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Cold drinks are hotter than ever.

Pay day always seems too far away, but if you still want to eat like a king, we have it covered. 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 – we’ve brought you three seasonal dishes that make the most of your staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal. This month, we’re elevating chicken wings and pork mince to new heights across three meals that don’t skimp on flavour. 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 8 cloves garlic 20g fresh ginger 5 spring onions 1 lime 200g fresh spinach 150g frozen peas 250g pork mince 500g chicken wings 200g dried pasta (of your choice) 150g basmati rice 200g dried medium egg noodles 2 tbsp gochujang 1 tbsp tomato purée/tomato paste 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp cider vinegar 3 tbsp fish sauce 1 tsp caster sugar Sticky Korean wings with pea and sesame rice Track down some good, Korean-branded gochujang from your local Asian supermarket. It makes all the difference! Serves: 2 Ingredients: 2 tbsp gochujang 2 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tsp caster sugar 2 clove garlic 500g chicken wings 5 spring onions 2 tbsp sesame oil 150g basmati rice 150g frozen peas Method: 1. Preheat: preheat the oven to 210C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. 2. Assemble the glaze: add 2 tbsp of gochujang, 2 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of vinegar, and 1 tsp of sugar to a large mixing bowl. Peel, then finely grate in 2 cloves of garlic – we will use the rest later. 3 Mix and coat: add 500g of chicken wings to the bowl and give everything a good mix, ensuring the wings are well coated. 4. Tray em’ up: lay the coated wings onto the lined tray, ensuring they are well spaced. 5. Roast: roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until charred in places and cooked throughout. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 6. Chop chop: thinly slice 5 spring onions crossways, then peel and mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic. 7. Preheat the pan: add 2 tbsp of sesame oil to a medium saucepan and place it over a medium-high heat. 8. Fry: once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, tip in ¾ of the spring onions and all the garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. 9. Add the rice: wash 150g of rice in a sieve under running water, shake off any excess moisture, add it to the pan, and stir to coat. 10. Add the water: add 320ml of water to the pan along with a generous pinch of salt, then bring everything up to a boil. 11. Cook the rice: reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the grains are nearly soft and almost all the water has been absorbed. 12. Add the peas: crack on with a bit of washing up! When the rice timer sounds, add 100g of peas, replace the lid, and steam them with the rice for another 2 minutes until they are both soft and all the water has been absorbed. 13. Serve: once the rice is ready, fluff the grains with a fork and divide between serving plates. Add the wings, scatter over the reserved spring onions, and serve. Cambodian-style pork and ginger stir-fried noodles Black pepper is key in this recipe for heat and depth, don’t go easy! Serves: 2 Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil 250g pork mince 5 spring onion 20g fresh ginger 3 cloves garlic 1 limes 200g dried medium egg noodles 200g fresh spinach 3 tbsp fish sauce 1 tsp caster sugar Method: 1. Preheat the pan: fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil, this will be for the noodles later. Add 2 tbsp of oil to a large frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat. 2. Fry the pork: once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, tip in 250g of pork mince. Fry, breaking up occasionally for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and golden. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 3. Chop chop: thinly slice 5 spring onions crossways, then peel and mince 20g of ginger and 3 cloves of garlic. Cut 1 lime into 4 wedges. 4. Get the noodles on: add 200g of noodles to a medium saucepan, season with salt, and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Place the pan over a high heat. 5. Cook the noodles: cook the noodles for 5-6 minutes, until soft but still with a slight bite. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 6. Fry: once the pork is ready, add the spring onions, ginger, and garlic. Fry for a further 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. 7. Add the spinach: add 200g of spinach to the pan and fry for a further 1-2 minutes, until the leaves darken and wilt. 8. Add the noodles: once the noodles are ready, use tongs to transfer them into the pan. Toss to mix everything together. 9. Add some flavour: add 3 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tsp of caster sugar, and a very generous grind of black pepper. Continue to fry for 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally. 10. Serve: divide between plates and serve with the lime wedges. Gochujang pork ragu pasta This recipe also works really well with beef mince! Serves: 2 Ingredients: 2 tbsp sesame oil 250g pork mince 200g dried pasta 10g fresh ginger 3 cloves garlic 2 tbsp gochujang 1 tbsp tomato purée/tomato paste Method: 1. Get the kettle on: fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil – this will be for the pasta later. 2. Preheat the pan: add 2 tbsp of sesame oil to a large frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat. 3. Get the pork on: once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, add 250g of pork mince. Fry for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up occasionally, until crisp and golden. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 4. Get the pasta on: add 200g of pasta to a medium saucepan along with a generous pinch of salt. Cover with boiling water from the kettle and place the pan over a high heat. 5. Cook the pasta: cook for 8-10 minutes, until soft but still with a slight bite. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 6. Chop chop: peel and cut 10g of ginger into thin matchstick-like strips, then peel and mince 3 cloves of garlic. 7. Fry: once the pork is ready, add the garlic and fry for a further 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. 8. Add the pastes: add 2 tbsp of gochujang and 1 tbsp of tomato paste to the pan. Continue to fry for a further 1-2 minutes, until sticky and darkened. 9. Add the pasta: once the pasta is ready, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer it into the pan with the pastes and pork. Reserve a mugful of pasta water for the next step. 10. Mix and toss: add a splash of the pasta’s cooking water and toss to coat. Add another splash to loosen if the mix looks a little thick – we are looking for a loose sauce that coats the pasta in a red glaze. 11. Serve: divide the pasta between plates and top with the raw strips of ginger for freshness. 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 Marina O’Loughlin is wrong – there’s joy in solo dining Meal plan: Romesco chicken and other recipes to fall in love with School holidays sorted: Fuss-free and nutritious family dinner recipes A week’s worth of summery recipes (even when the weather is dire) The dish that defines me: Frank Yeung’s prawn wontons Discovering Sierra Leonean flavours in South London

Have you ever fallen in love with a recipe? Romesco chicken has stolen my heart this week. I’ve made it again and again, filled my phone with thirst traps of it, sent it to my mum, wooed a late night visitor with it. For me, it perfectly encapsulates this annual moment when even summer is suffering from burnout but we’re not quite ready for it to be over. It’s packed with warming flavours, but feels light enough to enjoy if the sun ever comes out of hiding. Other recipes on this week’s meal plan – sticky ginger aubergine with rice, caramelised lemon butter orzo, and creamy courgette butter beans – follow the same vein. Seasonal and fresh and interesting but hearty enough to keep the chill off in the evenings. Lastly, if anyone else has instigated a last-ditch midsummer health kick, I feel you. In an attempt to rein in my bad habit of overdoing it (an occupational hazard), I’ve been hitting the gym and eating crispy chilli beef protein bowls. I can’t promise results but I can guarantee it’s less boring than boiled chicken and broccoli. Getting your five-a-day also wouldn’t go amiss. Romesco roast chicken thighs with green beans This delightful recipe combines succulent roasted chicken thighs with a rich and flavourful romesco sauce, served alongside crisp green beans and topped with creamy feta cheese. The romesco sauce, made with roasted red peppers, almonds and spices, complements the tender chicken thighs perfectly. This dish is not only delicious but also easy to prepare, making it an ideal choice for a satisfying weeknight dinner or a special occasion. Serves: 4 Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes Ingredients: For the roast chicken thighs: 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp dried thyme For the romesco sauce: 2 large roasted red peppers (from a jar or freshly roasted) ½ cup almonds, toasted 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp red wine vinegar ¼ cup olive oil ½ tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to your preferred level of spiciness) Salt and pepper to taste For the green beans: 1 lb (450g) fresh green beans, trimmed 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste For serving: ½ cup crumbled feta cheese Method: Preheat your oven to 220C. Prepare the roast chicken thighs: pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels. In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss them in the mixture, ensuring they are well coated. Place the chicken thighs skin-side up on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast the chicken thighs in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 74C and the skin is crispy. Prepare the romesco sauce: in a food processor, combine the roasted red peppers, toasted almonds, garlic, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, olive oil, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Blend until you achieve a smooth sauce consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Prepare the green beans: in a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the trimmed green beans and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender yet still crisp. Assemble the dish: once the chicken thighs are done roasting, remove them from the oven. Spoon a generous amount of romesco sauce over each chicken thigh. Serve: divide the feta-topped green beans among four plates, and place two romesco-coated chicken thighs on each plate. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese on top of the chicken thighs and serve immediately. Sticky ginger aubergine with rice This mouthwatering dish features tender chunks of aubergine coated in a sticky, sweet and tangy ginger sauce. Served with fluffy white rice, this recipe offers a delightful combination of flavours and textures. Whether you’re a vegetarian or simply looking for a delicious plant-based meal, this sticky ginger aubergine with rice is a perfect choice. Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes Ingredients: For the sticky ginger aubergine: 2 large aubergines, cut into bite-sized cubes 3 tbsp cornstarch ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 tbsp vegetable oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup rice vinegar ¼ cup water 3 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp sesame oil 2 spring onions, sliced (for garnish) Sesame seeds (for garnish) For the rice: 2 cups jasmine rice (or your preferred type of rice) 4 cups water Pinch of salt Method: Prepare the rice: rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15-18 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Once done, fluff the rice with a fork and keep it warm. Coat and fry the aubergine: in a large mixing bowl, toss the cubed aubergine with cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the coated aubergine in batches, ensuring they have enough space to cook evenly. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per batch or until the aubergine is golden brown and crispy on the outside. Remove the fried aubergine and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Prepare the sticky ginger sauce: in the same pan or wok, discard any excess oil, leaving about a tablespoon. Add minced garlic and grated ginger, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant. Mix in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, brown sugar and sesame oil. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for about 2-3 minutes until it thickens slightly. Combine the aubergine and sauce: add the fried aubergine to the pan with the sticky ginger sauce. Toss the aubergine in the sauce until it’s well coated and the sauce thickens to a sticky consistency, about 2 minutes. Serve: serve the sticky ginger aubergine over a bed of fluffy rice. Garnish with sliced spring onions and sprinkle sesame seeds on top for an extra touch of flavour and presentation. Creamy courgette butter beans This luscious and comforting dish combines tender courgettes with creamy butter beans in a flavourful sauce. The courgettes add a refreshing taste and a vibrant green colour to the dish, while the butter beans bring a velvety texture and richness. Infused with herbs and spices, this recipe is not only easy to prepare but also a delightful way to enjoy the goodness of vegetables and beans in one delicious meal. Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 medium courgettes, diced 1 can (14 oz) butter beans, drained and rinsed 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp olive oil 1 cup vegetable broth (or water) ½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream for a dairy-free option 1 tsp dried thyme ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp paprika Salt and pepper to taste Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish) Method: In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in the diced courgettes and cook for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften. Add the drained and rinsed butter beans to the pan, stirring them with the courgettes and onions. Pour in the vegetable broth (or water) and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld and the beans to heat through. Reduce the heat to low, then add the heavy cream (or coconut cream) to the pan, stirring well to combine. Let it simmer gently for another 3-4 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Season the dish with dried thyme, dried oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Adjust the seasonings to your taste preferences. Once the courgettes are tender and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Serve the creamy courgette butter beans hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley for a pop of colour and added freshness. Caramelised lemon butter orzo with cavolo nero This delectable recipe features caramelised lemon-infused orzo pasta, paired with nutritious cavolo nero. The sweet and tangy flavours of caramelised lemon butter perfectly complement the earthy taste of cavolo nero, creating a delightful and wholesome dish that’s both satisfying and nourishing. This dish is a delightful vegetarian option that will surely impress your taste buds. Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup orzo pasta 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 large lemon (zest and juice) 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 bunch cavolo nero, stems removed and leaves chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup vegetable broth or water Salt and pepper to taste Grated parmesan cheese (optional, for garnish) Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish) Method: Cook the orzo: in a medium-sized pot, cook the orzo pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the cooked orzo and set it aside. Caramelise the lemon butter: in a large frying pan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves into the butter. Reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest and juice, stirring to combine. Let the mixture cook for about 2-3 minutes until it thickens slightly and becomes caramelized. Add the cavolo nero: increase the heat to medium and add the minced garlic to the caramelised lemon butter. Sauté for about 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the chopped cavolo nero to the pan and toss it with the lemon butter mixture. Cook the greens: pour the vegetable broth (or water) into the pan with the cavolo nero and lemon butter. Cover the pan and let the greens cook for about 3-4 minutes until they wilt and become tender. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. Combine orzo and cavolo nero: add the cooked orzo to the pan with the caramelised lemon butter and cavolo nero. Toss everything together until the orzo is evenly coated with the flavourful sauce and the greens are distributed throughout. Season to taste: season the dish with salt and pepper to your preference, adjusting the flavours as needed. Serve: transfer to a serving dish. Optionally, garnish with grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley for an extra burst of flavour and colour. Crispy chilli beef protein bowls These crispy chilli beef protein bowls are a delightful and flavourful combination of tender, crispy beef tossed in a sweet and spicy chilli sauce, and served with a nutritious assortment of vegetables. This protein-packed bowl is not only delicious but also a balanced and wholesome meal that’s perfect for a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner. Serves: 4 Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Ingredients: For the crispy chilli beef: 450g beef sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced ½ cup cornstarch ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying) 2 tbsp sesame oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar (adjust to your preferred sweetness) 1 tsp sriracha sauce (adjust to your preferred level of spiciness) 2 spring onions, sliced (for garnish) Sesame seeds (for garnish) For the protein bowls: 4 cups cooked brown or white rice (your choice) 2 cups shredded lettuce or mixed greens 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup sliced cucumber 1 avocado, sliced Lime wedges (for serving) Method: Prepare the crispy chilli beef: in a large mixing bowl, toss the thinly sliced beef with cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until all the pieces are evenly coated. In a wok or deep frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches around 175C. Carefully add the coated beef slices to the hot oil in batches, ensuring they have enough space to fry evenly. Fry for about 2-3 minutes per batch until the beef turns crispy and golden brown. Remove the fried beef using a slotted spoon and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. In a separate pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the thinly sliced red and green bell peppers to the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften. In a small bowl, whisk together sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey (or brown sugar) and sriracha sauce to make the chilli sauce. Pour the chilli sauce over the sautéed bell peppers and garlic in the pan. Stir to coat the vegetables with the sauce. Add the crispy beef to the pan and toss everything together until the beef is well coated in the sweet and spicy chilli sauce. Cook for an additional minute to let the flavours meld. Prepare the protein bowls: divide the cooked rice among four serving bowls. Top each bowl with shredded lettuce or mixed greens, shredded carrots, sliced cucumber and avocado slices. Spoon the crispy chilli beef over the vegetables in each bowl. Garnish with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds for added flavour and presentation. Serve with lime wedges on the side for an extra tangy kick. Read More Marina O’Loughlin is wrong – there’s joy in solo dining Budget Bites: Three recipes to keep food bills down before pay day School holidays sorted: Fuss-free and nutritious family dinner recipes A week’s worth of summery recipes (even when the weather is dire) The dish that defines me: Frank Yeung’s prawn wontons Discovering Sierra Leonean flavours in South London

Controversial chef John Tesar was reportedly removed from a hotel that houses one of his restaurants after an alleged altercation with striking workers. The Michelin-starred chef, who was championed by the late TV chef and author Anthony Bourdain, has been described as the “most controversial chef in Dallas” due to his notorious outbursts. In a video obtained byPageSix, the 64-year-old can be heard yelling at picketing staffers outside the Laguna Cliffs Marriott in southern California, where his restaurant, Knife Modern Steak, is located. According to the publication, Tesar approached picketers and allegedly broke a drum that one of the workers was holding with a metal kitchen spoon. “Take your union and shove it up your ass,” he can be heard yelling, before turning to walk away. As the workers call him out for his remarks, he turns back and tells them to “suck my d***”. “You’re a bad person,” he tells one of the strikers. “You’re a lazy pendeja.” Sources claim that Tesar was infuriated by the noise of the protest, which included “drumming and chanting”. After the incident with the picketers, he was reportedly escorted from the property by staff. A hotel spokesperson said: “We have zero tolerance for violence of any kind. The actions and behaviour of Mr Tesar are not reflective of our values or our commitment to fostering a positive and safe work environment for all associates. We immediately removed Mr Tesar from the property and are examining appropriate next steps.” The Independent has contacted Tesar for comment. Bourdain once wrote of Tesar that he was “probably the single most talented cook” he had ever worked with, but also noted what he perceived to be problematic behaviour. “Tesar pretty much wrote the book on this behaviour pattern: finding a way to f*** up whenever success threatens, accompanied by a countervailing ability to bounce back again and again, or at the very least, survive.” In a 2018 interview, he spoke about his fiery appearances on Top Chef and claimed he’d become “more introspective” in his later years. “The first season I was on, I caught a lot of flak because I’m blunt and often say how it is,” he told FSR magazine. “People tended to pick on me because I have no filter and I react. But this last season, I learned how to filter out the white noise and put my head down and cook, but still have a story to tell.” Read More Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Aniston issue statements over ‘antisemitic’ Instagram post Will Smith says daughter Willow’s ‘mutiny’ changed his view on success Eye masks, kombucha and ‘the full spectrum of milks’: Gwyneth Paltrow finally gave us a tour of her fridge Marina O’Loughlin is wrong – there’s joy in solo dining Steakhouse starts selling vegan filet mignon School holidays sorted: Fuss-free and nutritious family dinner recipes

Just about every non-alcoholic drink has an alcohol-infused, or spiked, twin. Coconut water, cold brew, SunnyD, Mountain Dew, Fresca and AriZona Iced Tea are just a sample of the spiked beverages being sold across the country.

We all know how important it is for the whole family to follow a nutritious diet and enjoy tasty meals together, but with the chaos that the school summer holidays bring, that can be no mean feat. We are here to help with five simple yet flavoursome recipes from Discover Great Veg to keep everyone at the dinner table happy and well nourished. With a range of cuisines to choose from and packed full of delicious vegetables, the whole family can enjoy sharing healthy meals together. For a fun family mealtime idea, the vegan Mexican bean, spinach and nacho crumble will have everyone coming back for seconds! One portion contains three of your five a day and costs just £1.25 to make. Containing vitamins K and A, low in fat, and a source of fibre, folate and protein, it can also be cooked in your slow cooker. Introduce the kids to wonderfully leafy green kale in the family-friendlypork and kale meatballs with spaghetti. If you don’t have pork, try using chicken, turkey or beef to make the meatballs. And for a healthy twist on the classic chilli, try the chicken and kale chilli. Flavoursome and high in protein, yet low in fat it is also a source of vitamin C and high in vitamin K. Everyone loves a pasta bake! Suitable for vegetarians, the spinach pasta bake is packed full of vegetables and contains 3 of your 5 a day. Or for another injection of spinach, try the cheesy baked eggs, which makes a stunning centrepiece and is also suitable for vegetarians. Both dishes are high in vitamin K and A, and a source of folate. Mexican bean and spinach nacho crumble Cost: £1.25 per portion Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 red onion, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp chilli powder 400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 corn on the cob, kernels removed 250g frozen diced butternut squash 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 260g bag spinach 100g tortilla chips, roughly crushed Method: Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 3-4 minutes, add the spices and then add the beans, corn kernels and squash and fry for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, with half a can of water and the ketchup. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Transfer to a heatproof serving dish, sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips and grill for 1-2 minutes. Cooks tip: To cook in a slow cooker, prepare as above, stir in the tomatoes, water and ketchup and bring to the boil. Transfer to the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Stir in the spinach and finish as above. Pork and kale meatballs with tomato spaghetti Cost: £1.45 per portion Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 250g bag kale 2 tbsp oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 500g minced pork 1 tsp Italian seasoning 3 tbsp sun dried tomato pesto 250g spaghetti 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tsp balsamic vinegar Method: Cook the kale in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain well. Squeeze out the excess moisture from half the kale and finely chop. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 4-5 minutes until golden, transfer half to a large bowl and mix in the pork, chopped kale, Italian seasoning and 1 tbsp pesto, season and mix well. Divide into 16 balls. Set aside the remaining onions. Heat the remaining oi in the same frying pan and fry the meatballs for 10-15 minutes until cooked through Remove and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions, drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Return the reserved onions to the same frying pan, add the chopped tomatoes, vinegar, remaining pesto and kale and bring to the boil, stir in the spaghetti and a little of the cooking water and stir to evenly coat. Season. Serve the tomato spaghetti topped with the meatballs. Cooks tip: Try using minced turkey, chicken, lamb or beef instead of the pork. Chicken and kale chilli Cost: £1.95 per portion Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil 1 leek, sliced 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp ground cumin 500g minced chicken or turkey 2 tbsp tomato puree 400g can chopped tomatoes 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed 250g bag kale 1 ripe avocado, diced Soured cream and cooked rice to serve Method: Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the leek and garlic for 1 minute. Add the spices and then the minced chicken and fry until browned. Add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes along with ½ can of water and the beans. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the kale in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain well then stir into the chilli. Season to taste. Serve topped with avocado, a spoonful of soured cream on a bed of rice. Cooks tip: Try minced pork instead and serve on top of jacket potatoes. Spinach and pasta bake Cost: £1.44 per portion Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 75g cashews 1 carrot, sliced 1 sweet potato, diced 300ml almond milk 50g vegan hard cheese, grated 300g macaroni pasta 260g bag spinach 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 leek, sliced 100g cherry tomatoes, halved 50g homemade breadcrumbs Method: Preheat the oven to 200C, gas mark 6. Cook the cashews, carrot, and sweet potato in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and puree in a food processor with the almond milk until smooth, season and add half the cheese alternative. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, add the spinach until wilted, drain well and return to the pan. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the leek and tomatoes for 3-4 minutes until softened. Mix the sauce and leek mixture into the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese alternative and breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cooks tip: Try new potatoes or butternut squash to replace the sweet potatoes. Cheesy baked eggs Cost: £1.25 per portion Cook time: 25 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced 2 cloves garlic sliced 10 cherry tomatoes sliced 200g spinach 4 large eggs 100g mature cheddar grated Seasoning to taste Method: Preheat your oven to 180C. Add the oil to a medium pan on a low to medium heat then add in the leeks. Fry for 8-10 minutes until soft and caramelising. Now add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Add the tomatoes and spinach to the pan and cook down for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and season well. Transfer the mix to a medium high sided baking dish. Crack the eggs on top of the veg mix. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Take out of the oven and serve with some crusty bread For more recipes and inspiration, visit discovergreatveg.co.uk Read More A week’s worth of summery recipes (even when the weather is dire) The dish that defines me: Frank Yeung’s prawn wontons Discovering Sierra Leonean flavours in South London How to make cassava chips How to make a traditional Sierra Leonean rich cake How to make West African brasied beef shorts in peanut and coconut milk

Amber Husain was cooking dinner for a friend when she suddenly realised the meat she was preparing was a corpse. She looked at the chicken in front of her and was overcome with a visceral sense of disgust. Instead of food, she saw “a carcass – plucked, beheaded, and fleshy”. Husain was 26 when she had this epiphany, and it served as a wake-up call not just for her stomach but her mind, too – as her personal tastes shifted away from meat products, her political outlook on the meat industry and food production more broadly also altered and expanded. Five years later, that moment of revulsion forms the opening of her new book, Meat Love, in which she scrutinises the idea of “ethical” meat consumption, and dares to ask how the contemporary middle classes have come to criticise “the worst violence against animals” while still happily feeding on their flesh. Why, for example, has well-heeled, middle-class London gone nuts for slurping bone marrow from the shin bones of baby cows? Why is offal on so many trendy menus? How has contemporary culture at large come to accept that factory farms are monstrous, but that if animals are cared for, cherished and loved while alive, we should feel better about killing them for our carnivorous pleasures? “For ages, I was one of those carnivores who felt mildly bad about eating meat but just turned that into this inane, self-consciously sadistic part of the pleasure of it all,” Husein tells me. “The more my diet started to revolve around stuff that wasn’t meat, the weirder meat started to feel. Interestingly, once my stomach had been radicalised, I found I had a much greater intellectual openness to thinking about the politics of meat.” Having freed herself from the conflict of eating meat but also feeling bad about it, she found she was able to go beyond those questions of morality – which she suggests can be “stifling” – and think politically. “Now that I have no desire to eat animals, there’s nothing to stop me reckoning with what it means that the meat industry [consists of] an underclass of both humans and animals who are exploited and – in the animals’ case – killed for pleasure and profit.” This is the essential crux of Husain’s argument, and it’s something often lacking in discussions around the “ethics” of meat consumption. For Husain, the question is not, “how can humans eat meat responsibly?” but “how are certain lives devalued to an extent that their suffering can be written off, in order to ‘make a killing’?” What she’s saying, in other words, is that whether the meat on the table has come from a factory farm or an organic farm, or whether you’re tucking in at Burger King or the River Cafe, the path to the plate is still paved with violence. And, while current cultural trends may claim it is better to love and respect an animal before killing and consuming it, perhaps what this cultivates is the ability to embrace exploitation “in a spirit of virtuous indulgence”. What does it really mean, for all living beings, if love is imagined as compatible with killing? “To slide your buttery hand between the flesh and skin of a thing that, if only for a moment, you have re-learnt to perceive as a corpse, is to give an invigorating massage to your sense of political possibility,” Husain writes in Meat Love. By the slim book’s end, her invigorated “sense of political possibility” has led to “a ravenous hunger – a desire for a different culture, a different society”; a new world “in which no one, neither animal, immigrant, worker, woman, or peasant, was considered a thing to be owned, controlled, killed, or left to die”. For many, the leap from a chicken breast on a plate to the exploitation of oppressed people around the globe might seem like a vast one. Yet, it certainly seems clear that there has been a marked shift in the way meat is conceived and consumed – among the middle classes, at least. Since the turn of the millennium, foodie figures like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have been promoting “seasonal, ethically produced food” as part of a broader commitment to caring for the environment. At the same time, a distinctly carnivorous spirit has taken hold – one that professes to be an “honest”, “grounded” and “down to earth” ethos. “Good food, good eating, is all about blood and organs, cruelty and decay,” Anthony Bourdain wrote at the start of the 1999 New Yorker article that would, eventually, catapult him into global foodie fame. I find it easy to laugh at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and people like that, but I’m not totally convinced that they’re really the bad guys Lewis Bassett Then there’s Fergus Henderson and St John – the illustrious London restaurant, born in 1994 on the premises of a former bacon smokehouse, which popularised “nose to tail” dining. This offal-centric “no waste” approach is neatly summed up in Henderson’s oft-quoted phrase: “If you’re going to kill the animal, it seems only polite to use the whole thing.” Traditionally “cheap cuts” are “elevated” from a source of sustenance for the working classes, to a source of virtue for the urban bourgeois. According to its own cookbook, St John dishes combine “high sophistication with peasant roughness” – that winning aesthetic formula that also sees middle-class urbanites flocking to farmers’ markets and chugging natural wine. In a sharp and searing piece for food and culture newsletter Vittles, writer Sheena Patel dubs this “Rich Person Peasantcore”, asking: “Why are these influencers pretending that they themselves till the land and eat like 17th-century French peasants when in fact their chopping boards cost more than most people’s rent?” In the face of swathes of small plates adorned with offal, and slices of ham served for upwards of £20, it seems like a pertinent question not just for influencers, but also for today’s trendiest restaurateurs and diners. Lewis Bassett is a chef and the host of The Full English podcast, which, over its two seasons, has dived into everything from the birth of “modern European” cuisine to high food prices, factory farms, and why Britain is in love with Greggs. “It’s interesting the way we create these fantastical worlds for us to eat within,” he says. “It is clearly a fantasy to imagine that you can have the rural experience of a peasant in France or Italy, in modern-day Britain.” Yet, he also says that this trend is far from new. The current “rustic” style – typified by “nose to tail eating” – is, he suggests, “intimately tied with what you could call a culinary and broader cultural movement that appears in the wake of countercultural movements in the Sixties, and eventually finds its way into food, especially as some of those countercultural people get a bit older and a bit more affluence”. Essentially, “it’s the same thing that manifested in places like Habitat,” he says, of the homewares and furnishings brand founded in 1964 by Terence Conran. Both design and dining were transformed, offering experiences to the middle classes that were both refined and casual at the same time. Alongside that cultural shift, and “that fashion for pared-down forms of eating out”, Bassett notes the arrival of a broader awareness of environmental and animal welfare concerns. “It’s obviously easy to ridicule these middle-class forms of culture,” he says, “but these concerns are ones I certainly share and I think should be considerations for everyone. I find it easy to laugh at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and people like that, but I’m not totally convinced that they’re really the bad guys.” So is there a danger that legitimate backlash to the “thrifty rural”, “nose to tail” trend – and bourgeois “peasantcore” more broadly – could spill over into an attack on all food industry attempts at sustainability? “I think people don’t want stuffy fine dining experiences,” Bassett says, “but at the same time, having the kind of pared-down, rustic, ‘peasant food’ – like, having ham served to you at St John costs you 20 quid – maybe people are slightly sick of that.” He quickly adds, though, that he is “not saying it can come any cheaper than 20 quid, because when you spend a lot of time and effort rearing animals properly, and paying chefs properly, and paying rents in your restaurants, that racks up”. It seems there is a tension, then, between practical and immediate ethical matters – such as paying food industry staff liveable wages or reducing food waste – and broader questions about what kind of society we wish to live in or create. Is the question of “ethical” meat consumption, as Husain suggested, “beyond morality” – a question of politics only? Or is it still, at heart, a moral dilemma, based on people’s personal sense of “right” and “wrong”? Summing up Husain’s attitude towards animals in Meat Love, Bassett suggests “she’s saying that, if you love them so much, why are you killing them? I suppose where Amber Husain and I would slightly disagree is that I’m not convinced that killing an animal is inherently wrong.” Away from the carnal appreciation and “peasantcore” of contemporary restaurant culture, meat-eating often seems to be conceived as either a “guilty pleasure” or a “grim necessity”. In all these cases, however, there appears to be an overriding sense that there is “no alternative” to a meat-eating status quo. The late cultural critic Mark Fisher famously used similar terms to define “capitalist realism”, meaning that capitalism is the only viable economic system, and thus there can be no imaginable alternative. Is it possible we’re also stuck in a kind of “carnivorous realism”? If so, it might be because the two are so interlinked. As Husain puts it, “meat is the inevitable outcome of an economic system that relies on cheap labour and cheap life. But that doesn’t mean meat is a necessity, it means a new economic order is a necessity.” Perhaps taking the leap from a vegetarian diet to full-scale social and economic revolution still seems unthinkable to many. But, in nasty, brutish and austere times, it has also perhaps never been more necessary to seriously consider who can eat, and who is made meat. “I think we need an avalanche of political will from within the food justice, land justice, climate justice and labour movements to radically transform society,” Husain says. With that as the goal, she believes it isn’t helpful “for us to be clinging to the idea of meat as a pleasure”: “If we can’t imagine something other than animal flesh to eat for dinner we might struggle to imagine an entirely different society.” ‘Meat Love: An Ideology of the Flesh’ by Amber Husain is out now Read More Between Brexit and Covid, London’s food scene has become a dog’s dinner – can it be saved? It’s time for booze bottles to have health warning labels Should I give up Diet Coke? With aspartame under suspicion, an addict speaks Food portion sizes on packaging are ‘unrealistic and confusing’, says Which? In Horto: Hearty, outdoorsy fare in a secret London Bridge garden Zero-fuss cooking: BBQ pork ribs and zingy Asian slaw

This recipe is so simple and versatile – I use it to top fruit throughout the seasons,” says chef Emily Scott. “It is lighter than a traditional oat crumble topping, and delicious served with custard or crème fraîche.” Blackberry and peach crisp Serves: 4 Ingredients: For the Amaretti crumble topping: 160g (5½oz) amaretti biscuits 80g (3oz/scant 1 cup) flaked (slivered) almonds 75g (2½oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature 50g (2oz/scant ½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour 50g (2oz/scant ¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar For the bramble and peach filling: 350g (12oz) blackberries 6 peaches, skinned and stoned (pitted), sliced (if using frozen peaches, thaw and drain first) 100g (3½oz/scant ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar 3 tbsp cornflour (corn starch) slaked with 2 tbsp water Zest and juice of ½ lemon Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan/400F/gas 6). For the crumble topping, blitz the amaretti biscuits with the flaked almonds in a food processor to a rubble. 2. In a mixing bowl, rub the butter and flour together to resemble breadcrumbs, then add the sugar along with the almond rubble and mix together. 3. Spread the mixture out over a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool. 4. For the filling, place the blackberries, peaches, sugar, cornflour mixture, lemon zest and juice in a heavy-based saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring all the time to allow the sugar to dissolve. Cook until the fruit is tender. 5. Transfer to an oven-to-table baking dish and sprinkle over the amaretti crumble topping. Finish off in the oven for 5–6 minutes. Don’t forget the cream. ‘Time & Tide’ by Emily Scott (Hardie Grant, £28).

Sweet and smokey, melt off the bone BBQ pork ribs and a zingy, Asian-style slaw are this week’s match made in heaven. Ideal for family get togethers and al fresco dining, this showstopper summer dish requires zero-fuss cooking. Serve with cold beers and pitta breads to mop up the goodness. BBQ pork ribs and slaw Serves: 4 Ingredients: 800g BBQ pork ribs 1 tbsp hoisin sauce (optional) For the slaw: 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons ¼ red cabbage, shredded ½ fennel bulb, finely sliced ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely diced 1 tbsp root ginger, grated 2 tbsp sauerkraut 2 tbsp hot lemon sauce 2 tbsp chopped coriander Method: To cook the pork ribs, wrap them in tin foil and bake them in the oven at 150C for 1-1.5 hours, or if you have a BBQ, use that! Remove them from the tin foil and increase the temperature of your grill to 200C. Grill for 15-20 mins, basting regularly with the remaining BBQ marinade (and hoisin sauce, if you’re using it). To prepare the slaw, peel your carrots into ribbons and toss them in a large bowl with the shredded red cabbage, finely sliced fennel, and sauerkraut. Add in the grated root ginger, chopped red chilli and coriander. Instead of mayonnaise, try adding hot lemon sauce to your slaw for a zingy, spiced version. Mix well and season to taste, then serve alongside your BBQ ribs. Read More Five dinner ideas from around the world to try this week Hi Barbie! Nine cocktails inspired by the doll’s most iconic outfits The National Portrait Gallery’s new restaurant is fabulous upgrade Three barbecue recipes to try that aren’t burgers The dish that defines me: Alex Outhwaite’s Vietnamese bun cha 3 TikTok-approved recipes for picnic season

A restaurant in London has sparked criticism over its decision to introduce a minimum spend next month that will see solo diners charged double for their meals. In August, Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, which boasts two Michelin stars, will increase the prices of its tasting menus. Currently, a five-course tasting menu costs £125 per person, while it’s £175 for seven courses. However, from 17 August, the restaurant will increase its prices by 11 per cent, bringing five courses to £165 and seven courses to £195. This is due to an increase in supplier costs and rising staff shortages in London, due to Brexit, that has put pressure on the business. For those dining alone, though, the new minimum spend means solo visitors could be charged a minimum of £330 to visit the restaurant due to the volume of requests they receive. However, the restaurant confirmed that they keep one to two tables for solo diners for every service without the minimum spend. So solo diners who book within 24 to 48 hours of their required booking time could be able to swerve the minimum spend depending on whether those tables are available at the time. Nonetheless, the initiative sparked outrage on Twitter, with commenters quick to point out the joys of dining alone, and how solo diners are often stigmatised. “F*** the Hotel Café Royal then… Solo dining is one of life’s great pleasures,” tweeted one person. “Oh great news. Yet another penalty for being single,” another added. Hugh Smithson-Write, who works in restaurant PR, tweeted: “A classic example of making the customer the problem, rather than finding a solution. “If you get ‘many solo diner requests’ how about you reconfigure your dining room to accommodate that and maximise the revenue? This is the very opposite of hospitality!” Victoria Sheppard, chief executive at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, told The Independent: “Since achieving our two Michelin stars the demand for solo dining has increased dramatically and whilst we make every effort to accommodate solo diners, we also have to be considerate to the running costs of our business. “That said, we are increasing our opening hours from 17 August and will be able to accommodate more solo diners (without any discretionary minimum spend). 95 per cent of our solo diners requesting tables since we implemented a discretionary minimum spend when we are at capacity for solo diners have been more that happy to proceed with their booking, enjoying wine pairings or champagne of wine alongside their meal. “Nightclubs in our local vicinity have minimum spends for tables or hotels you pay the same price whether one guest or two which is never under dispute.” Read More Michelin star chef Marcus Wareing gives controversial answer to the best pizza in London Tom Kerridge addresses backlash to his £35 fish and chips at Harrods: ‘They shout at me’ Chef defends viral chicken recipe after TikTok backlash: ‘PSA to the seasoning police’ Restaurant with ‘tips are a privilege’ policy sparks intense backlash on social media Cher is launching a gelato brand called ‘Cherlato’ Popeyes widely mocked for attempt to join ‘girl dinner’ trend

We all love a good barbecue but sometimes we want something a little more than overcooked burgers and soggy salads. There’s no reason you can’t be adventurous when cooking al fresco, says Farang chef Sebby Holmes. When cooking chicken over a fierce heat, for example, it’s always best to marinate or brine it first. That’s what makes the chicken green curry below so packed full of goodness by the time it hits the barbecue. The same goes for the grilled tiger prawns and citrus som tam salad. A widely eaten salad in Asia, the som tam’s clementine adds a natural sweetness to the juices of the grilled prawns, making this a stand out dish. When cooked over an open fire, aubergine has an amazing ability to transform into a smoky, soft bombshell of flavour. The smoky aubergine, pickled cucumber and sesame salad with runny duck eggs is the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue, and also delicious served with steamed rice as a main. Barbecue chicken green curry When cooking chicken over a fierce heat such as a barbecue, it’s always best to marinate or brine it first. Now, you can honestly spend a lifetime researching the brining process and some people do, however we don’t have time for that! Suffice to say that by leaving raw meat in contact with salt and/or sugar and moisture before cooking, you allow it to take on flavour. This recipe uses the green curry paste to marinate the chicken, meaning it’s packed full of goodness by the time it hits the barbecue. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 20g coconut oil (vegetable oil can also be used instead) 100g green curry Payst 3g kaffir lime leaves, torn a little to release their flavour 10ml fish sauce (if using Payst no seasoning is necessary as it is pre-seasoned) 10-15g palm sugar (if using Payst no seasoning is necessary as it is pre-seasoned) 200ml chicken stock 1 tin coconut cream 4 free-range chicken thighs on the bone (400-600g total weight) 100g new potatoes, sliced in half 80g baby sweetcorn, sliced at an angle 80g green beans, sliced in half lengthways 10g krachai wild ginger, peeled and julienned (if you can’t find this, use the larger, more common ginger) 10g Thai sweet basil A piece of wood for smoking on the BBQ (my favourite is hickory) Method: Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a high heat, then add the green curry paste and kaffir lime leaves and stir regularly until the paste begins to split like scrambled eggs – this will take a few minutes. You will notice that the smell of the ingredients changes from raw to fragrant. At this point, add 10ml fish sauce and allow it to cook into the paste for 1 minute (don’t add too much as it is strong and you can always add, but never take away). Next, add the sugar and cook for a minute or so until melted and beginning to caramelise – this is noticeable as the paste begins to darken. Now it’s time to loosen the curry with liquids. Add half the chicken stock and 100ml of the coconut cream to the pan, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool, use a little of the curry to marinate the chicken thighs; use enough to coat them, then refrigerate the chicken to allow the flavours to infuse for a minimum of 2 hours, but ideally overnight. Light the barbecue and wait for the coals to glow red. Place the piece of wood onto the coals and allow to set alight and begin to smoke. At this point, add the chicken thighs skin-side up and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, lowering the BBQ lid so that the meat is engulfed by the smoke. Turn the chicken pieces over and repeat the process until the skin is crispy and golden brown and the chicken is piping hot. Next, return the remaining green curry to the pan and bring back to a simmer. Add any excess from the marinated chicken, then add the remaining stock. Add the potatoes and cook for about 8 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the sweetcorn and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes until all the vegetables are softened but still retain a little bite. Add the hot chicken thighs, the remaining coconut cream and the krachai and basil. Check you are happy with the seasoning, add a little more fish sauce, sugar or coconut milk if needed and serve immediately. This dish is best served with steamed jasmine rice. Grilled tiger prawns and citrus som tam salad Som tam has fast become one of the most widely eaten and popular salads to come out of Asia. It originates from Lao, but now has many well-known variations from all over. This version is one I created for Farang. The use of clementine, which adds a natural sweetness, along with the juices of the grilled prawns, makes it a stand out dish. Try it with some sticky rice and some of our ginger and green sweet chilli dipping sauce for a proper feed. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 8-10 prawns, cleaned, deveined and outer shells removed 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp vegetable oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tsp dried shrimp A pinch of Maldon sea salt 1 tbsp peanuts, fried or roasted 3 red bird’s-eye chillies (more if you like it spicy) 10g green beans, chopped in 2 30g cherry tomatoes 200g shredded green papaya (can be found in most Asian supermarkets) 10-15g palm sugar 20ml thick tamarind water Juice of 2 limes ½ lime, chopped with the zest on Juice of 1 clementines Method: Coat the prawns in the fish sauce and oil, then place them on a hot grill for 2-3 minutes until the side in contact with the heat has turned pink. Turn the prawns over and repeat on the other side until they are hot throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside. Pound the garlic and dried shrimp in a mortar and pestle, using the salt as an abrasive. Then pound in the peanuts to break them up just enough to mix through the salad; be careful not to over-pound them or they will turn into peanut butter. Next, one by one, add the chillies, green beans, tomatoes, grilled prawns and papaya to the mortar, bruising them as you go to distribute the flavours. Add the palm sugar, tamarind water, lime juice, chopped lime and the juice of 1 clementine. Give the salad a final bruising to ensure that all ingredients are packed full of the flavoursome dressing, making sure that the palm sugar has completely dissolved in the dressing, otherwise someone will get an unexpected sweet mouthful. Taste the dressing to check that it suits your tastes – it should be sweet, salty, sour and spicy with a hint of bitterness from the lime zest. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve. Smoky aubergines, pickled cucumber and sesame salad with runny duck eggs When cooked over an open fire, aubergine has an amazing ability to transform into a smoky, soft bombshell of flavour. This salad, a perfect accompaniment to a barbecue and also delicious served with steamed jasmine rice as a main, uses a runny egg to contribute to the dressing. I’ve used Thai purple aubergines, which are thinner and easier to grill evenly in a short time. You can also use ordinary aubergines, but they may need a little longer on the fire. Serve drizzled in our burnt chilli dipping sauce to add an extra level of flavour. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 4 Thai purple aubergines (these can be found in most Asian supermarket, however, the larger, more popular, aubergines can be used instead) 2 duck eggs 10g jasmine rice 10g mint, torn 10g coriander 10g Thai shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (banana shallots can be used) 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds For the pickle: 2 tbsp caster sugar ½ tsp table salt 50ml distilled white vinegar ¼ cucumber, thinly sliced For the dressing: Juice of 3 limes Juice of 2 clementine 2 tsp fish sauce (seaweed sauce can be used as a vegetarian substitute) ½ tsp chilli powder (a little less if you don’t like things too spicy) 2 tsp caster sugar 3 tsp tamarind water Method: Light the barbecue and place the whole aubergines directly onto the hot coals, or near the hottest part of the grill if you’re using a gas barbecue. Keep a close eye on them and turn them over frequently, ensuring that the heat from the coals is distributed evenly. The aubergines are ready when they are soft to the touch, with charred and blistered skins. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. If you are not using a barbecue, crank the oven right up to full blast and bake the aubergines until the skins are charred and the flesh is soft – this will take 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, soft-boil then peel the duck eggs. An average-sized egg takes 6-7 minutes to cook on a rolling boil. I cook mine in salted water, then transfer them into ice-cold water with a splash of olive oil. If you peel the eggs in the water, the oil gets between the shell and the flesh, making them easier to peel. Once peeled, set aside at room temperature. Put the rice in a dry frying pan and lightly toast on a medium heat, shaking the pan constantly until the grains have turned golden brown and release a lovely aroma. Pound the rice into a powder in a granite mortar and pestle, or use a spice grinder. Make sure to grind the rice to a powder as it will be used to add texture to the salad; it will be crunchy if the grains are too coarse. Next, make the pickle. In a medium saucepan, gently heat the sugar, salt and vinegar together with 50ml cold water until the sugar has dissolved. Be sure to keep stirring so that the sugar dissolves without heating the water too much. Remove from the heat and add the cucumber, then refrigerate. Make the dressing. In a bowl, mix the lime and clementine juices, the fish sauce, chilli powder, sugar and tamarind water. Taste and adjust the dressing to cater to your own taste buds: it should be sweet, salty, sour and hot, with an edge towards the salt and citrus. When you’re happy with the flavour, add the aubergines, mint, coriander, shallots and the pickled cucumber (straining any pickling juices before adding), then gently fold together, leaving the aubergines whole if you can be delicate enough. Put the aubergines on a serving plate and place the duck eggs on top. Using the tip of a knife, pierce a hole in the eggs and break them open with your fingers, releasing the runny yolks so that they ooze into the salad. Sprinkle the salad with the rice and sesame seeds and add a tiny pinch of salt onto the runny egg yolks as a surprise burst of flavour. Serve with steamed jasmine rice for an extra fill.

Food can bring people comfort in the darkest times, and for Imad Alarnab, this time came when he was stranded as a refugee in Calais for more than two months. A hot plate had been donated, people collected leftovers from supermarkets, and having been a successful chef back in Damascus – with three restaurants, and a string of cafes and juice bars – Alarnab did what he did best, night after night, he cooked. “It was just something I felt like I needed to do, because you get to make a lot of people happy. Especially at that time, they needed something to be happy about,” says the 45-year-old, who would feed as many as 400 people at a time. The overcrowded camp that became known as The Jungle was close by, but Alarnab says it was too terrifying and overcrowded, so he and a group of several other Syrians slept on the steps of a church instead. And it was here he cooked the food of home – adapted, of course, depending on what they had. “To have a decent warm meal – for people whose lives have been on hold, they can’t cross to safety – was a big deal for all of us,” says the father-of-three. In fact, it was the first time he’d cooked for lots of people since all of his businesses were bombed within a week in 2012, in the country’s civil war, and this was the moment hope returned. “I think it restored all of the faith that things could, and would, get better,” Alarnab writes in his debut cookbook, Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. By July 2015, he’d made the painful decision to leave his wife and three daughters in Damascus to make the treacherous journey via Lebanon, Greece and North Macedonia, to the UK, where they had relatives. With his children too young to make the journey, the family planned to join once he’d been granted asylum. “If I had any other choice, I would have definitely taken it. [Fleeing] wasn’t the easiest but it was somehow the safest,” he says. “When I was in Syria during the war, people were saying, ‘It’s not safe to go out of the house because maybe you’re going to die’. But I needed to feed my family, if I stayed in the house they would die from hunger. There’s no good choice or bad choice, but maybe it’s the only one you can make. “When I was leaving Damascus, my oldest daughter made me promise I would see her within one year. I said, ‘Yes, I promise,’ but I wasn’t really sure if I was going to keep that promise or not.” And during the three months before he reached the UK – walking hundreds of miles on foot, on train, in the back of cars, on push bike, at the mercy of smugglers, with false IDs and the kindness of strangers – there were moments of doubt, like when he was crammed in the back of a lorry in Turkey for seven hours. “There were about 95 of us, I felt it was a stupid decision, risking my life so much. I believe the driver was so scared, or maybe drunk – the speed was absolutely scary. I thought we were not going to make it.” His journey ended eventually by using a fake passport to cross the Channel in October 2015 (the moving, often harrowing, story is weaved through his new cookbook), and first finding work illegally in a car wash, where he also slept as an overnight security guard, sending money home. After his family were able to emigrate (just under the year he’d promised his daughter) someone introduced him to the Cook For Syria scheme – and soon he was hosting super clubs at his house. By May 2021, he’d opened his London restaurant, Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. His first cookbook is a combination of dishes served up at the restaurant and his late mother’s recipes. “Almost every single dish is somehow related to my mother – I keep seeking her approval in everything I do in life, but especially with cooking,” he says. It was his mum, Summer, who first taught him to cook. “Even if you create your own recipes, somehow you will [always] be inspired by your first teacher”. She died very suddenly while Alarnab was living alone in a caravan in west London. Syrian food at its heart is “simple, first of all, and affordable for everyone”, he says. “We use a lot of mild spices, not very hot spices.” They’re mostly things you’ll know; “cumin, mint, garlic, nothing really special about it. [but] you put it together in a special way”. Middle Eastern in identity, much of it might feel familiar; tabbouleh, hummus, baklawa; while traditional dishes include buttered halibut, jaj bailfurn (grilled chicken thighs) and kippeh (lamb and bulgur wheat dumplings). Lunch is typically a feast of many dishes. “We’re a family of five and we never ever have one dish for lunch,” says Alarnab. “And we don’t throw anything away.” Before the war – which began as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 but has since involved a complex number of groups fighting one another, including so-called Islamic State, leaving at least 11 million people displaced – Alarnab was one of the lucky ones, he says. “We had a comfortable life, but most people in Syria were suffering. When you have a dictatorship for more than 50 years, of course people will be suffering. You cannot explain life without freedom to someone who’s lived all of their life with it. “People keep asking me silly questions – ‘Why did you have to go to 10 different countries to come to the UK? You could just get a plane ticket straight from Lebanon to Heathrow’. No, it doesn’t work like that. As a Syrian, my passport takes me to three countries – war zone countries. Even if I wanted to go to every country supporting Assad, I’d still need a visa.” Once the fighting started, food, that once brought him so much joy, lost all meaning. “I don’t know how to describe it, but the food tasted like blood. I know it’s disgusting, but nothing tasted the same. When you live in fear for your family, when your daughters are not safe to go to school, food will taste [bad], nothing can make you happy.” Cooking Syrian food now makes him feel “connected” to his home country, of course, “but it also makes me feel part of this unique community in the UK”. Arriving in London, he says: “I felt safe, I felt ‘I can be different, I can be myself, no one cares’. Everyone’s so different, it makes all of us lookalike.” Even after starting from scratch in a new country after losing everything, with a highly-acclaimed restaurant and now a cookbook, he’s most proud of his daughters. His eldest is studying at Warwick University after gaining straight As, his middle child is a talented artist. “The youngest [13] is the naughty one still,” he laughs. “But you can feel they appreciate their life – they are so happy about it.” ‘Imad’s Syrian Kitchen’ by Imad Alarnab (HQ; £26). Read More The National Portrait Gallery’s new restaurant is fabulous upgrade The dish that defines me: Alex Outhwaite’s Vietnamese bun cha 3 TikTok-approved recipes for picnic season It’s easier to make baklava at home than you might think Get set for Wimbledon with top pastry chef’s strawberry recipes Pinch of Nom: Healthy eating doesn’t have to cost the earth