List of All Articles with Tag 'drink'

Yes, the omnipresence of burgers in London is getting a little overbearing and yes, we've seen about every permutation of them by this point - but this does nothing to tarnish their inherent deliciousness, godamnit! Here are London's finest patties as we see it. 10. Electric Diner/Soho Kitchen and Bar Burger Very similar to the burger at Chicago’s Au Cheval, often rated among America’s best, the cheeseburger at Electric Diner (and Soho Kitchen and Bar) is a delightful assault on the senses. Go for a single and you get two patties; a double comes with three. The patties are thin enough to not be a belly bomb and are accompanied by a profusion of pickles, onions and a tangy, mustardy mayo. Joint Exposed brick, leather booths and a long bar with stools all feature, but don't overwhelm with kitsch at either venue. Both are bright and airy and basically quite pleasant to be in. Feels more like the Upper East Side than Uxbridge, which is a positive. 9. Elliot’s Burger Beer-braised onions, Comté cheese, buns that they bake in house and possibly the beefiest beef in any burger on this list all combine to grant Elliot’s its spot. The dill butter complements wonderfully and provides the classic ‘Big Mac’ taste that most of us grew up with. Joint Quite similar to the Electric/Soho Kitchen & Bar, but with the seats packed in and the constant hum reminding you you're in Borough Market. It can get a little noisy, but there's really no time for talking when you're in zen burger-eating mode anyway. 8. Byron Burger Long gone are the days of floury baps and just trying too hard. Nowadays Byron is selling burgers so good that they make the stock opinion of chain restaurants always being bad seem ridiculous. The basic menu is short, to-the-point and has possibly the best burger readily available to most Londoners. Rotating specials are always on point and the Smoky, which recently went full-time, should be your burger-of choice (those crispy onions!) Vital to the London burger ‘scene’. Joint Byrons vary hugely depending on the location, which is again refreshing for a chain. Go to Kensington and you'll see dadaist wall doodles and diner stalls, head to Angel and you'll find a peeling shack with patio furniture. 7. Shake Shack Burger Fine, it’s an American chain and fine, you probably can’t imagine why people would queue up for a burger - but trust us, Shake Shack brings one of the finest examples of truly American food available in London - an ode to the Steak ‘n’ Shake chain. Juicy beef is topped with bright American cheese, nestled in a steaming Martin’s Potato Roll. Get the SmokeShack, which is topped with smokey bacon and absurdly tangy chopped cherry peppers. Joint McDonald’s dressed up for an Ofsted inspection. A bit on the clinical inside, and out in Covent Garden piazza you’re met with the furious din of tourists and spontaneous opera, but it does the job and there's ample seating and an insanely high volume of helpful staff. 6. MeatLiquor/MeatMarket/MeatMission Burger The MeatWagon produced the burger that changed London’s dining scene and made sure hamburgers were a full-blown trend. That was in late 2009/early 2010 and since then things have changed a fair bit, including a few new restaurants (actual restaurants) in the MEAT family. For our money the quality probably goes MeatLiquor, MeatMission, MeatMarket, in that order, but there’s barely much to choose from when it comes to the eating. As more and more rivals have opened up, the MEAT empire has had to ensure quality hasn’t dropped and although they don’t top our list, they’re still producing hundreds of the best burgers you’ll find in London every single day. From the cheeseburger to the Dead Hippie via the Mushroom Swiss, there’s a lot still to like here. Joint Imagine a gothic cathedral with bootleggers and a cult as previous owners and you might have an idea of what MeatLiquor looks like on the inside. It is the most thrillingly decorated of the three restaurants in London and the best if you're there more for the booze than the burgers, with MeatMarket going for a more straight forward fast food vibe, and MeatMission housing stained-glass windows, photo booths and a circular bar with alcoholic slushie machines. 5. Dip & Flip Burger Aah, Dip & Flip! If you’ve never tried a burger and considered just how much better it would be with the addition of gravy, wait until you try one here. The burger to get is the eponymous Dip & Flip - a cheeseburger topped with roast beef and an abundance of gravy. Also not to be overlooked is the patty melt, but whichever way you go, a pot of gravy comes on the side. Make sure you dip. Joint Fun and functional, rather than cosy, you'll probably be in and out (no pun intended) of here within the hour. There's a mix of high and low tables, the former usually occupied by people fuelling up before heading out and the latter usually occupied by families with pushchairs. The music is good and staff are extremely personable. 4. Honest Burgers Burger When Honest Burgers launched a few years ago, they were bizarrely criticised for being a bit too, well, clean. The trend for ‘dirty’ food - particularly burgers - is quite transparent (although possibly on the wane) and Honest seemed to go against that. Their burgers are as straightforward as the name suggests. The beef is 100% ground chuck from The Ginger Pig, liberally seasoned with salt and pepper, as it should be, while the toppings and buns celebrate British produce, with mature Cheddar, Red Leicester and Stilton all available. Honest have since evolved the menu to include rotating specials and the peerless Tribute - their take on a classic American burger, with bacon, American cheese, burger sauce and pickles. It’s a showstopper. Joint Wilfully avoiding the Americana-theme of so many burger restaurants, Honest feels distinctly British. Its restaurants are simple but elegant, putting the emphasis on the burgers. 3. Flat Iron Burger If you’ve never read Hamburger America, George Motz’s indispensable ode to America’s favourite fast food, or seen the complementary documentary, then the name Dyer’s Burgers possibly won’t mean much to you. As Motz explains, Dyer’s is a Memphis institution that’s been around for over 100 years. Their USP? They deep fry their hamburgers. It may sound revolting and it’s definitely not great for you, but you probably won't care after you try a Flat Iron burger, available as a regularly occurring special. It goes without saying that the meat is great quality at this steak restaurant, but the frying gives it an incredible texture; it’s slightly crispy on the outside while also being tender and maintaining a loose structure. The bun is supplied by St John and does a wonderful job of holding everything together - including the outstanding bearnaise sauce and chopped shallots. Follow them on Twitter and go whenever it’s available next. Joint With its white-washed and exposed brick walls and circular metal lamps you feel a little like you're in an abattoir in Flat Iron, which is appropriate given they serve their steaks up on a slab with a mini meat cleaver. Downstairs is all dim candelabras and dark wood and worth heading down to if you can get a seat. 2. Patty & BunPatty & Bun is among the restaurants taking part Burger You know when you see a burger in a TV advert and think, ‘Hey, I’ve never had a burger that looks that good’? Well, Patty & Bun is serving up cheeseburgers that could have been produced in a studio. Or a burger laboratory. Every single aspect has been considered, tweaked and is produced to deliver an outstanding eating experience, every time. The bun, beef and toppings are all superlative - it’s the Real Madrid Galacticos of the hamburger world, in a little package. It could be said that the best (and worst) thing here is the intensity of eating a P&B burger. Whether it’s the Ari Gold, Smokey Robinson or Lambshank Redemption, you’re almost forced to drop your head and not come up for air until you’ve finished eating. You’ll stumble outside and wonder what just hit you. Joint Patty & Bun has a very DIY, pop-up feel inside, with the walls covered with chipboard and the art being scrawled on flattened cardboard boxes. It makes for a laid back atmosphere and the music is always great, avoiding AC/DC cliches and instead going down the Ginuwine, Erykah Badu, Ashanti route. 1. Tommi’s Burger Although it looks like a cartoon hamburger, possibly from a tray carried by J. Wellington Wimpy, Tommi’s is currently producing the best patties in London. The beef is supplied by the exceptional H G Walter, the bun is shiny and soft and the toppings are up to you. Although you can upgrade to slightly more lavish cuts of meat in the form of the steak burger, it’s the regular cheeseburger that gets the nod from us. In some ways it’s like something your dad would produce at a barbecue, if he spent endless summers out there in the rain honing it to perfection. Why is it above Patty & Bun? Essentially it’s the simplicity. Tommi’s is, in some ways, the antithesis of P&B and the former just edges it for us for London’s best burger. Joint Succeeds where many others in London fail by not trying too hard. It’s a burger, not a fillet steak and Tommi’s knows this, taping a few Sopranos posters to the walls, stringing up a couple of sets of fairy lights, writing the specials on some cardboard and calling it a day. There’s something very casual and humble about the restaurant, queues rarely reach the street and there isn’t a hashtag in sight. The most authentically American burger joint you’ll find in London (even if it is run by Icelanders). Honourable mentions The burgers which didn't quite make the grade or are too transient to be included. Bleecker St Burger and Burger Bear, for example, would have been in our top ten if they had more permanent locations. Bleecker St Burger Mother Flipper Lucky Chip Tongue 'N Cheek Burger Bear View Best burgers in London in a larger map Read More Best burgers in London: Where to eat top patties in the city The best outdoor restaurants, terraces and rooftop bars in London to book now Is bottomless prosecco going to be killed off by climate change? National Burger Day: your beefy questions answered Get 20% off basically all good London burgers Fancy a McLobster, McCurry or McBeer? Here's the burger porn you've been looking for

When you get a burger craving, there is little else that can satisfy it. If you’re someone who simply cannot make do with a sub-par patty, then you’re in good company and luckily for you, we’ve rounded up the best burgers to feast upon in London. While we do tend to get these burger cravings more than we’d like to admit, we’ve actually selflessly gone out to test the best that this city has to offer – whether that’s at the OG spots we all know and live or to help you try something completely new. From beef and chicken options to plant-based patties, there’s something for everyone. For example, indulge in a dirty burger from Five Guys, an OG classic from Bleecker or be of the opinion that sometimes the humble patty alone just isn’t enough – enter a 1kg tomahawk (yes, you read correctly). Whatever you’re feeling, this list should have you covered. Burgers and Beats A newcomer to the scene, Burgers and Beats has only been around since 2021. However, in that short space of time it’s fast cemented itself as one of London’s best burger offerings. You may have seen that iconic tomahawk burger making the rounds on Instagram – and we can confirm it’s not just a novelty. Every bit of it (complete with a fried egg, pico de gallo salsa, chimichurri and more) is absolutely delicious. However, the standard menu is also worth considering with the smashed double cheese and “east meets west” (with sweet chilli syrup and chimichurri mayo) being two of our all-time favourites in London. Also, do leave some room for the chicken tenders and loaded fries as they’re both excellent and worth stretching your stomach a little more for. burgersandbeats.co.uk Burger and Beyond Ah, we remember Burger and Beyond back in the days of the Camden Market stall… then its residency at the Camden Assembly. Well, it’s quite a different kettle of fish now, with four permanent sites up and running. Dining at the OG bricks and mortar spot in London’s Shoreditch, one bite of the “bougie” burger takes us straight back to those early days, but also proves just how far this place has come. Other standouts include the mushroom raclette burger (demonstrating that burgers most definitely do not have to be beef) and the vegan “chicken” entry with Korean sauce and gochujang mayo. We did love the krispie chicken, too, though we wished the miso butter was more prominent. If you’re not a burger fan (weird), we’d also recommend the trio of tacos, or the stellar dirty tots and bone marrow gravy fries. burgerandbeyond.co.uk Bleecker Potentially London’s favourite burger joint, Bleecker is undeniably committed to its cause, with founder Zan Kaufman trying to recreate the moment of euphoria she experienced upon trying “the best burger she had ever eaten” in New York on this side of the pond. From a burger truck to its first kiosk in Spitalfields Market, then bricks and mortar restaurants, it’s been years but this burger joint is still going strong. Again, keeping things simple, the most adventurous it gets is adding blue cheese or Neil Rankin’s symplicity burger to the menu. Burgers can be at their best this way and at Bleecker, the double cheeseburger is more than enough to satisfy any craving. bleecker.co.uk Punk Chef You can find professional chef and TV presenter Scott Garthwaite’s food truck in East London’s Spitalfields Market, which not only serves mouthwatering burgers but also employs three members of staff from the deaf community. We got our hands (and mouths) on Punk Chef’s classic number “The Legend”, which is essentially a chicken parm burger (though plant-based escalopes are also available) with homemade bechamel sauce, melted cheese, gherkins and a special burger sauce. A standout among London’s already top burger offering. punkchef.co.uk Blacklock Known for its chops and iconic Sunday roast, we’d also heard great things about the Blacklock burger. If you’re dining there but don’t fancy chops or steak, the burger offers so much more. Potentially more enjoyable, in our opinion, the double cheeseburger is packed full of onions that have been caramelised in “a healthy glug of vermouth”. Beautifully rich – but not overly so – and also a decent size. We have to say that while the rising trend of “the bigger, the better” may suit some, it might be overreaching for the humble burger. Bravo, Blacklock – we’ll be back for this one. theblacklock.com Black Bear Another London burger staple and one whose market stall days we still remember, Black Bear proves it’s an oldie but a goldie. You can’t come here and not get the Black Bear with cheese, smoked bacon and onion jam. However, the brisket burger, with 12-hour braised meat, and the miso bacon burger, with miso honey butter mayo, are very good choices, too. Share two and take one home for later? Also indulge in the cheeseburger spring roll, one of the restaurant’s signature snacks. blackbearburger.com Shake Shack Yes, we know everyone is well aquainted with the New York burger chain, but Shake Shack has come a long way since its days of being a hot dog stand in Madison Square. Originally the class “roadside” burger, what we really love about Shake Shack is the size. Like we said earlier, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better and whether you go for a single or double patty here, Shake Shack burgers tend to hit the spot every time. While our frontrunner remains the Shackmeister (with those perfectly crispy ale-marinated shallots), the vegan crispy shallot burger is another one of our favourites. shakeshack.co.uk Coqfighter We’ve been pretty focused on beef burgers up until now – although still acknowledging the delicious vegan versions those burger brands have to offer – but here’s a spot that knows its stuff when it comes to fried chicken. It seemed only fitting that we tried the variety of sides on the menu, with the laksa butter wings and classic buffalo options taking centre stage. Don’t worry – we left room for the burgers, and thoroughly enjoyed devouring the iconic green chilli cheeseburger, featuring chipotle mayo and pickled green chilli. The honey ginger buffalo (what better string of words or ingredients is there?) is also a strong choice – but beware, it’s a messy one. coqfighter.com The Beaumont Stepping away from the classic burger joints, there are many standard restaurants in London that serve up burgers to rival those whose sole purpose is to cook them. The Beaumont is one of these spots, with Gatsby’s Room, situated in the centre of the hotel, offering the perfect escape from the buzz of central London. The Beaumont cheeseburger features a juicy patty on top of caramelised onions and is slathered with a rich and moreish secret sauce – proving that a good old fashioned favourite can still leave a lasting impression. Served with thick cut chips, it’s ideal for anyone who fancies a more decadent setting when devouring such a meal. thebeaumont.com Five Guys Another American food chain to make a long-lasting impression on the UK burger community, Five Guys is exactly where our brain goes when we think of the ultimate dirty burger. Things are kept simple, with a hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger and bacon cheeseburger on that side of the menu (the chain also includes hot dogs and various sandwiches, too) and if you ever have that intense craving, this may be the place to satisfy it. While a tricky one for anyone with a nut allergy (the chips are fried in peanut oil), the burgers come with two patties as standard and can be washed down with one of the many milkshake flavours on offer. If you want to cement yourself as a firm fan, Five Guys has also released its own line of merchandise so you can fully embrace the burger brand. fiveguys.co.uk So we’ve covered food and now what about wine? Meet the sommeliers who are breaking the industry’s stuffy stereotype Read More The best outdoor restaurants, terraces and rooftop bars in London to book now The best outdoor restaurants, terraces and rooftop bars in London to book now Is bottomless prosecco going to be killed off by climate change? Thrifty and fruit coconut, raspberry and chocolate muffins

Picture this. The group chat has finally settled on a date and we are going out. Out out. Women of most ages know how serious this is. There was probably a spreadsheet involved. Boyfriends and husbands have been dispatched to the pub. Children and dogs have been dropped off at the sitter. Dignity has been left at the door. One of us is waiting for it to be cancelled so we can stay at home with our loungewear and girl dinners (it’s probably me). There’s only one thing for it. Bottomless brunch. Many Asos orders and outfit changes later, we arrive, take our seats and start the binge drinking timer. There’s only one problem. No prosecco. Freshly manicured fists pound the table. The elected Karen of the group starts to verbally pulverise the staff. Eggs Benedicts are thrown against the walls. The Prosecco Huns exclaim in unison: “But what are we going to drink now?!” The waiter bashfully suggests: “Spumante?” Give over. According to a new study, this could be a reality in the near future thanks to climate change threatening vineyards across Europe, in particular those dedicated to glera (the beloved prosecco grape) in Northern Italy. In a detailed report in iScience last month, researchers warned that unpredictable weather, soil degradation and drought could lead to the loss of a millennia-old winemaking tradition, and the livelihoods attached to it. RIP the Prosecco Hun. The Italian sparkling wine has long been the fizz of choice in the UK (we were only dethroned as the world’s biggest prosecco guzzlers last year by the US). In the early 2010s, more than a third of all the prosecco shipped out of Italy worldwide ended up in Britain – approximately 131 million bottles a year. That’s nearly two bottles per Brit. You get the idea. The origin of our obsession with prosecco dates back to just after the 2008 crash, when consumers were looking for an alternative to expensive champagne. The softer tasting, far more affordable (thanks to its cheaper and speedier production time) and incredibly quaffable prosecco was the obvious choice. Bottomless brunch was born. “My heart goes out to the huns whose weekends simply aren’t complete without a bottle of prosecco,” Hannah Crosbie, founder of Dalston Wine Club, laments at the news that just 15 years after it stormed onto supermarket shelves, prosecco might be quietly forced to say arrivederci. “In all seriousness though, climate change is seriously threatening every aspect of winemaking, and growing conditions are only getting more challenging.” Prosecco is certainly not the only vino at risk, but it faces a unique issue. Where other wine growing regions affected by climate change such as Champagne and Burgundy can simply put out a limited run with an inflated price tag and keep the snobby oenophiles coming, prosecco’s USP is its ability to produce in bulk and at a fraction of the cost. English sparkling is a big winner with the climate going the way it is. Prosecco, by all accounts, seems like it’s a bit of a loser in that regard Will Amherst, head wine buyer at Trullo Ali Finch, group sommelier at Angela Hartnett’s Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Murano in Mayfair, doesn’t believe there’s an appetite for a higher quality, more expensive prosecco. “With the impact of the climate as well as the cost of producing wine increasing, the challenge for prosecco is going to be how to balance the expectation of its price point with the need to make slightly smaller quantities,” she tells me. “Regions like Chablis, for instance, have had multiple horrible vintages back to back and people just accept the fact they have to pay more for it if they want to drink that wine.” For the uninitiated, the word “vintage” on a wine label simply means the year the grapes were harvested – compared to regular wines that may include grapes harvested in multiple years – and each vintage can taste vastly different based on the conditions affecting the grapes in that year. Chablis, produced from chardonnay grapes in the northernmost district of Burgundy, has always been particularly affected by the climate due to its geography, but in recent years has seen frost in 2016, 2017 and 2021, and drought and higher temperatures in 2019 and 2020. This has dramatically affected those vintages, and driven up the price of bottles from “good” years. But with prosecco, “people potentially wouldn’t be interested in” paying a higher price, Finch says. This is partly because its brand has become more associated with cheap fizz than fine wine in Britain. Part of the problem also lies in the simplicity of its production. Prosecco is a wine that reflects the aromatics of the grape at the point of harvest, whereas with other sparkling wines like champagne, as well as other types of wine in general, such as chablis, it’s about the ageing process. Rising temperatures mean grapes are ripening more quickly, which can result in a different flavour of wine or too much alcohol, so one option is to harvest the grapes earlier. You can get away with a slightly under-ripe fruit in aged wines as so much of the flavour is added during their long fermentations. In prosecco, a bottle of which is ready in just 30 days, an under-ripe grape could result in something that “tastes a lot like battery acid”, according to Finch. The Prosecco Huns don’t want to chug something flavourless and eye-wateringly alcoholic with their eggs Benedict. “If you pick too early, you’ve got no flavour,” Finch explains. “So they don’t really have the option to just keep making it in the same volume. With other wines, you can do more work in the winery to make the wine feel more balanced and more approachable and more complex. They don’t have that luxury in prosecco.” Under Italy’s DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) laws, prosecco is only prosecco when it comes from just two regions of the country, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and adheres to strict growing and production rules. The same goes for champagne: only wine produced from eight permitted varieties of grape grown exclusively in the Champagne region of France may be called champagne. It’s these “heroic viticulture” sites that the report says are most at risk. Naming rights have been a point of contention across the whole wine industry for some time, with Australian producers of glera recently putting in a request to the EU to be allowed to call their wine prosecco on the grounds that it’s part of their migrant and cultural identity. Ironically, the glera grape is actually believed to be Slovenian in origin, and was first cultivated in the vineyards of Prosecco, a small village in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region near the border with Slovenia. The name is even thought to derive from the Slovenian words preseka or poseka, or the Serbian/Croatian prosek, meaning “path cut through the woods”. While DOC laws might prevent anyone calling a sparkling wine made from glera grapes outside of the designated regions a prosecco, it hasn’t stopped winemakers around the world from essentially producing the same wine using the same techniques. As climate change has made it increasingly difficult to cultivate the grapes in their historical home, it’s also made conditions in more northern regions like the UK more favourable for the growing of certain grapes, including white varieties such as glera, opening the door to a whole new generation of winemakers. “This is not me saying this is the death of prosecco,” Finch adds quickly, but she stresses that the wine industry is naturally very dynamic. “There are loads of alternatives to prosecco, both within Europe in terms of pet nats and cremants and things like that, and with the New World as well.” Pet nats – sparkling wines made using the “traditional method” of fermenting in individual bottles – have become very trendy among the younger Gen Z crowd, she says, as it still offers something bright, fruity and super fizzy, but without the faff, or price tag, that comes with champagne. People are also drinking less but are happy to spend a little more and not drink as much. At Murano, Finch says diners are asking about English sparkling wines more than ever before. “The correlation, obviously, with post-Brexit is there. There’s a desire to try and drink more local wines, potentially from a sustainability point of view, potentially from a cost-to-quality point of view because of duty increasing. It’s also partly because during Covid people did a lot of staycations and UK wine tourism did very well during that time. And it sort of stuck.” It’s a sentiment echoed by Will Amherst, head wine buyer at Italian trattoria Trullo in Islington, north London. “I don’t want to bash prosecco too much, but if I was going out and I wanted sparkling wine, I would still look at champagne,” he says, much to the chagrin of the Prosecco Huns. “And if I’m going to look somewhere other than that, I would get a bottle of English sparkling. Because English sparkling is a big winner with the climate going the way it is. Prosecco, by all accounts, seems like it’s a bit of a loser in that regard.” Prosecco and the people that produce it are certainly not the only losers but its high-altitude, cooler temperature geography, which previously protected it from climate change, is now adversely affected by extreme weather. Sudden, intense rainfall damages the soil and creates “slope failures”, while conversely droughts make irrigation extremely difficult. While he’s yet to see a knock-on effect on prosecco supplies at Trullo, Amherst’s “immediate thoughts were, really sadly: is prosecco going to be able to pull itself out of that hole? I don’t know how you reconcile the spiralling production costs and the brand identity, which is synonymous with cheap wine in this country,” he says. Although it’s not recommended to keep prosecco longer than two to three years before it goes flat – compared to up to 10 years for vintage champagnes – he doesn’t anticipate stocks to run down soon. At any rate, his biggest use for prosecco at Trullo is in an Aperol Spritz, where it makes up half the drink. He actually sees it as an exciting opportunity for new wines to emerge. So does Will Hill, a wine buyer at online merchant Honest Grapes, who tells me: “Once again, cava is showing that there is great value to be found in traditional method sparkling wines and more and more we are seeing ‘prosecco-esque’ wines for lower prices. If the consumer isn’t tied to the name ‘prosecco’, there are plenty of good, affordable, entry-level options available.” It’s clear that wines of all colours are facing an uphill battle (quite literally in prosecco’s case), not just to survive but to protect their identity, which for prosecco is arguably more important. That could spell the end of the Prosecco Hun, but with English sparkling and other European varieties on the rise, perhaps it just means a rebranding is in order. Cremant Crew? Pet Nat Posse? They don’t have quite the same ring, but it won’t stop us booking bottomless brunch anytime soon. Read More I feel it in my fingers: Why more of us should start eating with our hands Pizza, cake and meringue martinis: When did cinema food get so silly? Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan on 20 years of L’Enclume: ‘It all started with a radish’

As a trained accountant and a long-time baking enthusiast, Hermine Dossou knows a thing or two about saving money in the kitchen. “My first breadmaker was from Panasonic – I bought it from Gumtree,” the former Great British Bake Off contestant says. “It was basically somebody’s wedding present that they didn’t want and they sold it half price.” A devotee of Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert website, the 42-year-old, who was born in Benin, West Africa, and moved to the UK for university aged 20, tries to avoid ever paying full price for a big ticket item. “If I wanted to buy, let’s say, a mixer, I would go online, and type ‘Kenwood discount vouchers’ and then something always comes up,” says Dossou, who lives in Kettering and came fourth on the 2020 series of Bake Off. But the mum-of-one – whose son Steven is 13 – wasn’t always such a frugal foodie. “That came from that period where I became a single mum on a reduced income,” she says. “I couldn’t work full-time because I had to look after my son, and also I didn’t want him to have the processed kind of bakes.” Whipping up cakes and cookies filled her “empty afternoons” as a new mum and was a lot cheaper than buying ready-made baked goods. “I would cook from scratch and prep my vegetables when I could get them on offer,” she continues. “Same for fruits – they are often very discounted when they become a bit soft, and that’s the best time to make jam.” Even post-Bake Off and her book deal (she works full-time as an accountant), Dossou remains a savvy shopper, knowing that a higher price doesn’t always mean a better product. “Like a bar of chocolate, if it’s the same quantity of cocoa, why are you paying three times the price? Especially if you’re going to bake with it. “Wonky onions at half the price is the same… they all come from the same farm.” Her accountancy skills came in handy, too, and she still uses a spreadsheet to track her income and outgoings every month. “I think generally in life it is important to budget and know where your money goes, because I think it allows you to achieve a lot more than if you were just living freestyle,” Dossou says. “It’s a nightmare trying to get on the housing ladder here in the UK – that’s something I’ve been able to do through being thrifty in every area of my life.” That’s why she decided to call her first cookbook The Thrifty Baker: “I just really wanted to bring that awareness of how we choose what we eat, and how we can save through making little changes here and there.” “Now, more than ever, when people are struggling with the cost of living, I think it’s even more important to go back to those values of cooking from scratch, trying to cook at home, and making meals from, you know, not much.” With lots of advice for beginners, the book focuses on affordable dishes, from basic breads and simple biscuits to special occasion puds and impressive-looking desserts. There’s a distinct Gallic influence (Benin, where Dossou learned to bake as a child, is a former French colony) felt with recipes such as pain de campagne, orange and brown butter madeleinesm and pear frangipane tart. The author points out when a recipe can be cooked in an air fryer – a recent Black Friday bargain she loves because it allows her to enjoy fried Benin delicacies using less oil and without turning on the oven. “Because we have a really small family, just me and my son, you don’t always want to put the oven on just to bake something for two. “With an oven you’ll need to preheat it for a good 15 to 20 minutes before you can even bake in it. With the air fryer you just put the cake in and 15 minutes later it’s out – easy and convenient.” There’s also a section devoted to microwaveable mug cakes, with peanut butter and jam, speculoos (aka Biscoff) and chocolate hazelnut flavours of the cheap and easy-to-make single-serve puds. “In the microwave you can make a cake in five minutes from weighing, mixing and baking,” says Dossou, who loves how kid-friendly they are. “With my son I feel more inclined to let him make a mug cake than maybe something bigger. “Even if it goes wrong he’s not wasting a lot of ingredients and, you know, he’s not turning the kitchen into a bonfire.” ‘The Thrifty Baker’ by Hermine Dossou (White Lion, £18.99).

Microwave cakes will never replace an oven-baked cake, in my opinion, because good things take time to create,” says former Great British Bake Off contestant, Hermine Dossou. “That said, when you don’t have an oven, when you’re not in your own kitchen with your own equipment, when you’re limited by time, or even have just a few bits of ingredients here and there, microwave mug cakes make a great substitute. And they’ll help you get rid of that sugar craving!” Speculoos mug cake Serves: 1 Ingredients: 30g salted butter 1 tsp speculoos spread 40g sugar 25g whole milk 1 small egg 40g self-raising flour 1 tsp vanilla extract For the topping: 1 tbsp speculoos spread 1 scoop vanilla ice cream 1 speculoos or other biscuit, for crumbling Method: 1. Put the butter and speculoos spread in a large mug and microwave on medium–high power (600 watts) for 10-20 seconds. Stir until smooth. 2. Add the sugar and milk and stir until combined. Then add the egg and mix vigorously with a whisk or small spatula to avoid streaks of egg white in your cake. 3. Finally, add the flour and vanilla, mixing thoroughly to ensure there are no lumps. 4. Microwave on medium–high (600 watts) for one minute. Keep an eye on the cake as each microwave cooks differently. You want the batter to be only just cooked; when you lightly touch the top, it should feel slightly sticky. If it feels completely dry, you have overcooked your cake. Remove from the microwave and allow to cool. 5. To serve, melt the one tablespoon of speculoos spread in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Top the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with the melted speculoos spread and sprinkle with the crumbled biscuit. Enjoy. ‘The Thrifty Baker’ by Hermine Dossou (White Lion, £18.99).

It’s often said that quiche is old-fashioned, but there is nothing old-fashioned about this one,” says former Great British Bake Off contestant Hermine Dossou. “It’s a crumbly, super-short, melt-in-your-mouth pastry filled with buttery spinach and creamy custard. “Gruyère is the perfect cheese for quiche and a little goes a long way, but if it’s not available, you can substitute with Emmental, Comté, Jarlsberg or Beaufort.” Spinach and mushroom quiche Serves: 8 Ingredients: For the shortcrust pastry: 210g plain flour (gf plus 1 tsp xanthan gum), plus extra for dusting 130g cold butter 1 large egg (55g) 1 tbsp cold water ¼ tsp salt For the custard: 15g butterLeaves from 3 thyme sprigs 1 small yellow onion (about 50g), finely chopped 2 eggs 120g double cream 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube, crumbled 1 tsp Dijon mustard ¼ tsp salt Pinch of black pepper For the filling: 30g butter 250g mushrooms, sliced ½ tsp garlic powder A pinch of salt 250g baby spinach leaves 80g grated Gruyére cheese Method: 1. To make the shortcrust pastry, in a large bowl rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips until sandy in texture. (You can use a food processor to speed up this process.) Add the egg, water and salt and bring together into a dough without overworking it. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge – you always want to work with cold pastry as it’s much easier to handle. 2. When ready, lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a circle about 30cm in diameter and 3mm thick. Use your rolling pin to lift it up and lay it over a 23cm tart tin, so there is an overhang of pastry at the top. Using a straight-sided glass, ease the pastry into the corners of the tin by rolling the glass around the edge in circular motion. Chill for 20 minutes. 3. Preheat your oven at 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas 6. Line your chilled pastry case with parchment paper, fill it with baking beans or cheap pulses, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Lift out the baking beans and parchment paper and continue baking for a further 10 minutes to dry out the base. 4. Meanwhile, make the custard. Put the butter, thyme and onion in a small frying pan over medium heat and cook until the onion is soft and transparent. Set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, stock cube, mustard, salt and pepper, adding the cooked onions. Set aside. 5. Prepare the filling using the same pan you used to cook the onions. Heat the butter, add the mushrooms, garlic and salt, and cook over a high heat until the mushrooms are soft and most of the water has evaporated. Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted and the mixture is thick. 6. Tip the spinach mixture into the pre-baked tart case and spread it around evenly. Sprinkle over the grated cheese, then pour in the custard, making sure it’s distributed evenly. Bake at 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas 6 for 20–25 minutes, or until the middle of the quiche looks set and the top is slightly golden. Enjoy warm. ‘The Thrifty Baker’ by Hermine Dossou (White Lion, £18.99).

The combination here tastes wonderful whether you’re using fresh raspberries in season (when they’re cheaper) or frozen raspberries,” says former Great British Bake Off contestant Hermine Dossou. “To enhance the flavour of your desiccated coconut, you could toast it lightly (for five minutes or so) while preheating the oven – but keep an eye on it as it does turn brown very quickly.” Coconut, raspberry and chocolate muffins Makes: 12 Ingredients: 180g milk 2 large eggs 60g vegetable oil 60g unsalted butter, melted 230g sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg 5g salt 250g plain (all-purpose) flour (gf plus ½ tsp xanthan gum) 80g desiccated (dried shredded) coconut 10g baking powder (gf) 150g raspberries 150g milk chocolate, chopped into chunks Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. 2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the milk, eggs, oil, butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt for about a minute, until well combined. Add the flour, coconut and baking powder and stir until fully incorporated. Fold in half the raspberries and all the chocolate chunks. 3. Divide the batter equally between the muffin cases. Top each muffin with a couple of the remaining raspberries. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and are golden brown. You can keep these for a few days in an airtight container, or, once cooled, freeze them for up to 3 months. They are lovely served warm – either out the oven or reheated for a few seconds in the microwave. ‘The Thrifty Baker’ by Hermine Dossou (White Lion, £18.99).

As teenagers start or head back to university this month, we’ve found three ways to level up student classics: instant ramen, ravioli and baked beans. Pre-made food has never tasted this good. As part of our Budget Bites column – where we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month – this month’s instalment is all about dishes that make the most of staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal. We’ve also provided a handy shopping list for the ingredients (though hopefully most of it will be knocking about already), which are used across all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether it’s locally or online. Shopping list 2 baking potatoes (large) 6 cloves garlic 20g fresh ginger 20g fresh chives 60g rocket 200g fresh spinach 200g chestnut mushrooms 125g cheddar 30g unsalted butter 250g spinach and ricotta ravioli 2 instant ramen packets 400g tinned baked beans 1.5 tbsp gochujang 3 tbsp sesame oil 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tsp mild chilli powder 1 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tsp honey Instant green ramen with sticky soy minced mushrooms If you aren't a fan of mushrooms, try replacing them with crumbled firm tofu. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 200g chestnut mushrooms 3 tbsp vegetable oil 2 instant ramen packets 2 cloves garlic 200g fresh spinach 20g rocket 1 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tsp honey Method: 1. Fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil, this will be for the broth and noodles later. 2. Mince 200g of mushrooms on a chopping board like you might chop herbs, until rice-like in size. You can use a food processor here if you are low on time. 3. Add 3 tbsp of oil to a large frying pan and place it over a high heat. 4. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, add the mushrooms. Fry, tossing occasionally for 8-10 minutes, until golden in places. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 5. Tip the flavour sachets from 2 packets of instant noodles into a medium saucepan. Peel, then finely grate in 2 cloves of garlic and add 700ml of boiling water from the kettle. 6. Place the pan over a high heat, then add 200g of spinach and 20g of rocket. Boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the spinach wilts, darkens, and softens fully. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 7. Add the noodles from the packets to another medium saucepan and cover with boiling water from the kettle. 8. Place the pan over a high heat and boil for 2-3 minutes, until soft but still with a slight bite. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 9. Once the spinach has darkened and wilted, take the pan off the heat, add 1 tbsp of tahini and blitz until smooth and bright green with a hand blender. You have made your green broth! 10. Once the noodles are ready, use tongs to transfer them straight into bowls. Pour over the green broth and turn your attention back to the mushrooms. 11. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of honey to the mushrooms. Cook over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, tossing regularly, until dark and sticky. 12. Spoon the mushrooms over the noodles and tuck in! Pre-made ravioli cheddar cacio e pepe We use spinach and ricotta ravioli in this recipe, but feel free to get creative and use different pre-made filled pastas. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 75g cheddar 10g fresh chives 30g unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp mild chilli powder 250g spinach and ricotta ravioli Method: 1. Fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil. This will be for the pasta later. 2. Coarsely grate 75g of cheddar, then finely chop 10g of chives crossways on the same board - we will need these later. 3. Melt 15g of the butter in a small pan over a low heat. 4. Once the butter starts to foam, peel and finely grate in 2 cloves of garlic and add 1 tsp of mild chilli powder. Take the pan off the heat and allow everything to cook and infuse in the residual heat while you get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps. 5. Add 250g of ravioli to a medium saucepan and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Place the pan over a high heat. 6. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the pasta is soft and the filling is piping hot. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 7. Grind 1 tbsp of pepper into a large frying pan, toast it over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until fragrant. 8. Add the remaining 15g of butter to the pepper and allow it to melt in the pan. 9. Once the ravioli is ready, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the pan with the pepper and butter. Toss and swirl everything to create a loose emulsion of the butter and pasta water around the ravioli. 10. Take the pan off the heat and toss through the cheese - add a splash of pasta water if it starts to look a little sticky or thick. We are looking for a loose emulsion of the cheese, butter, and pasta water at this stage. 11. Divide the pasta between plates. Drizzle over the garlic chilli butter and scatter over the chives. Gochujang baked bean jacket potatoes These levelled-up baked beans also taste great on toast or wrapped in crispy puff pastry! Serves: 2 Ingredients: 2 baking potatoes (large) 400g tinned baked beans 1.5 tbsp gochujang 2 cloves garlic 20g fresh ginger 3 tbsp sesame oil 50g cheddar 10g fresh chives 40g rocket 1 tbsp cider vinegar Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 230C. 2. Stab 2 baking potatoes all over with a fork. Cook in the microwave on full power for 10-12 minutes, until soft throughout. Flip them over halfway through to ensure an even cooking. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 3. Add 1 400g tin of baked beans to a medium saucepan. Add 1 ½ tbsp of gochujang, then peel and finely grate in 2 cloves of garlic and 20g of ginger. 4. Place the pan over a low heat, slowly bring the beans up to a simmer, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until piping hot. 5. Once the potatoes are ready, transfer them to a small baking tray. Rub with 2 tbsp of the sesame oil and a generous pinch of salt. 6. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 7. Coarsely grate 50g of cheddar, then finely chop 10g of chives crossways on the same board. 8. Add 40g of rocket to a large mixing bowl, toss with 1 tbsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp of vinegar, and a pinch of salt. If you are still waiting for the potatoes, now would be a great time to crack on with a bit of washing up. 9. Once the potatoes are ready, split them lengthwise in half and fill with the baked beans. Scatter over the cheese, chives, and serve with the salad. In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick at sortedfood.com/sidekick. Read More Epicurus: American fast food meets the Middle East in Camden Market The dish that defines me: Evelin Eros’s rum cake ‘It started with a radish’: Chef Simon Rogan reflects on restaurant L’Enclume at 20 The true story – and murky history – of Portuguese piri piri oil ‘My depression stopped me doing what I loved most in life – cooking’ What Bake Off’s Jurgen Krauss really thinks of his shock elimination

Camden has long been known as the spiritual home for misfits. Come, all ye oddballs, the streets of Camden scream. All are welcome! Although nowadays it’s a little less punk haven and a little more tourist trap (yes, I’m looking at you, pastas dunked into cheese wheels), there are still pockets of Camden that have retained its unconventional charm. It’s also where punky pair and Israeli chefs Shiri Kraus and Amir Batito have set up shop for both their restaurants, The Black Cow and the newer Epicurus, just minutes away from each other. Like The Black Cow, modeled after the classic American steakhouse but infused with Middle Eastern flavours, Epicurus takes its culinary cue from across the pond. This time, Kraus and Batito decided to focus on the all-American diner and put their Israeli twist on classics like pancakes, wings and ribs. When I ask if this is because American food is a bit of a blank slate, Kraus swiftly corrects me; to her, it’s all about the excitement of infusing the character of American cuisine with Israeli flavours and seeing what’s possible. It’s a pairing that I think is unusual, but to the chefs, makes perfect sense. It’s a warm, balmy day when I make my way to Epicurus to meet my friend, as well as Kraus and Batito. The outdoor space is placed tantalisingly in the late afternoon sun, so we bask in it as our tiny table fills up with more plates than is sensible. The quirky menu features punny dish names like “Chip Chip Hooray”, “Raspoutine”, “Top Dog” and “Sloppy Yossef”, which I find immediately endearing – my love for a good (or even bad) puns knows no bounds. We are instructed to eat as many things as possible with our hands, although Kraus concedes: “You could use a fork, I’ll only judge in silence.” We find delight in the “Oof Gozal” – chicken wings coated in a yellow Amba mango and Scotch bonnet sauce. Despite the use of the fearsome chilli, these wings are barely spicy, favouring the flavour of the Scotch bonnet over the heat. They are incredibly moreish and the fact that your fingers end up being absolutely covered in sauce is only an invitation to get licking. You should also definitely get the “Papi Chulo”, a mix of crunchy deep-fried okra and soft padron peppers covered in spices that come with a lemony-garlicky-chilli aioli for dipping. It’s brilliant for snacking on in the sun. Another honourable mention goes to the Epicurus single decker burger, which is also available as a double. It contains some of the richest, fattiest ingredients I’ve ever seen between buns, like bone marrow aioli and Baron cheese, and it does border on being a bit too unctuous. The Harissa bacon jam helps pull it back a little, but only just. Would I eat it again? Definitely. But I probably would get a salad instead of chips to make myself feel slightly better about ingesting all that fat. I am usually glad when menus don’t have calorie counts – even when they do, I avert my gaze determinedly – and boy, am I really glad there’s no calorie count on this menu. Not everything hits the spot, which I’m hoping Kraus and Batito will be able to tweak until they do. The “Dakdakim”, pancakes stuffed with pulled shawarma chicken, has the trappings of something great, but the addition of both bacon jam and spiced quince make the dish too sickly sweet. Meanwhile, the rack of babyback ribs covered in a deliciously tart-yet-sweet date honey and pomegranate molasses needs a bit more fat on the bones to make it truly delectable – otherwise the mouth-puckering quality of the sauce make the too-lean ribs a bit too dry to really enjoy. But these are small gripes, and ones that I’m happy to forgive if they are improved upon. Is it worth elbowing your way through the thronging crowds of Camden Lock Market to get to Epicurus? I think it will be. Never mind the cheap tat and endless boba tea shops (most of which are simply not very good, there are better places to visit boba tea that isn’t just a sugar bomb) – head to Epicurus for a tasty escape. Epicurus, Unit 90, Camden Stables Market, Greater, London NW1 8AH | www.epicuruscamden.co.uk | 07843 199560 Read More Dorshi, Dorset: Funky Malaysian dumplings are a hit on the south coast National Burger Day 2023: The best burgers in London and where to eat them The best outdoor restaurants, terraces and rooftop bars in London to book now

We’re all sick of hearing about them by now, but air fryers are still enjoying “a moment”. They can also really help reduce the time and energy it takes to make a dish, so we’ve teamed up with the culinary geniuses at Sorted and used this piece of magical kit to cook up three dishes that use it in three different ways. From deeply savoury cheesy sausage-stuffed peppers with vibrant spinach pesto, to hearty and comforting potato and sausage hash with a smoky tomato sauce, these recipes not only showcase the versatility and convenience of air fryers, they’re also pretty damn delicious. Not to forget the crispy chicken thighs and tomatoes with lemon, caper and almond couscous, which demonstrates the art of achieving both crispiness and succulence without the oil. Go forth and revolutionise. Cheesy sausage-stuffed peppers with spinach pesto We use red peppers in this recipe, but if you can’t find them, use any colour of bell pepper to your liking. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 3 red bell peppers 4 tbsp olive oil 250g microwave brown rice 120g cream cheese 1 tbsp tomato purée/tomato paste 4 pork sausages 100g cheddar 200g fresh spinach 30g almond flakes 1 clove garlic 15g fresh parsley 1 lemon Method: 1. Preheat the air fryer: preheat the air fryer to 200C. 2. Prep the peppers: cut 3 bell peppers in half lengthways and scoop out all the seeds from their centres. Rub the peppers with 4 tbsp of olive oil on the board and season with salt. 3. Assemble the filling: crumble 250g of cooked brown rice into a large mixing bowl. Add 120g of cream cheese and 1 tbsp of tomato paste, then coarsely grate in 25g of the cheddar - we will use the rest later. Squeeze in the meat from the casings of 4 sausages. 4. Mix it up: season with salt and pepper, then fold everything together, ensuring the sausage meat breaks up and is well dispersed through the mix. 5. Fill the peppers: divide the mix between the oiled pepper cups - there is no need to press and compact the mixture into the peppers. 6. Fry: pop the pepper halves in the draw of the air fryer, filling side up, and cook for 17-20 minutes until golden in places and piping hot throughout. When cut into, the sausage shouldn’t be pink. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 7. Get the spinach ready: add 200g of spinach to another mixing bowl and cover with cling film. 8. Cook the spinach: microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes, until darkened and wilted. 9. Assemble the pesto: once the spinach is ready, add 30g of almond flakes, 1 peeled garlic clove and 15g of parsley to the bowl. Coarsely grate in the remaining 75g of cheddar, then finely grate in the zest from 1 lemon, and squeeze in its juice. 10. Blend it up: blitz everything together with a hand blender, until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you are still waiting for the peppers, now would be a great time to crack on with a bit of washing up. 11. Serve: divide the pesto between plates and spread it out to form discs. Top with 3 pepper halves per portion and tuck in. Potato and sausage hash with smoky tomato sauce This recipe can be vegetarian-ised by using veggie sausages instead! Serves: 2 Ingredients: 600g loose white potatoes 1 red onion 4 pork sausages 4 tbsp olive oil 4 cloves garlic 1 tbsp smoked paprika 400g tinned chopped tomatoes 15g fresh parsley 45g cream cheese Method: 1. Preheat: preheat the air fryer to 200C. 2. Prep the potatoes and onions: Cut 600g of potatoes into bite-sized chunks, then halve, peel and roughly slice 1 red onion. Add the veg to a large mixing bowl. 3. Add the sausage: squeeze the meat from the casings of 4 sausages into the bowl, creating little meatballs as you pinch them off. 4. Oil and toss: toss everything with 2 tbsp of the oil and a generous pinch of salt. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw meat. 5. Fry: tip the oiled potatoes, onions, and sausage balls in the draw of the air fryer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until golden in places and the potatoes are soft throughout. Give everything a toss halfway through cooking to ensure an even colouring. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 6. Prep the garlic: peel and mince 4 cloves of garlic. Add them to a medium saucepan along with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. 7. Fry: place the pan over a medium heat and slowly fry for 2-3 minutes, until the garlic starts to colour. 8. Add the paprika: add 1 tbsp of smoked paprika and fry for a further 20-30 seconds, until very fragrant. 9. Add the tomatoes: add 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes to the pan along with a generous pinch of salt. 10. Simmer down: simmer for 6-8 minutes, until reduced by S. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 11. Chop the parsley: finely chop 15g of parsley, then crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait for the sauce. 12. Blend: once the tomatoes have reduced by S, add 45g of cream cheese and blitz until smooth with a hand blender. 13. Serve: divide the sauce between plates and top with the fried potato, onion, and sausage. Scatter over the chopped parsley and serve. Air fryer crispy chicken thighs and tomatoes with lemon, caper and almond couscous If you aren’t into capers, you can leave them out or replace them with green olives. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on 200g cherry tomatoes 3 tbsp olive oil 150g couscous 2 tbsp capers 20g almond flakes 1 lemon Method: 1. Preheat: preheat the air fryer to 200C. Fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil - this will be for the couscous later. 2. Oil and season: add 4 chicken thighs to a large mixing bowl along with 200g of tomatoes. Toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, ensure everything is fully coated. 3. Get ready to cook: add the tomatoes and chicken to the tray of the air fryer. Ensure the chicken thighs are positioned on top of the tomatoes, skin-side up. 4. Cook: cook for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken’s skin is crispy and the tomatoes are soft and jammy. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 5. Assemble the couscous: add 100g of couscous, 2 tbsp of capers, 15g of the almond flakes, the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt to another large mixing bowl. 6. Add the water: add enough boiling water from the kettle to just cover the grains, then give everything a quick stir. 7. Cook the couscous: set aside to cook the couscous for 6-8 minutes, until the grains are soft and have absorbed all the water. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait. 8. Finish the couscous: once the couscous is ready, finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze in its juice. Fluff the grains with a fork and fold everything together. 9. Serve: divide the couscous between plates and top with the tomatoes and chicken. Scatter over the remaining 5g of almond flakes and serve. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick at sortedfood.com/sidekick. Read More The dish that defines me: Evelin Eros’s rum cake ‘It started with a radish’: Chef Simon Rogan reflects on restaurant L’Enclume at 20 The true story – and murky history – of Portuguese piri piri oil ‘My depression stopped me doing what I loved most in life – cooking’ What Bake Off’s Jurgen Krauss really thinks of his shock elimination How to pull off a traditional German babka chocolate braid

By Kailyn Rhone Pediatricians and parents are calling for the U.S. to treat new high-caffeine energy drinks like

This cake was a standard on our Sunday coffee table and has a lot of nostalgia for me. It is quick to make, moist and flavourful, and the marble pattern was always fascinating to me as a child,” says former contestant on The Great British Bake Off, Jurgen Krauss. Marble cake Serves: 12-24, depending on tin size. The amounts given are for a loaf tin (950g) or a Bundt tin. For a bigger Bundt tin, double the amounts and bake for 15 minutes longer. Ingredients: For the batter: 125g unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs, separated 180g caster sugar 250g plain flour 8g baking powder 125ml whole milk For the chocolate batter: 10g cocoa powder 15g caster sugar 25ml double cream ¼ tsp ground cloves Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/gas mark 5. 2. Put the butter in a bowl and, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the balloon whisk, beat the butter until it is light and pale. Add the vanilla extract and egg yolks, alternating with the sugar bit by bit, and whisk for another 15 minutes until the butter and sugar mix is very frothy and white. 3. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Alternate adding the flour and milk bit by bit to the batter while whisking on a low speed. 4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the butter and flour mixture. 5. For the chocolate batter, take one third of the plain batter and put it into a separate bowl. Fold in the ingredients for the chocolate batter. Put the two batters in a greased 950g Bundt tin or a loaf tin, starting with the vanilla batter, then add a layer of chocolate batter and finish with vanilla batter. Use a fork to create the marble effect by pulling it through the layers of batter with a swirling motion. Bake for about one hour; the cake should start separating from the tin and a skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean. Cover with foil if the top of the cake starts getting too dark. 6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before attempting to take it out of the tin. 7. This cake keeps very well for up to a week in an airtight container and for the first three days its flavour actually improves. ‘German Baking: Cakes, Tarts, Traybakes And Breads From The Black Forest And Beyond’ by Jurgen Krauss (published by Kyle Books on 31 August, £26). Read More The dish that defines me: Evelin Eros’s rum cake ‘It started with a radish’: Chef Simon Rogan reflects on restaurant L’Enclume at 20 The true story – and murky history – of Portuguese piri piri oil ‘My depression stopped me doing what I loved most in life – cooking’ What Bake Off’s Jurgen Krauss really thinks of his shock elimination How to pull off a traditional German babka chocolate braid