Rachel Roddy’s recipe for apple, pear and persimmon crumble | A kitchen in Rome

Every couple of weeks, I catch the number 8 bus (standing in, yet again, for the number 8 tram) to meet my friend Alice and go to a market in Monteverde. Slower than the tram, the bus isn’t a bad ride, curving up the ring road lined with 20th-century apartment blocks in edible colours: lemon, toffee, olive, custard, salmon, milk chocolate, cream, Smurf ice-cream blue … Conveniently, the bus stops right next to the market, which is known by the name of the square it fills: San Giovanni di Dio. There are big plans to redesign it completely, but for now this busy market remains a Tetris-like arrangement of iron boxes – a scheme rolled out in the late 1950s as part of Rome’s preparation for the 1960 Olympics, in which previously open markets were tidied up and vendors allocated boxes with rolling shutters that provided both storage and a stall.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

Wines of the week: Zingy, bright whites for lifting the UK’s winter mood

In these cold dark days we need wines to give our spirits a boostThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Willi Schaefer Graacher Riesling Feinherb, Mosel, Germany 2022 (£24, tanners-wines.co

The Blue Stoops, London: ‘It’s all about the details’ – restaurant review

Kensington’s Blue Stoops looks like a pub and thinks like a pub – so it must be a pubThe Blue Stoops, 127-129 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LP. Bar snacks £4-£12, starters £6-£15, mains £19-£26, desserts £10-£12, wines from £38There are many who believe a true pork scratching should be a challenging affair; that you should stumble across the odd one so rich in bristles you don’t know whether to eat it or comb it. There should be others that present an invitation to suckle. The pork scratchings at the Blue Stoops in Kensington are, like the street it occupies, rather more refined. No deep-fried nipples here

How gen Z helped drink Guinness dry – and its stout rivals cashed in

Ireland’s best-selling brew has found new favour among women, the young, and celebrity drinkers. Now a shortage of supply in UK pubs has opened the door to competitorsAt the Lamb, a pub on London’s Holloway Road, Hamish Goodwin is nursing a pint of Murphy’s.A Guinness drinker, Goodwin recently fell in love with the lesser-known stout, which he calls “slightly richer”. Though generally less common, Murphy’s has been “creeping up” in pubs and bars in the capital recently, he’s noticed.Another Guinness drinker at the Lamb, Chris Wold, says he opts for an alternative stout wherever possible

Honey and Co’s recipe for meat-free chilli no carne

This is what a winter party is all about: a big pot you can place at the table with a stack of bowls and a ladle; something that’s not expensive, that’s easy to prepare, and that can be made well in advance. Most importantly, though, this pot is exploding with deeply satisfying flavour, and will accommodate almost everyone: there’s no gluten or nuts, your vegan and vegetarian friends can dig in, and carnivores won’t feel cheated, either. Every palate is catered for, everyone is welcome.The chunky avocado salsa is non-negotiable, as is something carby such as rice and/or tortillas, and we like to have lots of colourful extras around, too: coriander leaves and lime wedges; hot sauce for those who want it hotter; and soured cream or yoghurt for those who want it tamed.Prep 20 min Cook 1 hr 10 min Serves 6-8570g jar queen black beans (500g drained weight)1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp paprika 1 tbsp dried oregano 3-4 plum tomatoes, diced (about 500g) 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (about 40g), or 4 dried chipotle peppers, soaked and rehydratedFor the sofrito3 tbsp vegetable oil1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 150g)3-4 celery sticks, washed and diced (about 150g)2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 150g)5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced2 red peppers, deseeded and diced (about 150g)1 tbsp flaky sea saltFor the avocado salsa2 large ripe avocadosFinely grated zest and juice of 1 lemonFinely grated zest and juice of 1 lime1 banana shallot, or 1 small red onion, peeled and very finely diced 1-2 red chillies, depending on how spicy they are, very finely diced2 large plum tomatoes1 small bunch coriander (about 20g)1 tsp flaky sea salt1 tbsp vegetable oilPut all the ingredients for the sofrito in a large saucepan and saute slowly on a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until they are fully cooked down and start sticking to the pan

Scotland’s largest haggis maker creating new recipe to meet US rules

Scotland’s largest haggis maker is creating a “compliant” recipe of the nation’s most famous dish to circumvent strict American food regulations after more than 50 years in exile.The decision by Macsween of Edinburgh comes after traditional haggis was banned by the US authorities in 1971, taking issue with the sheep’s-lung component of the recipe, which was then prohibited for use as human food by federal regulation.Traditional haggis contains about 15% sheep lung. The 1971 law made it illegal in effect to import or sell traditional haggis, making it difficult for Scottish-Americans to access Scotland’s most famous dish.Over the years, petitions to end the decades-old ban have been made by former environment secretaries and there have been stories of smuggled, bootleg and blackmarket haggis