Some of us can’t imagine a meal wit a heavy dose of hot chilli pepper. Scientists say spicy foods have their benefits — and risks.  Fire fights fire Chilli peppers have been used medicinally for centuries. Chilli peppers have been used medicinally for centuries. In lab and animal studies, they have shown anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting … Read more

There are many small appliances and storage containers you can buy for the kitchen that are supposed to make life easier when it comes to preparing meals. You probably don’t need half of them, and it can be difficult to find somewhere to store the bulky appliances. I now have a core that I use … Read more

3. “Cooking” with Cold: Liquid Nitrogen and Dry Ice Common and uncommon cold temperatures. Okay, strictly speaking, cooking involves the application of heat, but “cooking” with cold can allow for some novel dishes to be made. And liquid nitrogen and dry ice can be a lot of fun, too! If there’s one food-related science demo … Read more

3.2. Making dusts One of the classic “silly things you can do with liquid nitrogen” tricks is to freeze a leaf or a rose and then whack it against something to shatter it. Unlike traditional methods of freezing, liquid nitrogen freezes the water in the plant so quickly that the ice crystals do not have … Read more

DIY “Anti-Griddle” Using Dry Ice If a griddle cooks foods by adding heat, it should follow that an anti-griddle “cooks” foods by removing heat. PolyScience, known by many chefs for its sous vide recirculating units, makes a product that does exactly that: its anti-griddle cools down whatever you put on the griddle surface. You can … Read more

A healthy lifestyle benefits your physical and mental well-being and helps you deal with the demands of parenthood. Your baby today Whether you’re breast-feeding or bottle-feeding can have an effect on your baby’s stools. The stools of breast-fed babies tend to be slightly runnier and can have a fairly sweet aroma, while bottle-fed babies may … Read more

Now that you’ve begun to adapt to the topsy-turvy world of motherhood, try to carve out some time for yourself each day. Your baby today If your baby vomits large amounts and isn’t thriving, this may suggest a problem such as gastroesophageal reflux . This is caused by the immaturity of the stomach muscles and … Read more

When you have food allergies, creating tasty meals can be a challenge. We’ve devised these delicious recipes just for you. No stress, no fuss. Crunchy goodness ·         Granola satisfies the entire family. Make your own and know you’re in complete control of all the nutrients packed into your mix. This is one of the most … Read more

Soup for the soul ·         This crowd-pleaser is packed full of nutritious ingredients, but contains no dairy, egg or nuts. It’s a deliciously tasty dish that’s made with gluten-free noodles. ·         Nutritional content per serving 758 kJ             8.8 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 10 g fat, 1 g fibre Chicken noodle soup Serves 6 … Read more

Comfort food ·        Do you love mashed potatoes but can’t eat dairy? This recipe creates creamy mashed potatoes without the allergens. What’s a week without mash? Switch to this recipe and please the whole family without them realizing you haven’t added butter and milk. ·         Nutritional content per serving if 6 servings 732 kJ             … Read more

Our stress-free get-ahead time plan All these recipes are designed to take the stress out of cooking. Follow this triple-tested time plan using our get-ahead instructions – there’ll be no last-minute dashing around when all your guests arrive, and you can be confident that all be food will be a success!  Take the Stress Out … Read more

The mains The temptation when catering for a buffet is to go overboard on main courses. For 12 guest, three is plenty – just make sure one is vegetarian. If you have time, make labels or flags for the dishes, listing key ingredients to avoid lots of questions on the day! Coronation Chicken Invented by … Read more

Layered Omelette Cake This easily assembled veggie main is a real show-stopper. Hands-on time 30 min, plus chilling. Cooking time about 25 min. Serves 12 ·         16 large eggs ·         5tbsp freshly chopped chives ·         2tbsp vegetable oil ·         500g (1lb 20z) full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese ·         1 red pepper, deseeded and finely diced ·         … Read more

The puddings A variety of pods will beautify the buffer table. Ideally, they should be able to stand at room temperature for some time without spoiling. Add Jubilee accents with flags, themed china and bunting. The Perfect Victoria Sponge Fluffy, light and befitting a Royal buffet – the Victoria sponge is one of Britain’s best-loved … Read more

Triumphant Strawberry and cream Jelly Reminiscent of childhood, a tower of wobbling jelly is sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face. Hands-on time 20 min, plus lots of chilling. Cooking time about 5min. serves 10 ·         2 x 135g packs strawberry jelly, we used Hartley’s ·         1/8tsp edible gold glitter, optional ·         Oil for … Read more

Coq au Vin Parcels Although these take a little time to assemble, the elegant end result is well worth the extra effort. Hands-on time 20 min. cooking time about 45 min. serves 4 ·         500g (1bl 2oz) new potatoes, sliced into thin rounds ·         200g (7oz) button mushrooms, halved ·         4 shallots, finely sliced ·         … Read more

Maple Chicken Traybake Classic American flavours make a tasty glaze for this throw-together chicken dish, Hands-on time 10 min. cooking time about 40 min. Serves 4 ·         8 chicken drumsticks ·         3tbsp maple syrup ·         200g (7oz) smoked bacon lardons ·         50g (2oz) pecan nuts, roughly chopped ·         Large handful rocket Preheat oven to 2200C … Read more

Summer Roast Chicken Save on washing-up by making the couscous on the tin you’re used to roast the chicken – it adds great flavour, too. Hands-on time 25 min. cooking time about 1hr 30 min. serves 4 ·         100g (31/2oz) feta, crumbled ·         50g (2oz) black olives, pitted and sliced ·         Leaves from 2 sprigs … Read more

Let the celebrations begin! When it comes to a special-occasion cake – be it a birthday, anniversary, wedding or new arrival – we think chocolate is the way forward. With the help of our fail-safe recipe chart, plus icing, decorating and stacking guides, you’ll be transformed from home baker into a professional cake maker! The … Read more

If you find that you need some additional help with the baby, there are several options to consider. Your baby today Sometimes babies develop skin rashes or irritations and sore bottoms around this time and, if this is the case, you can call your pediatrician for advice on how to relieve these minor problems, which … Read more