Avocado and chorizo toast
Storing avocados An underripe avocado will soon ripen up in the fruit bowl or in a paper bag with an apple (apples release a gas that speeds up ripening). Store the ripe fruit in the refrigerator. __How to select tomatoes__ A perfectly ripe tomato will be deep ruby red, yield a little to the touch, and smell aromatic. Unless they’re a special variety, avoid tomatoes that are still green around the top or a pale orange-red, because their flavour will be disappointing. __Why you should rinse basmati rice__ Rice is naturally surrounded by starchy molecules, which expand when they’re boiled and can make rice sticky and stodgy. In some cases, such as risotto, it’s important to keep the starch. But for fluffy basmati, rinsing is essential. __How to enliven pesto__ Fresh store-bought pesto has a better basil and Parmesan flavour than pesto sold in a jar. It does cost more, but the flavour is worth it. Alternatively, you could add fresh chopped basil to jarred pesto, or make a batch yourself.
Butternut curry
Why some stone fruit are hard to seed Sometimes removing pits (stones) from peaches and other stone fruit (plums, cherries) is a cinch, sometimes not. It depends on whether the fruit is “clingstone” or “freestone.” As you’d expect, clingstone peaches have flesh that clings to the pit and freestone fruit comes away easily. There’s no real way to tell them apart when buying, but if you end up with clingstones, then don't worry - just cut the fruit away in large pieces instead.
Simple & Classic
