Fortified wines to pair with the Easter treats

A glass of Port, Madeira or Marsala is just the thing to elevate chocolate and Simnel cakeThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Vinte Vinte Chocolate and Port Tasting Box, Douro, Portugal NV (from £22, amazon.co

Mine’s a pint of Unesco… brewers chase heritage status for British cask ale

It is one of Britain’s most historic drinks, still sold in thousands of pubs across the nation, but cask beer has long been in decline.Besides suffering from a reputation as an “old man’s drink” and the divisive debate over the “cellar temperature” at which it is served, the number of establishments selling it, and the volume and value of sales, have all dropped dramatically in recent years.Last week, a petition was launched to protect the “historic and traditional serving method” that was “unique to the UK”, calling for the government to recognise the production and serving of cask ale as a Unesco intangible cultural heritage, akin to Belgian beer culture, Arabic coffee and French baguettes.No British product yet holds the status, and the UK only ratified the 2003 Unesco convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in March 2024.Jonny Garrett, who launched the petition and created the Keep Cask Alive online documentary series, said cask ale was a crucial part of British history

The science behind the perfect cup of coffee: everything you need to know, from grind size to roast

There is an episode of the hit TV series Breaking Bad in which Walter White, high school chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin, meets a new colleague in front of a tangle of clamps, pipes and slowly dripping flasks. When the other character lets him taste what he has been brewing, White is stunned. “My God, that is the best coffee I’ve ever tasted,” he says. “Why the hell are we making meth?”Coffee may not be – quite – as addictive as methamphetamines, but to some of its aficionados, the hunt for the perfect hit of bean, roast, grind and brew is as seductive as any drug. That search took another step forward this week with new research into the optimal height and speed from which to pour water on to coffee grounds

Stalks and all: how to turn a whole head of broccoli into a rustic and tasty Italian pasta dish | Waste not

Today’s very simple and speedy Italian classic uses the whole broccoli – even the woody stalk. Inspired by Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo, the approach creates a delicious sauce that coats the pasta beautifully. Trim just a few millimetres off the discoloured end of the broccoli stalk, then, to ensure it cooks down and becomes tender, slice the rest of the stalk into 1cm-long pieces.This is Italian simplicity at its best. The whole broccoli is cooked until it’s soft, so it breaks down into a delicious sauce that coats the pasta

Hear, hear for cafes and restaurants with good acoustics | Letters

In the same print edition as your “50 best museum cafes” supplement (5 April), you published a letter from Alicia Baker noting that older people often find restaurants noisy. In that connection, it was a pity that your “50 best” didn’t include the popular cafe at Edinburgh’s National Portrait Gallery. A recent makeover has seen acoustic panels installed overhead and – hooray! – now I can hear what my companions are saying without having to lean close to them. Let’s hope more cafes and restaurants will follow this recipe for acoustic wellbeing.Susan TomesEdinburgh I was expecting to see Wakefield mentioned in your excellent 50 best museum cafes feature

Cool condiments: ‘little treat culture’ leading to boom in preserves and sauces

When the Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle brand As Ever launched last week, the £14 raspberry spread in “keepsake packaging” – AKA a jam jar – sold out within half an hour. If the price seems a little eye-watering for something you could easily make at home, there is one thing Meghan got right: our appetite for condiments – from preserves to chilli oils and hot sauces – is bottomless. With the continuing rise of little treat culture, condiments that hover around the £10 mark have become the new “lipstick effect”.Delli, an online retailer for independent brands, has doubled its condiment sales in the past year, with bestsellers including a £10 “croissant butter” and a £6.99 Malaysian Chinese chilli oil