Racism claims against Nigel Farage are no surprise to us | Letters
I was at a private boys’ school similar to Dulwich College, at the same time as Nigel Farage.I was also in the combined cadet force.The sorts of racist behaviour described in your article were normal (‘Deeply shocking’: Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school, 18 November).As the child of a refugee from the Nazis, I chose not only to ignore but even to join in with some of the antisemitism, much to my shame these days.It is striking that, with the exception of Chloe Deakin, teachers at the time seem to have viewed Farage’s behaviour as more like “high spirits” or “naughtiness”.
Striking, but unsurprising: the private schools which were built to train young Englishmen for empire-building were deeply racist even in the 1980s.Mine had a quota for the maximum number of Jewish pupils.My German teacher routinely, and publicly, humiliated the one Muslim boy in my class.I say this not to defend Farage, but to point out that he – and many others from a similar background – were schooled in an environment that condoned or even encouraged blatant racism, while also equipping the pupils with the swagger, charm and polish to make others feel inferior and admiring of them.To see him in isolation is to miss the nature of the sorts of institutions that educated him, and the damage they do.
I’m sure the schools will say they have changed, and I hope they have, but while they continue to educate their pupils to believe they are better than others, there will be plenty more where Farage came from.Name and address supplied Accusations of racism against Nigel Farage while he was a teenager should surprise few people who went to public school in the 1970s.At this time, I attended one of the country’s top public schools, and I constantly witnessed racism.If you were of Jewish, Indian/Pakistani or African origin, you were subject to a daily barrage of abuse.People would shout the Y-word to Jewish pupils, and use the N-word for any person with darker skin.
Being an American, I was merely thought of as stupid.We had a mock school election in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, and the National Front won.Patrick Moore and Enoch Powell were some of the speakers who were welcomed to the school and received much applause for their bile.Richard Gordon HartleySalvador, Brazil Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
How to turn the dregs of a jar of Marmite into a brilliant glaze for roast potatoes – recipe | Waste not
I never peel a roastie, because boiling potatoes with their skins on, then cracking them open, gives you the best of both worlds: fluffy insides and golden, craggy edges. Especially when you finish roasting them in a glaze made with butter (or, even better, saved chicken, pork, beef or goose fat) and the last scrapings from a Marmite jar.I’ve always been fanatical about Marmite, so much so that I refuse to waste a single scoop. I used to wrestle with a butter knife, scraping endlessly at the jar’s sticky bottom, until I learned that there’s a reason the rounded pot has a small flat spot on each side. When you get close to the end of the jar, store the pot on its side, so the last of that black gold inside pools neatly into the side for easy removal
What’s the secret to great chocolate mousse? | Kitchen aide
I always order chocolate mousse in restaurants, but it never turns out quite right when I make it at home. Help! Daniel, by email“Chocolate mousse defies physics,” says Nicola Lamb, author of Sift and the Kitchen Projects newsletter. “It’s got all the flavour of your favourite chocolate, but with an aerated, dissolving texture, which is sort of extraordinary.” The first thing you’ve got to ask yourself, then, is what kind of mousse are you after: “Some people’s dream is rich and dense, while for others it’s light and airy,” Lamb says, which is probably why there are so many ways you can make it.That said, in most cases you’re usually dealing with some form of melted chocolate folded into whipped eggs (whites, yolks or both), followed by lightly whipped cream
The small plates that stole dinner: how snacks conquered Britain’s restaurants
It’s love at first bite for diners. From cheese puffs to tuna eclairs, chefs are putting some of their best ideas on the snack menuElliot’s in east London has many hip credentials: the blond-wood colour scheme, the off-sale natural wine bottles, LCD Soundsystem and David Byrne playing at just the right decibel. The menu also features the right buzzwords, such as “small plates” and “wood grill”.But first comes “snacks”. There are classics: focaccia, olives, anchovies on toast
‘Alicante cuisine epitomises the Mediterranean’: a gastronomic journey in south-east Spain
The Alicante region is renowned for its rice and seafood dishes. Less well known is that its restaurant scene has a wealth of talented female chefs, a rarity in SpainI’m on a quest in buzzy, beachy Alicante on the Costa Blanca to investigate the rice dishes the Valencian province is famed for, as well as explore the vast palm grove of nearby Elche. I start with a pilgrimage to a restaurant featured in my book on tapas, New Tapas, a mere 25 years ago. Mesón de Labradores in the pedestrianised old town is now engulfed by Italian eateries (so more pizza and pasta than paella) but it remains a comforting outpost of tradition and honest food.Here I catch up with Timothy Denny, a British chef who relocated to Spain, gained an alicantina girlfriend and became a master of dishes from the region
Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for spiced paneer puffs with quick-pickled carrot raita | Quick and easy
These moreish little pastries are as lovely for a snack as they are for dinner, and they take just minutes to put together. I like to fill squares of pastry and fold them into little triangular puffs, but if you prefer more of a Cornish pasty look (*food writer cancelled for suggesting paneer is an appropriate pasty filling!*), by all means stamp out circles, fold into half-moons and crimp the edges.Prep 20 min Cook 25 min Serves 3-4225g block paneer 2 spring onions, trimmed20g mint leavesZest of 1 lime, plus 15ml lime juice1 green chilli, deseeded if you wish1 heaped tsp flaky sea salt1 tbsp self-raising flour320g roll puff pastry 1 egg, beatenFor the quick-pickled carrot raita ½ tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed30ml white-wine vinegar½ tsp flaky sea salt, crumbled2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped300g carrots, peeled, quartered lengthways and finely sliced150g natural yoghurtHeat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Tip the paneer, spring onions, mint leaves, lime zest and juice, green chilli and salt into a food processor, and blitz, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the mix resembles very fine couscous. Add the flour, and blitz again until the mix has broken down even more finely
Chef Skye Gyngell, who pioneered the slow food movement, dies aged 62
Tributes have been paid to the pioneering chef and restaurant proprietor Skye Gyngell, who has died aged 62.The Australian was an early celebrity proponent of using local and seasonal ingredients and built a garden restaurant from scratch, the Petersham Nurseries Cafe in Richmond, south-west London, which went on to win a Michelin star.A statement released by her family and friends read: “We are deeply saddened to share news of Skye Gyngell’s passing on 22 November in London, surrounded by her family and loved ones.“Skye was a culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land.“She leaves behind a remarkable legacy and is an inspiration to us all
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Starmer calls on Farage to apologise to his alleged victims of racial abuse at school
Racism claims against Nigel Farage are no surprise to us | Letters
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