Food, wine and other pleasures

Snow cone, granita, granizada, raspao—no matter what you call it, shave ice is a ubiquitous sweet reinvented on nearly every corner of the Earth...

Don’t be put off by the buzz surrounding Jason Atherton’s latest project at the monumental Gardens by the Bay: Pollen serves up intimate, beautifully plated portions of clean Provence produce...

The Italian chef Massimo Bottura has a seemingly inexhaustible capacity for enthusiasm and kindness, and he doesn't hesitate to talk about his cooking in artistic and philosophical terms. Since opening Osteria Francescana in Modena seventeen years ago, he has become Italy's most renowned chef, climbing up the ranks of the San Pellegrino list (this year, the restaurant is ranked 5th in the world), earning three Michelin stars, and becoming a fixture of the international scene of gastronomic congresses and festivals.

As is the case with many of his colleagues around the world, Bottura has done it with a style of cooking that aims to be personal and emotional. In his case, there is a specific emphasis on Italian tradition and the potentials of abstraction. In the following interview, Bottura talks about his presentation at last week's MAD Symposium, his cooking at Osteria Francescana, and how to look at tradition "critically and not with nostalgia."

A pastry shop in Athens looking mysterious adds extra flavour to sweet treats.

According to principal architect Kois Stelios, the Sweet Alchemy shop design was inspired by ancient mysticism practiced in laboratories to uncover the powers of rare crystals and potions.

Learn how Bee Superfoods like propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen and raw honey promote health and long life.

Marcus Wareing is a cooking legend.View videos on Marcus Wareing, his latest recipes and news from The Berkeley and The Gilbert Scott...

European destinations have been the choice of holiday for any traveller, be it backpacking through the countryside or living in some of the finest hotels around the world.

If expensive is what you are looking at, we suggest you extend your vision beyond the Atlantic and onto Latin American cities. Hogg Robinson Group (HRG), a travel service provider, recently released their bi-annual survey and according to their analysis of the first half of 2012, Latin American cities have shown a steep rise in room rates. Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paolo have all shown 30%, 15%, and 23% rise in average room rates in the first half of 2012. Although Moscow still tops the list for most expensive rooms, the rate in increase of the room rates is a mere 3%.

Fruit and nut superfoods are high in anti-oxidants that fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals may sound a little like an extremist terrorist sect evading capture and wreaking havoc across the globe and in fact within the context of your body this would be right. They are, in part, a natural occurrence through metabolism however extra and unnecessary free radical load can be put on our bodies by external factors including pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, burnt foods, deep fried fats and cooked foods. When enough of these free radicals invade our immune system problems occurs. This is when you need antioxidants to build up the immune system and fight off the free radicals in the form of superfoods or supplements.