BBC Good Food

Meet Barney Before joining Good Food, Barney worked in top restaurants in London, France and Australia, honing his chef skills and gaining experience with luxury ingredients including lobster. He is also an ambassador for The Welsh Lobster Company, Wales’s leading live shellfish distributor. “I love lobster in all its forms, but lobster pasta and lobster with chips are two of my favourite dishes. I’ve spent time with The Welsh Lobster Company learning the best ways to handle, prepare and cook it

As summer gives way to autumn, the slow cooker earns its place back on the kitchen counter. This month's meal plan is built entirely around it: seven recipes for four that require as little as 10 minutes of prep before the slow cooker takes care of the rest. Perfect for busy family evenings when the days are shorter, but the to-do list isn't.These recipes have been carefully selected by our editors to capture the changing seasons, with warming, nourishing dishes that make the most of late-summer

What is milk thistle?Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean that's named for the ‘milky’ white veins on its large, prickly leaves. Although milk thistle has a long-established use as a remedy for liver conditions such as fatty liver disease, hepatitis and cirrhosis, it also has its limitations: beliefs that it may be useful for treating cancer and diabetes are limited, because the studies and methodology supporting these claims are of poor quality. Moreo

Staying in is the new going out! As the cost of living crisis continues, plenty of us are saving on takeaways with the wave of deluxe ready meals now available in supermarkets. From Charlie Bigham's new £30 range at the end of last year to M&S expanding its premium Collection range of cuisine-inspired meals, there are now plenty of refined, low-effort options for a special meal at home. In fact, new research from Waitrose found that around two-thirds of us Brits are dining out less often tha

A good chopping board is one of the hardest-working tools in the kitchen. It needs to stay stable under pressure, cope with repeated knife work and be easy to clean properly without warping, cracking or spreading juices across your worktop.All the chopping boards in this guide have been tested by the Good Food reviews team, who have used them for everyday prep tasks such as chopping vegetables, slicing bread and carving meat. We looked closely at how they performed over time, including stability

Follow Mallika on InstagramCosy season may instantly warm us to the idea of thick, steaming bowls of dal, but these curried lentils don’t always have a reason or season. Growing up in India, no meal was complete without dal. Many families are partial to a handful of recipes particular to their community, but mine had no issues with cultural inspiration or much care for convention.We would dive into south Indian sambhar one day, north Indian kali dal another and Bengali roasted moong lentils the

From whizzing up smoothies and cocktails to blitzing sauces and soups, blenders are one of the most indispensable kitchen appliances when it comes to making popular everyday recipes.Whether you’re looking for a timesaving gadget to make breakfast smoothies for all the family, or a nifty portable blender for whizzing up slushies on a summer holiday or picnic, blenders come in all manner of shapes, sizes and budgets.To save you time and to help you find the best model for your needs, I've put more

Baking fans, rejoice: in another sure sign that the autumn cosy season is commencing, the cast and return date of season 17 of The Great British Bake Off have been announced, along with what they'll be baking in episode one.The home bakers that will be be lighting up our screens this autumn look like a promising bunch, and this is also the first season of Nigella Lawson joining Bake Off stalwart Paul Hollywood as judge. Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding return as the amiable hosts of our favourit

There’s a tangible chill in the air, which means we’re starting to crave warming, creamy dishes that require minimal effort. Enter M&S’s new limited-edition marry me chicken pasta bake, a ready meal designed to bring the viral flavour trend straight to the dinner table.'Marry me' chicken has become hugely popular in recent years, thanks to its winning combination of tender chicken, creamy sauce, garlic, herbs and sundried tomatoes. M&S has captured those familiar flavours in a generous 8

As summer draws to an end now is the perfect opportunity to upgrade some of your autumn essentials before the crisp, cool air leaves you craving a casserole without the dish to make one in.Whether it's appliances for making hearty, comforting meals like slow cookers, multicookers and soup makers, a new stand mixer for making fluffy banana bread or a quality sandwich maker for cheese toasties – each of these products have been tried and tested by our expert reviews team and awarded the full five

Don't expect light, fluffy muffins – these are comfortingly dense and very cheering for elevenses in winter

I’m sharing my homely version of a garlicky spinach chana dal that is very nearly a one-pot. Save the small pan to make the tadka

Scorpelle are small pieces of bread or pizza dough that are deep-fried until crispy and golden. They are traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve in my hometown Puglia

All you need is one pan to make these sweet onions topped with a crispy cheesy crust. If you have any leftovers, blitz them up with some more stock to make a comforting onion soup

Pretzels add a salty element to balance the sweet alongside the miso, and the latter also gives you that umami depth. Browning the butter isn’t essential, but it does bring the Maillard reaction into play, adding another layer of flavour

Popular at funerals, this bake is also known as Texas funeral cake. It's so easy to make and big enough to serve a crowd. We've used quite salty butter in the frosting as the sweet and savoury combination works so well

If you don’t have a cooking apple to hand, you could also use an eating variety such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Gala. As eating apples tend to be less tart (except perhaps a Granny Smith), you may end up with a slightly sweeter bake.

Following the launch of its bumper festive food range yesterday, M&S has given shoppers another reason to swing by, and this time it's via the in-store bakery. Their newly introduced freshly baked sausage roll is now available in Foodhalls across the country, priced at £2.25.The roll features seasoned pork filling wrapped in all-butter puff pastry. M&S says the sausage meat is RSPCA-assured outdoor-bred British pork, sourced from its select farms, while the pastry is baked until golden a

Enjoy this Middle Eastern meze dish made with bulgur wheat, minced meat and aromatic spices

Make a British classic with a pastry base topped with almond sponge, plus flaked almonds and glacé cherries to decorate. Sit back and enjoy with a cup of tea