Food & Cooking Tips, How To's

Lovingly crafted: Benjamin Law with his finished sourdough loaf.

Dough boy: Benjamin Law's quest for the perfect sourdough

It's time-consuming and brings a pungent new life-form into your home, but making your own sourdough is certain to change your life.

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Make your own milk loaf and focaccia

An artisan focaccia for those who regularly get their bake on, and a simple milk loaf for beginner home bakers.

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How to eat like a boss

Use your hands for nigiri, order a wet martini before dinner, make a sommelier your friend: the Good Food guide to dining.

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Top four cooking shortcuts, by MasterChef's 2017 winner

It's been, to quote winner of MasterChef 2017, Diana Chan, "a crazy 24 hours. There has been lots of love and support coming from so many different directions, it's been overwhelming."

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Rodney Dunn's char-grilled whole chicken with cumin and lime.

How to butterfly a chicken for a quick cook and crisp skin

Learn how to cook your chicken quickly and evenly - and achieve the perfect crispy skin.

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Jill Dupleix's buttermilk waffles with maple-bacon butter.

We're making waffles! How to make three different batters

Buttermilk - and its miraculous tenderising qualities - can have a profoundly positive impact on waffle texture.

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Crystal salt flakes are great with chocolate and caramel.

A guide to salt substitutes and how to use them in your cooking

Ever heard of kosher salt? And what's the go with those fancy flakes?

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Why are some sausages curved? And why are they called bangers?

This week's reader questions: What puts the bend in bangers? And can I pluck greens from the beach?

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Which cheese works best in a toasted sandwich?

A guide to the best cheeses to use in toasties

Chefs know they are only as good as their ingredients. Get to know your gruyere from your gouda.

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Parmesan is known for its pungent aroma.

Why is parmesan so stinky? And can I soften butter in the microwave?

Who can remember that green cardboard tube that contained small crumbly granules of 'parmesan'?

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Fresh produce on offer at various Farmer's Markets

A beginner's guide to shopping at a farmers' market

There is an art to a successful farm-fresh market shop. Here's what to ask the stallholders and how to select the best of the bunch.

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Serve broccoli raw or lightly steamed, perhaps with cos, pancetta and mint almond cream.

What's the healthiest way to prepare broccoli?

Fancy eating broccoli raw? It might just be the healthiest way to prepare it.

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Dan Lepard's chocolate-chip macadamia shortbread.

How to bake simple shortbread plus 10 recipes

With only four ingredients and lacking in challenging techniques, shortbread is quick to master. Once you've covered the buttery biscuit basics add a twist - citrus, vanilla or even choc-chips.