-
Champagne with fish and chips, and what to drink at Christmas with Oscar Dodd of Fortnum & MasonFortnum & Mason's wine and spirits guru Oscar Dodd joins the Country Life podcast.
-
'Hotter than the hinges of hell': Tom Parker Bowles's 10-alarm chiliAll will argue that theirs is the one-and-only true recipe, but when it comes to a Texas chili, tomatoes and beans are sacrilege
-
What to get the wine lover who has everything? How about a 300-bottle barrel, a string of über-vintages or a wine that comes with a trip on a private jetOne of the most storied wine-producing families in Italy has put up a series of rather incredible bottles (and more) in Christie's impending fine wine auction.
-
A huge bubbling, burping, living thing: The rise (and rise) of sourdough starters‘We look after not only our recipes, but our starters themselves — the forces of nature that keep us all going’
-
Best bar none: The London pub renaissanceAgainst all odds, the pubs of the capital are thriving. William Hosie raises a glass to their comeback.
-
A cake with a surprise ingredient that's either a stroke of genius or 'grounds for divorce'The best way ever to get one of your five a day, or a crime against baking? You decide.
-
An unofficial guide to some very nice whiskies that you can drink this Christmas (or before, if you like)Freshen up your drinks cupboard with these two fine special releases, as well as three classics that everyone should own (in my unofficial opinion).
-
Curious questions: Where did Quality Street get its name from?You sit there, devouring them all Christmas, and you didn't even think to ask, did you?
-
Can a gentleman use food as an aphrodisiac? Tom Parker Bowles on mankind's search for the ultimate 'jiggy jiggy juice'Tiger's penis, baboon wee, horny goat weed, snake soup — do any of these unusual dishes actually have what it takes to help the wannabe lothario?
-
How to make three-cheese sourdough bread and a perfect winter-warmer soup to go with itWe'll leave it up to you to decide whether the soup or the sourdough is the star of the show in this pair of recipes...
-
Salt of the earth: The secret history of the pub peanutHaving profited from the downfall of the oyster as a bar snack, the salted peanut itself is now in danger of being usurped.
-
Curious Questions: Margarine used to be pink — but why?Margarine has been a staple of our breakfast tables for over a century, but it hasn't always had a smooth ride — particularly from the dairy industry, who managed to impose a most bizarre sanction on their easily-spreadable, industrially mass-produced rival. Martin Fone explains.
-
'A British comfort-food classic, it soothes and satisfies in equal measure': Tom Parker Bowles and the perfect cottage pieA British food classic, the humble cottage pie–lusciously rich beef mince, topped with buttery, yet crisply tipped mashed potato–is guaranteed to sooth and satisfy in equal, economic measure.
-
The Dawn Chorus: We tried a Guinness shandy so you don't have toPlus the quiz of the day, swimming the Channel three times to raise money for the Garden Museum, and why the moon looks so big and bright.
-
Curious Questions: Wine has been made in Britain for over 1,000 years — so why have we only just turned it into an industry?With the UK wine industry booming, Martin Fone takes a look at its history.
-
Dessert divine: A pear and saffron clafoutisThis recipe from Melanie Johnson combines two seasonal fruits you can find in your garden to create a sumptuous dessert.
-
'Handheld heaven: Tom Parker Bowles on the 'baroque symphony' of spicy, sublime Mexican cornHot and cool, sharp and sweet, spicy and sublime, Mexican corn on the cob is peerless — but the golden kernels must never, ever be allowed near a pizza.
-
A fig, honey and walnut cake that's the perfect autumn bakeMake the most of these sweet late summer fruits, and finish them off with a Cognac glaze.
-
Charlie Bigham: The man behind the meals on food, farming, and why cooking his lasagne takes three hoursWho doesn't love a Charlie Bigham fish pie or tikka masala? We spoke to the main man on the Country Life podcast to learn the secrets behind his famous food and hear more about his new cookbook.
-
'I enjoy seeing people having a good time. That, for me, is the key': Meet some of London's best restaurateursThe secret to success in hospitality is often a simple one — give people what they want and do it well.
-
This Victorian boozy blackberry cordial is as good today as it was 150 years ago. Here's how to make it.Deborah Nicholls-Lee has been delving into the history of the blackberry, and discovered a brandy-enhanced blackberry cordial recipe from Victorian cook Phyllis Browne.
