Recipes
The bechamel on top is a twentieth-century addition. Here is how to make moussaka with oven-baked aubergine instead of fried.
The secret behind airy focaccia is the salamoia poured into the dimples before baking. A tray recipe with a cold rise.
Home-made pesto turns dark and bitter in a machine. Here is how to crush pesto genovese in a mortar, and how to turn it through the pasta.
Real carbonara has neither cream nor bacon. Here is how to make the Roman version with guanciale, pecorino, egg and pepper.
Banh mi stands or falls on the bread. How to make do chua and build the sandwich.
Baba ganoush contains no chickpeas. How to char the aubergine and stir the dip together.
Onigiri is not sushi. The rice should be plain, never mixed with vinegar. How to shape the rice balls.
Peking duck is about the skin. How to dry and roast the duck, and the order it is served in.
Gyros in Greece is made with pork, not lamb. Here is the recipe for the meat, the tzatziki and the pitta.
Real Lebanese tabbouleh is almost all parsley, with only a small amount of bulgur. How to make it, and why most recipes get the ratio wrong.
Biryani built in layers and steamed under a lid: part-cooked basmati, spiced meat, saffron milk and fried onion.
Chicken satay with a marinade of coconut milk and turmeric, and peanut sauce made from scratch. Works as well in a griddle pan as over charcoal.