The Power of Eating Seasonally: why it’s better for all of us
Nutritionist and chef Nicky Clinch explains why sticking to seasonal fruit and veg makes us healthier, happier and more creative in the long term
Want to know more about eating seasonally? Check out our recipes made with the best of spring, summer, autumn and winter produce. Celebrate the abundance of asparagus, peaches, strawberries, pumpkin, carrots and parsnips. Have a read below to find out how eating seasonally is better for us and the planet, then discover how to grow your own fruits and vegetables, as well as our vegetarian recipes and vegan meal ideas. Growing up in Hong Kong, I barely saw a patch of grass, let alone knew what vegetables were growing when. The concept that food naturally grew at certain times of year was beyond my comprehension. With the gift of air travel, transport and refrigeration, nothing is beyond our reach today. It’s all become so easy – but is it really a gift? Or have we lost touch with where the foods we eat actually come from and what times of year they naturally grow? Here are a few reasons why I think eating seasonal produce is beneficial not only to our health, but also to the environment and communities. How is eating seasonally better for you? Rich in nutrients Plants get all their nutrients from the sun and soil. Harvesting local produce when its fully ripened means all of our wonderful fruit and veg – plums, strawberries, and potatoes – are given the longest possible time to absorb as many nutrients as they can. More sun = more antioxidants! Produce that is transported from overseas is often (although not always) picked before being ripe to withstand the transportation process. The further away the produce, the earlier it needs to be picked. Have you ever wondered why bananas are green on our supermarket shelves? Immune Strength The produce that naturally grows during a certain month is the same produce that our bodies need at that time of the year – to keep our immune system at an optimum level. To explain: in the summer we have refreshing water- and sugar-enriched produce such as cucumbers, lettuce and berries to keep us cool and naturally hydrated. And in winter, we have tougher more fibrous vegetables such as pumpkins, kale and parsnips that have more slow-releasing sugars, giving us longer lasting energy resources to withstand the cold. Eating produce grown in much hotter climates during the winter will have the opposite effect. For example, pineapples in winter will give a quick burst of energy as they are very sweet and full of fast releasing fruit sugars; but this energy burst is not long lasting enough to sustain us when our immune strength is at its most vulnerable. How is eating seasonally better for the environment? Produce grown outside of its natural season needs extra assistance to grow and look appealing to consumers. This can come in the form of pesticides, genetic modification, waxes, chemicals and preservatives – all toxic compounds that harm our waters, soil and health. By choosing local seasonal food you are more likely to get a ‘cleaner’ product! How is eating seasonally good for your mental health? Eating more local seasonal veg will definitely encourage you to move out of your comfort zones and try cooking and eating something new. We can’t control the weather and can’t predict exactly what will grow and when; but that's part of the excitement of eating seasonally. At your local farmers’ market, there’s no guarantee that exactly what you want and need will be there. So why not try a new veg that is available? Say, a kohlrabi or maybe a new type of pumpkin. Going to the supermarket might guarantee that you can buy exactly what you want, but it also means we usually end up buying the same things week in, week out. How is eating seasonally good for the environment? There’s something so grounding and nourishing about going to a local farmers’ market. It’s not only an opportunity to select a shopping bag full of different goodies, it’s also great to meet and shake the hands of our dedicated farmers who work so hard all year round. It helps me understand exactly where my produce has come from and who grew it; and it means I’m more connected to the overall process. All-in-all, embracing the natural cycles of nature helps simplify life, keeps us grounded and supports our health. We may not always get exactly what we want but it’s more than likely we will get exactly what we need. To find your local farmers market visit local-farmers-markets.co.uk To try a seasonal veg box scheme visit riverford.co.uk or abelandcole.co.uk For regular seasonal recipes, cooking classes and events visit nickyclinch.com About Nicky Nicky is a natural foods chef and certified holistic nutritionist and counsellor based in London. She teaches regular one day cooking classes as well as a six-week course ('transform your diet, transform your life') in Hackney. Nicky also hosts a seasonal supper club throughout the year. For more information on classes and events, plus many seasonal meat-free recipes and features, visit nickyclinch.com You might also like Best ever healthy pasta recipes Best ever healthy BBQ recipes Best ever healthy curry recipes under 500 calories Best ever healthy salad recipes under 500 calories Spiralizer and courgetti guide (plus: healthy spiralizer recipes)
Learn about the origins and benefits of green tea, plus tips for how to brew the perfect cup from ‘tea scientist’ Bethan Thomas
Want to know more about green tea? Discover more about the origins, benefits and types of green tea as well as how to make the perfect cup of green tea. Next, check out our guide to the best matcha to buy and our review of the best greens powders to buy. We've also taste tested the best herbal teas to buy. What are the origins of green tea? The origins of drinking green tea can be traced back to 2nd century China, when it was boiled, compressed and baked into a cake. It was only in the 14th century that the production of loose-leaf green teas increased in popularity. It was green tea in this form, as we know it today, that reached our shores 200 years later. What are the benefits of green tea? The craze for green tea has taken the UK by storm – high in antioxidants and a natural source of minerals such as manganese and potassium, it’s the brew of choice in health circles. What’s more, green tea is particularly high in the antioxidant ECGC that is reputed to slow the aging process and even protect against free-radical damage in the body. Generally, it also has lower amounts of caffeine in it than black tea due to being brewed at a cooler water temperature. The health-conscious might also enjoy white tea, believed by many to have even more powerful anti-ageing properties than green tea. Also, oolong and puerh tea have been linked to weight loss, and fruity or herbal infusions are caffeine free and boast many benefits. Some are said to aid fighting off colds and flu, and are high in antioxidants (acai) and amino acids (goji). What types of green tea are there? There is so much more to green tea than meets the eye. Too often it’s considered a one-trick pony – there are actually hundreds of different types of green tea in China alone and many couldn’t be further from the dust found in low-cost tea bags. The tea’s garden origin, coupled with its production methods, determine the colour, aroma and taste of your end cup. Each tea is defined by the type of bush it is picked from, its geographical heritage and the careful production it undergoes once picked. The most famous Chinese green teas are hand pressed against a hot wok like Dragon Well Green Tea, whilst in Japan the best teas are hand rolled and steamed – Gyokuro or ‘Jade Dew’ green tea is the most highly desired type of this tea. How do you brew green tea? In order to get the most out of your cup, it needs to be brewed correctly. Green tea is delicate. When created it is carefully handled and doesn’t undergo the heavy oxidation that black tea does… the leaves are therefore fragile, so you shouldn't use boiling water to infuse it. Let the kettle cool for a few minutes after boiling, before pouring water on the leaves. This will allow the sweet and creamy flavours of proteins and polyphenols in the leaves to come out, and stop caffeine and tannins, which cause a bitter taste. Don’t over-steep the tea leaves – green tea only needs 2-3 minutes maximum to brew. Feature kindly supplied by tea expert Bethan Thomas, Whittard.
Use this sought-after, colourful spice in our recipes, from saffron risotto to delicate seafood stew
Looking for saffron recipes? Want to know how to use saffron? Try our ideas below. What is saffron? Essentially, saffron is the stigmas of the purple saffron crocus flower. The word saffron comes from the Arabic word zafaran, which means yellow. Saffron is the world’s most precious and expensive spice, with Iran as the top producer. Why is saffron so expensive? The saffron crocus plant is harvested in the autumn and the process is completely done by hand. It takes about 80,000 flowers to produce just 1lb of the spice. The good news is that it only takes a very little amount to give flavour and colour to a recipe. Which saffron is the best? The best quality saffron is a deep red colour, and has a honey-like aroma. Don’t be fooled by labels (there are many ‘knock-offs’ out there), so make sure you get your saffron from a reliable source. Always try to buy dried whole stigma rather than powdered saffron as it can be adulterated with other spices to increase its volume and selling price. Where to find saffron Read our guide on what is saffron and where to buy it for advice on purchasing this ingredient online and in supermarkets. How do you cook with saffron? There are three main methods. You can either add it whole to the preparations, reduce it to a paste with a mortar and pestle, or infuse it in a cup of hot water and add the water to the recipe. Saffron recipes Saffron risotto This soothing risotto gets it wonderfully golden colour from saffron. It's is delicious on its own, or served with a roast chicken and the roasting juices from the tin. An impressive entertaining idea, if you've got friends round for dinner. Sicilian pasta with cauliflower Featuring saffron, raisins and pine nuts, this traditional Sicilian pasta dish is packed with flavour and texture. Saffron mussels with orzo and tomatoes This recipe for mussels with orzo in a saffron-infused broth is really easy – it's a one-pot and takes under an hour but it looks fantastic and is packed full of delicious flavours. Seafood stew with saffron A delicious saffron-infused dish that's packed with flavour. Clams, mussels, and roast tomatoes are all cooked in white wine and flambéed with Pernod. Serve with plenty of bread to mop up the juices. Saffron, asparagus and almond pilaf This saffron pilaf is a lovely spring dish that benefits from saffron's hue and gentle flavour. It's a great alternative way to use asparagus, which is officially in season from 24 April, but might be in the shops a bit earlier depending on the weather. Saffron, browned butter and pear muffins The subtle spice from saffron works wonderfully here with nutty browned butter and pears. There's no need to use muffin cases here – just butter the holes in the tin. Spiced lamb chops with saffron yogurt The saffron-infused yogurt and garlic dip works perfectly with these spicy lamb chops. A ready-in-a-jiff main course, perfect for a dinner party. Mussel, saffron and potato soup This smooth creamy soup with saffron makes the best dinner-party starter. Garnished with mussels it has a touch of luxury but is easy to prepare. Crumbed asparagus with saffron yogurt The saffron yogurt here is a simple version of an aïoli, with Middle Eastern style. It's great with the asparagus, which is crumbed instead of battered to helps retain a wonderful texture. Saffron and cardamom rice pudding A little bit of rice goes a long way in Romy Gill's recipe for this delicately spiced, aromatic rice pudding that showcases vibrant saffron. Did we mention that it's also gluten-free? Saffron martini Saffron gin is mixed with Cointreau, providing an orange hue to this spiced martini. This simple cocktail recipe comes from London's Soho restaurant, Gunpowder.
Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year: 2017 winners in pictures
Want to know who won at the 2017 Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Awards? Of course you do! Scroll down to see a selection of the winners
The Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Awards, which launched in 2011, offers photographers (both amateur and professional) the chance to enter their foodie snaps into a competition judged by a team of experts, including food critic Jay Rayner. This year the awards reception took place on April 25 at the Mall Galleries in London, where more than £10,000 in prize money was awarded over the course of the evening. Picked from over 8,400 entries, here's a selection of the winning images... Overall winner: Shoeb Faruquee (Bangladesh) Cream of the Crop: Wesley Dombrecht (Belgium) Politics of Food: Tom Parker (UK) Food in the Field: Sally Ann Stone (UK) Startisans Food in the Street: Robin Stewart (UK) Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (Produce): Robert Holmes (USA) Food Bloggers (supported by Aspire): Hein van Tonder (South Africa) The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action: Francesca Brambilla and Serena Serrani (Italy) 11-14 Years: Lily-Mae Franklin (UK) 10 and Under: Carla Smend (UK) Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (People): Mick Rock (UK) Partridges Food for Sale: Azalea Dalton (UK) Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture: Darren Eastwood-Hickson (UK) For more informtation and winning photos, visit pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com
How to get 10 portions of fruit and veg daily – sample menus and recipes
Seen the news about how 10 (not five) portions of fruit and veg a day can increase your chances of living a longer life? It's easier to eat 10 portions than you think! Try our daily menu suggestion below (it even includes dessert)
News just in: apparently eating 10 portions of fruit and veg a day can cut your risk of heart disease, a stroke, cancer and a premature death (according to the findings of an Imperial College London study, February 2017). Whether it's true or not, it's doubtless a good idea to get as many delicious fruits and vegetables into your diet as possible. And it really isn't that difficult. Did you know that three sticks of celery is a portion in itself? As is half an avocado, one apple, half a grapefruit or just one third of an aubergine... just one third! We've pulled together a delicious daily menu for you to try (starting with breakfast and ending with dessert after your evening meal) that makes up those necessary 10 portions of fruit and veg. We've used official NHS guidelines to work out the portion count for each recipe (you can find the NHS guidelines here), as well as advice from our expert nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens, and have included the portion count per person with each recipe. Have a go yourself, and see how you get on. Breakfast Go ahead with your normal breakfast, but have one of the below smoothies on the side. You can prepare them in advance and it's such an easy way to get those delicious fruits and veggies into your system. Try not to have smoothies or fruit juices outside of meal times, to limit the number of sugar attacks on your teeth each day, and avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after drinking or eating something acidic. Lesson over! Morning smoothie Perhaps our simplest smoothie recipe, made using just mango, bananas, orange juice and a little honey (which you can always leave out if you haven't much of a sweet tooth). Remember, according to the NHS, unsweetened 100% fruit juice, veg juice and smoothies can only ever count as a maximum of one portion. Portion count per person: 1 OR Supergreen smoothie Drink this healthy green smoothie in the morning for a quick, nutrient-packed pick-me-up. Cucumber, spinach, lime and kiwi are a great combination and the avocado adds a lovely texture. Portion count per person: 1 Elevenses Mid-morning is the perfect time to cram in some extra fruit and veg goodness. We usually prepare our snacks at home, then just pop them in a tupperware to enjoy at work the next day. DIY apple crisps We've written a whole guide on how to make these little beauties. All it takes is an apple and an oven. That's it! And because they're oven-baked, not fried, it makes the whole thing that much healthier. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top before baking, if you like. Portion count per person: 1 (for 30g eaten) Lunch Again, give preparing your lunch in advance a go. It means that you can control your fruit and veg portion size and you won't end up running to the canteen at work for an unhealthy option. Or make the greens and beans salad below as part of dinner, and use the leftovers for lunch the next day! Avocado on toast with smoked salmon Creamy avocado and delicious smoked salmon feel like an indulgence, but this dish comes in at under 300 calories meaning you can have a little bit of luxury any day of the week. Portion count per person: 2 (1 from ½ avocado, 0.5 from the tomatoes, 0.5 from the cucumber) OR Greens and beans salad What a way to combine a glut of lovely Tenderstem broccoli, green beans, kidney beans, celery, watercress and goodness knows what else. Plus it comes with a delicious homemade dressing. Remember, according to the NHS, beans and pulses count as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you eat. Portion count per person: just over 2 (1 from the kidney beans, 0.5 from the avocado, 0.5 from the celery) Afternoon snack When 3pm strikes, so does our hunger. But don't reach for the crisps - try something far more colourful instead! Picnic dip jars with pea guacamole There are two easy dip suggestions for this recipe, but if you've only got the time for one make the pea guacamole. It's a quicker way to your 10-a-day (three heaped tablespoons of peas, whether fresh or frozen, counts for one portion) and takes seconds to whizz together. Portion count per person: 3 (1 from the peas, 2 from 160g of accompanying varied veg crudités) Dinner Our final chance to hit that 10 portions of fruit and veg a day target. So far, with a morning smoothie, elevenses, lunch and afternoon snack, we've already racked up 7 portions - not long to go now! Courgette lasagne with chilli spring greens You only need to eat half a large courgette to get one portion, and they sweat down so easily. Although do remember that you can't have more than one portion from the same vegetable (no matter how many courgettes you use, it will still just count as one portion). The idea is variety! This super veggie recipe (which comes with its own how-to video) uses ricotta to get a really creamy texture. Pair it with our chilli spring greens to add (almost) another fruit and veg portion per person. Portion count per person: nearly 3 (1 from the courgette, 1 from the tinned tomatoes, nearly one from the spring greens) OR Aubergine parmigiana with chilli spring greens A super simple recipe for aubergine parmigiana. This Italian classic of layers of tomato sauce (there's one portion in every two cans of tomatoes), aubergine and parmesan is fun to make and loved by all the family. Portion count per person: nearly 3 (1 from the aubergine, 1 from the tinned tomatoes, just under 1 from the side dish of spring greens) Dessert Yes, you can get fruit and veg portions from dessert! And our way is far more exciting than an apple... No-churn banana ice cream You don't need an ice cream maker, and you don't even need more than three ingredients. It's still ice cream, but one serving counts as two fruit and veg portions. Win win. Portion count per person: 1 (from the banana) Total portion intake, if using the above planner: just under 11. See, it's easy!
Smart foodies know that ditching a recipe in favour of a ready-made product is sometimes a good option. Here are 30 products from our third annual Christmas Supermaket awards that we really rate, to make festive entertaining easier for you
The Christmas cake everyone will want to buy Winner: Asda Christmas Pudding Smash Cake. A fun family centrepiece that kids will love. Smash it open to reveal hidden treats and a moist chocolate sponge. The packaging is great, too. £13/1.7kg Best Christmas fizz Winner: Aldi Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut. This is a very accessible and affordable champagne with a creamy finish. £9.99/75cl Highly commended: M&S Monticella Prosecco Superiore. A great buck’s fizz contender, this is a light and easy-drinking prosecco with a strong pear nose. £15/75cl Canapés Winner: M&S 10 Mini Scallop En Crôutes with Champagne Sauce. An innovative, fun and luxurious canapé in a light sauce that delivers its promise of fizz. £9/150g A ready-made cheeseboard Joint winner (A): Asda Extra Special Cheese Selection. A stellar selection of cheeses, each prime examples of their kind (great gouda and a strong red), but subtle enough to please every palate. £6/590g Joint winner (B): Co-op Irresistible Luxury Cheese Selection. A top-quality selection of strong, pokey cheeses including a fab brie and creamy, piquant blue, presented in a rustic tray. £7/550g A standout starter Joint winner (A): Iceland Luxury Lobster Thermidor Tails. An easy, cook-from-frozen option that’s special enough for the festive period. £12/300g Joint winner (B): Ocado Scallop & Pea Fricasse Gratin. An indulgent, creamy queenie scallop and pea filling topped with a crunchy crumb and served in scallop shells for extra wow factor (and to save on the washing up!). £6/280g Smoked salmon Winner: LIDL Deluxe Oak & Applewood Smoked Scottish Salmon. Well balanced with a nice smoke, caramelised flavour and rounded creaminess. £2.29/100g Highly commended: Booths Whole Mulled Port Marinated Smoked Salmon. An impressive, pre-sliced whole side of salmon with subtle Christmas spicing. £28/800g A ready-made side dish for Christmas Day Winner: M&S Three Squash Bake. With roasted squash, lentils for added texture, cheese sauce and a crisp crumb, this is a properly comforting side dish. £5/300g A vegetarian main course Winner: M&S Two Butternut and Sweet Potato Rösti. This veggie dish looks and tastes really fresh and homemade. It packs in plenty of texture – its rösti base is topped with kale, slices of squash, silky onions, feta, crunchy pumpkin seeds and a zingy bright green pesto. £6/500g All the trimmings Winner: LIDL Deluxe With Love Garnish Pack. The stuffing stood out in our taste test for its great texture and subtle blend of herbs and spices. £3.99/392g Best fish centrepiece Joint winner (A): Co-op Irresistible Side of Salmon with Orange and Cranberries. The flavours and herbs in this salmon side are well balanced. The sweetness gives the fish a lift but is tempered by tart cranberries. Warning: very moreish! £8.99/775g Joint winner (B): Booths Poached Salmon & Prawn Centrepiece. With tender salmon, juicy prawns and dill cream, this impressive dish looks and tastes great. £29/1kg Best food gift under £20 Joint winner (A): M&S Oudinot Champagne Truffles in a gold jar. There’s substance behind style in this beautiful presentation jar. The artisan chocolates contain a smooth ganache with a boozy kick. £12/145g Joint winner (B): Aldi Exquisite Jewelled Layered Pie. A stunning hot-crust pastry pie with well-cooked layers of outdoor bred British pork, chicken breast, paté and glacier fruit with balanced spicing, and just the right amount of jelly. £14.99/1.75kg The Christmas ham Winner: Asda Smoked Gammon with Whisky & Ginger Glaze. This moist joint has a delicious glaze to make it extra festive – ideal for a striking centrepiece. £3.50/1.29kg Best gluten-free Christmas cake Winner: M&S Hand Decorated Gluten-Free Snowflake Cascade Christmas Cake. With juicy fruit, a great texture and an orange citrus hit, you’d never know this pretty cake was gluten-free. £12/935g Best gluten-free mince pies We made these joint winners – we couldn’t tell them apart! Both had light, crumbly pastry packed with plump fruit with just the right level of sweetness. Joint winner (A): Asda Free From Mince Pies. £1.75/280g Joint winner (B): Co-op Free From Mince Pies. £1.99/280g Best food gift over £20 Winner: LIDL Deluxe Serrano Ham Leg. Everyone loves a Christmas ham. This one had a maturity and depth of flavour with a nutty layer of fat that kept us going back for more. £29.99/6.5-7.5kg Best Christmas pudding Winner: M&S 8 Month-Matured Vintage Christmas Pudding. A classic example of a Christmas pud with a great shape packed with juicy fruit, spices and nuts, plus a decent whack of booze (port, sherry and cognac). £14/800g Highly commended: Booths Brandy Port and Walnut Christmas Pudding. If you like marzipan, this is the pud for you. It looks homemade, and has a hint of saltiness for those with less of a sweet tooth. £11/908g Mince pies Winner: Asda Extra Special Mince Pies. Well-balanced mince pies that are juicy with nicely-spiced filling encased in great crumbly pastry. £1.25/pack of six Alternative Christmas drink Winner: Maynard’s 40-year-old tawny port (Aldi). Absolutely delicious! A beautiful raisin nose – we wanted to keep drinking it all night long. £29.99/75cl Best frozen dessert Winner: Co-op Prosecco & Raspberry Meringue Stack. You wouldn’t know this crowd-pleasing dessert was frozen – the layers hold really well and there are contrasting and defined raspberry and prosecco flavours. £5/577g Highly commended: M&S Raspberry & Blackcurrant Dome. This shimmery dome reveals beautiful, neat layers when cut into. It has a zingy, berry flavour and a moist, almond sponge. £8/470g A show-off dessert for Christmas Day Winner: Morrisons The Best Chocolate Christmas Tree. This fabulously kitsch dessert is a stunning centrepiece with defined layers of chocolate mousse, ganache, sponge and feuilletine. £9/410g Highly commended: M&S Chocolate Pine Cones. These beautifully balanced desserts are unique, festive and have a chocolate sauce centre. £12/540g How we chose the winners The olive team chose 20 categories of products you might want to buy to make Christmas entertaining hassle-free. The supermarkets selected the products they wanted to put forward in each category (we only allowed them one entry per category, so they had to choose carefully). The panel tasted them without knowing where they came from, and rated each individually. As well as a few joint winners, we awarded some highly commendeds to those that deserved a mention. It’s easy to find the products – just look out for this label in supermarkets:
olive magazine podcast ep30 - Sabrina Ghayour, what the hell is hygge?, and hot choc of dreams
This week special guest Sabrina Ghayour joins the olive team in the studio to talk us through Persian cooking (clue: it involves a LOT of food). We get hygge with it, and explore this hot new Danish trend. Plus, we give our top tips on pimping your hot chocolate this winter.
olive magazine podcast ep29 - the perfect G&T, one pots & our fave foodie Instagrammers
This week we share our tips on the perfect gin and tonic serve, Janine and Gregor debate their favourite one pot recipes and Jordan reveals her top foodie Instagrammers to follow
olive magazine podcast ep27 - Romy Gill on Diwali, horse sushi and Caribbean street food
This week, ahead of Diwali, Indian chef Romy Gill takes a break from her West Country restaurant to visit the olive magazine studio. Cookery writer Anna continues to make us all jealous with her tales from Tokyo (including plastic food, horse sushi and standing-up restaurants), and Alex gives us her top tips on navigating the street food of Trinidad and Tobago. View oEmbed on the source website Try Romy Gill's West Bengali recipes here... In October, families around the world celebrate Diwali. Here, South West chef Romy Gill MBE shares a special menu for four using the flavours of her native West Bengal. Check out our tips on Trinidad and Tobago's best street food here...
olive magazine podcast ep26 - new-wave Italian, the perfect ramen, English wine
This week the team discuss a new restaurant trend popping up in London, new-wave Italian. Cookery writer Anna teaches us about ramen. Plus, drinks writer Sarah gets excited about English wine and the harvest this October.
olive magazine podcast ep25 - cucamelons, spiced pumpkin and autumn books
This week the team explore the trend for spiced pumpkin (it's appearing in everything from lattes to real ale), we talk to the editor of Gardener's World magazine about cucamelons (and why they'll transform your G&T), plus Janine and Laura give their verdict on this season's new cookery books including Anthony Bourdain's Appetites
olive magazine podcast ep24 - felicity cloake, US food trends, Michelin, World's 50 Best Bars
Felicity Cloake talks about the surprising food of the US with our food editor Janine. Host and editor Laura interviews Rebecca Burr, editor of the 2017 Michelin Guide, and discovers how to become an inspector. And drinks writer Sarah reveals the results of the World's 50 Best Bar awards (spoiler: London's done rather well...).
olive magazine ep23 - chocolate tips, London Cocktail Week and school dinners
This week Charlotte reveals her tips for working with chocolate (and editor Laura reveals something, perhaps she shouldn't have, too). Sarah gives her preview highlights of London Cocktail Week, and Janine and Gregor talk school dinners - from spotted dick to gypsy tart.
olive magazine podcast ep22 - cooking with coffee, Greek wine, trends for 2017
This week cookery writer Anna reveals some ingenious tips and tricks for cooking with coffee (from steak rubs to gravy enhancing), drinks writer Sarah gets a masterclass in Greek wine (and a romantic tale or two), and editor and host Laura returns from Abergavenny Food Festival with some predictions for 2017 from some influential foodies from around the globe.
olive magazine podcast ep21 - Olia Hercules, Sardinia and freezer dos and don'ts
This week food writer Olia Hercules tells us why Eastern European food isn’t just dumplings and borscht, Web editor Charlotte shares some Sardinian food memories, and the cookery team on how to make your freezer work harder
olive magazine podcast ep20 - baking trends, urban gardening and no-cook recipes
This week we visit the rooftop allotment of The Dairy in Clapham to pick up some urban gardening tips, there’s a preview of the October issue and a chat about baking trends with cookery writer Anna, and Janine and Gregor decide who has the best no-cook recipe.
olive magazine podcast ep18 - seaweed, jerk and Italian
This week we explore all the ways you can eat and cook with seaweed, celebrate Caribbean Food Week with our round up of our favourite Caribbean street food stalls and give advice on what you should be drinking (clue: not just rum). And, Janine and Gregor are back battling over which British food writers do Italian recipes best.
olive magazine podcast ep17 - Symmetry Breakfast, Helsinki and milk
This week we welcome Michael Zee (aka Instagram sensation Symmetry Breakfast). Alex reveals why Helsinki should be on your foodie radar. Plus the cookery team talk about the wonders of milk.
olive magazine podcast ep16 - Dan Doherty's new book, summer slow cooking and afternoon tea sundaes
We celebrate Afternoon Tea Week with a taste test of Fortnum & Mason's new afternoon tea sundae (featuring spiced coronation ice cream!). Food editor Janine and editor/host Laura talk about their favourite new cookery books for the autumn, including Dan Doherty's new release, Toast Hash Roast Mash, and cookery writer Anna shares her brilliant slow-cooking tips for summer. (Hint: your barbecue routine will never be the same!)
olive magazine podcast ep15 - Brazilian food, chillies and vermouth chat
Rio 2016 is finally here and to celebrate we're exploring the food of Brazil – learn all about the flavours and techniques of this beautiful cuisine with Janine (our food editor). Alex and Anna battle over their favourite chillies (and uses for them). And drinks writer Sarah and editor Laura geek out over the trendy drink of the summer, vermouth.