I'm embarrassed to call this week's offering 'a recipe' as this seems too grand a title for something so amazingly simple to whip up. Let's compromise and call it every shortcut cook's best kept secret. Did you know that if you roast simply seasoned carrot strips till they are lightly browned in places, they become super sweet, almost toffee-like in flavor, and overwhelmingly addictive? They make a lower-calorie alternative to potatoes, satisfy cravings for sweet foods,

I love entertaining, as it gives me the opportunity to use my guests as my taste testing team, and I rarely serve them up the same dishes twice. Having said that, no matter what the theme of the meal or time of the day, there's always one thing that's a constant at our table, and that's my now-famous Italian Crusty Bread. Yeast-phobic readers, time-pressed entertainers, and non-cooks are urged NOT to scroll away as this is the recipe that will change your perception of bread

Shortly after we launched the Meatland newsletter, I shared a beloved recipe for the most moreish cucumber salad, and received glowing reports from all who made it. Since then, our mailing list has exceeded over 5 000 subscribers, meaning that thousands of our readers have missed out. A salad this good is one that should be in everyone's repertoire so, instead of it being enjoyed only by a select few, I'm taking the rare step of sharing once more. Do note that, since I