There’s more to Italian sparkling wine than prosecco

When I was at university, whenever I partook in that most sacred of further educational rituals (that is, pre-drinks), my tipple of choice was an entire bottle of prosecco. More times a week than I feel comfortable disclosing here, I’d trundle down to the Tesco Express in Durham to score a bottle of Plaza Centro prosecco for the sublime price of £5.50 (it’s now a princely £7). While many other wine writers’ careers begin with a unicorn bottle from a relative’s cellar, I’m proud to say that mine started here.The Guardian’s journalism is independent

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for folded flatbreads with tomato, onion and cheese (scacce) | A kitchen in Rome

This time nine years ago, we had just arrived in Sicily. It was the beginning of our second long summer stay in my partner’s grandparents’ house in Gela, a city on the south coast. The previous year had been the first time in many years that the house had been opened up and (thanks to the practical skills of another cousin) made comfortable and pretty much fully functional. Not functional enough, though, to cope with being closed up for another eight months, so when we arrived in 2016 the oven, fridge and washing machine all had problems getting going. So much so that we replaced two of them, but decided to do all we could for the cooker

Blood oranges, beets and brussels sprouts: Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for July

“When we think winter in Australia, we always think citrus. It is the best time right now,” says Julio Azzarello, director of sales at Gourmand Providore in Sydney.“You’ve got your standard lemons and limes, but you’ve also got Cara Cara oranges and grapefruit.”Mandarins – including Daisy and imperial varieties – are still in their prime, selling for $3.50 a kilo, and tangelos are in full swing, at about $4

How can I use leftover pickle brine in day-to-day cooking? | Kitchen aide

I’m an avid consumer of pickles, especially gherkins. When I’ve finished a jar, how can I use the brine in my cooking?Geoff, SheffieldLast year, Dua Lipa poured Diet Coke into an ice-filled glass, topped it up with the brine from both a tub of pickles (plus a few rogue pickles) and a tub of jalapeños, swirled it around, then drank it. While someone under the viral TikTok video asked, “Dua, is everything OK?”, the pop star is right about one thing: it’s time we start thinking of pickle brine as an ingredient, rather than a byproduct.“The brine retains all of that delicious pickle flavour,” says Moon Lee, head chef of no-waste restaurant Silo in London, “and a mixture of sweet and savoury undertones”. Also, because it’s fermented, “it has an almost tangy, kombucha-like taste, too

How to turn veg scraps into a delicious dip – recipe | Waste not

My friend Hayley North is a retreat chef whose cooking is inspired by the Chinese “five elements” theory: fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Each element corresponds to a colour and an organ in the body (earth, for example, is yellow and linked to the spleen). Years ago, Hayley made me the most deliciously vibrant and earthy bright-red dip from kale, and today’s recipe is a homage to her nourishing, elemental approach, while also saving scraps from the bin.I love the adage “eat the rainbow”. Yes, it’s a bit corny, but it works, and sometimes the simplest advice is really the best

Frittata, ‘egg and chips’ and a bean feast: Sami Tamimi’s brunch recipes from Palestine

What better way to welcome the weekend than with the smell and sound of herb-loaded ijeh frying? This is a thick, delicious frittata-like mixture of courgettes, leeks, peas, herbs and eggs, and in Palestine it’s often made with finely chopped onions, too. I always keep a couple of tins of ful (fava beans) in my pantry for those times when I crave a quick and satisfying late breakfast or weekend lunch. When simple toast and butter won’t do the trick and I’m in need of something more substantial and savoury, that’s when fava beans come to the rescue.You can substitute the eggs with feta for an extra-creamy and salty touch. Alternatively, the dish works beautifully as a vegan dish without the eggs