Food rules

Technically, these are self-imposed regulations we like to debate...

The right pancake for Pancake Day

What’s the hill you’d die on when it comes to food? This could be a foodstuff that you like (REALLY like), an ingredient that you will always pay more for when you find a brand that you think is head and shoulders above the rest, or a food that has a time and place. When you get into the nitty-gritty of what foods matter to people, it opens some interesting conversations. Issie, our deputy health editor, will defend cottage cheese to the hilt; she loves it. Lucy Bridge will always buy organic carrots – she says they taste sweeter, especially if you’re eating them raw. Cassie Best says crêpes are the only acceptable pancake style for Pancake Day (I agree).

What would you defend?

Issie’s cottage cheese lunch

Random hills

We should break free from the constraints of traditional breakfast foods – enjoy a soup/stew/noodles in the AM! This is from Emily, our social media guru. She’s not wrong.

Never keep butter for toast etc in the fridge – it belongs in a butter dish on the side. Janine and I agree about this, whatever the weather. The butter should be salted.

Baked beans should be served on the side with breakfast. Soggy danger lies in a fully plated full English.

Yorkshire puddings for Christmas dinner. Two camps, never the twain shall meet.

Bisto is underrated, says Samuel Goldsmith.

White chocolate is not chocolate. Also, it mostly tastes of mushrooms, though perhaps that’s me.

Food should not be drinkable; soup doesn’t count.

Dan thinks you don’t need cream (or ice cream, custard, etc) on a dessert – he thinks the recipe itself is enough. Don’t tell him about this reel.

Flavour hills

There are some foods that you simply get used to and they become a default flavour particular to you. I’m picky about soy sauce, rice, yogurt and butter – I think because the brands I choose to eat are what I’m used to, and any others now taste a little off-kilter. They are my benchmark flavours. Cadbury Dairy Milk is, I suspect, a ground zero product for many, as is Coca-Cola or Pepsi. When it comes to pasta, a few extra pence can make a difference to a dish; if it’s a low-cost dish to start with, it will still be a low-cost dish. Likewise, tins of tomatoes – brands genuinely do taste different. Pesto can be akin to lawn mowings or tasting nicely of basil, and then, there are crisps – where brand affiliation can be a deal-breaker.

I did a quick sweep round of brands that members of the team like for flavour; these are what we buy and love. If you think we are missing a trick, let us know.

Nice Rice Rice farming is not good for the planet (flooded paddy fields produce methane and stubble burning is polluting), but rice is my favourite food, so I’ve swapped to this brand, which buys rice from farmers in India who use less harmful practises). I’m prepared not to eat rice, but I’m thankful to have found this brand, as it would have been painful to give it up. To me, this is how rice should taste.

Kallo stock cubes are always in Cassie’s cupboard for a quick flavour boost.

Garofalo or Rummo pasta A good bronze die-cut pasta makes all the difference. These brands retain a good bite when cooked; Cassie buys these, as do I.

Maldon salt Cassie loves the crystals for finishing a dish. She also says that most sweet dishes need salt – especially chocolate ones.

Heinz Rachel says always Heinz for ketchup, mayo and beans. When we ran a blind baked bean tasting, Heinz was instantly recognised – it’s one of those flavours that you hold in your memory.

Saxa ground white pepper Nostalgia for Janine Ratcliffe. She’s keen on any ground white pepper rather than using black as a default.

Sea Sisters tinned fish Yes, it’s expensive; yes, it’s worth it. One tin does two people generously per meal. It’s British seafood in season.

Ramona’s hummus Full disclosure: we’ve met Ramona and she is the brand. Whether you agree about this depends on whether you are team textured or team smooth. Also, ‘bang in some beans’.

Mutti Barney Desmazery’s tinned tomato brand of choice. He says, “the tin that makes me get my wallet out and happily part with what can be three times more than a value tin is Mutti Polpa. It’s billed as ‘finely chopped’, but unlike other chopped tomatoes it doesn’t have any annoying chunks. It’s sort of smooth but still rough — and it has this viscosity and sheen that no other tinned tomato has. It makes a brilliant pizza sauce spooned straight from the tin, or the best marinara warmed for a matter of minutes with a squish of olive oil, some frazzled garlic, and a bit of seasoning.”

Vadasz Smacked cucumbers, sweet pickled jalapeño, and pineapple and turmeric sauerkraut. Worth every penny.

White Mausu I’m obsessed with the peanut rayu – it’s my go-to condiment and cooking ingredient. I think that’s probably a sign of laziness on my part.

Peanut rayu fried eggs

Peanut rayu fried eggs

Serves 1 | Prep 2 mins | Cook 8 mins

2 tbsp peanut rayu

2-3 kale leaves (I used cavalo nero)

any random herbs you have lying around that will go (dill, parsley, basil and coriander are all good)

1 tbsp seed & nut mix (sometimes sold as “salad topper”)

1 egg

Greek-style yogurt or a slice of toast, to serve

Heat 1 tbsp rayu in a frying pan for a few seconds, add the kale, herbs and a splash of water, and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir the mixture so all the leaves get covered with rayu. Add the seed mix and a little salt.

Make a gap in the middle of the pan, add the remaining rayu and turn the heat up a little. Break in the egg and cook to your liking. (I put a lid on if I’m in a hurry.)

Slide the mixture onto a couple of tablespoons of yogurt or a slice of toast to serve.

In other news

I went to the launch of the Symplicity products, which are now in Waitrose. These are burgers, sausages and nduja made with fermented vegetables, and they are a revelation in both texture and flavour. The nduja is particularly good.

In the world of food publishing, it’s been an interesting start to the year. On 2 January, the new HFSS (food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar) rules kicked in for food advertising – whether you agree with them or not, they are full of contradictions and anomalies. Legislation is never clear cut, and we have flow charts to follow and lists to check. Anyway, you’re probably thinking: “What does that have to do with me?” – well, if you are someone who is ‘gifted’ lovely things, like chocolate and cake by the companies who make them, and you say thank you by posting them on your social media, then it might. It’s worth checking on.