Spicy, salty, sweet and sour all at the same time, kimchi is perhaps the perfect condiment. This Korean staple is traditionally made by salting cabbage to preserve it and add crunch, then fermenting it in a pungent paste often made from glutinous rice porridge, gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), onion and enough garlic to keep a … Read more
Born in Nigeria, Nikki Amuka-Bird, 49, studied at Lamda and began her career with the RSC. In 2017, she was Bafta nominated for her role in the BBC adaptation of Zadie’s Smith’s book NW. The same year, she played the lead in the Donmar’s production of Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea. Her recent television work spans Armando Iannucci’s comedy … Read more
How often do you come across a beauty product that genuinely changes the game? Not just a nice-to-have, but something that actually works, solving a problem you’d given up on. The shampoo that really defrizzes. The foundation that lasts all day without creasing. The serum that calms, rather than irritates, sensitive skin. The Guardian’s journalism … Read more
In the spring of 1995 I was studying for my A-levels in Cambridge, along with my best friend, Kate. For her final art exam, Kate wanted to create a male torso in the style of a classical sculpture, which she would present along with her written assignment on the male nude. She asked if I’d be the model … Read more
Learning to drive – and the sense of freedom and independence that comes with it – is a milestone many look forward to. But for today’s learners, the journey to getting on the road is proving longer, more uncertain and more expensive than ever. What was once a fairly straightforward process, from lessons and the … Read more
The questions 1 The longest direct flight from London goes to which city?2 Until 1752, when did the new year officially begin in England?3 Which action film hero suffers from ophidiophobia?4 AE Stallings succeeded Alice Oswald in what role?5 Which country’s president was shot by his intelligence chief in 1979?6 Which marsupial is native to … Read more
Patisseries in Paris Of course you can enjoy exquisitely crafted patisseries all over France, but Paris is home to many of the country’s best pâtissiers, and many of the individual gateaux have a connection to the city. As you delve into the layers of almond sponge, ganache and buttercream that form the opera cake, you … Read more
Previously sitting down for dinner at 5pm usually meant one of three things. You were going to the theatre. You had a toddler. You were of an age where you had a free bus pass. But now we are becoming a nation of early birds; 5pm is the new 8pm and restaurants are adapting accordingly. … Read more
A good mattress improves your sleep, say mattress makers – and they would, wouldn’t they? But they’re right. The older I get, the more I know it. When I was 20, I could sleep anywhere: a friend’s floor, a filthy sofa – even a phone box one night. These days, I won’t get a single … Read more
A few months ago, I was at a bar and hoped I might be making a new friend. We were sitting next to each other in a booth with a bunch of people. In response to my questions she told me interesting anecdotes about growing up, her job, her husband. After she’d been talking for … Read more