One of my favourite ways of celebrating whatever vegetable is in season is by turning it into pakoras. Cooking them quickly allows the vegetable to sing, and a simple pakora batter is light enough to let spring onions and spinach do just that. With just enough gently spiced chickpea flour to bind the chopped veg, … Read more
For years, I loved smoking, slurping large glasses of wine and gobbling wings from overlit chicken shops. I tried to be healthy: I would make overnight oats; get only the small mixed sushi from Wasabi; and drink prosecco because someone said it was keto-friendly. I even did Veganuary back when it was such a gruelling … Read more
The UK has an extraordinary collection of gardens open to the public, from the manicured grounds of grand estates to more intimate green spaces where the owners have made their mark. Whether it’s a “secret” walled garden, a favourite urban green oasis or an unheralded horticultural wonder, we’d love to hear about it. The best … Read more
Name: Stubby lashes. Age: Genetically? Ancient. Done deliberately? New. Appearance: Dead tough. Unattractively short eyelashes? I’m finally in vogue! Steady on, hotshot. Are your eyelashes naturally short? Unfortunately, yes. Then I’m afraid it doesn’t count. If you want true stubby lashes, you have to have them shaved off by a hairdresser. With an electric razor? … Read more
You can’t go wrong with crisp, panko-fried chicken, and this version with zhoug is an absolute winner. You could describe zhoug as a green chilli sauce, but that wouldn’t quite do justice to this amazing Yemeni condiment, which is packed with flavour from preserved lemons, cardamom and garlic. Use some to stir through the hot, … Read more
The sun warms my face as I pause between the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies to gaze at the rolling hills of Dumfries and Galloway beyond. I am not, surprisingly enough, in outer space. I’m at the Crawick Multiverse, a cosmos-themed land art installation in the south of Scotland that was built on the site … Read more
Many of us tend to diminish ourselves and others with some snappy, reductive phrase rather than dig more deeply in search of understanding. Enter the idea of the “people pleaser”. The term has a ring to it; it rolls off the tongue and its meaning seems self-evident. It feels comfortable and anodyne. We know where … Read more
I wasn’t especially good at basketball, but I loved it. One day while playing, I broke my ankle. I needed corrective surgery and would be on crutches for months while I recovered. Getting to and from work, and running errands, was suddenly a huge struggle. I could order groceries online, but there were still a … Read more
Vicky Pattison in a toy car in 1990 and 2025Vicky Pattison in 1990 and 2025. Later photograph: Pål Hansen/The Guardian. Styling: Andie Redman. Hair: Jeyanney. Makeup: Thomas Tatum. Archive photograph: courtesy of Vicky Pattison Born in Newcastle in 1987, Vicky Pattison graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a degree in drama. At 22, she joined the cast … Read more
They walk the path for a variety of reasons. For the challenge, the exercise, the views. To find companionship or seek solitude. Some walk with a sense of escaping problems, others with the idea of striding towards a goal. Many more are expected to head to the South West Coast Path, the 630-mile route around … Read more