Miso mystery: red, white or yellow – how does each paste change your dish? | Kitchen aide

What’s the difference between white and red miso, and which should I use for what? Why do some recipes not specify which miso to use? Ben, by email“I think what recipe writers assume – and I’m sure I’ve written recipes like this – is that either way, you’re not going to get a miso that’s very extreme,” says Tim Anderson, whose latest book, JapanEasy Kitchen: Simple Recipes Using Japanese Pantry Ingredients, is out in April. As Ben points out, the two broadest categories are red and white, and in a lot of situations “you can use one or other to your taste without it having a massive effect on the outcome of the dish”.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more

The pie and mash crisis: can the original fast food be saved?

There used to be hundreds of pie and mash shops in London. Now there are barely more than 30. Can social media attention and a push for protected status ensure their survival?Outside it’s raining so hard that the sandwich board sign for BJ’s pie and mash (“All pies are made on the premises”) is folded up inside. The pavement along Barking Road in Plaistow is a blur through the front windows and deserted, and there are only two customers in the shop. Another sign – this one on the counter – says “CASH ONLY”

Sami Tamimi’s recipes for spiced bulgur balls with pomegranate, with a herby fennel side salad

I have always dreamed of a return to the golden age of Arab trade, when spices, fruits and ideas voyaged across deserts and seas, creating extraordinary food cultures through exchange and curiosity. I’ve imagined bringing new flavours home, letting them transform the kitchen – but with all the madness in today’s world, that dream must stay a dream, for now. So, these recipes become my journey, a way to reconnect with that spirit and taste the magic of the Arab golden age today.This dish originates in Latakia, a port in Syria. Kbeibat bulgur in Arabic translates to “small kibbeh”, and refers to a range of dishes that are popular across the Arab world and beyond

Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for mushroom and artichoke puff-pastry quiche | Quick and easy

No time to make shortcrust? Bought puff pastry makes an instant (and decadent) alternative. Yes, I know you can buy ready-rolled shortcrust, but I wouldn’t: it’s trash. If this column didn’t have a 30-minute time constraint, I’d blitz 200g plain flour and 100g cold cubed salted butter to sand, then add one egg yolk and a tablespoon of cold water, then blitz for a few seconds, and no longer, until it just comes together. I’m unorthodox, so I then tip the pastry straight into a pie dish, quickly pat it into place and freeze for 15 minutes. Blind bake for 10 minutes at 180C(160C fan)/350F/gas 4, before removing the paper and baking beans and tipping in the filling – it’s really not very much work

How to make mulligatawny – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

I have yet to see anyone eating mulligatawny in an Indian restaurant – perhaps unsurprisingly, given that it’s a product of the British occupation, and the very name has an off-putting Victorian feel, which is a shame, because it’s aged a lot better than imperialism. Based, historians think, on the Madrassi broth molo tunny, it’s a lovely, gently spiced winter soup that’s well worth rediscovering.Prep 15 min Cook 50 min Serves 4-61 onion 1 carrot 1 parsnip 1 celery stick 2 tbsp ghee, or oil (eg, coconut)4 garlic cloves 1 knob fresh ginger ½ tsp cayenne pepper or mild chilli powder 2½ tsp madras curry powder (see step 5) 1½ litres good-quality chicken stock, or vegetable stock1 chicken thigh, bone in. skin on (optional; see step 1)150g masoor dal (AKA split orange lentils)4 tbsp flaked almonds (optional; see step 7)100ml hot milk, or water1 tbsp lemon juice Salt 1-2 tbsp fruity chutney (eg, mango; optional)1 small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped, to servePlain yoghurt, to serveThough often made with chicken, mulligatawny was also traditionally prepared with mutton or goat, and works well with lamb, too; any fairly tender cut of either will be fine (or, indeed, you could just add some cooked meat at the end). For a lighter dish, leave it out; to make it plant-based, just swap the fat and stock as suggested below

Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London WC2: ‘Absolute “will-this-do?” nonsense’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

The new Guinness Open Gate Brewery, with its tours, gift shop and dining options, has appeared in Covent Garden, slap-bang in the centre of London’s most nosebleedingly expensive real estate.This multi-multi-million-pound paean to “the black stuff”, where Guinness disciples can make pilgrimage, has been on the capital’s horizon for what seems like an era. The project has been tantalisingly dangled as an opening for some years, then delayed umpteen times, because, quite understandably, erecting a purpose-built, gargantuan, multi-floor Willy Wonka’s Booze Factory in the West End of London for a corporate behemoth is no easy feat. Imagine the layers of global, bureaucratic, cross-platform multi-media team Zooms that had to happen to hone the ultimate Guinness experience. So many Is to dot and Ts to cross, particularly, because food is a central part of the venture, with two restaurants on site – The Porter’s Table and Gilroy’s Loft – where exec chef Pip Lacey is serving non-challenging yet hearty menus, as well as a courtyard pie stall by Calum Franklin