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Wine tax is proportionate and necessary | Letter
Given the alarming rates of alcohol harm across the UK, it would be irresponsible to award wine producers preferential treatment in the forthcoming budget (Wine sellers warn of price rises as new tax regime looms, 6 October). The recent changes to alcohol duty, taxing products according to their strength, not only followed recommendations from the World Health Organization, but also common sense. Both producers and consumers will be nudged to lower-strength products, thus easing the burden on the NHS. Wine producers were given a generous grace period to adapt to the new system, but now is the time to level the playing field and bring wine into line with all other alcohol categories. With the social cost of alcohol harm exceeding £27bn in England each year, we can’t afford any more tax breaks to alcohol companies
Soups, salads and … cake? 17 delicious and surprising ways with celery, the neglected vegetable
Celery is very versatile, but rarely essential – and too often left to wilt in the fridge. These recipes put it centre stageWhile people who dislike celery tend to have strong feelings about it, the rest of us find it hard to believe such an innocuous vegetable could even inspire opinion, much less divide it. A couple of chopped celery stalks can almost always add something to a dish, even if its subtlety means it sometimes goes unnoticed.In fact, celery’s versatility presents a problem: we buy it because it’s so useful, but we often forget to include it because it tends to be optional. Instead, we leave it to go bendy in the fridge until it’s time to buy more (although you can quickly revive limp celery by standing the cut stalks in cold water, like flowers in a vase)
When pubs and restaurants close, our culture is a casualty | Jay Rayner
Before Stanley Tucci was Stanley Tucci, he was just another out-of-work actor striving to make ends meet by pulling front-of-house shifts in a restaurant. “Like so many people in the arts, without the income and flexible hours that restaurant work affords,” he told me, “I would have struggled to support myself until I was able to do so as an actor.” The theatre star Anna-Jane Casey says she needed that work to sustain herself through gaps between jobs. Likewise, the Sherwood and Dear England writer James Graham says working in restaurants enabled him to take in shows and make contacts through numerous Edinburgh festivals. Or as Jamie Dornan says, about his barman years before his big break: “It’s great for learning people skills, communication and dealing with wankers
How to make battenberg cake – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
Mark Kermode once claimed that this gaudy, chequerboard cake exists solely in Alan Bennett dramas. And though it has since popped up on Bake Off, and was tipped to make a comeback for the Queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022, I still rarely see battenberg for sale, unless you count the exceedingly good variety. Not to throw any shade on Mr Kipling, but mine’s even better.Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr Makes 2 cakes, or 1 large one175g room-temperature butter, plus extra for greasing175g caster sugar 1 pinch salt 170g plain flour 2¼ tsp baking powder 20g freeze-dried raspberries (see step 3)3 eggs, beatenA little milk A few drops of almond essence 75g blanched almonds Raspberry jam, to coat For the marzipan (or use 450g shop-bought)200g ground almonds 100g icing sugar, sifted100g caster sugar 1 egg, separated1 tbsp amaretto, or brandy, whisky or lemon juiceYou can buy special battenberg tins, and if you develop a taste for chequerboard cakes in general, they can be a good investment, but you certainly don’t need one to make a respectable battenberg. For this, grease and line the base of a roughly 18cm x 28cm tin, and heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6
Falafel, dips and mansaf: the Palestinian chef serving dishes ‘made with love’ in Melbourne
It’s an overcast afternoon in September and a crowd is gathering in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick. The draw card: an unassuming food trailer parked in a loading bay on Hope Street, just off the suburb’s main drag.Brunswick is already famed for its vibrant Middle Eastern eateries and Aheda Amro, the woman behind this latest addition to the scene, knew it would be the perfect location to launch the project she has been working towards for the past five years.Originally from Halhul, a small city in Palestine’s West Bank, since arriving as an asylum seeker in 2018 Amro has been on a mission to bring the flavours of her homeland to Melbourne.The launch of her food van Aheda’s Kitchen is the result of years of determination and hard work; and not just Amro’s but that of the vast network of volunteers she has galvanised to help make her dream a reality
What are the best fillings for a jacket potato? | Kitchen aide
There’s no denying a jacket potato is one of life’s simple pleasures, but sometimes minimalism is not the order of the day. So if, say, tuna mayo is as edgy as your fillings get, it’s time to broaden your horizons: “For a rich, savoury twist, crisp chorizo and cream cheese make the ultimate indulgent filling,” says Poppy O’Toole, spud queen and author of The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker. She starts by frying chopped chorizo in a dry pan until it releases its oil, then stirs half the meat and its fat through some cream cheese. “Butter up your jacket potato, top with a big spoonful of the chorizo cream cheese, and sprinkle the rest of the fried chorizo on top for a satisfying, flavour-packed meal.”The Guardian’s journalism is independent
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