Food and Drink

If there was ever a vegetable that has suffered at the hands of an overwhelming lack of versatility the humble sprout would be it. Not only is the sprout usually just lobbed onto a plate simply steamed or boiled it is also often confined to just one meal a week or, prey, one meal a year. I mean, try to think back to a time when you ate sprouts as part of something other than a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner! It...

With December having arrived, the time has come to get into the Christmas spirit. This week’s cocktail recipe is a Christmas-themed drink from Ray’s Bar in Dalston. Opened by the team behind Dalston Superstore and Voodoo Ray’s, the bar’s drinks menu is designed by drinks consultant Shiv Lal, along with General Manager Waseem Akbar and Head Bartender Dave Miller. The ‘Spice World’, for instance, is a simple combination of on-trend rye whiskey, chai syrup, antica formula and a cream float...

It is generally accepted that France is responsible for some of the best food in the world, so where better to start a culinary excursion than in Paris - home to some of the globe’s most highly regarded restaurants? First opened in 1898, the iconic Ritz hotel re-opened its revolving doors this summer after a lengthy multi-million-dollar refurbishment in attempt to drag the hotel kicking and screaming into the 21st century. And what with it being so easy to visit...

When I was a student in Newcastle there was a famous bakery that used to open its doors in the early hours of the morning to feed boozed-up students returning from town. Devoid of kebab shops, pizza places or any other form of late night greaseathons in Jesmond the bakery did rather well out of early morning sales, and it didn't cost them to staff the operation because most of their bakers were in at the crack of dawn anyway. Their business...

It's the first day of December and it's officially time to start posting Christmas related stories. A hypnotic video released today shows mince pies rolling off the production line at the Asda mince pie HQ in Barnsley, South Yorks, at the rate of 720 every MINUTE. The mesmerising video follows the process from start to finish as buttered pastry is piped down from a secret room onto the production line. Asda’s secret recipe of pre-mixed ingredients including fruit and spices...

With plenty of exciting restaurant openings constantly taking place across the Capital, here’s our pick of the best new restaurants arriving in London over the coming month. Ceru – South Kensington After offering a number of tasters around the capital, as well as having appeared a number of music festivals in recent years, Ceru will open its first permanent site this month. Taking over a site in South Kensington, the restaurant is heavily inspired by husband and wife team Barry and Patricia Hilton’s travels...

Brewed: Walthamstow, London Strength: 4.7% ABV Founded on the back of a hobby that turned into an obsession, Wild Card Brewery functions from its own site in Walthamstow, having opened at the beginning of 2014. Since launching, Wild Card has become renowned for producing no-nonsense, uncompromising beers with a four-strong core range inspired by playing cards. These include a ‘Jack of Clubs’ ruby ale, ‘Queen of Diamonds’ hoppy IPA, ‘King of Hearts’ blonde beer, and ‘Ace of Spades’ – "a classic London...

Perhaps even more so than Chinese cuisine in Britain, Indian food and restaurants have evolved massively over the past few centuries. Britain’s first encounters with the food of India can be traced back to the 17th century with the introduction of The East India Company. Set up for Britain to trade produce with India, this sparked further interest in Indian food, with various spices and curry powders becoming readily available in the UK during the late 1700s. As for Indian...

Just in time for Christmas, truffle brand Monty Bojangles (named after the founder’s pet cat) have teamed up with Michelin starred Chef Mark Sargeant to create a range of chocolate-focused desserts and snacks. This week’s recipe, ‘Cookie Moon Cheesecake’, uses Monty Bojangles’ Cookie Moon truffles, made with buttery cookie chunks and a dusting of bitter-sweet cocoa powder to create a delicious cheesecake with a granola base. Mark’s Top Tip: “Adding layers of cling film to the spring form tin when...