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 How sustainable is your local restaurant?
We hear a lot these days about sustainable ingredients, but it can be difficult to know how sustainable foods are in a restaurant, or whether staff are paid fairly, or whether the owners try to save energy or recycle. All that is about to change, thanks to the Sustainable Restaurant Association – and you can help. Find out more

 

Have you tried dukkah?
One a recent foray to Sainsbury’s I was delighted to see that they sell dukkah – a Middle Eastern dip that’s a mixture of coriander, cumin and sesame seeds, plus crushed almonds in some cases. Buy some if you see it as it makes a great contribution to a supper party. Just dip good crusty bread into olive oil then into the dukkah so the seeds stick. Really scrummy!

 The Bingham: brilliance in Richmond
The best food I’ve had all year in a memorable setting on the banks of the Thames in Richmond. Read my review of The Bingham here.

 

Did you know?
If you want to make a really quick ice cream, get a tub or carton of ready-made custard – Ambrosia works well – and stir in crushed fresh raspberries, strawberries or blueberries, or make some praline and stir that in with honey. Then freeze, stirring after a few hours to break up any ice crystals. Let your imagination run wild... you can use any soft fruit (or gently cooked harder fruits) for a quick and mouthwatering summer dessert.

A taste of New England
Clam chowder, popcorn chicken, fish and chips...it’s all about relaxed eating at The Summerhouse, decorated in a summery blue-and-white seaside style on the banks of the Grand Union canal. Find out more

A good salad for now
I love summer beans and peas, and one of my favourite ways to enjoy them is with this easy, colourful salad. Blanch 175g broad beans for 2 mins in boiling water, then slip off the skins. Combine in a large salad bowl with 3 chopped tomatoes, 1 diced green pepper, 20 black olives, 2 large handfuls of salad leaves, 150g crumbled feta, 3 tbsp chopped mint, juice of half a lemon, 4 tbsp olive oil and seasoning. 

Fresh yeast or dried?
When I went on Mary Cadogan’s brilliant breadmaking course in France last year she advocated using fresh yeast – Hirondelle brand from the supermarkets, which can be frozen. I recently met Richard Bertinet (look out for more on him and his bread soon) and he also said that he only ever uses fresh yeast. So what is best? Easy-blend dried yeast is widely available but I’m now beginning to wonder if the secret of a really good loaf could be down to the yeast you use. I’d be interested to hear your views and will start a post on the forums on this very subject.

Wonderful Wagamama!
This chain is one of my favourites: good, simple pan Asian food at keen prices (although not quite as keen as the night market in Phuket!). They’ve introduced some summer specials to the menu which are well worth trying: find out more.

Magnificent Malaysia
Look out for a series of features on the site soon, following my trip to Malaysia. I was surprised by the cuisine: less fiery than Thai, it did feature some of the same key ingredients such as galangal, ginger, garlic and lemongrass. What made it more complex is the fact that over the centuries Malaysia has been colonised by various peoples who have integrated into the local population to create a whole new cuisine, Nyonya. Hence you’ll find Indian, Chinese, Dutch and even Portuguese influences. Fascinating. Malaysian cuisine is set to be the next big thing in Britain: you read about it first here! I’ll be adding Malaysian recipes to the site over the coming months, plus more information about this very different style of cooking.

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