Food & drink

Food & drink

When it comes to throwing parties, the world falls into two quite distinct camps: those who love to do so, and those who would rather do almost anything else. Getting organised early is key, and finding a few delicious recipes to start the proceedings will amuse your guests while you try to keep the show on the road. Fennel, lemon and smoked paprika almonds Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian

Catalonia's avant garde chefs have made a name for themselves with their revolutionary techniques and molecular gastronomy, yet they are fond of saying they are merely paying homage to the simple dishes served at their grandmother's table. Maybe so, but now the grannies have been given a chance to show off the real thing under a Catalan government initiative called Gastrosavies. A double play on the Catalan words for wise and grandmother, Gastrosavies provides a platform for more than 100 women of a certain age

A seaweed-and-rice roll by any name would taste as all the same... or, would it? Despite their visually similar appearances, Korean kimbap and Japanese sushi have more differences than they share similarities. Both kimbap and sushi wrap sticky short-grain white rice and fillings inside of a nori seaweed sheet, using the same assemblage technique of cylindrical rolling in a bamboo mat. But, from there, these flavorful, tightly-packed rolls diverge - offering different fillings, different rice, and different accouterment.

Heads up, Girl Scout cookie loyalists: You're going to see a new flavor join the lineup this season, intended to satisfy everyone who's been begging for a chocolate-on-chocolate cookie iteration. Though some cookies may have left the brand in 2025, it seems they only made way for something better. So get out your wallets and be ready to fully give in to the little ladies manning the folding tables outside your local grocery store - as always, it's worth it.

A perfect sandwich is something truly magical. Hot or cold, with the perfect bread, the ideal filling-to-bread ratio, and just the right amount of sauces, drizzle, or gravy to hold the whole thing together, it doesn't get much better than that. There's a good chance that you may have thanked the Earl of Sandwich for being so engrossed in a day-long gaming session that he called for that first, iconic sandwich creation to be made... only, that's not actually the first sandwich ever.

A French bistro that has been operating in Covent Garden since the Second World War is selling its interior decorations ahead of a refurbishment. The restaurant was founded in 1943 by two brothers and sold to the establishment's maitre'd Alain Lhermitte in 1973. Mon Plaisir is described as "London's oldest family-run French restaurant". A selection of the venue's French interior decorations, including advertising signage, art posters, clocks and cockerel will be up for auction from 28 December.

Chocolate bark, whether French or American, lands firmly within a category of food that tastes far better than it looks. Typically made with chocolate and a mixture of sticky, crunchy ingredients like toffee and saltines, the thin sheets of cookie are haphazardly broken into pieces that look a bit like broken glass (albeit coated in creamy chocolate). It's a dessert that, when first introduced, doesn't seem very promising, but once tasted, tends to go fast.

UPFs don't have a set definition, but they generally undergo industrial processing and contain ingredients that you wouldn't find in a home kitchen. They are highly-marketed, shelf-stable, and designed to contain an irresistible combination of sugar, salt, and fat. As well as obvious foods like frozen pizza, items such as packaged bread can fall into this category.

Goat cheese may not be as universally celebrated in the United States as, say, cheddar cheese or American cheese. Nevertheless, it's pretty common to see this more pungent variety in salads or on burgers, and we're willing to bet that you'll find it on a charcuterie board this holiday season - the cranberry chèvre goat cheese is one of our favorite Trader Joe's host gifts. Because goat cheese features capric acid, it tastes vastly different from sheep and cow cheese.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

Within a white hot chocolate order, expect some of the usual tasting notes of a quality hot chocolate pour, except the white chocolate drink offers an extra creamy consistency. On the app or in your local store, look to modify a typical hot chocolate by asking for no mocha or mocha drizzle and swap it out with white mocha sauce.

At Mast General Store, you can buy outdoor gear, cast iron skillets, local swag, cheeky pajamas, and candy. Lots and lots of candy. Chocolate bars, caramels, and cookie dough bites. Gummy bears, chocolate-covered pretzels, and cordials. Find all these sweet treats and more in the dozens of barrels that fill the store. When I was 10 years old, Mast General Store was the closest thing I knew to heaven on earth.

Food is so personal and nostalgic, sometimes it's hard to believe the dishes we grew up eating are actually a little strange to others. I'll admit that as a former picky eater, my go-to snack was cheese sandwiched between two slices of banana (please don't judge me, it was really good). So when redditor u/kerker1717 asked the r/Cooking community to share the odd food combinations they grew up with, I was excited to see what my fellow weird eaters had to say.

Oh, Jimmy John's. It was the place that you ordered from at 3 a.m. in college when the idea of microwaving a plastic cup of mac and cheese sounded downright repulsive. You may know it as the best sandwich joint to eat from if you prefer a really, really soggy sandwich, or perhaps you're more familiar with its history of union-busting and preventing its workers from organizing for fairer working standards. Despite those issues, it's a sub chain that has its fair share of followers.

"One of our slogans is, home is not a place, it's a feeling. We want to embody that in every coffee shop that we've opened," Ocampo Kastanis said. "I came from a fashion background, so I knew what I wanted. I ran with the aesthetics of the place. I wanted black and white themes. I wanted the gold trimmings."

My parents had a 600-person wedding banquet at the former Empress of China in the late 1970s. For decades, my family association (mutual aid societies based on clans) had annual dinners at New Asia with up to 1,000 guests. However, these massive halls have been disappearing for several reasons: the retirement of owners, the astronomical costs of maintaining large spaces and the city's Chinese population moving to the suburbs.

I look out from my sunlounger, flanked by a wall of dazzling fuchsia bougainvillea and surrounded by combed sand the colour of flour. In the salty breeze the sweet smell of freshly baked croissants drifts across from the nearby veranda, where giant passion fruits and fine slices of mango and papaya are being laid out for breakfast. On the immaculately mowed lawns below, a waiter is taking down fairy lights, strung between palm trees for last night's seafood barbecue.

While exact ingredient combinations can vary, muesli is a dry mixture of oats, nuts, and other grains, plus dried fruits and spices like cinnamon or dried apricot chunks. Whatever its exact formula, it's a textural smorgasbord of different flavors. This raw cereal is all about rich composition and minimal processing, sitting firmly at the intersection of food and medicine since its conception.

Stewart's top cooking tips cover a range of foods and cuisines, and there are many Martha Stewart seafood-oriented hacks worth trying. For one, she recommends cooking lobster in hard liquor - adding something like vodka or tequila to the cooking water - which she believes adds flavor to the meat. She also recommends not too much salt, but adding aromatics and lemons to the water for a proper shrimp boil.

I have sacrificed myself on the battlefield of patriarchy chicken, by walking square into people who stride down the centre of the pavement staring at their phones and expecting everyone else to jump out of their way. I have risked life and limb in a pub full of football fans by declaring my belief that the only real sports are running fast, jumping high and throwing or swimming far the rest are just games.

If you're planning on getting more protein, you might immediately start thinking about things like meat, eggs, and protein shakes. After all, there's a reason why bodybuilders love all of the above, and it isn't necessarily because they always taste great. But incorporating more protein into your diet doesn't have to come in the form of pea powder or boiled chicken. It can actually come from adding Greek yogurt and cashew butter into your next cake.

Legend has it that when Germans decorate their Christmas tree, the very last ornament they hang on it is a pickle. Usually made from shiny or matte green glass rather than cucumbers, the Christmas Pickle is much more than just a decoration. On Christmas Eve, the first child to find the pickle hidden amongst the branches on the tree is said to get good luck for the year to come, as well as an extra present.

Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love. But that love can be tested when it comes to sports rivalries - also when it comes to the ingredients that make a cheese steak great. Recently, the Michelin Guide honored three cheesesteak joints in the city. Food critics pounced on the judges, but reporter Buffy Gorrilla found nothing but love for the vibrant cheesesteak scene.

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Erick DeLeon (ph) gets ready to fill and decorate the fresh batch. ERICK DELEON: This is the maple bourbon cream. Then we're going to fill it like this. VELTMAN: He makes a hole in the side of a doughnut with a wooden skewer, stuffs it with whisky-laced filling, sprinkles it with sugar. DELEON: And then we're going to torch it. (SOUNDBITE OF BLOWTORCH HISSING) CRAIG BLUM: We call it Santa's Little Helper.

Nachos are loved for their straightforward prep and shareable nature, and there's no one size fits all when it comes to whipping up a batch. This crunchy, topping-loaded snack is endlessly adaptable, and over the years, we've tried our hand at a fair few variations. Many recipes keep things classic with Mexican-inspired toppings like cheese, avocado, and salsa, while others switch things up entirely, and experiment with flavors and textures that are a little more out there.

NIKI RUSS FEDERMAN: Russ & Daughters, for me, was a literal mom-and-pop because it was my mom and my pop. SIMON: Niki Russ Federman is the cousin who practically grew up at the shop. FEDERMAN: As a kid, I would wait at the doors for the produce delivery guys to come. And they would wheel in with their handcarts - they had sacks - 50-pound sacks of onions, carrots, potatoes. And I would climb on top as if it were my chariot.

When Jose Villegas' grandparents died, he was in Mexico visiting with his mother. His grandmother, who had been ill for some time, died first, and his grandfather followed two weeks later. In the middle of grief, the mother, Delfina Villegas, and son looked at each other and asked: What will we do? The answer came just as easily: "We'll open a restaurant," the pair said.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add cranberries and rum. Stir to coat, and as soon as it starts simmering, remove from the heat. Let it sit for 30 minutes before transferring the macerated fruit into a small bowl, using a slotted spoon. Reserve the leftover rum. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter; set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter, eggnog, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and salt.