Turnip Gratin. Harissa sauce. Food on film.

Blog Post & Recipe: Blue gratin of turnip

120g of your favourite blue cheese (a crumbly one) Preheat oven to 190C. Toss together the sliced turnip, onion and melted butter and place into a baking tray of around 23 cm square.

Blog Post & Recipe: Hot & Saucy

I like to make sauces such as salsa verdé ... A close second to that is harissa, a fiery North African sauce of red pepper and chilli that is so easy to make yourself and again, transforms the boring to the beautiful. Try it with fish or white meats, rice and salad. Make the most of your own little store in your kitchen and soon you will be a master of the leftovers.

Blog Post: Food on film: What's your taste?

What has been the greatest scene involving food in a film, and come to that, which has been the greatest food film ever? There's so much choice. I have a few personal favourites, among them La Grande Bouffe ... in which Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret and Ugo Tognazzi eat themselves to death. I'm particularly fond of the scene in which Ugo Tognazzi expires on the kitchen table, while being force fed with a terrine ...

Leftover refried beans. Star Trek Food. Pizza Blanco.

Blog Post: What to do with leftover refried beans?

We had tostadas with homemade refried beans for Cinco de Mayo, and I have quite a heap left. Any good ideas for a way to use them in a non-Mexican, or just atypical, way? I'm looking for something different than your typical burritos, etc.

Blog Post: A Primer to 'Star Trek' Food and Drink

That reminded me that food and drink is depicted routinely in the Star Trek franchise—across ten movies and six TV shows. There's no doubt—or at least, I hope—that there will be food references in the 11th movie, which will feature Romulans, Vulcans, Orions. As a refresher, I thought I'd take a look at what passes for serious eats in these alien cultures. Join me on this mission, won't you?

Blog Post & Recipe: Recipe: Pizza Blanco

Toppings for Pizza Blanco
1 large onion, chopped and caramelized (I cook these slowly over low heat, as I’m preparing everything else)
salt, pepper
glug of olive oil
2 small, boiled red potatoes
sprigs of dill
3/4- 1 c white sauce
1 bunch arugula, lightly dressed in olive oil and vinegar

Watching the Oscars

Recipe: Caramel popcorn choc tops

Recipes: Academy Awards Cocktail Party

* Black Pepper–Manchego
Cheese Puffs
* Broiled Mussels with Sweet Paprika Aioli
* Roasted Rosemary Walnuts
* Olive-Parsley Dip with Crudités
* Orange Marmalade Truffles
* The Academy Sparkler

Article & Recipes: Snackin' with Oscar

But for this special evening, Bench plans to pump up the popcorn with some glitz and glam with ingredients such as cocoa, freeze-dried apples and smoked paprika. Not all together, of course, but Bench says she loves using her imagination when it comes to popcorn ...

Chocolate Malt ... Apple Cinnamon ... Sweet Chili ... Barbecue ... Butterscotch ... Red Carpet Fizz (flavoured champagne)

Film food

Article: Foods to eat with your favorite movie

No recipes here, just a list of suggestions.

"Crash" (2005)

Watch: Collisions, carjackings, shootings and other trademark Los Angeles happenings connect more than a dozen characters over a 36-hour period.

Eat: A "double-double" burger — double meat, double cheese, a signature car consumable from In-N-Out Burger, the city's iconic fast-food joint. If you can't make it to Los Angeles, let McDonald's stand in or make your own. Wash it down with a chocolate milkshake.