Latest news with #NigellaLawson
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Meet the best chefs on TikTok from Emily English to Ben Lippett
Will we ever have another Jamie debut on our screens with 'pukka' ideas for dinner? Will anyone saunter down the stairs to eat brownies in their dressing gown like Nigella? The future of the TV chef is something I have been pondering this week after data from big broadcasters suggested that the curtain is beginning to fall on traditional cookery shows and competitions. The signs are all there: the number of food and drink programmes commissioned has plummeted, with only 12 shows having been ordered over the first seven months of this year, down from 100 just six years ago, and shows from such cookery stalwarts as the Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain left on the cutting room floor. Add a serving of allegations against celebrities such as Gregg Wallace, John Torode and Gino D'Acampo, who made their names on the screen, and producers have been left wondering: is there still an appetite for food shows? Or, as one veteran producer said: 'Do we need any more Mary Berrys or Nigellas doing pieces to camera?' • Cooking shows get the chop as controversies leave a bitter taste The reality is, to a lot of people like me (31, child-free, healthy-ish), watching a cookery show for midweek dinner inspiration is becoming as old-school as opening a cookbook, which are also suffering from Gen Z's change in food habits. Last year a report by Waitrose found that 18 to 34-year-olds prefer online recipes and viral videos to cookbooks. My WhatsApp messages with friends are a constant exchange of screenshots and video links of our favourite online cooks that can be watched anywhere, anytime, no TV licence required. No wonder one producer said, 'Traditional recipe shows have been 'eaten' by TikTok.' If you want to know who people my age listen to in the kitchen, you don't need to switch on the BBC or see what's trending on Netflix. For us there's a new breed of food gurus: they're charming, look great in an apron and they all started their careers on social media. We refer to the new generation of cooks simply by their social media handles: @dinnerbyben, @natsnourishment, @condimentclaire or @thegreedymodel. These chefs have reinvented the 'series'. On social media these are a collection of videos themed around ingredients and dishes, such as the viral 'butter' series by Thomas Straker (2.6 million followers on Instagram) and the 'big summer salads' by Natalia Rudin (1.5 million followers). They pack all the mouth-watering b-roll and method into seconds, rather than an hour-long episode, and you can watch them on your phone, then screenshot the ingredients list to take to the supermarket. Leading the way is Emily English, a 30-year-old blonde nutritionist who grew up on a council estate in Bedfordshire and now cooks in front of a camera in her southwest London kitchen for herself and her husband — watched by her 2.8 million followers. While Yotam Ottolenghi has a monopoly on the dinner party, English is the reigning queen of the midweek healthy meal. If you're over the age of 35, you might never have heard of her. She doesn't have a Michelin star but she does have an air fryer, is big on protein and cottage cheese (which, thanks to TikTok, has been rebranded from a Seventies diet snack to a superfood), shares ideas for nourishing lunches that can be made in advance and publishes 'what I eat in a day' videos explaining her breakfast, lunch and dinner. Midweek, my social media feed is a showreel of pictures of English's recipes that my friends have cooked, like high-protein bagels you can make in the air fryer and her 'detox me' chicken, ginger and lime broth, which has become a regular in my flat. Her recipes mainly serve two, which suits me and my friends. ('My husband loves them, which is good. They're filling enough for men,' one friend explains.) I like English because she knows what she's talking about: she has a BSc in nutrition from King's College London and lists the calories and how many grams of protein are in each portion alongside her recipes. But she also has a background in food: she grew up helping in her grandma's restaurant. You can hear her reel off her credentials when she appeared on an episode of Topjaw, the viral social media show where chefs share recommendations, thus cementing her true foodie status. • How the Topjaw team became Britain's most influential foodies I'm not saying I won't get hooked on a cookery show again. Reruns of Nigella: At My Table on the BBC provide fuzzy nostalgia, The Great British Bake Off provides comfort and cravings, MasterChef and Great British Menu provide the thrills, and Sunday Brunch provides the laughs for hangover cures. But as for recipe ideas, there is just one screen I look at. And it's not the telly. Instagram followers 1.8 millionTikTok followers 807,000Follow Emily English for quick, nutritious midweek meals for 1-4 people, plus lunch ideas you can prepare for the week, including delicious jacket potato and sandwich fillings. Instagram 1.5 millionTikTok 765,000Natalia Rudin quit her job as a private chef to become a food blogger. The video for her 20-minute lemongrass, coconut and noodle bowl with salmon has been salivated over by more than 1 million people. Instagram 131,000TikTok 1 millionBesides her signature condiments (the clue is in the name), American-French Claire Dinhut has recipes for delicious toppings — her candied jalapeños are to die for. Instagram 606,000TikTok 1.3 millionSeema Pankhania serves up recipes from around the world as well as travel tips. I love her recipe for ghee and turka roast potatoes, the video for which has been watched nearly half a million times. Instagram 296,000TikTok 528,000Hari Beavis's debut recipe book, Country Comfort, was a Sunday Times bestseller last year, but her social media followers have been making her mouth-watering comfort classics for years. Instagram 230,000TikTok 480Caramelised crumpets, homemade Hobnobs, burnt honey ice cream — Benjamina Ebuehi's pudding recipe videos will give you the baking bug. Or buy one of her three books; the latest is I'll Bring Dessert. Instagram 248,000TikTok 3,500Model and mum Emma Louise Connolly is the wife of reality TV star Oliver Proudlock. Her recipes include comforting classics like pork and cavolo nero pasta. Instagram 138,000TikTok 8,600Sophie Wyburd started as a recipe developer for Mob, the digital recipe platform loved by Gen Z. Now she's published her first book, Tucking In, and shares comforting recipes online. Instagram 173,000TikTok 26,600Alexandra Dudley is my go-to for dinner party ideas, crockery (she has a gorgeous selection) and clothes, even when she posts about how exhausting motherhood is (she had her first baby in December). Instagram 76,000TikTok 4,100Gen Z's supper-club queen, Xanthe Ross has hosted more than 70 ticketed dinner parties for her followers. If you can't make it, follow her online or buy her debut book, Stay for Supper. Instagram 606,000TikTok 118,000Ben Lippett is a chef for the Mob food platform, co-founder of Dr Sting's Hot Honey (a Gen Z store cupboard staple) and author of How I Cook. Follow for dinner party ideas. Instagram 231,000TikTok 7,700There are lots of reasons to follow Jordon Ezra King, from travel tips to fashion advice, but if you love pasta dishes and Mediterranean-inspired recipes, he is your man.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Magda Szubanski receives messages of support from A-List friends amid devastating cancer battle
Magda Szubanski is feeling the love from her famous pals and longtime fans as she battles cancer. The Australian comedian announced in May that she's battling Mantle Cell Lymphoma - a rare and fast-moving blood cancer. And now, Magda has taken to Instagram to reveal the sweet gift she received in the wake of her diagnosis from non-profit organisation Equality. 'A huge thank you to @equalityaustralia for gathering these touching messages of love and well-wishing from LGBTQIA people across the country,' she captioned the post, which showed a book titled 'Messages to Magda'. 'I am very, very moved,' the 64-year-old added. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Her famous friends flooded the comments section of the Instagram post with support and love. 'So much love to you x,' celebrity chef Nigella Lawson wrote. Terri Irwin also penned: 'You are loved.' Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan simply shared three purple hearts in response to the post. Two months ago, Magda revealed that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of 64. She appeared on camera with a shaved head to reveal the shock news after beginning her treatment to fight cancer. 'Hello my lovelies. So, the head is shaved in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks because I have just been diagnosed with a very rare, very aggressive, very serious lymphoma,' she began. 'It is one of the nasty ones, unfortunately. But the good thing is I'm surrounded by beautiful friends and family and an incredible medical support team. 'Honestly, we have the best in the world here in Australia, particularly in Melbourne, so I feel very fortunate. 'It's pretty confronting. It is full on. But new treatments keep coming down the pipeline all the time.' Magda said she has started a treatment called the Nordic protocol, which treats Mantle Cell Lymphoma by shrinking the tumours with a combination of drugs administered in five phases. It's known as the Nordic regimen based upon its clinical trial sites in Denmark and Norway. The actress explained she will be 'lying very low' due to her weak immune system. 'I won't sugar-coat it: it's rough. But I'm hopeful. I'm being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I've never felt more held by the people around me,' she said. 'Please keep a distance though because I will be very immunocompromised. So I can't hug no more. 'Don't hug me, kiss me, or breathe anywhere near me! Wave enthusiastically from a safe distance and know I love you madly.' The Kath & Kim star said the cancer was discovered during a routine breast screening.
Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
The 27 best burger joints in the UK
Name me another food that has had such an exhausting series of reinventions as the burger. I think you'll struggle. When I was a teenager in the 2010s, there were just two restaurants on the high street (Byron and GBK) that served patties with a decent meat content. Elsewhere it was flavourless, often defrosted grey slabs. In the 15 years that have followed, Britain's burger scene has been through numerous makeovers. Burgers have been upscaled to comically tall stacks of patties oozing cheese, Americanised with the arrival of Five Guys and Shake Shack, and downsized to crispy, smashed versions — the latest viral preference characterised by squished patties and supremely crunchy edges. There's a whole new set of burger-related terms to remember too: do you know your 'Oklahoma' (smashed but with onions pressed into the patty) from your 'Cali' style (classic with the addition of bacon and avocado)? Yes, all these burgers are essentially still just a patty in a bun, but the ones I grew up eating didn't have hundreds of influencers queueing for hours or crowds loitering in front of restaurants, as they did in Shoreditch last month when Dumbo, the cult Parisian smashed-burger joint, opened its first London outpost. Among their fans, chefs that make burgers are treated with the same reverence as artists. When Jackson Boxer launched a burger made from 50-day aged beef at his west London restaurant, Dove, London's foodies, including Nigella Lawson, made a beeline for Notting Hill. Boxer only makes ten burgers per day. Some diners, he told me, even rearranged flights in an attempt to bag one. I've been twice and still wasn't fast enough. How did we get here? You can trace it all back to Honest Burgers, which opened in Brixton, south London, in 2011 and was one of the first restaurants to change the burger's image from fast food to top-quality dish. 'They were simplistic and homemade. They came with chips and they were all made from British meat,' says the chain's cofounder, Tom Barton. 'We knew we were doing something exciting when AA Gill came and reviewed us. He slated us and gave us two stars, but we just couldn't believe he'd come.' The latest is a hybrid burger at Heard in Borough, south London, that has been created by the Cornish chef Jordan Bailey, who helped Sat Bains secure two Michelin stars before opening his own two-star restaurant in Ireland. 'We roll the patty onto the grill rather than smash it on. It creates the crispy edges, but the centre is still thick enough that you can have it medium rare,' Bailey explains. These burgers are very good. When Heard opened this spring, I went three times in a fortnight. But they aren't my only favourite. Here are 26 others to try. • Read more restaurant reviews and recipes from our food experts NationwideThe restaurant group that changed how Britain thought about burgers with its simple, premium recipe. It has also opened its first smashed burger outlet, Smash + Grab, by Liverpool Street London, Leeds and BrightonMEATliquor was smashing burgers way before it was considered cool. And after trying its Dead Hippie (mustard-fried double beef patty, American cheese and pickles), your life won't be the Hereford, Shrewsbury, Cheltenham and BathThis restaurant group has the royal seal of approval. Well, not quite, but the Queen's son, the restaurant critic Tom Parker Bowles, did visit the Cheltenham branch last year and gave its 'splendidly beefy and lusciously messy' cheeseburger four out of five stars. FalmouthThis family-run burger spot is a local favourite, using free-range Cornish beef from the award-winning butcher Philip Warren and buns from the local bakery Da Bara. Newquay and TruroThe menu here is small — just six kinds of burgers, plus milkshakes, soft-serve ice cream and fries — but everything is brilliant. Don't forget the spectacular chips, including ones that come loaded with brisket. No wonder it's known as Cornwall's best burger place. PlymouthLaunched in London then moved to Plymouth, this spot is inspired by southern Californian coastal culture. BristolHead to the Fierce & Noble brewery and you'll find these award-winning burgers. Order the Crispy Chilli Cheese. Eight branchesLondon's most talked-about burgers since the chain's owner, Zan Kaufman, opened the first site in Spitalfields Market. Its most famous creation, the award-winning Bleecker Black (50-day aged beef and black pudding), isn't on the menu any more, so go with the equally delicious Bleecker Blue (beef patty plus blue cheese). Eight branchesAnother London favourite to tick off. The burgers are ridiculously good — try the Double Miso, above — but the sides such as the rarebit crumpet and the brisket spring rolls should not be overlooked either. Finsbury ParkTwo minutes from the Tube station you'll find this place serving the Dexter: a brilliant cheeseburger in a glistening brioche bun that is so popular in north London, it practically has its own fan club. @ • Paris's best burger is coming to London. I went to try it ShoreditchIf you like burgers and you live in London, the arrival of Dumbo from Paris won't have passed you by. Diners have been known to queue at the French original for hours. What you'll find when you get to the front of the line is just one smashed cheeseburger, a veggie burger and French fries. BoroughHeard has been quietly blowing south Londoners' minds since it opened in April. The burgers are filled with double smashed patties using British meat from regenerative farms and homemade pickles. Notting HillIf you manage to get one of the ten burgers made here each day you are in for a treat: a double-ground patty weighing 220g and made from rib caps of 50-day aged cows, aged brisket, chuck and frozen suet. HackneyGo for a lesson in how to make the perfect smashed burger by Lagom's chef-patron, Elliot Cunningham. The meat, mustard, mayo, vinegar slaw and American cheese work together in delicious harmony. @eatlagom SohoWith just two smashed burgers on the menu (plus fries and desserts), it might be hard to understand why, after two years, people still queue here. Once you've tried them, though, you instantly get GlasgowThis place on Great Western Road keeps things simple with its customisable smashed burgers. There are just three on the menu, they only make 100 a day, and they are simply delicious. @smashedwest Edinburgh and GlasgowOrder the Top Dog, made with rare-breed beef patties, bone marrow, black truffle mayo and Roquefort butter. You may need a lie-down afterwards. • Britain's best burgers — according to top chefs ManchesterWhen I ask friends in Manchester where to get the best burgers, there's a mix of answers: Broskis, Almost Famous, BUN. Burgerism, however, comes up almost every time. Six burgers, plus two fried chicken options and three plant-based patties. Outlets in Stockport and Salford too. DoncasterAs the name suggests, these are less burgers than towers of smashed patties with cheese. Order the Dirty Barbie for an explosion of American cheese, espresso and bourbon sauce, crispy onions and streaky bacon. Newcastle and LeedsFor US-style burgers, head to Meat:Stack where you have a choice of 11, seasoned with homemade sauces and sandwiched into potato buns. NewcastleThis restaurant in a car park in Byker is only open on Friday and Saturday for brunch and then burgers. It's worth the wait, though. @2kniveskitchen NewcastleOne of Newcastle's best spots for burgers like the Beef Dip (shredded brisket, steak patty and gravy) and the Flying North — three smashed patties, American cheese and bacon. LeedsAt the Northern Market, you will find arguably the best place for smashed or chicken burgers in Leeds. Try one of its bestsellers, the spicy Clucky Buffalo Volcano chicken burger. @bigbunsuk PenarthThings can get messy when you order one of these dry-aged smashed burgers, which come with their insides spilling out. And that's a good thing. Look out for monthly specials such as the chorizo and pineapple jam burger. @toms_smashed_burgers BelfastWith just four items on the menu, Bunsen keeps things simple. There are no smashed patties or trendy flavours. Instead, this Irish chain focuses on more traditional takes — and does them extremely well. Worcester and HerefordServing classic burgers and monthly specials made with top-quality, locally sourced patties of prime beef, fresh buns and scratch-made sauces. NottinghamFor chicken burger fans. Go for the fried chicken (no grease, just crunchy coating and juicy meat) and stay for the soft serve.
Scotsman
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
MasterChef next judges: who are the favourites? Latest odds
MasterChef is on the lookout for new judges after both Gregg Wallace and John Torode were axed by the long-running BBC series. The duo were dropped after investigations by the Beeb. The pair had been judges on the show since it was revived in 2005 - but it was announced last Wednesday (July 15) complaints against both had been upheld by the BBC. Wallace faced accusations of sexual harassment, while Torode was sacked after an allegation of him using 'an extremely racist term' was upheld, BBC News reported . Grace Dent had previously been announced as stepping in for Wallace on the 2025 series of Celebrity MasterChef. However now the Beeb are looking for two judges and plenty of major names have been rumoured. If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film. A couple of frontrunners have emerged according to the bookies and the latest odds feature some very high profile celebrity chefs and presenters. The list of favourites, via , looks like this: 1 . Marcus Wareing - 7/2 Michelin-star chef and cookbook author Marcus Wearing is no stranger to the world of MasterChef. He has been a judge on spin-off MasterChef: The Professionals since 2014. He is 7/2 to become one of the new judges on the main BBC show via | GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images Photo: GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images Photo Sales 2 . Monica Galetti - 7/2 Another familiar face to MasterChef fans is among the favourites being backed to become one of the new judges. Monica was a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals from 2009 to 2021 and returned again in 2023. She is 7/2 to be a new judge on MasterChef via |for The Singleton Photo:for The Singleton Photo Sales 3 . Nigella Lawson - 3/1 There are not many bigger names in the cooking world, at least in the UK, than Nigella Lawson. The iconic TV chef and cookbook author is among the favourites with the bookies to be a judge on MasterChef - it would be an eye-catching appointment! She is 3/1 to join the BBC show via |for SOBEWFF Photo:for SOBEWFF Photo Sales 4 . Mel Giedroyc - 5/2 Former The Great British Bake-Off favourite Mel is among the favourites to join MasterChef. She has obviously presented on GBBO and many other shows over the years - but hasn't been a judge on a show like MasterChef before. She is 5/2 to join the BBC show via | Jonathan Brady -Photo: Jonathan Brady -Photo Sales Related topics: BoostTVMasterChefBBC
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
My Gen Z son commits a hate crime every time he makes a cuppa… and he's not alone
One of the first things we do when my Irish mother-in-law comes over is, of course, put the kettle on. She is also the only person we get the teapot and tea cosy out for, but unfortunately this ritual seems to have bypassed my kids completely. My 16-year-old Gen Z son, Charlie, uses the microwave for everything, including – shock horror – making a cup of tea. And, according to a new survey, he is not alone. Apparently, almost two-thirds of under-30s make tea in the microwave, a Uswitch poll of 2,000 Brits has shown. Why Gen Zs – that baffling and unknowable generation born between 1997 and 2012 – are kettle-dodgers who would rather pop a teabag in a mug of cold water and heat it in the mee-cro-wah-vey, as Nigella Lawson rechristened it, defeats me. It's clearly not about saving time or effort. 'Microwave heating can produce uneven temperature,' says Dr Tim Bond from the Tea Advisory Panel. He also advises that 'heating a mug of water in a microwave takes about two minutes and 40 seconds – significantly longer than the 48 seconds required to boil the same volume in a kettle.' Even longer than that if, like my son, they use one of those hideous, oversized Sports Direct mugs. And it's not a taste thing either: a microwaved brew is 'flat, with a stewed flavour,' says Dr Bond, and offers 'inconsistent extraction of tea bioactives, which are packed with health and wellness benefits '. So it's not better for you. We've heard the debates about whether to put milk in first or last (last, obviously), but for Gen Z, the only question is how long to put it all in the microwave for. My son says he worries that the kettle might become too hot to use and, in his words, 'overboil'. The microwave is, he thinks, a safer bet. I haven't the energy to tell him how microwaved water can become 'superheated' and bubble over the moment the cup is moved. I can't help thinking that microwaving tea is less a TikTok craze (though American influencers went through a phase of filming themselves 'making an English cuppa' in this way) or another small act of Gen Z rebellion, and more a case of kettle-phobia. When Charlie was eight, I left him and his siblings in the care of my Boomer dad. Charlie burned his hand on the hob and has been a bit wary around kitchen appliances, including the kettle, ever since. And yet he will quite happily blast the Nutribullet multiple times a day to make protein shakes… I can certainly attest to how revolting a microwaved brew is. One Mother's Day, my kids sweetly offered to make me breakfast in bed. Alongside some charred toast with a great dollop of butter was a mug of what looked like taupe-coloured sludge, the teabag floating at the top. Yuck. 'Looks lovely, thanks, darlings,' I said before nipping discreetly to the loo to chuck it away. I remember a time when I had three kids under five and rarely got to finish a hot cuppa, so would quite often use the microwave to reheat my tea – but only after I'd made it properly first. I once found a mug in the microwave which had obviously been festering there for several days. Experts say the best way to make a cup of tea is to pour boiling water over a teabag and leave it to steep for three to five minutes without stirring, before adding a splash of milk. I hope that, in time, my kids will see sense and that they will never subject my mother-in-law to a microwaved brew. I can only imagine how horrified she would be. She would probably spit it right out of her china cup.
