• The tastes and smells of Tuscany take on a new meaning under the watchful eye of chef Franco Palandra at Torre del Tartufo, one of Italy’s top cooking schools. PIXIE EMSLIE kneaded the pasta, tasted the olive oil and sampled the wineThe hills of Tuscany beckon gently under the warm summer sun as the road from Arezzo in the south-east winds its charming way through valleys, forests and farmlands. This is cooking country and anticipation was high as we approached our destination, Torre del Tartufo, a few kilometres outside Arezzo, where my husband Robin and I would spend a week…

    Clive Aaron is making culinary waves in Durban with his approach to modern South African cuisine. We had lunch with him at his new restaurant, EatMe Gourmet Cafe.…

    Meet four of the country’s most talented chefs, winners of the Unilever Foodsolutions Chef of the Year competition in the categories of By Invitation Only, Senior, Junior and…

    Simple tips for smart food…It’s great to experiment with new pizza toppings. Use the traditional base of mozzarella and tomato, then try some of these exciting ideas. • Chicken strips, piquanté peppers, Brie and fresh origanum drizzled with sweet chilli sauce. • Shredded baby spinach, mushrooms, olives and peppers topped with crispy bacon bits. • Balsamic-marinated beef strips, feta and mushrooms topped with fresh rocket. • Roasted butternut and Dolcelatte topped with deep-fried sage and Parmesan shavings. • Prawns, smoked paprika, spring onions and chilli topped with deep-fried noodles. • Sprouts, black sesame seeds, spring onion and 20ml soy sauce…

    Simple tips for smart food…Pre-cooked and ready-to-use vine leaves are available in jars. Once the leaves have been removed from the jar, unfold them and neatly lay each…