Fennel bulb

Fennel bulb Like Marmite, fennel is something that you either love or hate – its strong aniseed flavour leaves no room for the middle ground. From the same family as the herb and seed of…


Flour

Flour Pronounce it: fl-ow-er Flour is a powdery ingredient usually made from grinding wheat, maize, rye, barley or rice. As the main ingredient in bread, it is one of the most common and sought-after ingredients…


Nectarine

Nectarine

Nectarine Pronounce it: nek-tar-een A smooth-skinned variety of peach native to China, similarly flavoured to peaches with slightly more acidity. The flesh is light pink, yellow or white and is delicate and sweet.Nectarines are high…


Xylitol

Xylitol

Xylitol Xylitol is an all-natural alternative to sugar. The substance derives from the fibres of plants and can be extracted from a variety of vegetation including berries, mushrooms, birch bark and corn husks. It’s also…


Barbera

Barbera Pronounce it: bar-bare-ah Pizza house star This is probably the first red wine anyone drinks in an Italian restaurant or pizza place. That’s because it can be cheap and very cheerful. The red, juicy…


Pomegranate

Pomegranate

Pomegranate Pronounce it: pom-ee-gran-at Now mainly grown in America, Spain, the Middle East and India, pomegranates originated in the area from Northern India to Iran. They have a round shape, like an apple, with a…


Cider

Cider

Cider Pronounce it: si-der Cider is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Apple orchards were first established by the Romans, however it was the Normans who introduced actual cider making to…


Red cabbage

Red cabbage

Red cabbage Pronounce it: red cab-idge A favourite winter vegetable served hot with roasted game birds but equally good as a colourful and gratifying addition to any hot meal. It is usually long cooked with…


Parsnip

Parsnip

Parsnip Pronounce it: par-snip The fact that the parsnip is a member of the carrot family comes as no surprise – it looks just like one, aside from its creamy white colour. It has an…


Arborio rice

Arborio rice Pronounce it: ahh-bore-e-o rice The high-starch kernels of this northern Italian-grown grain are shorter and plumper than any other short-grain rice. When cooked the grains become soft in texture with a chalky centre….