Cooking Tips + Recipes

Cooking Tips + Recipes

The French Apéritif Hour: How To Do Apéro At Home

Ideal for bringing a little Gallic ritual to your evening... There's a specific window in the French day, usually somewhere between 6pm and 8pm, when the whole country seems to collectively exhale....
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Photo by Олександр К on Unsplash

Fine, Flakey Or Finishing: Which Salt Should You Use...

Salt is the single most important ingredient in any kitchen. It's not hyperbole to say that understanding...

10 Japanese Knives Explained: Every Blade & What It’s...

Few tools have earned as much reverence in professional kitchens as the Japanese knife. Born from centuries...

How To Make Your Own Syrups At Home: 8...

There's something deeply satisfying about making your own syrups. Perhaps it's the alchemical transformation of sugar and...

3 Thai Recipes From Sebby Holmes Of London’s Farang

Sebby Holmes never meant to become a chef. At 13, he was washing pots in Oxfordshire hotels,...

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Cooking Tips + Recipes

15 Food Station Ideas for Your Wedding Day

Gone are the days when the only option for wedding catering was a formal, three-course sit-down meal. Today, food stations are no longer an...

15 Incredible (& Surprising!) Whisky & Food Pairings

Forget everything you thought you knew about whisky. Those reverential sipping sessions in leather armchairs? The solemn nosing and swirling? It's time to break...

9 Champagne Rules Just Waiting To Be Broken

Champagne – that effervescent emblem of celebration and luxury – has long been governed by a set of unwritten rules. But as with all...

16 Ways To Use Cooked, Shredded Chicken: Ideal For Leftovers

Got leftover roast chicken in the fridge and not sure what to do with it? Don't worry, you're in the right place. That humble...

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Recipe: Celebrating British Pie Week With The Ox’s Beef Bourguignon Pie

We find ourselves once again confronted with the inescapable truth; that after an endless February, nothing defeats the boredom of waiting for spring to...

Recipe: Rhubarb Blush Gin Cocktail

Spring heralds the arrival of vibrant rhubarb stalks in gardens and markets everywhere. This perennial vegetable (though often treated as a fruit) brings a...

Recipe: Basque Cheesecake With Rhubarb

Ideal for celebrating forced rhubarb season… With forced rhubarb season in full swing, we wanted to share this delicious recipe that truly celebrates this vibrant...

Ideal For Celebrating British Pie Week: Chicken Pie With Cornish Sea Salt

A classic chicken pie is the ultimate comfort food - golden, flaky pastry encasing a creamy, generously seasoned filling of tender chicken and vegetables....

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Recipe: The Ideal Whipped White Chocolate Matcha Latte

The Whipped Matcha, a luxurious twist on the Dalgona coffee, offers a sophisticated but less caffeinated alternative that's both visually stunning and delightfully creamy....

Recipe: The Ideal Whipped Dalgona Coffee

Ideal for those moments when you want something more special than your regular coffee routine... Fancy a cloud of bittersweet coffee cream topping your choice...

Recipe: Cheat’s Tiramisu With Whipped Mascarpone Cream

Ideal for an after-dinner treat that you can whip up quickly... The perfect solution for when you're craving the rich, indulgent flavours of tiramisu but...

The Ideal Recipe For Hash Browns: Crispy Perfection Every Time

Ah, hash browns – the golden, crispy, comforting treasure of a hearty breakfast plate. Whether nestled next to the beans on a full English breakfast plate...

Choosing The Right Cut: A Guide To Steak Selection

We all love a properly blushing, nicely barked steak. Well, not all of us, of course; veggies and vegans look away now, and all...

8 Steps To The Perfect Steak

Here at IDEAL, we love a good vegetable. Blanched, steamed, raw, sauteed...the good green stuff is the backbone of our diet, make no mistake...

3 Recipes From Liguria That You Have To Try 

Food is an intrinsic part of Italian culture, no matter where you go in the country. This is especially true for Liguria, a region...

5 Ideal Ways To Cook With Forced Rhubarb

Forced rhubarb is highly prized for its unique characteristics and superior taste. Grown in the dark, this vibrant crop produces tender, pale stalks that...

How To Make A Brilliant Risotto In 7 Easy Steps

Let’s get something out of the way before we begin. To suggest the existence of a ‘right’ way to cook risotto is a dangerous,...

Is Seasonal, Locally Sourced Food Actually Better for You?

The growing interest in seasonal and local food has sparked countless debates about health, environmental impact, and culinary quality. As farmers' markets multiply and...

From Wrist Action To Wok Hei: A Beginner’s Guide To Professional-Level Stir-Frying

For many home cooks turning their hand to the wok for the first, achieving that elusive restaurant-quality stir-fry - where vegetables remain vibrant yet...
traditional turkish coffee

Exploring The World In 10 Very Different Cups Of Coffee (& How To Brew Each One!)

From the familiar comfort of your morning brew to obscure preparations steeped in centuries of tradition, coffee speaks a universal language through wildly different...

The Art Of Sencha: A Master Guide To Brewing Japan’s Most Revered Daily Green Tea

Steam rises from the surface of a perfectly brewed cup of Sencha, carrying with it the promise of tranquility.  For centuries, this distinctive Japanese green...

What Your Coffee Of Choice Says About You…

A new nationwide study of coffee drinkers by De’Longhi has revealed that your chosen drink may say more about you than you might have...

Do Spices Really Go Off? Your Most Googled Spice Questions, Answered

That jar of ground coriander that's been lurking in your cupboard since 2019 - is it still good? And why does your curry never...

A Look Inside A Pro Chef’s Knife Roll: 7 Essential Knives & Tools Every Cook Carries

Are you considering a change of pace or yearning for a fresh start? Do you think your passion for cooking could be translated into...

What To Do With A Glut Of Chillies: 8 Deliciously Spicy Ideas

It's a peculiarly modern predicament: the forgotten bag of chillies lurking in the bottom of your fridge's vegetable drawer, purchased with ambitious plans for...

Craft Your Own Beer: The 4 Ingredients To Get You Started On Your Homebrewing Journey

Picture this: it's Friday evening, and you're getting a round in at your local. Before anyone has even winced at their first sip of...

The Ultimate Burns Night Dinner Party: A Modern Celebration Of Scottish Heritage

With Burns Night just around the corner on January 25th, it's time to plan the perfect celebration of Scotland's beloved bard.  Whether you're Scottish by...

7 Ideal Tips To Help You On Your Journey To Veganism In 2025

Veganuary is well and truly upon us, but this year, for many, the decision to go plant based may well last beyond January 31st....

Recipe: The Ideal Whipped White Chocolate Matcha Latte

The Whipped Matcha, a luxurious twist on the Dalgona coffee, offers a sophisticated but less caffeinated alternative...

Recipe: The Ideal Whipped Dalgona Coffee

Ideal for those moments when you want something more special than your regular coffee routine... Fancy a cloud...

Recipe: Cheat’s Tiramisu With Whipped Mascarpone Cream

Ideal for an after-dinner treat that you can whip up quickly... The perfect solution for when you're craving...

The Ideal Recipe For Hash Browns: Crispy Perfection Every...

Ah, hash browns – the golden, crispy, comforting treasure of a hearty breakfast plate. Whether nestled next...