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Tagliatelle comes from the word tagliare, meaning 'to cut.' Tagliolini are simply thinly cut tagliatelle.
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Greek yogurt with some olive oil stirred in can transform many dishes.
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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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I just don't tend to cook eggplant at home.
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I've been accused of having very long ingredient lists, and I guess there's some truth in that.
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The unlikely combination of potatoes and pasta does appear in some Italian recipes.
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Lebanese mezze, Cantonese dim sum and Basque pinchos have all evolved over years and are designed to make sense together.
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Vegetarians in general don't like me.
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I get great pleasure from stuffed foods, from an apple strudel to a vegetable samosa, from a whole roasted bird with a sweet and savoury stuffing to a vine leaf filled with rice and spices.
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The emotive power of hummus all over the Middle East cannot be overstated, being the focus of some serious tribal rivalries.
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Brussels sprouts are really quite versatile.
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Dinner parties are still highly popular, and I believe they always will be.
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Tossing doughnuts, fritters or fried dumplings in fennel sugar adds grown-up complexity without diminishing the indulgence factor.
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Forget mung beans' reputation as healthy yet bland - used right, they soak up loads of flavour.
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Call me tacky, but I love the union of sweet and sour, even in some now-unloved Oriental dishes incorporating pineapple and ketchup.
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Nearly all edible seaweeds - or 'sea vegetables,' as they ought technically to be called - belong to one of three broad groups: green, red and brown algae.
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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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The Guardian's 'Word of Mouth' blog bridges the gap between blogging and serious food journalism.
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I like to add something unusual to a dish.
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There are many reasons I feel at home in the U.K., but if I were asked to pinpoint the moment I knew I'd arrived, it might well be when I realised the British shared my love of fritters.
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Cobnuts have a fresher flavour than any other nut I know of and go very well with autumnal fruit and light cheeses.
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My dad makes food with very few delicate flavours.
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Leeks, like other oniony things, reach a certain peak when fried. It's the subtle sweetness that suddenly becomes evident and works so well with their creamy texture.
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Urfa chillies are a Turkish variety that are mild on heat but big on aroma. They're sweet, smoky, a lovely dark red, and go with just about anything.