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Curators are “delighted” to have secured a little black dress designed by Chanel in 1926 to open an exhibition on the success of the garment over almost a century. Beyond The Little Black Dress, which launches at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh next month, will bring together more than 60 looks from collections and designers around the world. It opens with a long-sleeved black day dress designed by Gabrielle Coco Chanel in 1926, which was hailed by US Vogue as “the frock that all the world will wear”. The silk crepe dress is on loan from the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Berlin. Georgina Ripley, principal curator of modern and contemporary design at National Museums Scotland, said: “The dress is incredibly significant for its own merit anyway, but for our exhibition it’s really pivotal because we are opening the exhibition with the idea that this is kind of the birth of the little black dress. “The well-known story within fashion history is of Chanel being the inventor of the little black dress and 1926 being the date, and that’s because a very simple long-sleeved day dress of silk crepe de Chine was featured in US Vogue in the October edition and it called this dress the ‘frock that all the world will wear’. “The dress that we have on loan from the museum in Berlin is not the exact dress that featured in that Vogue article, but it is the exact same style, made from the same sort of fabric, and it’s incredibly rare to actually find little black day dresses from that date in collections. “It’s been amazing for us to be able to locate one, to be able to tell this really important story within the history of the little black dress.” Vogue compared the dress to Henry Ford’s model T motor car, linking it to the idea of the democratisation of fashion, although it would still have been very expensive and only affordable to the wealthy. The dress drew on the functionality of menswear and of clothes worn by those working in the service industry, such as maids and shop workers. Chanel’s contemporary Paul Poiret described the style as “poverty de luxe” – things that have humble origins elevated to couture-style clothing. While black was already in fashion before 1926 and other little black dresses had been created, something about Chanel’s design was seen as being an important moment in the modernisation of women’s fashion. The exhibition was originally due to open in 2020 but was pushed back due to Covid, and curators were “thrilled” they could still borrow the dress from the museum in Berlin this year. Ripley said: “This is such a natural place to start this story because it’s known in fashion history and we also wanted to confront head on that it really is just a moment that has been picked upon as the origin of the little black dress, but it would be really strange to tell that story without having that dress. “We had our heart set on telling the story in that way and opening with this dress, so we’re delighted we’ve been able to see that mission through.” The exhibition looks at fashions through the decades, from early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and Jean Muir to contemporary designers and brands such as Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White. Areas of the exhibition are dedicated to highlighting black British designers whose work explores both blackness in terms of identity and the role the colour plays in crafting a futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic. It also considers how perceptions of the colour black differ in a global context. The exhibition runs from 1 July until 29 October. Read More Jennifer Lawrence steps in to clarify theory about her Cannes footwear Qantas ditches mandatory heels and embraces make-up for flight attendants of all genders Love Island line up: Meet the contestants and couples of the 2023 summer edition Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

As the frosty embrace of winter draws near, our kitchens beckon with the promise of heartwarming dishes to fend off the cold. With that in mind, we present a selection of eight soul-soothing recipes from Cooks&Co and Maldon Salt that will turn your winter evenings into cosy culinary adventures. From succulent roast chicken adorned with leeks and peppers to a fragrant Gorkhali lamb curry that transports you to distant lands, our collection spans the globe to bring you a taste of winter from various cultures. There’s no resisting the allure of herby goats cheese and porcini risotto, or the lingering aroma of slow-cooked Asian beef, where tender morsels of meat mingle with a tantalisingly spiced sauce. Whether you’re seeking the fiery embrace of a chicken momo with tomato chilli chutney, the smoky allure of pork sosaties, or the vibrant medley of flavors in chakalaka, our recipes offer something for every palate. These dishes are not just sustenance; they’re a celebration of the season. Roast chicken with leeks and peppers Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 mins Ingredients: 4 leeks, trimmed and roughly chopped 5 garlic cloves, finely sliced 400g pack baby onions, peeled Few sprigs fresh rosemary Few fresh thyme stalks 1 bay leaf Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper Handful of Cooks&Co green olives 1 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar Generous splash of white wine 1 tbsp runny honey 1 whole chicken, jointed or chicken thighs 460g jar Cooks&Co roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped Gorgonzola for topping (optional, but delicious!) Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped for serving Method: 1. Preheat the oven to gas 6/200C (190C Fan oven) Add the leeks to a large roasting tin, along with the garlic, baby onions and fresh herbs and scatter over the olives. Drizzle with the olive oil and season well. 2. Mix together the balsamic, white wine and honey. Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, pour over the balsamic mix and using your hands combine well. Now tuck the chicken pieces in and around the leeks. Pour over remaining juice then put it in the oven for 40 mins. 3. Remove from oven and stir though the peppers, return it to the oven and cook for about a further 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender. Check on the chicken occasionally and if it beginning to get too brown, cover the tray loosely with foil. If using, scatter over some gorgonzola for the last 5 min of cooking or until it begins to melt. Garnish with parsley to serve. Herby goats cheese and porcini risotto Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins Ingredients: 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 200g mushrooms, sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed 190g pack Cooks & Co Porcini Mushroom Risotto 150ml white wine 500ml vegetable stock 75g Cooks & Co Sweety Drop Peppers 1 knob butter 25g parmesan, finely grated 1 tbsp chopped chives 1 tbsp chopped parsley 50g soft goat’s cheese Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 240C, gas mark 9. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the mushrooms and garlic for 2-3 minutes. 2. Add the risotto mix and then the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. 3. Add the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 4. Stir in the sweety drop peppers, butter and Parmesan, the sprinkle in the herbs crumble in the goat’s cheese but just allow to melt without stirring before serving. Cooks tip: Try swapping the goat’s cheese for mascarpone or cream cheese. Slow-cooked Asian flavoured beef Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time:4 hours (or 8 hours on low in a slow cooker) Ingredients: Cooks&Co dried mixed forest mushrooms 400g can Cooks&Co lotus root, drained and rinsed 1 tbsp olive oil 2kg boned, rolled brisket, tied with string (ask at the butcher counter) 1 tbsp olive oil 5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 star anise 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground 1 tsp five spice powder 3 tbsp hoisin sauce 4 tbsp Shaoxing wine or use dry sherry 4 tbsp light soy sauce 500ml beef stock Juice of 2 oranges 2 x 180g bags kale, any tough stalks removed 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp runny honey Pink peppercorns, roughly ground for topping (optional) Method: 1. Add the mushrooms to a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 30 mins. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160C (140C fan oven) Heat the oil in a large heavy oven proof casserole pot, add the meat, season well and cook for a few mins each side until lightly browned, then remove it and put it to one side. 2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for a couple of mins, don’t let the garlic get brown. Then stir in the star anise, Sichuan pepper and 5 spice, stir then add the hoisin, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine and bubble gently for a minute. Drain the mushrooms and add, reserving the juice, then pass the juice through a sieve to remove any grit and add this to the pot. Pour in the stock and add the orange juice then return the meat to the pot. Ladle over the juices. Put the lid on and put it in the oven for about 4 hours, or until meat is really tender when poked with a knife. Check it occasionally and if it is drying out at all, top up with a little hot water as you go. 3. Towards the end of cooking, steam the kale, either in a steamer or sit the kale in a metal colander, cover with a lid, and sit it over a pan of simmering water, cook for about 6-8 mins until tender. Add this to the brisket for the last 10 mins of cooking, stirring it to combine with the sauce. 4. To braise the lotus roots, in a small non-stick frying pan, add the soy sauce and honey then tip in the lotus roots, stir to combine then let the liquid bubble for a few minutes to coat, give it a stir then spoon them over the beef to serve. To serve the meat, slice, removing the string as you go. Sprinkle with pink peppercorns if using. Tip:This makes an easy Sunday lunch served with roasties or mash potato or serve with rice. Any leftover beef, is great, shredded into a bun or wrap. Gorkhali lamb curry Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large red onion, diced 4 cloves 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 3 large garlic cloves, grated 1 cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed 750g lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks 3 large vine tomatoes, diced 1 tbsp garam masala 1 tsp fenugreek 2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp of Himalayan Pink Salt, selected by Maldon 1 litre lamb stock or water Chopped coriander, to serve Method: Start by heating the vegetable oil in a large casserole dish. Add the red onion and fry until softened, then add the cloves, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, bay and cardamon pods and fry for another few minutes until smelling fragrant. Next add the lamb pieces and cook in the spices and onion until it browns on all sides – the longer you brown it the more caramelisation you will get on the meat and the deeper the flavour. Once the meat is nicely browned all over, add the diced tomatoes followed by the garam masala, fenugreek, turmeric, chilli flakes and Himalayan Pink Salt. Stir everything together so it is all well coated and allow it to sizzle and fry for 5 minutes, so the tomato breaks down. Add the lamb stock or water and bring to the boil. Then reduce to a low simmer and allow it to bubble away for 1 hour. Keep an eye on it and if it needs some more liquid then top it up. After an hour the sauce should be thickened and the lamb tender. Serve the curry topped with chopped coriander and alongside some steamed turmeric rice and warm roti flatbreads. Chicken momos with tomato chilli chutney Makes: 15 momos Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 200g plain flour Pinch of Maldon salt 5 tsp sunflower oil 100ml water 180g chicken mince 3 garlic cloves, grated 1 inch piece of ginger, grated 2 spring onions, finely chopped 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 stick of lemongrass, woody outer leaves removed and then finely chopped Small handful of coriander, finely chopped Small handful of mint, finely chopped Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt, selected by Maldon For the tomato chilli sauce: 3 large vine tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 whole dried red chilli 3 garlic cloves 500ml water 1 tsp soy ½ tsp caster sugar Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt, selected by Maldon Method: Start by making the dough for the Momos. In a large bowl add the flour and a pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt. Add the oil and mix it in well. Next add the water and mix it well with your hands until combined and the dough feels smooth. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or a tea towel and set aside. Next make your filling. In a bowl mix together the chicken mince, garlic, ginger, spring onions, green chilli, lemongrass, chopped coriander and mint and Himalayan Pink Salt. Mix well until evenly distributed. Now start on the sauce. In a large pan add the tomatoes, dried chillies and garlic cloves and pour over the water. Place it onto the heat and bring the water to the boil. Simmer the tomatoes for 5 – 8 minutes until they soften and break down, and the dried chillies have also softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before placing in a high-powered blender along with the soy, caster sugar and pinch of Himalayan salt and blitzing until smooth. Set aside to serve later. Now you can shape your Momo’s. Divide the dough into 15 equal balls. Lightly dust the work surface and then use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a circle as thin as you can. Lift the circle and place it into the palm of your hand. Spoon in about 1-2 tsp amount of the filling. Then use your fingers to lift the sides of the dough to enclose the filling and pinch in a pleating action all the way around until you have a spiral. Pinch the dough in the middle of this to make sure it is fully sealed – it will look like a little moneybag. Continue with the rest of the balls and using the filling until you have all your shaped Momo’s. Prepare your bamboo steamers with some greaseproof paper in the layers and place them onto a pan with an inch of simmering water. Steam the Momo’s on the layers for approximately 10 minutes. Serve the Momo’s warm with some sliced spring onions scattered over and the tomato chilli chutney for dipping. Pork sosaties Makes: 6 Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating | Cook time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1kg pork fillet, cut into 3cm cubes 3 large onions, cut into wedges 3 green peppers, chopped into chunks 18 dried apricots 18 bay leaves 4 lemons, cut in half 3 tbsp olive oil 6 wooden skewers, soaked in water For the braai marinade: 1 tsp cayenne 2 tsp curry powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp ground coriander 3 garlic cloves, grated 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp Kalahari Desert Salt, selected by Maldon Cracked black pepper 5 tbsp olive oil Method: Begin by making the Braai marinade. Mix the spices, grated garlic, mustard, Kalahari Desert Salt, and black pepper with the olive oil in a large bowl. Then add the pork pieces and mix so they are well coated. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinade (you can do this the day before if you would like to get ahead). After the meat has marinaded, it is time to assemble the skewers. Place 3 tbsp olive oil in a bowl and add the onion wedges, green pepper, apricots, and bay leaves – toss them so they are all lightly coated (this will help avoid any burning on the Braai). Thread pieces of the meat on to wooden skewers and then alternate between the other ingredients and more pieces of meat until you have 6 full skewers. Place the skewers on the hot BBQ or Braai and griddle then for 5 minutes on each side until cooked through and lightly charred in places. At the same time, place the lemon halves on too and allow them to charr. Serve the skewers immediately along with the charred lemon squeezed on top. Chakalaka Serves: 4 as a side dish Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp cayenne 1 red pepper, diced 1 yellow pepper, diced 4 large carrots, washed and coarsely grated 2 tbsp tomato puree 400g tin chopped tomatoes 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained A small handful of thyme, leaves picked A pinch of Kalahari Desert Salt, selected by Maldon Cracked black pepper Method: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and then add the onion. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to soften and go translucent. Next add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin and cayenne and fry for another minute. Add the diced peppers and cook for a couple of minutes to allow them to soften. Next add the grated carrot, tomato paste and tinned tomatoes. Mix it well so everything is well coated and allow it to cook for 5 – 10 minutes. Finally add the cannellini beans, fresh thyme and seasoning and allow it to bubble for a further 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and then serve. Mealie bread Serves: 8 people Prep time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes Ingredients: 280g plain flour 30g cornmeal 120ml milk 7g sachet of active dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar 160g tinned sweetcorn (drained weight) 2 tsp Kalahari Desert Salt, selected by Maldon 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp turmeric 50g melted, cooled butter 2 large eggs 1 tbsp sesame seeds Method: Place the plain flour and cornmeal in the bowl of a stand mixer and make a well in the middle. In a small bowl mix together 40ml of the milk, yeast and caster sugar and pour this into the well. Mix well. In a blender or food processor add the sweetcorn and remaining milk and blend until smooth. Next add the Kalahari Desert Salt, paprika, turmeric, cooled butter and eggs and whisk in. Tip the sweetcorn mix into the flour and mix with the dough hook attachment, kneading it for approximately 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 1 hr until it has doubled in size. Line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to the prepared cake tin and smooth it out. Now allow it to rise for a second prove of 15 minutes again lightly covered in clingfilm. Preheat the oven to 180C fan. When the bread is ready to bake simply scatter over the sesame seeds and place into the hot oven for 30 – 35 minutes until risen, and lightly golden brown. You can check it is cooked through but inserting a toothpick or skewer and making sure it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly, before removing from the tin and serving. It is best served still a little warm and can be toasted and topped with butter. A delicious side dish to the Chakalaka. Read More Obsessed with Boursin? 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