‘Deeply wrong’: would you use a barbecue to cook a full English breakfast?

If so, you’ve got company – nearly one in six Britons have prepared bacon and eggs on an open flame. But not everyone is happy about the practiceName: Breakfast barbecues.Age: Our ancestors cooked with fire at least 780,000 years ago; they must have done it in the morning at some point.Appearance: A bit burnt, probably.What kind of breakfast can you cook on a barbecue? A full English breakfast

Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for lemongrass chicken lettuce wraps

The perfect meal for a hot day, when you want something light and refreshing. You can assemble all the components for these lovely, fresh lettuce wraps while the chicken poaches in an aromatic broth, and either make up the cups yourself or put all the components down on the table for everyone to help themselves. This was a hit with my three-year-old daughter, and it even encouraged the one-year-old to try lettuce for the first time.Don’t throw away the aromatic broth: strain it and refrigerate for two days or freeze for up to six months. Use it in soups

Sophie Wyburd’s recipes for summer pesto pasta

When hot summer days roll around, midweek dinners that require minimal cooking really come into their own. I love making pesto on such evenings, and not just the classic basil-and-pine-nut situation. Jazzing things up with braised greens or a red pesto made from lots of jarred goods are just two directions in which I like to take things for a big hit of flavour. Both of today’s pestos freeze well, too.An almost no-cook sauce of smoked harissa whizzed up with jarred peppers, almonds and parmesan, tossed through rigatoni and topped with a dollop of lemony ricotta

‘It is not jus. It is not a glaze. It is gravy!’ Britain’s gift to the world finally gets the love it deserves

Chefs have gone head over heels for the brown stuff. Some drown their burgers in it; others serve it with brioche and black pudding; one even turns it into ice-cream. What’s going on?Pub roasts, grannies, Sunday lunch, Ah! Bisto!: gravy triggers nostalgic food memories for Britons like little else. But unlike complex French sauces, for example, gravy is brown and plain, not gastronomic alchemy. Its homely bedfellows – potatoes and pies – have had fancy makeovers, but gravy’s potential hasn’t been much exploited on the modern menu

How to make baba ganoush – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

Public service announcement: baba ganoush does not require smoked paprika, acidity regulators or indeed any kind of preservative beyond lemon juice. There are some dips I will happily buy – tzatziki, taramasalata, even hummus, with due caution – but tubs of this smoky Middle Eastern aubergine dish always seem to be slimy and underpowered in comparison with the real freshly made deal.Prep 15 min Drain 30 minCook 40 min Serves 2-42 large aubergines (about 650g)2 tbsp tahini Juice of 1 lemon, plus a little extra to finish2 garlic cloves, peeled1 small bunch mint, or flat-leaf parsley, leaves pickedSalt, to taste1 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oilThe key here is to blacken the aubergines over a high heat until the skin chars and the flesh roasts. The easiest and best way to do this is on a barbecue, but if you have a gas hob, you can also do it on there. Alternatively, use an overhead grill or hot oven, but doing so means you’ll miss out on some of that gorgeously smoky flavour

Marjorie’s, London W1: ‘Original, and truly, madly good’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

Some of the most accomplished and imaginative food in Soho right nowThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Some new openings just sound unappetising on paper. Take the cave à manger Marjorie’s in Soho, a brand new, Parisian-inspired wine bar serving small plates in London W1