Goodbye avocado, hello ssamjang: here is the new posh nosh

Name: Posh nosh.Age: We’re talking new food trends here, so – new.Avocado? Hummus? Old news, keep up!Who with? The Joneses? Only if you make that “with whom”, and if the Joneses shop at Waitrose. Every year the famously upmarket supermarket publishes a report that gives some indication of middle-class eating trends.And? No one’s talking about avocados or hummus any more

Choice taste test: the best Australian supermarket Christmas ham is also ‘one of the cheapest’

Consumer advocacy group Choice has found when it comes to supermarket Christmas hams, pork price is not necessarily an indicator of quality.In a blind taste test of 12 Christmas hams from Aldi, Coles, IGA and Woolworths, the best and worst-ranked pork products retail at almost identical prices.The best-scoring product was the Coles Christmas Beechwood Smoked Half Leg Ham, with a price per unit of $8/kg. Judges awarded it a score of 80% and described it as a “good overall ham” for its “mild but pleasant” aroma with “a nice balance between sweet and smoky flavours”.The worst-performing product, the Aldi Festive Selection Australian Half Leg Ham On-The-Bone, is similarly priced at $7

How to turn excess nuts and seeds into a barnstoming festive pudding – recipe | Waste not

Last Christmas we visited my in-laws in Cape Town, where, at over 30C, a traditional Christmas pudding just didn’t feel quite right. But my mother-in-law and her friend created the most delicious feast: a South African braai (barbecue) followed by an incredible ice-cream Christmas pudding made by mashing vanilla ice-cream with a mix of tutti frutti, candied peel, raisins and cherries. This semifreddo is a take on that dessert: a light frozen custard that still carries all the festive flavours.Tutti frutti semifreddo Christmas puddingWe stopped using clingfilm in our kitchen 15 years ago now, because it’s not easily recycled and because of health concerns about the possible transfer of microplastics into our food. Most semifreddo recipes tell you to line the freezer container with clingfilm, but I suggest using no liner at all, or silicone-free, unbleached baking paper instead

The great Christmas taste test: I tried seven fast food offerings. Which will make me feel festive?

From a cranberry katsu curry to a dozen thickly glazed doughnuts, the biggest chains are getting Christmassy. I found out which seasonal meals will leave you carolling and carousing – and which will leave you coldBy now, most major fast food outlets will have launched their festive special. There is no established framework for what “festive” means, and no recognised metrics of Christmassyness. It could be indicated by a lurid green/angry red colour in a place you’re not expecting it (McDonald’s Grumble Pie, I’m looking at you); or an existing thing, made into a more seasonal shape, or the introduction of a quintessential Christmas ingredient, such as a brussels sprout (though seriously, food giants, get over yourself if you think it’s cinnamon – this is an autumn spice).I am not here to critique the essentials of fast food (I love it)

Party starters: Jacob Kenedy’s Italian Christmas canapes – recipes

Three Italian light bites to get you started on the big day: pinzimonio crudites, chilled prawns with boozy mayo, and a delicate frittata that you can stud with artichoke, radicchio or celeryI am evolving as a host, and coming to realise that those rich dishes that crown our festive tables shine brightest when surrounded by contrasting and lighter bites – before, around and after, rather than just on the day itself. I do enjoy angels and devils on horseback, devilled eggs, little sausages wrapped in bacon, mince tarts crowned with goose liver, fried breads and cheesy pizzette, buffalo wings, paté en croute, crab beignets, oysters Rockefeller, shrimp tostadas and rich tamales, but, for the most part, I save these for the parties earlier in December. For Christmas day itself, I start with lighter bites, as better preparation for the rich meal ahead. A trio of dainty, grazing canapes served alongside sparkling Alta Langa …My grandmother, Ginny, knew how to entertain. She would spike her mayonnaise with brandy, and so do I – at home and at my restaurant Plaquemine Lock

Australian supermarket sorbet taste test: is this the most enjoyable taste test yet?

After blind-tasting more than a dozen supermarket sorbets, Nicholas Jordan and friends award a rare nine out of 10 score to a magical iced confectionIf you value our independent journalism, we hope you’ll consider supporting us todayGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailThe only bad sorbet I’ve ever had was made by me. If it wasn’t for that syrupy pineapple-flavoured stack of ice shards, I don’t think I’d be able to imagine the characteristics. What’s a bad version of winning the lottery? You’d only know when it happens.To make a bad sorbet you need to be inept or cheap. But supermarkets distribute the cheapest foods on earth and usually the range in quality is hellish to “huh, pretty good”