Blog

Spicy Adventures

Picture this. A large group of gruff, sweaty men stand atop a hill in Gloucestershire, south-west England. They’re kitted out in a mismatch of multicoloured exercise gear, as if they’re...

Understanding Spices

What are cloves? Cloves are one of the oldest spices in existence and have a culinary and medical history dating back thousands of years. This pungent, aromatic spice comes from...

Meet the Expert

Tell us about yourself I’ve been writing about food for longer than I care to admit, nearly twenty five years as YOU Magazine’s cookery writer, and over twenty books (my...

Spicy Adventures

Picture this: a beautiful tropical island tucked away in the Indonesian archipelago. It’s a place where you’ll find stunning, empty beaches. Rolling hills covered in lush, green rainforest that tumbles...

Featured, Understanding Spices

What is Jerk Seasoning? No matter where you are in the world, Jamaican cooking can transport you to the tropics  thanks to the distinctive flavours of the ubiquitous jerk seasoning....

Understanding Spices

What is khmeli suneli? The fun sounding khmeli suneli is a Georgian spice blend which is used in many different recipes from the Caucasus region. Translating to ‘dried spices’, the...

Spicy Adventures

After a long, bleak winter, the latest announcements from the British PM Boris Johnson have finally offered a glimmer of hope in the UK. Perhaps, after all, there is light...

Understanding Spices

What is advieh? Literally translating to ‘spice’ in Persian, advieh is a spice blend used in Iranian cuisine. It’s a staple in Persian cooking, often compared to India’s garam masala....

Spicy Adventures

Beef rendang is a dish that has always been popular throughout South East Asia and in more recent times, throughout the world. In 2011, CNN International ran a poll in...

Health and Wellbeing

Eating healthily is one of the choices we can make to give ourselves the best possible chance of physical, mental and emotional well-being. "Food is better medicine than drugs."(Patrick Holford)....

Understanding Spices

If you haven’t had the chance to do so already, have a read of our article highlighting the plight of some of your favourite foods. In short, the future does...

Understanding Spices

This spicy Japanese spice blend may sound exotic, but since appearing in recipes by Jamie Oliver and the Hairy Bikers, it’s popping up more and more in British cupboards. What...

Understanding Spices

By now, it’s impossible to deny climate change and the fact that the earth is well on its way in a sixth mass extinction event. Whichever way you look, from...

Understanding Spices

What is candlenut? The candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) is a flowering tree and is also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, kemiri, varnish tree, nuez de la India, buah keras, godou or...

Understanding Spices

Lasagne is one of those classic Italian pasta dishes. It’s beloved not just by humans, but cats too - Garfield being the chief champion of it amongst the feline kingdom...

Spicy Adventures

There has never been a better time to brush up on your cooking skills. Make the most of being ‘stuck’ indoors by gaining some new knowledge in the kitchen, whether...

Understanding Spices

Dal (also known as daal, dahl or dhal), according to Wikipedia, "is a term used in the Indian subcontinent for dried, split pulses (that is, lentils, peas and beans) that...

Understanding Spices

Ah, pizza. Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s up there with chocolate as one of the most universally adored foods - a dish that’s so simple, yet brings us so much...

Health and Wellbeing

As well as sunshine and warmer weather, spring brings an abundance of fresh fruit like strawberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants to the table. When you’ve had your fill of winter fruits...

Health and Wellbeing

Did you know that around the world, there are certain locations where people live longer? Much longer, infact. It sounds implausible at first - perhaps a small quirk in the...

Spicy Adventures

When it comes to kicking back with some feel-good content, there’s nothing better than a cooking show. There is something about food that puts us in our comfort zone, whether...

Spicy Adventures

Tempeh (or tempe) is a traditional Indonesian food product made from fermented soybeans. Read more about it here. Unlike tofu which is softer and more delicate, tempeh has a nutty...

Understanding Spices

What is tempeh? Tempeh (or tempe) is a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans. Tempeh is commonly used as a replacement for meat in vegan and vegetarian cooking. The...

Spicy Adventures

The mince pie, as we know it, is an individual sweet pie comprising a pastry case with a filling of dried fruit, spices, some form of spirit (hopefully!) and suet...

Spicy Adventures

What is breadfruit? Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a flowering tree belonging to the mulberry and jackfruit family. It’s believed that the tree is a domesticated descendant of Artocarpus camansi which...

Understanding Spices

No matter how old we are, we’re always looking for ways to boost our brain health. One of the best ways is from the food we consume, such as fresh...

Understanding Spices

You may well know all about spaghetti bolognese already. When German-based company Apetito ran a survey in 2014, they found that the dish was the third most popular eaten by...

Understanding Spices

A cheap and cheerful dish, the humble shepherd’s pie is an icon of British and Irish cuisine - one for those cold, dark nights over winter. Whilst recipes do have...

Understanding Spices

Chocolate. Just the word alone is enough. Who doesn’t love chocolate? If there were a list of things that are universally loved, chocolate would be sitting pretty at the top....

Spicy Adventures

Wedding favours are, surprisingly, not a modern innovation. For at least five hundred years these small gifts have been given by the bridal couple to their guests as a sign...

Spicy Adventures

What is papaya? Deliciously sweet with a buttery texture, it’s no surprise that papaya was once nicknamed the ‘fruit of the angels’ by Christopher Columbus. This fruit belongs to the...

Understanding Spices

Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation and pain in the joints. There are over 100 types of arthritis, some of the most common ones being rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis....

Understanding Spices

We’ve all been there at one point or another. You’re following a recipe online diligently. You’re in the middle of a pain-staking process - step 7 out of 15 -...

Understanding Spices

What is moringa? Moringa oleifera is a plant which is also nicknamed the drumstick tree, the miracle tree, the ben oil tree, or the horseradish tree. This fast-growing, drought-resistant tree...

Understanding Spices

Chilli con carne (Spanish for ‘chilli with meat’) is a classic dish enjoyed all over the world. Once considered a very exotic meal by Americans, it is now right at...

Understanding Spices

All over the world, from hole-in-the-wall establishments to fast food drive-thrus, gastro pubs and fancy, fine-dining restaurants, the humble beef burger has become a staple on any menu. In many...