Champagne taste, cider budget? Try these fizzes | Hannah Crosbie on drinks

Bad news for me: I turn 28 this week, and I don’t feel particularly wiser. I do feel older, though. So, as you read this, you can be sure that I am probably quite drunk on sparkling wine. There’s scarcely a better excuse than a birthday, but I think we can agree that what you’re likely to be drinking at any such event will vary greatly, depending on whether or not the birthday in question is your own.The Guardian’s journalism is independent

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for fig, ricotta and orange tart | A kitchen in Rome

Yesterday, we left a garden with a fig tree as tall as a house to catch a train to Rome Termini station, where tiny, thrill-seeking figs grow on the tracks. The fearless fig tree is a descendant of the prehistoric wild caprifig, which spread from Caria (hence the species name carica) in ancient Anatolia, across the Mediterranean. Cultivation is thought to have started in Egypt and the Levant, probably between 4000 and 2700BC; particular evidence of this is the common fig (Ficus carica) on the stone walls within ancient Egyptian tombs called mastaba, painted so their occupants could enjoy the fruit in the afterlife.Dozens of examples are described in a research paper by the professor of Egyptology Noha Hany Gerges Salama, including paintings within a fifth-dynasty mastaba of Iymery, in Giza. One painting in particular depicts two fig trees, both of which have a boy standing in their branches and picking fruit, while men under the trees collect fallen figs in baskets

Sandwich surprise! 12 delicious – and diabolical – ways to sweeten your sarnie

Sweet sandwiches have been a big trend in shops this summer. Here is how to make your own, from strawberries and cream to apple pie paniniTesco’s recently introduced birthday cake sandwich – an unholy assemblage of jam, soft cheese, frosting and sprinkles, stuffed between two slices of brioche – may well be the world’s most depressing foodstuff, a cake designed to be eaten in one go, possibly on your birthday, probably alone.The birthday cake sandwich follows hard on the heels of M&S’s strawberries and cream sandwich – a UK version of the fruit sandwiches, or furutsu sandos, sold in convenience stores in Japan. The M&S sandwich received a certain amount of criticism, along with some surprisingly good reviews. But both sandwiches were controversial, not least from a nutritional standpoint (the Tesco sandwich contains 31

How to turn empty pea pods into a summer risotto – recipe | Waste not

Inspired by Raymond Blanc’s pea risotto from his 2015 book Kew on a Plate, today’s dish is Blanc at his best, demonstrating his skill and thrift at the highest level. I’ve simplified the original by making it entirely from pea pods and parmesan rind, not least to show just how much flavour and colour they hold.Flavourful pea pods are blanched, then shocked in iced water to stop them cooking further and so preserve their chlorophyll (to save on ice to make the iced water, simply put a bowl of water in the freezer for an hour). They are then blended into a vivid, emerald-green puree.Both pea pods and parmesan rinds are naturally rich in glutamates, which provide the deep umami flavours that make this risotto so satisfying and complex despite using what would typically be discarded

Romy Gill’s recipes for Indian-style tomatoes

Tomatoes are a staple in Indian cooking, bringing vibrant colour, tanginess, a little sweetness and depth to countless recipes. Their sheer versatility often helps bring a dish together, while their natural acidity balances spices beautifully. Firm ripe tomatoes are essential in cooking, because they hold their texture better, release only just enough juice without turning mushy, and also provide that crucial balance between sweet and sour. Today’s two dishes are prime examples of Indian home cooking and comfort food at its best.Serve this with any dal or meat curry, though if you ask me it’s best eaten by itself with yoghurt or a tomato raita – to make the latter, mix a small chopped, deseeded tomato into 150g yoghurt, then stir in 25ml milk, a small handful of chopped fresh coriander, a teaspoon of toasted crushed cumin seeds and season to taste

Australian supermarket fetas and fettas taste test: the best-value cheese is less than $3 a pack

With an Avengers-calibre team of experts, Nicholas Jordan tries 22 brands, from crowd-pleasers to overwhelmingly salty varietiesGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailIf you value our independent journalism, we hope you’ll consider supporting us todayI can’t tell you how many times I’ve made a desperate salad from ingredients living in unexplored frontiers of my fridge. I have two usual strategies for transforming desperation into salvation: a good dressing and fetta. I know how to make a good dressing but I have no idea how to choose a good fetta. Whenever I’m shopping, looking at a sea of products with radically different textures, labels and prices, I feel as if I’m at the Björk section of the record store. I know there are some hits in there but pick the wrong one and I’ll end up with music completely unsuitable for a dinner party