Cooking With The Bard: We Suss Out Shakespeare's Forgotten Foods

"Expensive sack was all the rage, and the bard's famous tumble-down knight, Falstaff — though less true to his word — is true to his drink. Prince Hal christens Falstaff, a great guzzler of the Spanish wine (often taken with a bit of sweetener), 'Sack-and Sugar Jack.'" NPR 20 April 2016

In Shakespeare's Plays, Mealtimes Were a Recipe for Drama

"Anyone who has ever spent Thanksgiving with family knows that the table is a great place for drama. We talk, we shout, we love, we fight — or sit in silence and seethe. And we're all stuck there, gnawing on our turkey legs, playing out our usual roles, unable to just walk offstage." NPR 18 April 2016

In Shakespeare's Day, Hunger Tore Through England. His Plays Tell The Tale

"Cycles of endless, torrential rain repeatedly wiped out crops and drove up food prices. ... And some tried to make a quick shilling off the catastrophe by hoarding grain and holding it back from the open market — thus hiking up food bills even further." NPR 23 April 2016

Why Trick-or-Treating is Good For the Soul

Halloween is one of the few nights of the year where we unlock our doors and practice hospitality.

Washington Post 29 October 2015

How British Farmers Are Making Rapeseed (Canola) Posh And Flavorful

Even chefs like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson have embraced the "national" oil, which is grown, processed and marketed by British farmers.

New Nation, New Cuisine: The First Cookbook To Tackle 'American Food'

In 1776, the American colonies declared independence from Britain. But it wasn't until 1796 that someone dared to tackle a question that would plague every generation of Americans to come: "What is American food?"

does iceland need new cows to keep up with demand for skyr?

It takes about four cups of milk to make one cup of skyr, Iceland's super thick, high-protein version of yogurt. Every drop of skyr made in Iceland comes from Icelandic cattle, the country's single breed.

Fat Tuesday Nordic-Style Means Big, Sweet Buns

Known as semlor in Sweden and fastelavensboller in Norway, these cardamom-scented rounds of yeasted dough are filled with a thick ring of whipped cream and topped with a flurry of confectioner's sugar. 

10 Great British Culinary Conundrums

Unless you’re Mary Berry, it can be a little a daunting to tell your “soggy bottom” from your “saucy pud.”

5 Ways to Feast Like a Viking

Whether it’s New Nordic reindeer and rye or old-fashioned immigrant traditions from the states up north, there are endless ways to have your gravadlax and krumkake too.

Savouring the Book

While some may prefer to curl up with an actual novel, the food revolution has created a peculiar beast who prefers to savour cookbooks as if they were novels.