‘It’s about weaponising opinion’: the power of Topjaw’s online foodie show

When the presenter Jesse Burgess goes to a restaurant, the kitchen always sends him dishes he didn’t order. One of the ironies of fame is that the more you can afford, the less you have to pay for it. Except that Burgess isn’t a celebrity, he says. “I’m just a guy who really likes food.”Burgess is the 34-year-old host of Topjaw, a small but mighty internet platform featuring chefs and foodies, whose “Best of” series, for better or worse, has changed the way Londoners – and those beyond – eat out

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for peanut butter banana french toast | The sweet spot

I can’t be the only one who is a bit ambitious when buying bananas. Despite my best efforts to get through them, a couple of well-ripened, black-skinned bananas in the fruit bowl is an all too common sight. Banana bread feels the obvious choice, but sometimes you just don’t have the time or enough people to share it with. A quicker option that I like to make at weekends is french toast, though I tend to lean into the Hong Kong-style in which the slices of bread are stuffed with peanut butter and drizzled generously with condensed milk and butter. Delightful stuff

Not all Argentinian red wine is malbec | Hannah Crosbie on drinks

You could make the argument that my journey into the wine industry began with Argentinian malbec. Even before I was pouring wines in restaurants, taking orders and learning the table numbers, it was the first wine with which I became truly familiar. It was the black bottle with the white label that lined our supermarket shelves, and what people on the telly with expensive haircuts and thick resin bangles poured into large glasses.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for baked leek and egg gratin | A kitchen in Rome

While sorting out some books the other day, as well as gathering a pile to give away or sell, I spent a large part of two hours looking for books I know I once had, and trying to remember if I had loaned or lost them. And then, in the case of one particular book, ordering another copy. Ten out, one in: not terrible.The book I (re)ordered was Beaneaters and Bread Soup, by Lori de Mori and the photographer Jason Lowe. Gathered over decades of living just outside Florence, the book is a collection of wonderful, practical Tuscan recipes, and also tells a story of Tuscan food through portraits of photogenic local artisans: a chestnut grower, a bee keeper, a man who makes knives … I would mention more if I could find the book, which I suspect was borrowed and never returned – you know who you are! (Unless I have got this wrong and it is behind the bookcase

How to turn scallop roe into a delectable butter – recipe | Waste not

Beyond Jersey’s epic beaches and rugged coastline, the island has an extraordinary food culture, rooted in both land and sea. From world-renowned jersey royal new potatoes to scallops sweeter and more tender than I’ve tasted anywhere, Jersey’s bounty is second to none. What excites me most, though, is how local farmers and producers are embracing regenerative agriculture, and in doing so reimagining the island’s food future with creativity and care. At the heart of that movement is Regen Gathering, a visionary festival that brings together farmers, chefs and food lovers to explore what Jersey’s foodtopia could look like.Last month, I was lucky enough to host a talk at the event, and cook a welcome dinner for all the speakers, alongside Regen’s inspiring founder, India Hamilton

Nicola Lamb’s recipes for toffee apple pie and apple crumb loaf

It’s easy to forget just how extraordinary apples can be. Often relegated to less exciting regions of the fruit bowl, they actually come in a dizzying array of varieties – sharp, sweet, floral, crisp – and each with their own quirks. And now is the time to celebrate apples, so this week I’m giving them the attention they deserve in a no-bake toffee apple pie (banoffee’s autumn cousin) and a soft, cinnamon-spiced crumb cake.You will need a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin.Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr 10 min Chill 2 hr+ Serves 8-10For the case275g digestive biscuits ¼ tsp fine sea salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 140g unsalted butter, meltedFor the caramelised apples500g apples, I used braeburn, but pink lady work well, too70g caster sugar 30g butter 1 tsp lemon juiceFor the sour cream whip50g sour cream 250ml double cream 25g caster sugarTo assemble397g tin dulce de leche (I used Carnation)25g roasted hazelnuts, roughly choppedFor the biscuit base, blitz or bash the digestives into fine crumbs