
Diageo ditches Diddy over brand neglect and racism claim
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Cold-weather recipes to get on your radar now
Pumpkins and squash are great in tarts, and it’s the mixture of sweet and salty in savoury pumpkin tarts that really gets me,” says food writer Diana Henry. Pumpkin tarts with spinach and gorgonzola Serves: 6 Ingredients: For the pastry: 225g plain flour, plus more to dust 175g butter, chilled and chopped Sea salt flakes For the filling: 450g pumpkin or squash Olive oil 450g spinach, coarse stalks removed 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk 275ml double cream 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated Freshly grated nutmeg 200g gorgonzola cheese Freshly ground black pepper Method: 1. For the pastry, put the flour, butter and a good pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse-blend the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add just enough very cold water to make the pastry come together. Wrap it in foil or clingfilm and refrigerate for about half an hour. 2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan (375F), Gas 5. 3. Cut the pumpkin or squash from top to bottom into broad slices, remove the inner stringy bits and seeds, then peel. Brush lightly with olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until just tender. Turn off the oven. Put the spinach into a large saucepan, cover and wilt in the water left clinging to it (about four minutes over a medium heat). Drain well and leave to cool. 4. Make the custard by mixing together the eggs, egg yolk, cream and parmesan. Season well. Roll out the rested pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line six individual tart tins. Chill for another 30 minutes (or just stick them in the freezer for about 15 minutes). 5. Preheat the oven again to 180C fan, Gas 5. Prick the bottom of the tarts with a fork, line them with baking parchment and put baking beans or ordinary dried beans on top. Blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook the pastry cases for another five minutes. 6. Cut the pumpkin into small slices, about 10 centimetres long and one centimetre thick. Squeeze every last bit of water from the spinach and chop it up. Season both of these and add some freshly grated nutmeg to the spinach. Spread the spinach over the bottom of the tart cases, then add the slices of pumpkin and dot with nuggets of gorgonzola. 7. Pour the custard mix over the tarts and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the custard feels only just set when you put your forefinger in the centre of a tart. Leave for 10 minutes to let the custard finish cooking and set a little once you have taken it out of the oven. Beef pie with wild mushrooms and red wine With wild mushrooms and red wine, this beef pie is perfect as the days get shorter and colder. Serves: 6 Ingredients: 1kg braising beef, cut into large chunks 30g dried wild mushrooms Groundnut oil 350g baby onions, or small round shallots, peeled but left whole 50g butter 1 celery stick, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 30g plain flour 300ml red wine Leaves from 3 thyme sprigs 3 bay leaves 300g fresh mushrooms, sliced 3 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves 320g puff pastry for 1 big pie, 600g for 6 small pies 1 egg, lightly beaten Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper Method: 1. Dry the meat well with kitchen paper (if it’s wet it won’t brown properly). Put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water over to just cover. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. 2. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based casserole and brown the beef in batches: it is very important to cook it in batches otherwise the meat will not colour well. Remove each batch as it’s done. Add the baby onions or shallots to the pan and lightly brown them, adding a little more oil if you need it. Reduce the heat, add 20 grams of the butter and all the celery and garlic, and sweat for 10 minutes. Return the meat, with any juices, to the casserole. Season well and, over a low heat, add the flour. Stir everything round until it is well coated. Cut up the mushrooms and add to the pot with their soaking liquid (strain the liquid through muslin, as it can be gritty). Add the red wine, thyme and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat, cover and cook over a very gentle heat for one-and-a-half hours, stirring every so often. Take the lid off for the last 15-20 minutes to reduce the liquid. You need thick juices for a pie, so, if they’re too thin, remove the meat and mushrooms and boil to reduce the sauce. 3. Melt half a tablespoon of oil and the remaining butter in a saute pan and cook the fresh mushrooms briskly over a high heat so that they get well coloured. Season and let the mushrooms cook until they exude their liquid and it evaporates. Stir the parsley and the cooked fresh mushrooms into the meat and check the seasoning. Leave to cool completely. 4. Put the meat in one large or six small pie dishes and roll out the pastry to fit the dish(es). Cut a strip or strips large enough to go around the edge or edges. Brush the edge(s) with water and press the strip on. Dampen this with water and cover the pie or pies with their lids, pressing the pastry down. Trim off the excess, knock up the edges and crimp them, if you like, or just press with a fork. Use the remaining pastry to decorate, making little holes in the top for steam to escape. Brush with the beaten egg and chill for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 190C fan, Gas 6. 5. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes for one large pie, or 25-30 minutes for smaller pies. Serve immediately. Pecan and pear upside-down cake “The cranberries look beautifully jewel-like on this cake, which can be eaten warm as a pudding as well as with tea or coffee,” says Henry. “The fruit combination also works well in a Tarte Tatin. The ginger here is optional, but it mutes the sweetness a little.” Serves: 10 Ingredients: For the fruit and nuts: 75g unsalted butter 115g caster sugar 350g firm pears (about 2) 140g cranberries 75g pecans For the cake: 120g unsalted butter, softened 200g caster sugar 2 large eggs, separated Drop of vanilla extract 210g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground ginger (optional) 175ml full-fat milk Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan (375F), Gas 5. 2. Melt the butter and sugar for the fruit and nuts in a heavy-based ovenproof saute pan, 25cms in diameter, over a low heat. Peel and core the pears and cut them into slices, about 1cm thick, then place them on top of the butter and sugar. Cook these over a gentle heat until just tender, then whack the heat up and cook them until lightly caramelised. Scatter the cranberries and pecans on top and gently mix all the fruit around. Turn the heat off, but don’t let the pan get cold. 3. For the cake, cream the butter and sugar and add the egg yolks and vanilla. Mix in half the flour along with all the baking powder and ginger, if using. Add the milk and then the other half of the flour. Mix until smooth. 4. Whisk the egg whites until they form medium peaks. Add one tablespoon of the beaten whites to the batter to loosen it, then, working quickly, fold in the rest with a large spoon. 5. Spread the batter over the fruit and nuts in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the sponge comes out clean. 6. Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out, but no longer, or the caramelised fruit will stick to the pan. If this does happen, carefully lever the pears off the pan and lay them on to the cake with their dark, caramelised sides facing upwards. ‘Roast Figs, Sugar Snow’ by Diana Henry (Aster, £22). Read More Is there such a thing as British pizza? Five easy recipes to cook with your kids The dish that defines me: Rosie Grant’s grave recipes Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them How to cook to keep your gut healthy Leave Rick Stein alone – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup
2023-09-27 13:57

'Yellowstone' stars Ryan Bingham and Hassie Harrison level up their relationship, splurge $4.58M on California mansion
The couple has jointly acquired a 4,370-square-foot Mediterranean-style mansion located in Topanga Canyon near Los Angeles
2023-06-18 18:57

10 of the best online web development courses you can take for free this week
TL;DR: A wide range of online web development courses are available for free on Udemy.
2023-05-18 12:16

Brits think investing is for the super-rich, poll finds
Brits think investing is strictly reserved for the super-rich - with 45 per cent not getting involved themselves. A poll of 2,000 adults found 38 per cent associate it with city bankers, while 21 per cent think it’s the domain of older adults. And 47 per cent admit they’re daunted by the prospect of getting started - with four in 10 not having a clue where or how to begin. A third (32 per cent) also didn’t start taking any active interest in their pension until they were 36 or older. Liz Fernando, chief investment officer for Nest pensions, which commissioned the research, said: “Pensions are a great way to invest your money and watch it grow over time, in the background while you work. “It’s evident that there’s a lot of work to do to demystify perceptions surrounding who can enter the world of investment – it really can be for everyone.” The results also found 49 per cent think the general perception of investing being primarily for the wealthy acts as a barrier for other people who would otherwise want to invest. As almost three-quarters (73 per cent) feel these opportunities should be accessible for people from all income levels. Among the three groups which Brits feel are most underrepresented when it comes to investing are the working classes (46 per cent), young people (34 per cent) and ethnic minorities (29 per cent). For nearly eight in 10 (78 per cent), the fear of losing money makes the idea of investment off-putting. While lack of investing knowledge (52 per cent), uncertainty about the economy (51 per cent) and not knowing where to begin (38 per cent) are among the top fears. But 64 per cent believe more people would be likely to invest – if they could see where exactly their money is going. A third would describe their investing knowledge as ‘bad’ - while 53 per cent feel clear and transparent information about investment options would help ease their concerns. Simpler investment platforms or tools would feel most beneficial for 49 per cent of those polled via OnePoll. And when it comes to pensions, profitability is sought-after for 58 per cent. While investing in sustainable businesses is vital for 29 per cent. More than four in 10 (42 per cent) are connected to their pension through an employment plan – while 15 per cent contribute through a private plan. Liz Fernando for Nest pensions added:” We know your pension pot can be one of the most valuable ways to help secure your future retirement, and it’s right you know where it’s being invested - especially when you’re saving into it for decades”. “We don’t know how the world of finance will look in years to come, but we do know your future self should be grateful that you are adding to your pot.” Read More Four in ten Brits ignore potentially serious eye problems, study finds The exact time Brits find themselves ‘uncontrollably hungry’ revealed Sounds that can help you fall asleep better Exact time Brits find themselves ‘uncontrollably hungry’ revealed Top 10 acts which make people feel more positive Brits feel their mental health declining due to cost of living crisis
2023-10-02 22:20

US top court backs Big Tech over terror claims
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2023-05-19 04:26

Aidan Roche's family search Swiss Alps for Middlesbrough hiker
The family of a Brit missing in Switzerland say they will do everything they can to find him.
2023-07-18 18:27

Global food prices rise after Russia ends grain deal and India restricts rice exports
Global prices for food commodities like rice and vegetable oil have risen for the first time in months after Russia ended a deal allowing Ukraine ship grain and India restricted some rice exports
2023-08-04 19:27

TikTok clarifies its moderating policies amid Israel-Hamas war
As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, social media platforms have been placed under scrutiny for their
2023-10-16 19:19

Your dog could fetch $100 an hour as a canine ambassador for peanut butter, Honest Paws says
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2023-08-20 17:19

Who is Billy Busch? Anheuser-Busch heir says his ancestors are 'rolling over in their graves' after Dylan Mulvaney fiasco
According to Billy Busch, the company that acquired his family's business should not have chosen to feature a trans individual on the Bud Light can
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