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One man's trash is another man's treasure, and the by-product from one food can be perfect for making another.
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Speaking as someone who didn't go through the U.K. school system, with all the culinary baggage that entails, I am inordinately fond of custard in any shape or form.
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Pomegranate molasses is ubiquitous in Arabic cooking: it's sweet, sour and adds depth.
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There's nothing more marvelously wintery than orange root veg mash; some butter is all it needs.
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Shimeji are those odd-looking clusters of small mushrooms you often find in so-called 'exotic' selections at the supermarket. They have an appealing firmness that is retained during light cooking.
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Herbs deserve to be used much more liberally.
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Eating ready-made meals is about being very passive, and actively cooking is something that nothing compares to.
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Chipotles, which are dried jalapeno peppers, give out a terrific smoky flavour - they're warm, earthy and usually not too spicy.
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Popping broad beans out of their skins can be therapeutic, but it isn't everybody's favourite waste of time.
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Pasta with melted cheese is the one thing I could eat over and over again.
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I have to admit that I can't take a whole fig and eat it on its own as I would a peach or mango. It's just too much.
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Good-quality nuts, toasted in a little butter and salt, make a magical addition to many salads.
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Panko are the elite of the breadcrumb world because they stay so crunchy and light.
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Healthy is in the eye of the beholder.
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The teaching thing, the one where I have to impart my knowledge, is probably what comes the least naturally to me because I'm an absorber of things.
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I don't do guilt. Whatever I do, I do it happily.
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Dried porcini add a substantial, deep flavour to otherwise more neutral vegetables. I use them in risottos, mashed roots and winter soups.
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Greek yogurt with some olive oil stirred in can transform many dishes.
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I just don't tend to cook eggplant at home.
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Tagliatelle comes from the word tagliare, meaning 'to cut.' Tagliolini are simply thinly cut tagliatelle.
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Tel Aviv is the most exciting place to eat in Israel.
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Fresh egg pasta is traditionally served in the north of Italy with butter, cream and rich meat sauces, whereas dried pasta is more at home with the tomato- and olive oil-based ones of the south.
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My all-time favourite classic use of ricotta is in gnudi: fluffy, cheesy dumplings of almost ethereal, feathery lightness.
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The most important thing for me is to walk the little alleys of the city, to find the little alcove where someone is cooking something, and just watch them do it. That's my idea of fun.