Historically, there is really no difference between a stout and a porter, but in modern style guidelines, a stout is differentiated by the addition of roasted barley. Both are dark, heavy, wintry drinks. The term ‘stout’ evolved from the use of the other meaning of the word – ‘strong’. In the eighteenth century, the strongest [...]

Main crop rhubarb is everywhere right now, it’s huge umbrella leaves weighing down thick, green and red stalks. In a month or so, the stalks will taste bitter and old, so now is the time to pick it and use it. This cake is a superb way to do just that. It’s excellent with coffee. [...]

Normally, the night before my brother does a cookery demonstration, I get a phone call. ‘Have you decided what to cook yet?’ ‘No, I’ll think of something tomorrow.’ ‘But you’re on tomorrow afternoon. Don’t you think you should get something together?’ ‘It’ll be fine. I’ll get something out of the fridge at work and come [...]

My last attempt at cheesecake ended in disaster. As usual, it was my fault. The recipe called for a certain size of tin, which I didn’t have, so I used a smaller one. This meant that the filling was too thick, and it didn’t cook through. I only noticed this when I unclipped the tin [...]