The 20 best Christmas wines for 2024

When it comes to choosing the right wines, Christmas dinner is something of a challenge. The classic bird (or plant-based alternative) with all the trimmings is a riot of sensations, flavours and textures, from the soft umami hit of stuffing and gravy to the piercing sweet-sour burst of cranberry sauce and the bitter green tang of sprouts. I tend to go one of two ways: pick out an acid-driven wine (white, red or orange) that will cleanse and revive and cut through the fat; or something substantial and spicy (a beefy red or rich oak-aged white) that stands up to anything you care to throw at it.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

What’s the best way to cook long-grain rice? | Kitchen aide

“People are intimidated by cooking rice, because there are many different ways to do it,” says Will Bowlby, chef and co-founder of Kricket in London. “There are no set rules.” That said, he adds, it’s all about ratios, and about handling the rice correctly: “Then it’s pretty straightforward.”Whether we’re talking basmati or another long-grain rice, it’s crucial to rinse it in cold water first, to get rid of its starchy coating: “If too much of that is left behind, it might cause the rice to turn a bit wet and sticky,” Bowlby explains. Once the water is running clear, soak the rice for a little while

Georgina Hayden’s recipe for mushroom, spinach and sun-dried tomato rigatoni

This simple but comforting pasta is a staple in our house, and has the seal of approval from both the adults and the kids. While I’m not always a fan of sneaking veg into my children’s diets (I try to be upfront about what I’m feeding them), this is a good way of getting a whole bag of mushrooms in there – something they will otherwise avoid or pull a face at. Finely blitzing mushrooms in a food processor gives them a texture that can pass for mince, although I’ve not told the girls that. I just plate up and they tuck in. Everyone’s happy

Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for Sri Lankan-style aubergine and black eye bean curry | Quick and easy

Today’s recipe takes great liberties with the base for the classic Sri Lankan aubergine pickle, wambatu moju, in which deep-fried aubergine and onions combine with turmeric, vinegar, chilli and pickling spices to create a moreish side dish. Here, I’ve used the same pickling spice base, but combined it with tomatoes and beans for protein, to make a lovely, flavour-packed weeknight curry.If you don’t have black eye beans, you could just as easily use tinned chickpeas instead.Prep 15 min Cook 25 min Serves 2-4½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp fine salt 1 large aubergine, cut into 1cm-thick half-moons2 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for frying the aubergines 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced1 green chilli, stem, pith and seeds discarded, flesh finely sliced2 tsp mustard seeds 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced400g tin tomatoes 400g tin black eye beans, drained and rinsed1 tsp flaky sea salt 35ml white-wine vinegar, or, if you have it, white malt vinegarFlatbreads or rice, to serveYoghurt, to serveRub the turmeric and fine salt into the sliced aubergine, and set aside.Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan, then add the garlic, chilli and mustard seeds, turn down the heat and cook for a minute, until the mustard seeds start to pop

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for cauliflower polpette with cheese sauce | A kitchen in Rome

The other day, we walked past a field of cauliflower in the green belt of Rome called Casaletto. Not that it was clear they were cauliflowers to begin with, so tight were the pale green leaves protecting most of the heads, although a few were visible, staring out like ghostly white faces. In her Vegetable Book, Jane Grigson describes seeing a man near the city of Nicosia in Cyprus carrying a cauliflower so big that he couldn’t get his arm around it. It’s a shame she never met Peter Glazebrook of Halam in Nottinghamshire, who in 2014 entered the Guinness World Records with his 27.48kg cauliflower

Adriana Cavita’s secret ingredient: avocado oil

I feel like avocado oil has a lot of nutritional value. It’s something that’s only appeared on the market in more recent years. If you have a really good one, if it’s cold-pressed, then for me it has more aroma and taste than other oils; a more authentic flavour.In Mexican food, we use avocado leaves to cook with. And so, for me, it kind of reminds me of those avocado-leaf notes