilli flakes into the vegetables and after a minute, combine them with the chickpeas.
Divide the chickpea mixture into three balls, then halve each ball. Felicity Cloake's chicken, chorizo and pepper pies recipe. Makes 6 For the pastry 225g plain flour, plus extra to dustA pinch of salt1 teaspoon smoked paprika175g cold butter50ml iced waterVegetable oil, to grease1 egg, beaten with a little water and salt For the filling 4 chicken thighs1 celery stalk, chopped1 carrot, chopped1 bay leaf4 peppercorns2 tablespoons olive oil½ onion, chopped½ green pepper, deseeded and diced½ red pepper, deseeded and diced75g cured chorizo, skinned and diced75g creme fraiche Sift the flour, salt and paprika into a bowl, and grate in the butter. Put the chicken thighs into a large pan with the celery, carrot, bay leaf and peppercorns and cover with cold water. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Lightly oil a six-hole muffin tray. How to cook the perfect lemon drizzle cake. Drizzle is not normally good news. Not when it's falling from the sky, not when it's replacing a decent helping of sauce, and especially not when it's found on a menu in close proximity to the words "balsamic vinegar".
Deliciously sticky, sweet and sour lemon drizzle cake is the one, and very honourable, exception. A deluge of the all-important citrussy syrup would be over generous here, yielding a soggy sponge only fit for lining the trifle bowl. No, when it comes to cake, drizzle is, for once in its life, absolutely perfect. But just as there's more than one way to skin a cat should you have need to, there's also a multitude of options out there when it comes to the more useful skill of drizzling cakes, all claiming to offer the best, the stickiest, the most indulgent take on this teatime classic.
Cake Before drizzle, of course, comes cake. Syrup Icings and fillings To be honest, George's magnificent cake provides a lot of food for thought: it's the only one which includes a filling. 1. Blueberry recipes | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It's fair to say that the term "health nut" is unlikely ever to be applied to me, but I like to think I generally balance the books when it comes to the profit and loss of the good and the greedy. I don't obsess over food groups, or count calories, or tot up my five a day. I do, however, sometimes find myself saying, "That's probably enough cheese/ice-cream/cake for now.
Or at least until elevenses. " I think I more or less pull off the nutritional balancing act because I'm as likely to pile into something that's good for me as I am into something that's a tad indulgent. Provided, of course, I can get excited about its taste. But, for me, the perfect coincidence of the delicious and the nutritious is our summer berries. I won't lecture you on vitamin C, antioxidants and fibre – blueberries are one of those foods you only have to taste to know that they're doing you good. I'm hoping they'll get cheaper, too, because right now this is one pricey little berry. Blueberry clafoutis. How to cook perfect sauteed potatoes. I was somewhat puzzled when sauteed potatoes appeared on the list of suggestions for this column. For a start, the highest form of fried potato is clearly the chip. And moreover, I had severe doubts as to whether anyone would bother to cook such sad little cubes of greasy potato at home. Beloved of the budget buffet, they're only one step up from a frozen potato croquette – and, in my book at least, a less attractive proposition.
Sauteed potatoes may take their name from the French "to jump" (thanks to the action of tossing them in the pan), but I certainly wasn't leaping into action on this one. But, in deference to my esteemed editor, I grudgingly did a bit of research, and lo, I realised there are two sorts of sauteed potato, just like, I suppose, there are good croquettes and bad croquettes. Variety and performance Most recipes for sauteed potatoes call specifically for a waxy variety: Ramsay suggests Charlotte and Anthony Bourdain Yukon Gold (more common in the States than here).
Fruit/Veg. Recette de Magret de canard farci au foie gras. Sri Lankan. Hot Chile and Hot Foods.