Gaynor Mairs

With a friend in tow for companionship I recently enjoyed a day course at Betty's Cookery School in Harrogate. The welcome was warm, the environment hospitable and the buttery croissants we devoured for breakfast with Café Blend were still warm from...

January can be such a dull, long, dreary month when darkness falls in the late afternoon and we are more inclined to be mooching about indoors, indulging in stodgy foods. It is, however, the ideal opportunity to make a fresh start by committing to a...

There is an increasing trend towards home cooking despite the fact that we appear to "have much to do and less time to do it in." We are entertaining more at home, making more mid-week meals and cooking more Sunday lunches. More men are...

Lazy Sunday , no timetable and the perfect opportunity to enjoy our most indulgent and leisurely meal of the week. These are our favourite kind of Sundays. It is an occasion not only to share food but also our time, humour and the odd heated...

Preserving seasonal fruits and vegetables is one of the most ancient culinary practices of all. Historically it was essential for survival in the winter months. During the last century it became less popular as the mass production of commercially...

You may have holidayed abroad or in some of the many beautiful parts of the British Isles this year. Perhaps you have stayed at home, relaxed and enjoyed The Olympics. Suffice to say, we all need a break. For most of us life can be more than a...

"Don't knock the weather, nine tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while". Kin Huddard Let's be honest, with our unpredictable climate in Britain it can be difficult entertaining outdoors...

Royal Celebrations will be sweeping the country in the next couple of weeks. We are a patriotic bunch and the forthcoming Diamond Jubilee, celebrating our Queen's 60 year reign will be no exception. Only Queen Victoria has reached this pinnacle...

It's official. Burgers have become fashionable, sophisticated and sought after in Paris! Le Camion Qui Fume (The Smoking Lorry) is a burger van with a real difference, "parked in an affluent Paris suburb, where it is being hailed as...