It is always such a treat when an online friend shares something and it turns out really well. So it was last week, when Artemisia Vulgaris offered up a simple-to-the-point-of-spare recipe for chickpeas and onions that, she said, “probably has changed very little since prehistory. This version is from the island of Sifnos, and was taught to my mother by my great aunt, who was from there.”

I love chickpeas, so of course I tried it.

Somewhat sad to see Marion Nestle, with whom I almost always agree, linking, without question or comment, to an article in a pet-food trade journal which suggests that insect protein is a key solution to a sustainable pet food industry. The article contains some eye-opening numbers for the pet f...

What more is there to say? Plenty, of course, but not this time. This is the final episode of this run of Our Daily Bread.

I say that as if there will be another, but all I’m really doing is leaving the door slightly ajar. I’ve had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I hope you have too.

For a f...

Wheat is an annual plant; it dies after setting seed. Each year, the farmer has to prepare the land, sow seed, fertilise and protect the plants. When the ground is bare, between crops, wind and water can erode the soil. The shallow root systems of annual plants fail to exploit the resources of the...

Durum wheat is only about 5% of the total wheat harvest around the world. For those of us who like our pasta, that’s a very important 5%. Different gluten proteins make a durum dough stretchy rather than elastic — perfect for pasta. The kernels are very hard and need dedicated milling machinery, w...