Yotam Ottolenghi
There's nothing more marvelously wintery than orange root veg mash; some butter is all it needs.
Cobnuts have a fresher flavour than any other nut I know of and go very well with autumnal fruit and light cheeses.
Dinner parties are still highly popular, and I believe they always will be.
On many occasions, an informal buffet and casual seating offer a little more intimacy than a loud gathering around a big table.
Take your average couscous salad, and it's almost always a sloppy mush, no matter how much attention has gone into getting flavours in there.
Beetroot is a great salad ingredient, especially when still warm; the colour ain't bad, either.
As is always the way with pancakes, the first hotcake to come out of the pan will probably be a bit misshapen. Just scoff it, and carry on with the rest.
Panko are the elite of the breadcrumb world because they stay so crunchy and light.
Orange blossom water would make a magical addition to your store cupboard.
Kirmizi biber has a sweet aroma and can vary in spiciness.
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.
Small okra pods have a much more attractive texture than large ones, which, when cooked, can be gloopy, stringy and totally spoil a dish.
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.
Barley and mushroom is a soothing combination. It's mainly a textural thing, with the barley both gently breaking and enhancing the mushroomy gloopiness.
The tang of tamarind is a great way both to flavour and lighten up slow-cooked savoury dishes.
Stuffed vine leaves tend to burn and/or stick when you cook them. To avoid this, use a heavy based pan lined with a few layers of second-rate leaves.
Preparing and cooking squid is easier than most fish. The only thing to remember is not to cook it for too long.
Chana dal are skinless dried split chickpeas used in Indian cooking. They have a great texture and delicate flavour.
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.
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.
There is a unique freshness when eating buckwheat noodles cold with plenty of herbs and citrus acidity. I can't think of any better use of chopsticks on a hot and sweaty evening.
Yogurt sauce, as you may have noticed by now, is a regular presence in my recipes - that's because it has the ability to round up so many flavours and textures like no other component does.
Chipotles, which are dried jalapeno peppers, give out a terrific smoky flavour - they're warm, earthy and usually not too spicy.
I keep returning to the combination of artichoke, broad beans and lemon. The freshness of young beans and the lemon juice 'lifts' the artichoke and balances its hearty nature.
Call me tacky, but I love the union of sweet and sour, even in some now-unloved Oriental dishes incorporating pineapple and ketchup.
Just-poached vegetables show off their natural attributes and taste fresh and light in a way you never get with roasting or frying.
Dried porcini add a substantial, deep flavour to otherwise more neutral vegetables. I use them in risottos, mashed roots and winter soups.
You don't need a machine to make pasta: a rolling pin and a fast hand can create a smooth, if thick, sheet.
The addition of vinaigrette to freshly roasted vegetables gives them a freshness and juiciness they don't normally have; the acidity brings out new shades of flavour, too.
Most British cheeses are now vegetarian and are labelled accordingly. However, French and Italian manufacturers still tend to use rennet.
The unlikely combination of potatoes and pasta does appear in some Italian recipes.
Brussels sprouts are really quite versatile.
Souffles don't deserve their reputation as potential disasters.
Food that's served at the table in a paper parcel always creates a remarkable culinary moment when opened, because the package is full of aromatic steam from the lightly cooked ingredients inside.
Swiss chard is undervalued in Britain. It's a great substitute for spinach and keeps its shape well.
Manouri is a Greek ewes' milk cheese that's light in colour and texture. It's fresh and milky, and goes well with other subtle flavours.
My father always cooks more polenta than he needs for a meal. The excess he spreads on an oiled surface and chills. Next day, he cuts out chunks, fries them in olive oil and serves with salad.
Seasonality in winter doesn't have to mean sleep-inducing, stew-like, starchy casseroles.
Taleggio is the perfect cheese to melt over a warm dish.
The difference between a bland tomato and great one is immense, much like the difference between a standard, sliced white bread and a crusty, aromatic sourdough.
If I must choose between healthy and tasty, I go for the second: having only one life to waste, it might as well be a pleasurable one.
Scamorza, an Italian curd cheese often labelled 'smoked mozzarella,' melts fantastically well.
Good-quality nuts, toasted in a little butter and salt, make a magical addition to many salads.
Pomegranate molasses is ubiquitous in Arabic cooking: it's sweet, sour and adds depth.
Greek yogurt with some olive oil stirred in can transform many dishes.
Pot barley takes longer to cook than pearl, but an overnight soak in water will speed things along. It's a robust grain that, if overcooked, won't collapse but will become more tender.
I tend to mean what I say: in life, generally; in recipes, certainly.
Yoghurt cuts sweetness and richness, tempers spice, and makes a dish sing.
Brunch, for me, is an extended breakfast that should be enjoyed whenever you have time properly to engage in cooking and eating.