Techniques
Why Toasting Spices Changes Their Aroma
Why toasting spices changes their aroma: learn to recognise the shift from raw and dusty to warm and fragrant, without…
The food archive
All stories
Browse food stories by subject, from ingredient choices and kitchen techniques to the histories and customs behind meals.
Ingredients
Fresh Herbs: Chop Them Fine or Leave the Leaves Whole?
Fresh herbs, chopped or whole, behave differently in a dish. Choose the right cut for even flavour, visible greenery…
Food History
The Long Journey of the Sandwich
The sandwich’s long journey shows how bread and filling became a portable meal, adapting to work, travel and local…
Kitchen Craft
The Recipe Trap: Treating Every Quantity as Untouchable
Recipe quantities are guides, not laws. Learn which amounts to follow closely, which to adjust by sight and taste, and…
Meals
A Late-Summer Supper Built Around Ripe Tomatoes
Plan a late-summer supper around ripe tomatoes, with a fresh centrepiece, a simple accompaniment and a relaxed…