Vodka

Vodka

Vodka Pronounce it: vod-ka Originally associated with Russia, Slavonic, Baltic and Scandinavian countries, vodka has become one of the world’s favourite spirits, largely based on its supposed lack of flavour and it being undetectable on…

Read More

Vegan brownies

Vegan brownies

Cook this tasty vegan curry for an exotic yet easy family dinner. With spinach and sweet potato, it boasts two of your five-a-day and it’s under 400 calories…

  • Prep: 15 mins Cook: 40 mins
  • Easy
  • Makes 12
  • 314


Mai Tai

Mai Tai

Mai Tai Pronounce it: my-ty This cocktail was almost certainly created by Victor Bergeron, the man behind Trader Vic’s restaurants and is thus supposedly of Polynesian descent, except that rum is originally from the Caribbean…


Viognier

Viognier

Viognier Pronounce it: vee-oh-nyay A scented favourite Viognier is one of the great success stories of recent times. Never one of the easiest grapes to grow, production had shrunk back to a tiny amount in…


Plum

Plum

Plum Pronounce it: pl-um The juiciest fruit in the stone fruit family, plums come in many different varieties, some sweet, some slightly more tart. All plums however have certain characteristics in common, with smooth, richly…


Pandan

Pandan

Pandan Pronounce it: pan-dan, sometimes pan-dah-nus Pandan is another name for the screw pine tree and its lanceolate, aromatic leaves are used in both sweet and savoury cookery. Nutty and green-tasting with sweet, velvety overtones,…


Quince

Quince

Quince Pronounce it: kwin-s The two different shapes – apple and pear in which quinces grow are an obvious clue to the fruits to which they are related. When ripe, they are very fragrant, with…


Samphire

Samphire

Samphire Pronounce it: sam-fire Though there are two types of samphire – marsh and rock – only marsh samphire is widely available. Marsh samphire has vibrant green stalks, similar to baby asparagus, with a distinctively…


Papaya

Papaya

Papaya Pronounce it: pa-pie-ah Native to tropical America, papayas are a large fruit also known as paw-paws. They have vibrant pinky-orange flesh and a sweet, juicy flavour similar to peach. Though their grey shiny seeds…


Courgette flower

Courgette flower

Courgette flower Pronounce it: korr-shgett fl-ow-er The edible flower of the courgette, or zucchini bush. There are two sorts of flower: the flower with the immature vegetable attached is the female and the more eyecatching…