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

The rise of ‘beef days’: why even meat lovers are cutting back

“I love beef,” says Vlad Luca, 25. But unlike most other self-proclaimed steak lovers, Vlad eats it only four times a year, on designated “beef days”.The “beef days” phenomenon has been popularised by the brothers John and Hank Green, known collectively as vlogbrothers on YouTube. John, 48, is better known for his YA fiction, including The Fault in Our Stars, while Hank, 45, is a self-described science communicator and entrepreneur.They have been making videos on their shared channel since 2007, and have more than 4 million subscribers

New type of Bordeaux wine to gain official status as result of climate pressure

Bordeaux’s wine industry has historically adapted to consumer habits. In the 1970s the region leaned towards white, but by the 2000s was famed for powerful oak-aged reds.Now it’s turning to a much older form of red with a name familiar to anglophones: claret. With origins in the 12th century, when it was first shipped to Britain, claret was soon our favoured wine, an unofficial byword for bordeaux red, which in recent decades has become increasingly full-bodied.The Bordeaux protected designation of origin has now formally validated bordeaux claret, linking it to the existing Bordeaux appellation

Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for citrus and almond cake | The sweet spot

Anything bright and zingy is particularly welcome in January, even more so when it’s in the form of cake. I always have an odd end of marzipan after the festive season, and this is a great way to use it up and bring that cosy almond flavour. The marzipan gets blitzed into the butter for a plush-textured loaf cake, and comes together in minutes thanks to simply putting everything in a food processor.Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling Serves 8-10200g unsalted butter, softened125g marzipan 150g caster sugar Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange, plus 2 tbsp extra juice for the icingFinely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon3 large eggs 220g plain flour 50g ground almonds ¼ tsp fine sea salt 2 tsp baking powder 50g plain yoghurtTo finish100g icing sugar 40g toasted flaked almondsHeat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper.Put the butter and marzipan in a food processor and blitz until smooth