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Cooking & Lifestyle Blog

Matteo Middlemiss

Recent Posts

Remembering Gina Steer

Posted by Matteo Middlemiss

We were very sad to learn that one of our long-time authors and collaborators, Gina Steer, passed away this week. Gina was a foundational figure in our cookery books and we wanted to take a moment to talk about her contributions to our work and the years that we spent collaborating.

 

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Topics: cookery

Best Kept Secrets: 10 Hidden Gems of Prague

Posted by Matteo Middlemiss

According to the official World Travel Market Figures, in 2016 Prague became the fifth most visited city in Europe. It is more visited than Vienna, Barcelona and Amsterdam! So what are the attractions that draw people to the city? Tourist giants, like Paris and London, have easily recognisable icons like the Eiffel tower or Big Ben so what landmark represents Prague? The majesty of the Charles Bridge, dating back to medieval times, is probably Prague’s most photographed site. With its bustling activity of street sellers, sketch artists and musicians to provide a fuller gamut of culture beyond its history, Charles Bridge reminds visitors of both the historical Prague whilst showing you the vitality of the modern city.

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Topics: Travel, blog, best kept secrets, prague

Best Kept Secrets: 10 Hidden Gems of Scotland

Posted by Matteo Middlemiss

Due to the expansive highlands and lowlands that make up Scotland, it makes sense that the country is covered in well-kept secrets. With its visible human history, spanning over 5000 years, and vistas millions of years in the making, it would be an impossible task to detail each and every secret the country has to offer. Instead we’ve selected ten of our personal favourites, encompassing a mixture of history and natural beauty to start you off on a journey to find more…

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Topics: Travel, blog, summer, scotland, best kept secrets

The Basics of Barbecue

Posted by Matteo Middlemiss

With summer approaching there’s no better time to start thinking about barbecues. Whether it's meat, fish or vegetables, barbecues are a great way to get a few people around and have a day in the sun. The key to barbecues starts before you’ve even started a fire. Sometimes, getting familiar with the basics is what you need to make sure your cook out goes off without a hitch!

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Topics: blog, lifestyle, barbecue, cooking, summer, food

The Surprising Cleaning Abilities of Baking Soda

Posted by Matteo Middlemiss

Baking soda has a very long history of being used as a cleaner. This history goes as far back as ancient Egypt where it was initially used in mummification, to keep bodily odours at bay, and was then used as a multi purpose cleaner. They then made it into soap, toothpaste and a rudimentary mouthwash due to its antiseptic qualities. Baking soda was found to be a very versatile substance and still is today. In this blog post we thought we’d explore some of the ways that baking soda can be used around the house to keep everything clean and fresh.

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Topics: blog, lifestyle, baking soda, cleaning, indoors, indoor activities, deep clean, house cleaning

Craft Beer: How do you make beer at home?

Posted by Matteo Middlemiss

Over the past decade there has been an explosion in craft beer and its availability. As increasingly smaller breweries pop up and the equipment has become more easily available, home brewing is now a hobby that anyone can pick up. Home brewing may seem out of the question if you’re not into craft beers but even brewing light lagers is a fun and rewarding challenge!

  

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Topics: blog, recipes and preparation, beer, craft beer

Smallholdings: What are they and where can they lead?

Posted by Matteo Middlemiss

Living and working a smallholding is, for many, a lifelong dream. Smallholding expert, Liz Wright, says that it is a privilege but also a great responsibility to steward the land for future generations. In our recent book she explains how one might best start, maintain and grow a smallholding.


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Topics: Gardening, smallholding, blog

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