Does a rose by any other name really smell as sweet? I spent most of my life with a knee jerk avoidance to assam, after one too many overly spicy experiences. Meanwhile, I took every opportunity to eat my own weight in Pad Thai, and can scuff down an entire platter of Tamarind Fried Fish at my favourite Thai restaurant, no problem. It’s from the restaurant where I’ve first heard of tamarind and fell in love with its sour-sweet...

Dorie Greenspan’s Lisbon Cake is, in essence, chocolate ganache over a dense chocolate cake base. It tastes incredibly luxurious and is quite something. Even after a long chill in the fridge, the chocolate ganache would remain soft and glossy; and, no matter how many times you’ve done this before, the moment when you try unmolding the cake is always filled with a sense of thrill/dread (could I have inexplicably buggered up this cake??)....