STAR EMAIL ★
Subject: Summer’s burning issue From: Becca Bedson
While nodding along to Fliss Freeborn’s article on disposable barbecues [Aug, p130], one thought kept occurring to me: what was so bad about the great British picnic that we felt the need to replace it with the simultaneously burnt and half-raw food cooked on the worst piece of cooking equipment since the counter top pizza cooker?
My childhood wouldn’t have been the same without summers filled with sausage rolls, cucumber sandwiches and potato salad. Please, for the love of food, let’s do away with the foil-trayed harbinger of food poisoning and wildfires, and once again embrace the tradition of checked blankets, cold finger food and wine served in plastic cups (juice for the kids).
Subject: Words matter From: Florence
I wanted to pick up on the use of term ‘junk food’ [June, ‘How junk food affects the brain’]. No food should be seen as good or bad. Did you mean foods high in fat and carbs? The term could be harmful to people recovering from eating disorders. Health writer Sue Quinn replies: I agree that no food should be labelled ‘good’ or ‘bad’, a point nutritionists reinforce when I talk to them. The term ‘ junk food’ is now widely used in the media as shorthand for ultra-processed foods, which is why the term was used in the headline. But thank you: your feedback is a reminder of how important it is to choose words carefully when covering food and health issues.
Subject: Don’t forget tomato jam! From: Helen Schofield
Emily Gussin’s article about preserving tomatoes was informative and timely [Jul, p62]. However, there was one major way of preserving missing: doce de tomate (Portuguese tomato jam). It’s simple, combining savoury tomatoes with sweet sugar, resulting in a great jam for any occasion. Editor Karen replies: Thanks, Helen – we’ll remedy that with an online recipe as soon as we can.
Subject: The romance of food From: Neil Mayor
Clare Finney’s article on
