Skye Gyngell obituary

The pioneering chef Skye Gyngell, who has died of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare skin cancer, aged 62, was the first Australian woman to win a Michelin star, an early supporter of the slow food movement, and a champion of charities such as StreetSmart and the Felix Project.Gyngell was a quiet radical. She came to public attention when she opened the Petersham Nurseries Café in south-west London in 2004. Until that point, she had been honing her own distinctive cooking personality that emphasised the quality of ingredients and the simplicity of their treatment and presentation. Her dishes were light, graceful and deceptively simple, but were founded on a serious understanding of how flavours and textures worked together, sometimes in surprising ways

‘Premium but not ostentatious’: the best extra virgin olive oils to gift instead of wine

This festive season, olive oil is the new bottle of wine. If booze or a scented candle used to be a fail-safe gift option for a party, retailers and food experts are reporting a surge of interest in the kitchen cupboard staple.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more

Benjamina Ebuehi’s coffee caramel and rum choux tower Christmas showstopper – recipe

Christmas is the perfect time for something a bit more extravagant and theatrical. And a very good way to achieve this is to bring a tower of puffy choux buns to the table and pour over a jugful of boozy chocolate sauce and coffee caramel while everyone looks on in awe. To help avoid any stress on the day, most of the elements can be made ahead: the chocolate sauce and caramel can be gently reheated before pouring, while the choux shells can be baked the day before and crisped up in the oven for 10 minutes before filling.Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr 15 min Serves 10-12120ml milk 120g butter ½ tbsp sugar A pinch of salt 160g strong white flour 4-5 large eggs, beatenDemerara sugar, for sprinkling400ml double cream ½ tsp vanilla bean paste ½ tbsp icing sugarFor the coffee caramel140ml double cream 2 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder110g sugar 50g unsalted butter A big pinch of flaky sea saltFor the chocolate sauce 150g dark chocolate 1½ tbsp brown sugar 2-3 tbsp rum A pinch of saltHeat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½ and line two large baking trays with baking paper. To make the choux, put the milk, 120ml water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil

Facing burnout, she chased her dream of making pie - and built an empire: ‘Pie brings us together’

Thanksgiving may be a holiday steeped in myth and controversy – but there’s still something Americans largely agree on: there’s nothing wrong with the holiday’s traditional dessert. So says Beth Howard, expert pie maker, cookbook author, memoirist, and now documentary film-maker.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more

Yes, there are reasons to be cynical about Thanksgiving. But there’s also turkey …

It’s easy to be cynical about Thanksgiving. The origin story that we’re all told – of a friendly exchange of food between the pilgrims and the Native Americans – is, at best, a whitewashed oversimplification. And then there’s Black Friday, an event that has hijacked one of our few non-commercialised holidays and used it as the impetus for a stressful, shameless, consumerist frenzy.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

Wine magnums aren’t just for Christmas – or even champagne

There are many reasons you may want to buy a magnum, and those reasons multiply and proliferate around this time of the year. Your usual night in with your partner becomes a party for six. Dinner with the family becomes an enormous pre-Christmas do, with thirsty adults and kids in the way everywhere. And watering the masses can get expensive, not to mention cumbersome.The Guardian’s journalism is independent