The AnswerBank Articles

Where does Saffron come from

asks HOMER A. Saffron comes from the crocus flower. Crocus Sativus is grown for this spice used to colour and flavour dishes. Q. How do we get the spice A. The long crimson stigmas ( the female00:00 Tue 20th Mar 2001

When were herbs first used in cooking

A. Herbs have been used for thousands of years, as much for preserving foods or disguising unpleasant smells, as for adding flavour. Q. What do herbs add to cooking A. Herbs add flavour and aroma00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

Where can I find out about cookery courses in the UK

asked Grom A. As well as the sources listed in the answer, there are lots more courses for hobby chefs, some of which can turn amateurs into professionals. Leith's School of Food and Wine in00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

When was the first pint of Guinness poured

A. Very nearly 250 years ago. Guinness was first produced in a Dubin brewery by Arthur Guinness in 1759. Q. Why is there so much mythology surrounding it A. Lots of reasons. A lot of it has to do00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

Ask us another

The best questions on The AnswerBank's Food and Drink channel this week came from, amongst others, Megan who wanted to know more about the hot smoke method of treating and preserving food. To help00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

How did food preservation come about

A. Before intensive farming and before foods could be flown from all over the world for us to buy in the shops, people grew their own foods. These smallholders had to concentrate on cultivating one00:00 Mon 19th Mar 2001

What meals can I make in minutes

...asked Poppy A. Apart from the specific dishes mentioned below, the boring advice is to prepare in advance. Cooking sauces to add to pasta or home-made soups in batches, and freezing different size00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

Where can I get my hands on specialist foods

A. A specialist cheesemonger who has a great mail order service and a great website is Paxton and Whitfield in Jermyn Street, London SW1. Their website address is www.cheesemongers.co.uk In the hard00:00 Mon 12th Mar 2001

Food for thought

THE FOODIES out there have been keeping The AnswerBank busy with lots of tastebud-teasing food and drink related questions. Jbcputnam wanted to know how the Germans eat. The best we have come up00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

What is sushi

A. Sushi is a traditional Japanese cuisine based on raw fish as the key ingredient. Q. Where does it come from A. Origianlly, Osaka and Tokyo about 1,000 years ago. It was used then as a method of00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

What's the most famous cocktail in the world

A. Dry Martini, shaken not stirred, of course. This has been James Bond's tipple for over fifty years. The correct ingredients are three measures gin, half a measure dry martini, ice to strain it all00:00 Mon 05th Mar 2001

Nice, naughty or nutritious

by Nicola Shepherd With the shock revelation earlier this month that a Pret A Manger sandwich can contain more calories than a Big Mac, what else should we know about the surprises our larders,00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

What vegetables are in season now

by Nicola Shepherd All the best cookery books tell us to cook with vegetables that are in season. What does in season mean With supermarkets buying from all over the world to bring us00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

Is wine taking over from beer as the Brits' favourite drink

by Nicola Shepherd Until ten years ago Britain was a nation of beer-drinkers. Since then beer consumption has fallen from 140 litres per person per year to 120 litres, and wine consumption has risen00:00 Mon 26th Feb 2001

Hubble, bubble, boil and bottle

by Nicola Shepherd EVER thought of making your own wine and beer at home It is cheaper than buying the real thing, but the results can be variable, so it's best not to make price your motivation00:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

Rare or medium rare Fantastic foods from far flung places

by Nicola Shepherd IT IS still generally true that you won't find your fellow Brits munching on some unmentionable part of a monkey, or chewing on anything with more than four legs. But we are00:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

For the cook who has everything

by Nicola Shepherd WHAT do you buy for the cook who has everything Why, the ultimate kitchen gadget of course. Here are a few suggestions: Electric pepper grinder - comes complete with light in00:00 Mon 19th Feb 2001

Secret recipes, mystery ingredients

by Nicola Shepherd IT'S official. The recipe found in an old notebook in a box in Colonel Sanders' former home is not the original recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). But the speed with00:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001

More questions than answers

By Nicola Shepherd ONCE again visitors to The AnswerBank have come up with some intriguing food and drink-related questions in the last few days. Some questions you think you can answer straight00:00 Fri 12th Jan 2001

Passengers for Lobster Thermidor gate 24

by Nicola Shepherd THE Univesity of Surrey has just appointed its first Professor of airline food. He is called Peter Jones, he has a half a million pound budget and his mission is to get us to00:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001