Food news antipasto

One of the first things many people learn to bake is cookies, standing at their mother’s or grandmother’s side, maybe on a chair or stepstool depending on how little they are. While kids and cookies are a natural match, one young woman has taken her cookie baking to the next level. Tamia Hawkins-Coleman of Florissant, Missouri, now age 15, started her cookie baking business at age 8. Her ultimate goal is to the be the “Oprah of the Cookie Business.” 

Long waits for a reservation are not unusual for fine dining restaurants, but one British pub might have them all beat. Reservations for Sunday roast at Bristol’s Bank Tavern have a four-year waiting list. Owner Sam Gregory explained that because of a pandemic backlog and the fact that they did not limit requests to just a few months as many other pubs do, they have had to stop taking reservations altogether.

Fats and oils play important roles in cooking, offering differing flavor profiles and suitability for various purposes such as baking or frying. Cookbook author Andrea Nguyen knows a thing or two about oils, especially when it comes to stir frying. She explains which oils she finds best for this purpose, offering insights on smoke points and exploring some fats that you might not have heard about before.

Orzo pasta is extremely versatile, and it is currently having its moment in the sun. The factors driving its renewed popularity (it was a star ingredient in the 1990s before fading away in the early 2000s) include its low price point and flexibility. During times of inflation, inexpensive and familiar foods are key, but orzo rises above comfort food fare, adding luxurious texture to many dishes. Pictured above is Pasta risotto with peas & pancetta from Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson, where orzo stands in for arborio rice.

Gardening season is fast approaching here in the northland, along with visions of harvesting a huge crop of vegetables. Two enthusiastic New Zealand gardeners thought they hit pay dirt when they unearthed a giant tuber that weighed nearly 8 kilograms. Thinking they had dug up the world’s biggest potato, they sent their entry to the Guinness Book of World Records. Alas, their dreams were dashed when then learned it wasn’t actually a potato at all, even though it looked and tasted like one.

The UK government has just announced that hundreds of Russian products will be hit with new import tariffs, including vodka and white fish. Additional food items facing an additional 35% tariff next week include cereals, beverages, spirits and vinegar.

Have you ever wondered where chefs come up with the innovative dishes they serve? In many cases, a test kitchen is the laboratory for chefs to work in and develop new culinary delights. The Guardian takes us inside three different test kitchens – including the Ottolenghi test kitchen – to give us a taste of how they work.