The taste of any simple tomato-based salad is dependent on the quality of the tomatoes.

A well-made salad must have a certain uniformity; it should make perfect sense for those ingredients to share a bowl.

You can really taste the difference between a shop-bought and a good homemade mayo.

Take your average couscous salad, and it's almost always a sloppy mush, no matter how much attention has gone into getting flavours in there.

Just-poached vegetables show off their natural attributes and taste fresh and light in a way you never get with roasting or frying.

My father always cooks more polenta than he needs for a meal. The excess he spreads on an oiled surface and chills. Next day, he cuts out chunks, fries them in olive oil and serves with salad.