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Google is celebrating British scones today (Saturday 10 June) with an adorable Google Doodle that nods to the age-old debate around jam and cream. The illustration features two anthropomorphic scones eyeing each other suspiciously. On top of the scone on the left is a layer of cream, then jam; while the scone on the right has jam first, then cream. The Doodle is a playful reference to one of Britons’ favourite things to debate over – in which order should one put jam and cream on their scones? Cream tea has been a part of the UK’s culinary traditions since the 11th century, but there is a big difference in opinion between people living in Devon and those living in Cornwall. In Devon, clotted cream is typically spread first followed by jam whilst the Cornish tradition is to spread jam first, and then the cream. On Twitter, many keen-eyed Britons have noticed the Google Doodle reference, much to their delight. “They’ve been very diplomatic in depicting it the proper way and misguided way,” one person wrote, adding a winking emoji. Another said: “Looks like today’s Google Doodle is trying to stir up trouble big time.” A third added: “Today’s Google Doodle is not going to go down well in Devon and Cornwall.” Others highlighted yet another scone-related conundrum unique to the UK, which is how to pronounce the word “scone”. Some parts of the UK pronounce it rhyming with “gone”, while others say it should rhyme with “cone”. One person said it should be pronounced “sc-on” because “once you’ve had it… it’s gone”. Another said they use both pronunciations but added: “If I want to sound posh I go for ‘s-cone’.” In 2018, it emerged that the late Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed her cream tea by having jam spread on her scones first, followed by cream. Former royal chef Darren McGrady tweeted: “Jam first at Buckingham Palace garden parties! “The Queen always had homemade Balmoral jam first, with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties in the royal tea tent and all royal tea parties.” Read More Who is Willi Ninja? Google Doodle celebrates iconic Black LGBT+ dancer and choreographer Perfect picnic fare: Parmesan and pine nut scones Best luxury UK hotels 2023: Where to stay for great food, family adventures and spa retreats Google Doodle reignites age-old British debate about scones Sixth grader’s drawing dedicated to her sisters appears as today’s Google Doodle Forest Side, review: Cumbrian produce elevated to Michelin-starred proportions

When is a Waldorf salad not a Waldorf salad? When it’s almost a pudding – and there’s not a lettuce leaf in sight. This simple side salad of celery, walnuts and apples was invented in 1893 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. While it’s been subject to many reinterpretations over the years, the Forest Side’s head chef Paul Leonard garnered a Michelin star for his take on this classic dish. Arriving in a delicate and crisp stewed-apple tart case that takes no less than 72 hours to create, it’s filled with a creme fraiche cake, walnut brittle, dehydrated grapes and confit celery. Walnut, celery and apple gels are also added, along with a Granny Smith apple skin sorbet, all topped with a walnut tuile. The different flavours and texture compliment each other perfectly, creating an unforgettable sweet and sour flavour bomb that continues to linger long in the memory. This petite morsel of food forms part of Leonard’s eight-course Michelin-starred menu at the Cumbrian hotel and restaurant, which was named the Best Country House Hotel of the Year in the 2023 Good Hotel Awards. In addition to the star, it’s also been awarded four rosettes, ranked number nine on Square Meal’s annual list of the UK’s 100 best restaurants and reached the top 30 of Harden’s Top 100 of the Best UK Restaurants. Which is a long way of saying that there’s plenty of justifiable interest in this superb family-run operation and that it’s been a good 2023 for the team. And it’s far from Leonard’s first culinary rodeo. Having cooked under Marcus Wareing and Andrew Fairlie, the Hull-native retained a Michelin star at The Isle of Eriska on the west coast of Scotland, before heading up the luxury Devonshire Arms in Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire, where he won four rosettes for his cookery. In 2019, he joined the team at the Forest Side. Here, the emphasis is very much on making the most of this sensational landscape, in both aesthetics and taste, with Leonard aiming to source 90 per cent of produce from within a 10-mile radius of the establishment. Handily, an extensive and original red brick Victorian walled garden is home to many of the ingredients rustled up by the team, including saffron, courgettes, tomatoes and an “unofficial” apple orchard that boasts 300 different types of apple. And what a successful collaboration it is. Guests arrive in the light and airy dining room, which looks out to the red-squirrel-occupied garden and dramatic fells. Reclaimed timber and steel tables sit aside a central sommelier’s table crafted from a windblown tree in the grounds. But instead of the buttoned-up atmosphere that often permeates restaurants of this calibre, the familiar sound of classic anthems – think Fleetwood Mac, The Kinks and Pulp – floods through the space, extinguishing any sense of forced propriety. It’s an intentional move initiated by Leonard and a welcome one more restaurants could learn from: a relaxed room of toe-tapping patrons is significantly happier than one with a reverential silence. Snippy waiters with clipped accents have no place here. At the Forest Side, staff seem genuinely delighted to be there, arriving with smiles and warm inflections. Under Leonard’s leadership, junior chefs present each course and it’s a genuine pleasure to see their passion for and pride in the food they’ve created. Proceedings kick off with a trio of “snacks”: a rhubarb and whipped chicken liver tart, a Hafod cheddar gougère, and a croustade of brown buttered shrimp. The gougère is scrumptious – buttery and nutty and blanketed with a slice of bresaola – while the whipped chicken liver is smooth and rich. Kohlrabi with cured and lightly smoked trout is served with a salsa verde made from garden herbs and cured trout roe, while a unctuous broth is made from pork fat, seaweed and mushrooms. “Beetroots cooked in their own juice all day” might not seem like the kind of dish to set hearts aflutter, but this isn’t any old root veg. The humble vegetable is cooked all day in its own juice before being dehydrated to create a fudgy texture, and served with a chamomile-infused yoghurt. It’s delicious. We gobble down a supple scallop, followed shortly by the most tender and rich hogget, splashed with a sauce made from confit lamb tongue, pickled mustard seeds and wild garlic buds. And the bread! Baked before each service, this milk loaf is glazed in Marmite and simply served with a butter made at the nearby Winter Tarn Dairy. This early course is luxury comfort food at its best and we’re forced to restrain ourselves for fear of spoiling our appetite. We finish off with “first rhubarb of the year”, ginger and custard, which is as delicious as it sounds: a perfect balance of sweet vanilla, sorbet and herbs. Satiated, we make the easy trip upstairs to our room, one of 20 at the hotel, all of which have garden views and make the perfect end to our decadent dining experience. Is there still a place for fine dining restaurants during a cost-of-living crisis? As employers and buyers, producers and supporters of local food, they’re invaluable to the economy, while for gastronomes who wish to splash some cash treating themselves or someone else, they’re a luxury much like a pair of tickets to see Beyoncé or a championship football match. Overheard snippets of conversation among fellow guests reveal birthday treats or anniversaries, of a weekend away from the grind to relax in this glorious gothic mansion house amidst the fells. Whatever the reason, a trip to the Forest Side is quite simply sublime. A four-course dinner menu costs £85pp, while an eight-course dinner menu costs £130pp. A four-course lunch menu costs £55pp, while an eight-course lunch menu costs £85. Wine pairings come in flights of four, six or eight and start from £75 per person. B&B and dining packages are also available - visit theforestside.com for more information. Read More Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money How to make tomato confit with whipped feta Kataifi: A comforting Greek pie full of veggie goodness

British colonial rule may have divided up India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but we are all united in our love of falooda – a rose-tinted milkshake textured with bubbly basil seeds and noodles,” says Ravinder Bhogal. Faloodas come in many flavours, but her favourite is “the original and the best – rooh afza, make a thick concentrated floral syrup that turns milk Barbie pink”. The syrup can be easily found in Indian and Pakistani supermarkets. “Here, inspired by my friend Ravneet Gill’s excellent Rasmalai Cake, I have used rooh afza-flavoured milk to make a sort of tres leches cake. If you can’t find basil seeds, use chia seeds, which have a similar tapioca-like texture when hydrated.” Strawberry falooda milk cake Ingredients: 225g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 5 eggs 175g caster sugar 1 tsp rosewater 115g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing For the falooda milk: 50ml rooh afza 200g condensed milk 250ml whole milk 300ml double cream For the topping: 300g strawberries, sliced 2 tbsp basil seeds 1 tbsp rosewater 1 tsp caster sugar 300ml double cream Dried rose petals, for sprinkling Crushed pistachios, for sprinkling Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4 and lightly grease a three-litre (33 × 23cm) baking dish with butter. 2. In a jug or bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the falooda milk and leave in the fridge to chill till required. 3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Put the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for about seven minutes until thick and pale (or whisk in a bowl with a hand-held electric whisk). Fold in the flour mixture and rosewater, then fold in the melted butter. Spoon into the baking dish, smooth the top and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. 4. When you remove the cake from the oven, prick it all over with a skewer and keep warm. Pour over the falooda milk and leave to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 5. To serve, mix together the strawberries, basil seeds, rosewater and sugar and set aside. Before serving, gently whisk the double cream in a bowl until it has a soft, rumpled bedsheet texture. Spread the cream over the surface of the cake and then spoon the strawberries over the cake. Top with rose petals and crushed pistachios. Recipe from ‘Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures From A Vegetarian Kitchen’ by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, £26). Read More Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money How to make tomato confit with whipped feta Kataifi: A comforting Greek pie full of veggie goodness

This pie is based on that comforting Greek favourite – spanakopita – although it is far more forgiving to make,” says Ravinder Bhogal. “There is no buttering and layering of delicate filo pastry: instead, the iron-rich mixture of greens and cheese is blanketed under a nest of buttered kataifi pastry, a shredded filo dough that crisps up beautifully when baked or fried. “You’ll find kataifi pastry in the fridge or freezer section of Middle Eastern grocers.” Broccoli, kale and spinach kataifi pie Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, very finely crushed 200g kale, tough ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped 200g spinach 250g broccoli, boiled till tender and roughly chopped 4 eggs 60g pine nuts 60g currants, golden raisins or barberries 250g feta cheese 250g ricotta Zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1 Handful of dill, roughly chopped Handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped A good grating of nutmeg 150g sour cream 250g kataifi pastry 60g butter, melted White sesame seeds, for sprinkling Sea salt and black pepper Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over low-medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes till sweet and caramelised. Add the garlic and fry again till fragrant, then add the kale and soften before adding the spinach. Once the greens are wilted, take off the heat and cool. 3. Transfer to a large bowl along with the broccoli and add the eggs, pine nuts, currants, feta, ricotta, lemon zest and juice, herbs, nutmeg and sour cream, and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. 4. Pull apart the strands of kataifi pastry to loosen and fluff them up. Stir the butter through the kataifi, coating it well. 5. Pour the spinach and ricotta filling into a deep pie dish – I use a 34cm baking dish. Gently pile the kataifi over the pie filling, sprinkle over the sesame seeds and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is hot and set and the kataifi pastry is golden brown. Serve with a light salad. Recipe from ‘Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures From A Vegetarian Kitchen’ by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, £26). Read More Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money How to make tomato confit with whipped feta These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days

DJ BBQ – otherwise known as Christian Stevenson – says his love of chocolate chip cookies came from spending time with his grandmother by the beach every summer growing up in America. “Grandma Della would bake these fresh every week and serve ’em still warm with a cold glass of milk. Simple pleasures that I still enjoy to this day,” he says. This is his grandmother’s recipe, and what DJ BBQ refers to as “goofproof”. “Underdone, overdone, perfectly cooked, they are super-good,” he adds. On the BBQ, he recommends using the target technique – where the coals are piled up in the middle – and using a plancha on top. Chocolate chip cookies Makes: 8-10 Ingredients: 115g softened butter 115g granulated sugar 50g soft light brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 120g plain flour, sifted ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 100g chocolate chips Method: 1. The most important instruction for this recipe is: do not eat all the cookie dough before cooking them. 2. Try to make sure all the ingredients are roughly the same temperature, as this will give you a smoother mix. Cream together the butter and sugars until light, pale and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients. Lastly, stir through the chocolate chips. Now refrigerate the cookie dough in the bowl overnight. That’s right, you just made cookie dough and now you have to wait until TOMORROW before you can eat the cookies. I can only apologise. Forgive me. Tomorrow you’ll love me. 3. The next day, get your outdoor cooker going. 4. Roll the cookie dough into balls around 75-100g, depending on how big you like your sweet chocolate-studded frisbees. Next, cut some circles out of baking parchment – double the number of dough balls you have – ensuring they’re slightly bigger than the final size you want your cookies to be. Evenly squish each dough ball between two discs of baking parchment to create a cookie shape. 5. Place the paper-covered cookies directly on the plancha. Cook for five to 10 minutes on each side, flipping with a fish slice. If you like a chewier or crispier cookie, then cook for the shorter time, for crispy cookies cook for longer. 6. Let them cool slightly before peeling off the paper and serving with an ice-cold glass of milk and an episode of Justice League (other cartoons are available, but they’re not as cool). ‘DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking: 50 Awesome Recipes for Baking Over Live Fire’ by David Wright, Chris Taylor and Christian Stevenson (Quadrille, £20). Read More Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money How to make tomato confit with whipped feta These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days

Cold, salty feta topped with tomatoes warmed in olive oil that has been studded with aromatics until they are bursting, gooey and have a heightened sweetness are the perfect topping for hunks of grilled bread,” says Ravinder Bhogal of this dish. “These tomatoes are also pretty perfect tossed together with pasta or gnocchi, which I just throw straight into the roasting tin before tossing and eating.” Whipped feta with confit tomatoes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 400g mixed cherry tomatoes 5 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised 3 thin strips of lemon peel ½ tsp caster sugar 1 tsp coriander seeds ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes 4 sprigs of oregano 60ml extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and black pepper For the whipped feta: 200g good-quality feta cheese Juice of ½ lemon 100g thick Greek yoghurt Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. 2. Cut some of the larger tomatoes in half and leave some whole and place in a roasting tin along with the garlic and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the caster sugar, coriander seeds, chilli flakes and oregano, then drizzle over the olive oil. 3. Bake for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are bursting and fragrant. Cool down slightly, then discard the garlic and lemon peel. 4. In the meantime, put the feta cheese into a food processor along with the lemon juice and whizz until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the yoghurt. 5. Put the whipped feta in a serving bowl and top with the warm tomatoes. Serve with slices of toasted sourdough bread. Recipe from ‘Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures From A Vegetarian Kitchen’ by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, £26). Read More Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring

With food prices hiking, many of us are looking to cut the price of our weekly shops – while still eating delicious food. And the answer, Ravinder Bhogal believes, lies in vegetables. “Vegetables are the ultimate economical thing to cook,” says the chef and restaurateur, who was discovered by Gordon Ramsay after she applied for his competition to find “Britain’s new Fanny Cradock” on The F Word. “Meat has become so expensive. If you lavish the same kind of care and attention on [vegetables] as you do a steak or joint of meat, they are going to sing with flavour.” She continues: “Why can’t you take the time to marinate vegetables, inject them with flavour, baste them, add texture to them or play with their textures?” Bhogal, who was born in Kenya to Indian parents and moved to England at the age of seven, says root vegetables are our real saviour when it comes to budget cooking in Britain. “Anything that’s grown in this country, swedes, celeriac… And if you buy in season it’s naturally going to be a bit cheaper.” The 44-year-old, who owns London restaurant Jikoni (the Swahili word for “kitchen”) is vegetarian “80 per cent of the time – then I might have a Sunday roast or something” has released her third cookbook, Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures From A Vegetarian Kitchen. “There are so many things that you can do with vegetables where you’re just not going to miss the meat. What isn’t there to love about the lightness and brightness of vegetables?” And there’s a real misconception that vegetables can’t be comforting, she says: “For me comfort is about food that nourishes you, that makes you feel well, that makes you feel alive, that makes you feel revived.” It was Bhogal’s early years in a multigenerational household in Nairobi (“My grandparents, my uncle and aunt, their children, my mother’s brood of five, whoever happened to be visiting, there was a parrot, a dog, kittens, chickens, goats – it was a really chaotic household!”) that would pave the way for how she approached food later as a chef. Her grandfather dutifully tended to his shamba – or allotment – and had a deep respect and connection to the verdant soil where many vegetables grew. “When he came from India to Kenya, he completely fell in love with this beautiful red, volcanic soil that just seemed to give and give and give,” says Bhogal. “And he never stop being grateful for that. He’d come from a place where there was so little, and then suddenly, there was this soil that just blessed him and his family with all these beautiful things to eat.” Everything the household ate was either grown by him or came from the “mama mbogas” – local women with smallholdings who peddled their “the freshest hand grown vegetables” from door to door, she says. The chef in the house was her mother though, who was an “exceptionally talented” cook. “There were so many mouths to feed, so you can imagine the level of organisation that it took. She was the commander in chief and we were all her assistants, whether you liked it or not.” As a result, Bhogal learned to cook from her mother’s direction, although she wasn’t always happy about it. “Initially, I really resented it because growing up in quite a patriarchal household, the boys would be outside playing, and the girls would be in the kitchen. And that really sucked to me. “Anything I tried to attempt to cook, [my grandfather] would always tell me how delicious it was and praise me, and I think I made that connection between food and love and winning people over with food.” And the influence of her time in Kenya can be seen in the latest book; think pili pili cassava (one of the go-to carbs in many African nations) or Kenyan maru potato bhajias with tamarind and tomato chutney (potato coated in spiced chickpea flour and fried). Swapping Kenya for England as a child left a mark on Bhogal. “Kenya is like a state of mind, it’s such a bewitching country, it never really leaves you, it clings to you,” she says. “When you grow up with such colour and such a colossal sky… I was outdoors a lot, playing with all the animals [with] this really beautiful, very lush sunny backdrop. When you are plucked from that age seven and turn up in a very grey dark England, you try and hold onto that and keep connected to that.” South East London was “very different and sort of haggard in comparison to Kenya”, she says. “Everything was very small suddenly. I grew up in a flat above a shop and going from huge trees and sky that was ever blue to turning up to this very dark, dank [place]… The adjustment was very, very difficult.” But it’s all culminated in her cookery style now. “I consider myself a hybrid, I’m Indian, there’s Persian ancestry too, I’m British, I grew up in London, I’m also the product of all kinds of the diverse immigrant communities that helped bring me up.” So you’ll find Persian-inspired fermented rice, lentil, beetroot and coconut handvo (a savoury cake) in her new book, alongside Mumbai street food like peanut and golden raisin poha, and English grilled peaches with silken tofu and Thai basil and lime leaf gremolata. The recipe for pea kofta scotch eggs with saffron yoghurt is vibrant amalgamation; honouring memories of her father bringing home a sack of locally grown peas from Nairobi’s bustling city market and shelling them in the kitchen with her mother – it is a hybrid of her mother’s Indian recipe and her British identity. Plus, some that have been tried and tested by her discerning restaurant diners, like mango and golden coin [curry with dumplings] – where the mangos are served whole, stone and all. “I remember telling my husband I was going to put this mango curry on the menu and he was like, ‘You’re insane, how are people going to eat a whole mango?’ And it’s gone on to be one of the most popular things. “I think the whole joy of a mango is the generosity of serving it whole, there’s something about a whole mango that’s so rapturous,” Boghal says. “When it comes to the table people often go, ‘Is it chicken breasts?’ Nothing gives me more joy than to see people using pooris to scrape off the flesh from the mango and pick up the stone and gnaw on it. “I think if you don’t have a problem picking up a lamb bone and gnawing it, why not a mango stone?” ‘Comfort & Joy: Irresistible Pleasures From A Vegetarian Kitchen’ by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, £26). Read More Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring Try one of these pasta recipes this British Tomato Fortnight

BBQ season is almost upon us, which means it’s time to fire up the grill, whip up your marinades and get skewering. With these showstopper main dishes from Maldon Salt, you’ll never put on a boring BBQ again. For the chicken lovers, pack it full of flavour over a griddle, and serve with charred veggies, rosemary and lemon. Tender lamb chops are a great addition to a dinner party, paired with the flavours of parsley and garlic to give an underlying depth of spice to the dish. Lastly, the charred BBQ sweetcorn with smoked salt, harissa and coriander butter is perfect for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Smoky chargrilled chicken with veg and rosemary This chargrilled chicken recipe which is cooked over a griddle or BBQ is packed full of flavour. The marinating process helps pack in flavour and moisture to the meat. Smoked Maldon Salt is the perfect seasoning for this delicious dish. Ingredients: 2 chicken legs, skin on 4 chicken thighs, skin and bone on 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for grilling 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp sumac 1 lemon, zested and then cut into halves 2 baby courgettes, cut into strips lengthways 200g baby peppers 2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges Rosemary, a few sprigs A pinch of Smoked Maldon Salt To serve: Toasted pitta breads Method: 1. In a bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, sumac and lemon zest. Season well with Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper. Add the chicken legs and thighs to the bowl and mix well, massaging the marinade into the meat to ensure it is evenly coated. Leave to marinade for 2 hours or can be done ahead of this (the day before for example). 2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat the BBQ or a griddle pan. When hot, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for 5 minutes on each side – you want to achieve nice, charred caramelisation to the meat. Once the meat is cooked, remove from the heat and leave covered to rest. Toss the vegetables in a little more oil and then add to the pan. The courgette only needs a couple of minutes each side, but the onions and peppers need a little more – 3 minutes each side, until soft, tender and deliciously golden. Remove and set aside. 3. Finally add the lemon halves to the griddle pan and allow them to char slightly on the hot pan. Garnish the chicken and vegetables with rosemary, squeeze over the warm charred lemon and season with a final pinch of Maldon Salt and some cracked black pepper. Serve alongside warm, toasted pitta bread. Lamb chops with parsley aioli The tender lamb chop is a great addition to a dinner party, paired with the flavours of parsley and garlic to give an underlying depth of spice to the dish. Sprinkle with Maldon Salt to really enhance the succulent taste of the lamb. Ingredients: 24 small ribs of lamb 3 tbsp Maldon Salt 3 tbsp parsley, chopped 2 garlic cloves 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Method: 1. Remove the lamb chops from the fridge, cover them lightly with oil and leave them to rest at room temperature. 2. Wash, dry and peel the parsley, chop it a finely before placing it on the mortar. Crush it together with Maldon Salt and garlic until it forms a paste. Cover and set aside. 3. Heat the grill, greasing the griddle with olive oil. Lightly grease the chops with extra virgin olive oil once the barbecue is hot. Cook them for 4 minutes on each side at 180C. Season them with Maldon Salt when they have just cooked and serve them hot with the parsley aioli you made. Charred BBQ sweetcorn with smoked salt, harissa and coriander butter Ingredients: 200g unsalted butter, softened 2 tbsp harissa Small handful of coriander finely chopped Pinch Maldon smoked salt 5 corn on the cob Method: 1. In a small bowl prepare the flavoured butter by mixing together the softened butter, harissa, chopped coriander and smoked Maldon salt. 2. Heat up the BBQ or alternatively you can use a griddle pan. Use a pastry brush to cover the corn with the butter and then place them onto the BBQ and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until the corn is bright yellow and cooked, with charred areas. 3. Once the corn is cooked, brush with a little extra of the butter and a final sprinkling of Maldon smoked salt – serve straight away. Recipes from maldonsalt.com Read More 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring Try one of these pasta recipes this British Tomato Fortnight Uncorked: How do I keep my wine cool at a picnic?

From whipped drinks to unconventional flavour combinations, TikTok food hacks push the boundaries of traditional cooking, making it exciting and fun to try something new. They offer hacks, shortcuts and simplified versions of popular recipes, making them accessible to busy individuals and those who love a challenge. However, it can be hard to distinguish which hacks work, and which just waste your time. Using search data and TikTok views, the experts at Wren Kitchens have found out which food hacks will actually save you time in the kitchen. 1. Fruit roll ups with ice cream @sydwingold trying the ice cream in a fruit roll-up ? #fruitrollup #fruitrollupchallenge #icecreamfruitrollup ♬ Elevator Music - Bohoman Combining fruit roll-ups with ice cream is by far the most popular food hack right now. You can create the delicious dessert using two ingredients: fruit roll-ups and ice cream of your choice (vanilla, chocolate, etc) Method: 1. Start by unwrapping a fruit roll-up and lay it flat on a clean surface, such as a cutting board or countertop. 2. Take a scoop of your favourite ice cream and place it near the edge of the fruit roll-up. 3. Carefully roll the fruit roll-up around the ice cream, tucking in the sides as you go. 4. Once you have made all your ice cream rolls, you can enjoy them right away or place them in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. 2. Pancake batter in ice cube tray @feelgoodfoodie These freezer pancake cubes are perfect for meal prep to have on busy mornings or for suhoor Ramadan mornings. Use any batter you like and just add a little extra cooking time depending on how thick they are. #ramadansuhoor #pancakecubes #freezerpancakes IB: @dliciouslyinspired ♬ original sound - Feel Good Foodie Your ice cube tray is the answer to a quick brunch fix: fluffy pancakes. Method: 1. Start by making your preferred pancake batter with a basic recipe that typically includes flour, eggs, milk and sugar. 2. Mix all the ingredients until you have a smooth batter. 3. Use an ice cube tray and spoon the batter into the individual compartments of the ice cube tray, filling each one about 2/3 full. 4. Let it freeze completely, which usually takes a few hours or overnight. 5. Once the batter is frozen solid, carefully remove the ice cube tray from the freezer. Gently push on the bottom of each compartment to pop out the pancake batter ice cubes. As it melts on the pan, you’ll have the perfect size to cook and enjoy! 3. Ketchup packet cut @heinz_ca Say goodbye to awkwardly squeezing out ketchup packets. ♬ heinz ketchup packet hack - Heinz Canada For easier access and more ketchup for your fries, this hack is genius. Tear the ketchup packet horizontally in its entirety, rather than ripping it open from the top. Once cut, grab both ends of the sachet and push them towards each other to make a little pouch to easily dip your fries into. Be careful not to squeeze the packet too hard or cut it too deep, as the contents will spill out. 4. Burger upside down Isn’t it frustrating when you eat a burger and the contents fall out with each bite you take? Eating a burger upside down prevents the condiments from falling out and maximises the taste. The top side of a burger bun is thicker than the bottom, so the bread absorbs more of the juice’s sauce and flavour. This can be especially useful if you have a burger with a lot of toppings or if the bun is particularly soft or slippery. 5. Jelly drink @williamsengg I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the jelly drink I made for my girlfriend so here’s my favorite version and all the tips and tricks for making it ✨ hope it helps #jellydrink #williamsengg #fyp #xyzbca ♬ the one that got away - el This viral drink is popular for those who want a quick jelly snack without waiting overnight for it to set. Method: 1. Grab a handful of your favourite flavour of jelly sweets and place them in an empty cup. 2. Add 3/4 cup of hot water to fully submerge the gummies and mix until the pieces of candy dissolve. 3. Let it chill in the fridge for five hours. 4. When the mixture is solid, pour 2 teaspoons of condensed milk and 1/3 cup of milk, over the solid jelly layer. 5. Use your straw to poke holes all over the jelly layer to break it up into small chunks and enjoy! 6. Pierce a hole in a lemon for easy juice @paulfosterchef Great Lemon juice hack #chef #chefhack #viral #lemon #lemonjuice #homecooking #cook #howtocookproperly ♬ QUIET DOWN 2 - Madison Malone This hack is impressing everyone who tries it. Roll your lemon on a cutting board and, using a skewer, toothpick, or pin, poke a hole in the non-stem end of the lemon. You now have an easy way to squeeze lemon juice out of a lemon. As you only poke a tiny hole in the lemon, you can preserve the lemon for a week in an airtight bag, without the risk of it drying out. 7. Spicy pickled garlic @lisanguyen Pickled garlic with sriracha, chili powder & thyme (credit: @lalaleluu) #pickledgarlic #foodie ♬ Aesthetic Girl - Yusei Pickled garlic can be used as a condiment or added to various dishes for an extra kick of flavour. Some people enjoy eating pickled garlic straight out of the jar, while others use it as a topping for salads, sandwiches or cheese platters. For this spicy hack, all you do is drain a jar of pickled garlic and add some sriracha and other seasonings, such as chilli flakes and thyme, and shake. Ensure you use pickled garlic and not raw garlic. Pickled garlic is usually stored in vinegar, not oil, and when compared to raw garlic, it has a milder and sweet taste. Find out more at wrenkitchens.com Read More Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring

People think Jeff Bezos was ripped-off after he reportedly spent more than $4,000 on a bottle of wine that sells just in the hundreds. The Amazon founder, 59, reportedly went all out to celebrate his engagement to fiancée Lauren Sanchez, 53, last week. According to People, Bezos forked over $4,285 for an off-menu bottle of Dugat-Py Grand Cru from Domaine Bernard, which the couple enjoyed at La Petite Maison in Cannes, France. However, many wine experts believed that Bezos was stiffed on the bottle of red Burgundy wine – which apparently sells for much less. Parcelle Wine, a wine seller and bar located in New York City’s Lower East Side, poked fun at Bezos’ faux pas on social media. “Wine fact of the day: Bezos knows less than you and got mega ripped off in France,” they captioned the post, which included a photo of the seemingly high-priced bottle of Dugat-Py Grand Cru. Fellow wine lovers trolled the billionaire businessman in the comments, writing: “LOL what did he think he was ordering, Rousseau Chambertin?” “This explains Amazon’s s****y wine selection,” another said. According to the New York Post, the same bottle of pinot noir sold at auction in March 2022 for just $647, a more than $3,500 difference compared to how much Bezos spent on the Dugat-Py Grand Cru. “The wine, Chambertin, is from the fabled Chambertin vineyard in the Cote D’Or section in Burgundy. This vineyard is one of the most revered in the world,” a wine expert told the outlet. The Dugat-Py Grand Cru is available on alcohol delivery app Drizly for $552, and appears to be selling in the hundreds from a number of online retailers. However, Wine Searcher estimates the 2015 bottle of Dugat-Py Grand Cru to be within the thousands. Plus, restaurants are typically allowed to charge around two to five times more for a bottle of wine than the wholesaler cost. Although Bezos seemingly paid more than $4,000 for an overpriced bottle of wine, it’s likely the pinot noir didn’t put a dent in his pocket. The Amazon founder is worth an estimated $141bn. On 22 May, People confirmed that Jeff Bezos was engaged to Lauren Sanchez after five years of dating. He popped the question during the getaway in the South of France, where the couple had spent time on Bezos’ new $500m superyacht. The Emmy-winning journalist was spotted wearing what appeared to be a large diamond engagement ring while aboard the yacht. Bezos and Sanchez, who took their relationship public in January 2019, have both been married before. The Amazon CEO and his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott divorced in 2019 after 25 years of marriage. The couple share three sons and a daughter. Sanchez – who was married to Patrick Whitesell – shares son Nikko with former NFL star Tony Gonzalez, and son Evan and daughter Eleanor with her ex-husband. Read More Lauren Sanchez seemingly hints at Jeff Bezos engagement after five years of dating $500m price tag and bronze statue similar to his girlfriend: What we know about Jeff Bezos’s wild superyacht Jeff Bezos appears to wear $12 butterfly shirt from Amazon at Coachella

I visited the original Saltie Girl in Boston last year, beckoned by the restaurant’s sexy red-head mascot (think pin-up Ariel) and the promise of quality seafood in the city. But all I remember is being sorely disappointed. The millennial pink walls were tired and in dire need of repainting; the prices were eye-watering and the expectation to tip generously hung over me and my emptying bank account like a dark cloud; and worst of all, the food was deeply mediocre. Never mind, though. I chalked it up to the misfortune of having been had by trendiness. Saltie Girl became but a distant memory – until earlier this year, when I discovered it had opened a branch in Mayfair. Experience meant I was immediately sceptical. The original restaurant had been so forgettable, why should this one be any different? In addition, it’s in Mayfair, where the only memorable thing about so many restaurants is the fact that they are seriously overpriced. I suppose if your clientele have enough money to throw around that they don’t really care about how anything tastes, it’s fair play. But it was certainly enough to make me question whether it would be worth going. At the same time, I was curious to see how the new place would compare. Perhaps Saltie Girl could redeem itself on British shores? Maybe I wouldn’t leave a sad salty seadog, but instead a happy clam? There was only one way to find out. On my way into Saltie Girl, I make a mental note about the Mayfair Chippy next door, which has a huge line out the door. If tinned fish and lobster rolls don’t fill me, this place will surely do the trick. It turns out I needn’t have worried, but I will most certainly be thinking of the Mayfair Chippy the next time I’m in town. Every surface in the shiny, new Saltie Girl is, well, shiny and new. It’s a far cry from the despondency of the Boston establishment, but I’m not letting myself get distracted by the newness of it all. Nevertheless, it was pretty and highly Instagrammable, and full. Cost of living woes do not exist in Mayfair, judging by this crowd: a gaggle of wealthy blonde women celebrating a birthday, a well-to-do couple on their anniversary dinner, a group of finance colleagues sinking cocktails and gossiping about their co-workers. One of the restaurant’s main attractions is its extensive list of tinned fish. These aren’t just any tinned fish (Forget John West; even Brindisa Ortiz, the staple of London’s tinned fish lovers, is too low down the ladder to be served here). These are £16 anchovies, £14 sardines, £16 trout, and £34 clams in sealed metal boxes that are pried open and served on a board with French bread and butter, three types of salt and pickled peppers. And they are utterly delicious. We had smoked anchovies in EVOO from Spain, which were salty, fatty and perfect. A New England lobster roll with house-made crisps are a must-have, and the price varies according to market rates. But don’t fret – you can guarantee that you’ll be paying a premium price. Just look at where you are. If you still require an indication, keep in mind that the lobster waffle is £32 and lobster frites are £65. Make of that what you will. At least there’s no going wrong with heavily buttered lobster in a bun, and the restaurant is fairly generous with the filling so you don’t feel like you’ve been shortchanged too much. We also share the dover sole meuniere, a classic dish of delicate, scrape-off-the-bones dover sole in a brown butter and caper sauce. Hispi cabbage and jersey royal potatoes make for some lovely sides, but then again, everything is better doused in butter. Overall, the meal was certainly better than the one I had in Boston (I’m talking about you, ultra-dry Saltie Girl Burger) and I enjoyed listening to salacious workplace gossip from the table next to us while savouring my half of the lobster roll. There were a couple of hiccups with service: waiters forgetting our drinks, our sides and to ask us for our dessert order. This soured the experience a little – at the price customers are expected to shell out for a tin of clams, you would’ve thought that staff training would be a priority. I left Saltie Girl feeling closer to happy clam than salty seadog – but unless I win the lottery or someone else is paying, I’ll probably stick to the Mayfair Chippy. Saltie Girl, 15 N Audley St, London, W1K 6WZ | saltiegirl.com | 020 3893 3000 Read More These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring Try one of these pasta recipes this British Tomato Fortnight Uncorked: How do I keep my wine cool at a picnic? How to make chocolate chip cookies on the BBQ How to master BBQ chicken wings

Grilled artichokes with hollandaise are one of my all-time favourite summer foods,” says Tim Hayward, author of Big Green Egg Feasts. “Grown up and sophisticated with an elegant hollandaise sauce, they are also romantic when shared and, for some reason, incredibly popular with small kids.” You can make the hollandaise on the Egg, if you have one – if you don’t, Hayward recommends making ahead and storing in a flask. Grilled artichokes with hollandaise Serves: 4-8 Ingredients: 4 large globe artichokes 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges 4 garlic cloves, left whole, but given a whack to slightly crush 1 large egg yolk Juice of 1 lemon 200g/generous ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted Olive oil, for brushing Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: 1. Wrap the artichokes individually in a double layer of foil, each with two tablespoons of water, a lemon wedge, a garlic clove and a big pinch of salt. Using the indirect set-up, burp and open your preheated Egg, place the wrapped artichokes on the stainless steel grid and leave them to steam for about 45-60 minutes with the dome closed until tender. 2. Meanwhile, for the hollandaise, put the egg yolk and four teaspoons of lemon juice into a heatproof bowl with one teaspoon of water and whisk together for two to three minutes until thick. Very gradually, whisk in the melted butter (leaving the white milky solids behind) in a thin stream until thick and creamy. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice to taste. Keep the hollandaise sauce warm over a pan of boiling water off the heat, stirring occasionally. 3. Burp the Egg and remove the convEggtor. Unwrap and halve the artichokes, top to bottom/vertically, then paint the cut side with olive oil. Using the direct set-up, grid cut-side down on the bars in the Egg until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste just before serving. Recipe from ‘Big Green Egg Feasts: Innovative Recipes To Cook For Friends And Family’ by Tim Hayward (Quadrille, £30). Read More These recipes will keep you hydrated on hot days Three tomato salad recipes that aren’t boring Try one of these pasta recipes this British Tomato Fortnight Uncorked: How do I keep my wine cool at a picnic? How to make chocolate chip cookies on the BBQ Don’t be a BBQ bozo – these new cookbooks will help to get the grill going