The Plough, Clapham

The biscuit-coloured exterior of The Plough and the views of a busy crossroads at the dodgy end of St Johns Hill are far from attractive but inside the décor’s trendy without being pretentious – plush pink sofas, foxglove wallpaper, yellow tasselled lampshades, a carpet of astro-turf and jaunty, coloured plants in treacle tins.

Have an ethical picnic with RSPCA recipes

New research from the RSPCA shows the majority of us (56%) care about animal welfare but find higher welfare picnic foods hard to find. As part of a campaign to address this problem, the RSPCA has teamed up with Richard Johnson, TV presenter and food writer, to encourage more people to roll up their sleeves and make their own higher welfare picnic food.

Weber’s Barbecue Anytime

I’ve had memorable BBQs in deep snow and only last weekend I grilled under a jury-rigged shelter of three golfing umbrellas, rain dripping cheerfully down my neck while mocked by everyone inside looking out. So Weber’s book, Barbecue Anytime strikes a chord with me.

Namaaste Kitchen’s Olympic Menu

I have no tickets, I have no official merchandise, and what’s more, I have absolutely no inclination to spend my summer glued to a sporting event of any kind. But, like it or not, ‘the games’, like a particularly determined teenage boy, will touch us all in some way. And imbibing a rainbow selection of lassis and a hearty Indian feast is surely the least objectionable manner.

Bombay Palace relaunch

Arguably, everyone loves a curry. But, as any discerning fellow knows, there’s curry and there’s curry. There’s the huge vats of base gravy turned into sickly-sweet kormas; dull, derivative dhansaks; or vicious, volcanic vindaloos. Then there are scratch cooked, silky, butter-based sauces; bright green, spanking fresh herbal preparations; and thick, nut-enriched pastes. And Bombay Palace are firm champions of the latter bunch.