The dinner rotation is an unspoken, yet essential schedule. Most of us have five or six reliable recipes tucked away in our back pockets, ready to be pulled out at a moment’s notice. Sometimes this means cooking the same dishes week in, week out. Venturing outside this routine should be an exciting prospect. Maybe you’ve been inspired by a travel documentary or a new cookbook caught your eye. It doesn’t look that hard, right? But hunting down the right ingredients can feel like a minefield when you don’t really know what you’re looking for or even where to find them. Shopping well is crucial for success in the kitchen. God only knows the number of times I’ve come home with the wrong thing or given up because I was overwhelmed by the supermarket aisles. What if I end up wasting money on a new meal that turns out catastrophic? Some cuisines are more daunting than others. Japanese food has such a reputation for perfection that the idea of making anything other than a katsu at home terrifies me. But it wouldn’t be so scary if I had a real-life expert to walk me through the supermarket shelves, show me what to look for and demonstrate that I could indeed be churning out beautiful sushi, delicious broths and other Japanese dishes from my humble kitchen. Enter: cookbook author and teacher, Atsuko Ikeda, who has offered to take me to an Asian cash and carry to teach me how to shop for Japanese ingredients. We meet at Tazaki, a major distributor of Asian ingredients in the UK that has a warehouse in North Greenwich. It was previously owned by SeeWoo but was acquired by Tazaki last year and is currently in the process of revamping stock. However, it still carries just about everything you need to get started on a Japanese culinary adventure. Ikeda, who has authored three cookbooks on Japanese small plates, comfort food and sushi, is a frequent visitor. We begin by perusing the fresh ingredients, like daikon (white winter radish), whole lotus root and mustard greens. The whole lotus root can be sliced thinly and fried to make crispy lotus chips, while the snow-white daikon can be grated into sauce or cubed and added to soups. But we’re starting simpler. Ikeda picks up shimeji mushrooms, small round cap fungi with medium-length stems that grow from a single base. These have an earthier flavour and are denser in texture than regular button or chestnut mushrooms, which means they retain their size and shape a little better. Spring onions, avocado and carrots also make it into the basket, common vegetables that can be found in any supermarket. We move onto carbs and delve into the rice section. As Ikeda is teaching me how to make sushi later, she explains that it is made with Japanese short-grain rice; it has a more glutinous, starchy texture than long-grain rice, which is more popular in the UK. This starchy quality of short-grain rice makes it stickier, an essential feature to make sure sushi rolls and nigiri bites don’t fall apart. A trusted brand for most Japanese ingredients, including sushi rice, is Yutaka, which can be found almost anywhere – I’ve seen it stocked in my local fishmonger. Plenty of other brands abound, with some supermarkets even providing their own brand products, but Ikeda’s recommendation goes straight into my basket. She points out a variety of noodles, and we’re talking much more than udon. There are bouncy shirataki noodles, almost transparent noodles made from konjac yam that can be eaten hot or cold. You can purchase frozen ramen noodles if you’re experimenting with making your own ramen, but Ikeda winks as she tells me she usually just goes to her favourite ramen shop when she’s craving it. Soba noodles, which can be bought dried, are perfect for the summer when tossed into a cold peanut sauce with an assortment of vegetables. The list goes on and on, but Ikeda reassures me that most noodles are versatile and it mainly depends on what type of texture you’re going for rather than flavour. Next is the condiments aisle, where miso resides (can miso be considered a condiment? I’m not so sure). Miso is, of course, a must-have staple. Ikeda points out three types: white miso, sweet rice miso and barley miso. Later, when we taste them, I’m surprised to learn how vastly different they taste from one another. The white miso, which is the most common type used in recipes, has a slight tang and a savouriness that makes your mouth water, while the barley has a deeper, maltier flavour that is mcuh more comforting. I highly recommend buying different types to taste for yourself. Ikeda also introduces me to yuzugosho, a spicy, tart condiment containing the yuzu fruit and fiery green chillies. It brought a tear to my eye, both from the heat and delicious flavour. Ikeda also teaches me that most commercial wasabi contains more horseradish than wasabi, so buyer beware: if you’re seeking the real deal, you may have to be prepared to shell out more money than you initially think. Some brands are 100 per cent horseradish, marketed as wasabi, so checking the label is essential. The same goes for mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine which varies in alcohol content. A good rule of thumb is that the cheaper the mirin, the lower the alcohol content. Soy sauce is another staple for most Asian cuisines, but there are differences. Ikeda prefers to use tamari soy sauce, which is thicker and, I find, not as intensely salty as the soy sauce you usually get in tiny fish-shaped plastic bottles from takeaways. At home, I’m a Kikkoman soy sauce fan, but Ikeda recommends Yutaka’s organic tamari soy sauce for a more mellow, sweeter flavour. In terms of proteins, it depends on what dish you want. We’re focused on fish, particularly sushi-grade salmon, which you can buy from Tazaki or most fishmongers. This is where I’m especially nervous, because it’s easy to get the cut wrong. However, knowledgeable fishmongers are your best friends when it comes to choosing the cut, so ask plenty of questions. Ikeda shows me how to slice the salmon for different types of sushi rolls and nigiri, as well as how to steam the fish in a baking parchment parcel, slathered in miso and accompanied by the shimeji mushrooms we’d purchased earlier. You can also add fish roe or masago caviar to your Japanese dishes. The bright orange spheres add a unique saltiness and a satisfying texture to sushi, but can also be used to top rice dishes or stirred through Japanese-inspired pastas. A reliable brand is Elsinore, which can be found in Waitrose. I still find the idea of making sushi daunting, but the supermarket aisles no longer feel so intimidating now that I have a clearer idea of what to look for. It reminds me of how fun it is to try something new in the kitchen and, armed with cookbooks from the experts, the delicious results will keep me coming back for more. Read More Grace Dent’s quick and easy recipes that only require the microwave Forest Side, review: Cumbrian produce elevated to Michelin-starred proportions Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer 7 TikTok food hacks that actually work Saltie Girl in Mayfair will make you happy as a clam – as long as you can afford it Chef Ravinder Bhogal: Vegetables are the secret to saving money

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An unusual method for cooking hotdogs has gone viral on TikTok after food influencer Carolina Gelen shared a tutorial video for “spiral hotdogs”. Gelen, who shares recipes with more than 560k followers on TikTok, posted her latest tutorial last week and has garnered more than 1.8m views in under three days. Her method of cutting hot dogs into a spiral before cooking them gives the sausages more surface area for caramelisation and toppings, she said. The home cook demonstrates inserting a skewer lengthwise into a hotdog and using a knife to cut around it at a 45-degree angle. This creates a spiral hot dog that lengthens but does not break apart. Gelen then cooks them in a cast iron pan over a fire and explained that the new shape makes the meat “open up in the pan”. “They caramelise beautifully and they can hold so many more toppings due to their shape,” she told viewers. “All those flavours and sauces will fall between those nooks and crannies and stay in between the buns.” Gelen recommends making her roasted red pepper salsa and pickle mayonnaise for toppings, but people who try her method can use whatever hot dog toppings they enjoy. She finished the video by assembling her hot dog, which was loaded up with her salsa, mayonnaise and mustard. @carolinagelen spiral hot dogs #hotdog #cooking #grilling #food ♬ Sunday - HNNY Viewers have been enjoying trying Gelen’s method of cooking hot dogs, with one person writing: “You just changed my life.” Another said: “This is genius. I only like grilled hot dogs and this will definitely maximise caramelisation.” A third added: “My hot dog life will never be the same thank you.” The video was also shared on Twitter and has gained a similar reception, with many users declaring they will try it out. “One of those tips that immediately strike you as game-changing and legit,” one person wrote. “Maillard reaction = flavour. And those new nooks and crannies can hold on to toppings better. “I’ll be 100 per cent doing with my hot dogs and bratwursts from now on.” Another said: “I did the spiral hot dogs thing tonight and I can confirm it’s got me a Michelin star.” Some people pointed out that this method is common in some cuisines, such as Filipino food, and confirmed it is a delicious way to prepare hot dogs. The viral tip comes as the UK is experiencing the highest temperatures of 2023 so far, with the mercury hitting 30C in most of the country on Saturday (10 June). Many will undoubtedly be having barbecues as the temperatures soar again today (Sunday 11 June) and can try Gelen’s method of cooking hot dogs. However, the Met Office has issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms across parts of England and Wales and some areas could be hit by torrential rain this weekend. Read More More thunderstorms and 30C temperatures forecast after hottest day of the year 7 things fitness experts want you to know about exercise during a heatwave Weather – latest: Health warning escalated as ‘extreme’ heatwave set to make UK hotter than Spain Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

Rosamund Pike has said that the wellness industry is a “con” that is “so seductive” because it claims to fulfil people’s desires such as youth, beauty and fitness. The Gone Girl star, 44, was asked about “satirical mentions” of Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness platform Goop in her new project, a BBC audio drama titled People Who Knew Me. She said: “I think we’re all being conned by the wellness industry. This idea that it’s no longer enough to be healthy and we have to be ‘well’ is something that needs to be interrogated. “Yet it’s so seductive because it’s in pursuit of things that people are ashamed to want, like youth, beauty and fitness.” Pike reflected on how the MeToo movement “gave women an opportunity to escape some of the demands put on them”, but nearly six years since the movement began, people are now “voluntarily flocking back to being controlled but in a different guise”. “It’s politicised our food, politicised our exercise, and I think it’s really dangerous,” she told the Guardian in an interview published today (Sunday 11 June). Pike’s forthcoming audio drama, which also features Hugh Laurie, follows her character Emily Morris, who uses the 9/11 tragedy to fake her own death and run away to California to assume a new identity as Connie Prynne. According to the BBC, Pike’s character is diagnosed with breast cancer 14 years later and must decide how to explain her secrets to her 13-year-old daughter Claire. In 2021, Pike launched a meditation app called Lumenate, which she claimed could help guide users “into an altered state of consciousness”. As the creative director of the app, she explained on Instagram: “Based on two years of research into the effects of stroboscopic light on brain function, the mobile app uses stroboscopic light sequences from your phone’s flashlight to neurologically guide you into an altered state of consciousness. “All you need in 10 minutes to yourself in a darkened room and the camera light on your phone… I promise. “Since I started using the app during its initial testing phase, I have experienced deep inner awareness through the totally incredible kaleidoscope of colours created by my subconscious.” Read More Sharon Horgan opens up about ‘aftershock’ following daughter’s meningitis scare: ‘There’s definitely PTSD’ Megan Fox hits back at US politician’s claim she ‘forced’ her sons to wear ‘girls clothes’ Oscar de la Renta and deli flowers: Inside Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup’s New York wedding Sharon Horgan opens up about ‘aftershock’ after daughter’s meningitis Jamie Foxx’s rep addresses conspiracy Covid vaccine left actor ‘paralyzed and blind’ Gamer finds indent in head from prolonged headset use after shaving his hair

Sharon Horgan has opened up about having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after her eldest daughter was diagnosed with meningitis as a baby. The Irish actor, who will star in the forthcoming BBC One drama Best Interests with Michael Sheen, said she drew on the experience in order to play her character in the new series. Horgan’s daughter survived the life-threatening illness, but it left an “aftershock” on her mother. “We were so unbelievably lucky and we know that,” the Bad Sisters star told The Times in a new interview, published today (Sunday 11 June). “But the aftershock – there’s definitely PTSD and I dealt with any of my second daughter’s illnesses with blind panic because you always think, ‘If it can happen, why couldn’t it happen again?’” Both of Horgan’s daughters, Sadhbh and Amer, are now teenagers. She shares them with her ex-husband, Jeremy Rainbird. Best Interests tells the story of Nicci (Horgan), a mother who sues the NHS after doctors decide her Marnie (Niamh Moriarty) should be taken off life support after her condition, muscular dystrophy, deteriorates. Horgan stars opposite Sheen, who plays Nicci’s husband Andrew. In the show, Andrew is torn between his love for Marnie and his unwillingness to support his wife’s case. The friction between Nicci and Andrew shows that they “had a real relationship that has difficulties”, Horgan said. “When things get really, really bad, the accusations are there, a certain amount of finger-pointing, which happens anyway, just even in normal parenting,” she explained. After her divorce from Rainbird in 2019, Horgan said the adjustment to co-parenting made her doubt if she was a good mother. During an appearance on Desert Island Discs in 2020, she told host Lauren Laverne: “I was fun mum for years. I entirely thought that was my role but that changes when you co-parent. “Everything changes and you take on a lot more roles and I am much more practical than I was, and I think that is a positive thing.” She continued: “It had some dips in the middle where I thought, ‘Oh, that thing I thought I was, which was a good mother, I am not entirely sure about’. “When you bring anything like that into your kid’s life it’s tricky, when you turn the roles upside down, but it balances out and everything eased back.” Read More Michael Sheen says he finds it ‘hard to accept’ non-Welsh actors playing Welsh roles Megan Fox hits back at US politician’s claim she ‘forced’ her sons to wear ‘girls clothes’ Duchess of York moved to tears by Princess Eugenie’s baby name tribute Jamie Foxx’s rep addresses conspiracy Covid vaccine left actor ‘paralyzed and blind’ Gamer finds indent in head from prolonged headset use after shaving his hair Wes Anderson reflects on being an ‘old father’