Features

Flash, bang, dollop! Variations on a mayonnaise

Sunday, 30 May 2010

It takes no time to transform a basic mayo into aioli, rouille, sauce vert or even a spicy, paprika-infused sauce. What more do you need to give a lift to any number of light, summer dishes, asks Skye Gyngell

Anthony Rose: You can now put Spar's wines on your dinner table without attracting a derisory snort from your guests

Saturday, 29 May 2010

Laura Jewell likes the expression "does what it says on the tin". That's because, since she joined Spar as their wine buyer a year ago, she's been busy re-vamping the range with wines that do a job at the price. Spar, which opened for business in the UK in 1967, is possibly not the first wine port of call for Independent readers. Toilet rolls perhaps; in fact anything you might drop into the local store for on your way home. But wine?

Mark Hix's best ever summer recipes, part 2

Saturday, 29 May 2010

Elderflower buttermilk pudding with raspberries

Wine: Something For The Weekend?

Saturday, 29 May 2010

2007 Dão, 2008 Château Cabanes, Graves, Bordeaux, 2008 Achaval Ferrer Malbec, Mendoza

Gastronomy: Hellenic kitchen

Friday, 28 May 2010

Our taste for haute cuisine and fine wine is nothing new. The ancient Greeks and Romans had a passion for gastronomy – and even worshipped their own celebrity chefs, writes Ferdinand Mount

Fancy a glass of Chateau Rock Star?

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

Forget sports cars and mansions. The ultimate status symbol for today's rockers is a private vineyard – and some of their wine is impressing experts. Rob Sharp finds out why music and viticulture make the perfect blend

Mushrooms: The culture club

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

For a taste of the woods, you don't have to forage for mushrooms: dedicated foodies are cultivating them at home. Clare Rudebeck learns how it's done

Skye Gyngell's strong, sunny flavours

Sunday, 23 May 2010

Sunny, strong flavours are so appealing right now – and these dishes have them in abundance. It is the time of the year for light dishes; fish feels right to eat, as do white meats such as chicken or guinea fowl. It's wonderful to use the tomatoes that are coming into season, alongside saffron, garlic, fennel and chillies that add warmth rather than heat.

Signs of good taste: How restaurants, cafes, markets and food shops grab our attention

Saturday, 22 May 2010

Long before I even started thinking of writing about food, I was taking pictures around the world of the kaleidoscope of graphic signs and images that restaurants and markets use to make themselves stand out.

Robert Fisk: Tea with Bin Laden...and other stories

Saturday, 22 May 2010

The Independent's distinguished Middle East correspondent recalls the culinary highs and lows of his career.

Mark Hix's best ever summer recipes, part 1

Saturday, 22 May 2010

Lotta Bottle: The best summer wines

Saturday, 22 May 2010

From elegant rieslings to succulent reds for the barbecue...

Secret service: An anonymous head waiter reveals what the staff at Britain's top restaurants are saying behind your back

Saturday, 22 May 2010

Raymond Blanc: To the Manoir born

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

He is an institution in British gastronomy. But even after 35 years here, Raymond Blanc would still like to teach us a thing or two about food. John Walsh takes notes

Save the world by eating sushi

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

With tuna and salmon stocks dwindling, an oily fish from southeast Asia offers a sustainable substitute. But does cobia pass the taste test? Rob Sharp finds out

The big chill: Skye Gyngell's blissed-out bowls of cool soup for warm spring evenings

Sunday, 16 May 2010

Here are three soups that are good to eat right now. Filled with seasonal ingredients, they make for a lighter dinner as the evenings get warmer.

On the waterfront: Mark Hix cooks up mouth-watering summery recipes from a brand new canal-side café

Saturday, 15 May 2010

While Jason Lowe and I are cooking, setting up and photographing my recipes for this column, we often get chatting about the restaurant industry and all the new projects and potential sites that we've come across during the past week.

Happy meals: Why McDonald's has been a positive force for change

Thursday, 13 May 2010

The great philosopher John Travolta once observed that, in France, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese is known as a "Royale with Cheese", while they call a Big Mac "Le Big Mac" and allow you to wash it down with beer.

Around the world in 80 dishes No.5: Indonesia

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Global kitchen

Fresh flavours at a snip

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Herbs turn a simple dish into a culinary treat. And if you grow your own, says chef Robin Gill, you can afford to experiment. Simon Usborne tastes the difference

Gin: In a glass of its own

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Forget ice and a slice – the new super-premium gins are much too interesting to be drowned in tonic. David Gerrie reports on a new spirit of adventure

On the agenda: Look Mum No Hands!; Kigu; wegivebooks.org; National Vegetarian Week; International Day for Biological Diversity

Sunday, 9 May 2010

Animal magic: why you should take a tiger to Glastonbury and go walking with wolves

Food: Skye Gyngell spills the beans

Sunday, 9 May 2010

The season for English peas and broad beans is here at last, bringing a fresh, sweet alternative to the heavy root vegetables that have been available for the past few months.

Dining out: Mark Hix creates an al fresco feast

Saturday, 8 May 2010

It's been a cracking spring, and let's hope that it stays that way so that we can all enjoy some al fresco eating this summer. The following recipes would be perfect eaten outside during a sunny weekend afternoon or on a hot summer's evening – just keep the barbecue to hand.

Anthony Rose: 'The cliché that rosé is a woman's drink is less prevalent, thanks to the popularity of drier styles'

Saturday, 8 May 2010

When the headline beamed out at me, "Rose attracts male following", I was naturally flattered, albeit puzzled, as to who my new friends were.