France may be synonymous with fromage, but the terroir of our green and pleasant land gives rise to all manner of magnificent varieties of our own, declares Tom Parker Bowles, who picks his favourites

Ingredients (Makes 1 square, 1 round, or 4 small bowls) 75 g plain flour1 large egg75 ml whole milkPinch of salt4 tsp vegetable oil 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C, 200°C fan oven, Gas Mark 7. Spoon the o

To truly understand Irish food you need to cook with what’s around you in the hedgerows, gardens, fields and ocean. Irish cooking is rooted in simplicity, shaped by the land and sea, and passed down t

I’m sceptical about news stories you sometimes read of big black cats roaming the countryside. I was, however, tempted to don my boots for a hike I found on the internet titled In the Footsteps of the

Warm, spicy and special, gingerbread is a favourite festive treat. Tchaikovsky’s classic Christmas ballet The Nutcracker features an army of gingerbread men. And gingerbread houses, which originated i

INGREDIENTS Plain flour Salt and black pepper 4 generous slices of beef shin at least 1in thick, on the bone Two or three good glugs of olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 sticks of celery, diced 2 carro