Bored with your usual chicken dinners? Award-winning food writer Ed Smith has all the inspo you need in his new cookbook, Peckish

Pop these delicious meals in the middle of the table so everyone can serve themselves. What’s not to love?

This take on pasta e ceci is like a hug in a bowl. It should be brothy, so add more water as it cooks if you need to. As it uses such humble ingredients, seasoning is key. A drizzle of good olive oil

In Lebanon, food is not simply eaten, it is shared, argued over, lingered on and remembered. From the mountains to the coast, and especially in Beirut, cooking is deeply tied to identity, hospitality

Eat well when dining solo with these speedy meals for one

MAKES ABOUT 60 Ingredients 1½ onions, chopped2 green finger chillies, topsremoved, seeds left in1½ kg minced chicken1½ tbsp garlic, crushed1½ tbsp ginger, finely choppedFresh coriander, finely chopped