Whether you tend to go on holiday within the UK, within Europe or in far-off lands, chances are most of us have been on a self-catering holiday. They’re great fun and usually allow you to save a great deal on accommodation costs, but what about when we want to take our own self-catering on holiday that little bit further?

The obvious answer would be to forage for our own food, find our own ways of cooking it and even build our own shelter. Anyone can go out into the wilderness and do that Bear Grylls-style, but there are also plenty of ways to hire accommodation with the opportunity to find your own food and create your own entertainment.

If you’re really looking to get down to nature and test your stamina then a hunting and/or fishing holiday in Canada may be just the ticket. Places like Eagle Lake, Ontario have a number of private log cabins, big enough to house a family for a fortnight, that allow visitors to kill and cook their own meat and fish. The location is remote enough to mean that you need to ensure your own self-sufficiency, but it’s also only a three-hour drive from Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Extreme self-catering needn’t mean a holiday in isolation, however, as there are many self-sufficient communities that welcome visitors within their walls too. The area where this kind of practice is most popular has to be Israel, where Kibbutz houses are an incredibly popular destination. The ideology and history behind Kibbutzim is lengthy (not to mention interesting) so we won’t go into it here. The main point is that anyone can book a holiday stay in a Kibbutz community and take part in their daily life, helping with the agriculture, preparing food and helping to grow it too. In fact, many young people take their gap year in Kibbutzim to give their university applications leverage, because these places are so far removed from commercialism and dependence on large industries that the experience is particularly eye-opening and rewarding.

‘Eco tours’ and holidays are a relatively new travel phenomenon, whereby groups are getting together and going self-sufficient in all areas of the world as a holiday. Many of these involve working on eco-friendly projects (for example replanting trees that have been culled or protecting endangered wildlife), and some even involve luxury accommodation but without all the home comforts. The Telegraph published a particularly useful article on Eco holidays in the UK, just last year. Take a look and you’ll find a wealth of destinations, from Cornish seaside cottages to guesthouses in the northern Welsh mountains of Gwynedd.

Extreme self-catering holidays won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It all depends on what you find to be relaxing; some people enjoy getting stuck into nature, while others enjoy being pampered, without having to worry about where the next meal might come from. If you fall into the first category then don’t limit your options to within your own country. There are destinations all over the world where you can learn how to live in a completely new environment, and more importantly do so without relying on your tour operator or hotel staff.

We see celebrity chefs on our televisions all the time, and over the past five years they’ve gone from being stuck in their their rather pristine home kitchens, to working in and around their restaurants. Visiting one of those restaurants can make a really great night out, and while the majority of celebrity chef restaurants are dotted around London, there are some that are located as far west as Cornwall.

Speaking of which, a restaurant in Cornwall is the gastronomic center for Oxfordshire-born, fish expert Rick Stein. Named ‘Stein’s Fish & Chips’, Rick’s restaurant is a quaint, typically seaside-eque place in Padstow, Cornwall. It’s been open since 2009, and the television chef was keen to keep it a traditional Cornish pub. Carrying on the traditional British theme, fish and chips can either be eaten in or taken away, and at a modest price too. Battered cod and chips will set you back just £7.95, and the most expensive fish on the menu is grilled/battered monkfish and chips, at £12.45. We love the idea of being able to visit a celebrity chef’s restaurant, and still feel like you’re on a British holiday at the same time.

Also in Cornwall is one of Jamie Oliver’s reputable ‘Fifteen’ restaurants. You’ll also find one in Shoreditch, London, one in Amsterdam and one in Melbourne, Australia. The principle with each and every one of Jamie’s ‘Fifteen’ restaurants, is that a registered charity in the area (in this case CFoP - Cornwall Foundation of Promise) takes fifteen disadvantaged young people from the area, and trains them to work in the hospitality industry, some through the restaurant as chefs. For a very reasonable £55 per person, you can have the Dinner Tasting Menu, which involves five courses, followed by coffee and chocolates.

At the other end of the scale, and as far as inspiration and sheer creativity go, there’s not one restaurant in the UK that beats Heston Blumenthal’s ‘Fat Duck’ restaurant in Bray, Berkshire. Go ahead and google the restaurant’s ‘Taste Menu’ and take a look at the various blogs people have written about the gastronomic experience. ‘Experience’ is probably the best way to describe it, as dishes like whiskey wine gums and truffle toast served with a tray of moss and dry ice (for effect, not for eating) are served over a four hour period. You can expect to pay around £150 per head (not including wine), so it’s a special birthdays-only kind of treat, but one that’s well worth it if you’re a foodie fanatic.

We’ll finish off with the celebrity chef that we’ve all seen within a restaurant and restaurant kitchen setting: Gordon Ramsay. Gordon has a huge number of restaurants all over the UK, from his prestigious Boxwood Cafe in London (it’s moving location soon within the capital, so keep your eyes peeled) to ‘Plane Food’ - a restaurant at Heathrow Terminal. We recommend you try out Boxwood Cafe in its new location later in the year, and also the aptly named ‘Gordon Ramsay’ restaurant on Royal Hospital Road, London. Do be aware, though, that Gordon’s restaurants are all located in London.

Hopefully these examples have given you some inspiration on where to take your loved one for their anniversary, or where to go for your next birthday meal. It’s unfortunate that the two centres for celebrity chefs appear to be Cornwall and London, but thankfully they are two places that Britons love to holiday at, so chances are you’ll be able to visit one soon. If not, hold tight and put up with Gordon’s effing and blinding some more - he’s got his fingers in a lot of pies already and seems to show no signs of stopping.

There’s no denying that baking your own bread, cooking all your meals from scratch and growing your own food is incredibly rewarding and wholesome, but is it really necessary, and more importantly, does it really make sense? Many of us get caught up in the fairy tale ideal of self sufficiency, but oftentimes it means we’re spending more money than we would if we bought our resources from the shops, and we’re spending more time on something that’s just making us feel exhausted. It’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff, and decide exactly what homemade staples will actually enrich your life, rather than make it a chore…

Firstly, growing fruit and vegetables. There’s no way this could ever be a bad thing, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s much cheaper. Secondly, it gets you outside, in nature and doing some exercise. Thirdly, it tastes so much better than shop bought food, and fourthly, it encourages you to eat healthily. The main disadvantages are that it can take up your time, and you need to be able to tend to a vegetable patch regularly. Not having a garden can be a problem, but you can still grow tomatoes upside down in hanging baskets, and lettuce in trays on the windowsill.

Next, we’ll move onto kitchen appliances. There are so many different ones available on the market today that it’s getting a little silly, but we’ll concentrate on the most popular ones. The ice cream maker is a great piece of kit, especially if your supermarket of choice sells cheap cream when it’s almost reached its sell-by-date. A bread maker is also useful, but you’ll need to make sure you invest in a reliable brand, or you’ll be eating loaves with holes through the middle. Then there are appliances that seem a little useless, but can be great when placed in the right hands. Waffle makers often just sit at the back of a cupboard for decades, but if you have kids and run out of dessert ideas then they’re very quick and easy to make. Also, food dehydrators tend to get abandoned, but they’re great for people who do a lot of camping and hiking. The food retains its goodness and taste, but it is three times lighter and can be stored for up to six months in a sealed bag or tupperware box.

Lastly, homemade clothing and soft furnishings. For most people, knitting, sewing, crocheting and embroidering are all hobbies that have been learnt over the years. One craft project can take a good week or two to complete in your spare time, so is it worth it? If you’ve got the skills under your belt already then we say yes, but if you still need to learn then be prepared for some slow progress. You’ll need to find out what you’re best at, and then invest in the materials you need. Knitting and crochet tend to be cheap, especially when you buy from eBay. Sewing, on the other hand, is generally expensive if you haven’t acquired a sewing machine from your Mum or Grandma. Be prepared to shell out up to £150 or £200 for a really decent machine.

Whether homemade foods and items are worth the trouble over shop bought ones really depends upon your individual situation. Consider whether you have the space for your projects, a bit of money to invest in the equipment to get you started and the spare time to work at them regularly. Hopefully then you can pick and choose your own life of self-sufficiency, balanced with shop-bought convenience, saving yourself both time and money at once.

If you are cooking for big groups you generally want food which is delicious and earns you maximum kudos as the chef but does not have you slaving over your cooker for 48 hours prior to the event. It seems to me that the most important thing is for the food to be as basic and tasty as possible. In a word? Lasagne.

I would like to state at the point that when it comes to cooking for large numbers you will find that mince is your best friend. It is also extremely cost effective. Find the biggest pot you have and splash in some olive oil. Now add mince (obviously the quantities are dependent on how many people you are cooking for but generally a kilo of mince will make a lasagne large enough to feed eight people). Brown the mince along with some chopped onions. You could also add mushrooms if you would like to bulk the recipe out although mushrooms can be one of those ‘marmite’ ingredients that people either love or hate, so I would only add them if you are sure that all of your guests actually like them. Once the mince is browned add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and a carton of passata with garlic. As I said, you want to make the process of cooking for your large group as stress-free as possible so, while you could add fresh chopped garlic the passata with garlic added means you don’t have to. You can also add a generous glug of red wine.

While you leave your sauce to bubble away, you will want to create your bechamel sauce. You are basically creating a white sauce by adding milk, flour and butter to a saucepan. Now, I am a fan of the all-in-one method where you add the ingredients all at once and then whisk your heart out while you wait for the sauce to thicken. It is extremely important that you whisk continuously as there is nothing worse than a lumpy sauce. You will also want to turn down the heat once it reaches your desired thickness so as to cook out the floury taste. In terms of quantities I really think this is a judgement call but it is probably better to create more sauce than necessary then having to start from scratch when you realise you do not have enough. Add some salt and pepper and grate a little nutmeg in for flavour.

Now you can create your masterpiece. Grab a large rectangular oven dish and start by scooping some of your mince mixture. Layer this with some dried lasagne sheets. On top of the sheets spread some of your bechamel sauce and then some more mince. Continue with this pattern until you reach the top of your dish but keep some bechamel sauce back as you will want to finish with a layer of lasagne sheets and plenty of bechamel. Now grate loads of cheddar cheese over the top and place in the oven at 180 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes. Job done! Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Another crowd pleasing mince-based dish is chilli. Everyone loves chilli and it couldn’t be easier to make. Brown the mince with some chopped green peppers, garlic and onions. The amounts are really down to personal preference. Once the mince has browned, add some chopped tomatoes and water along with crushed chillies, chilli powder, cayenne and paprika. How hot you make it depends on your taste levels but just remember that you cannot take heat back out, so make sure you are tasting the sauce as it simmers. I would leave it simmering for at least 30 - 45 minutes. Once it has thickened and the liquid has cooked away all you have to do is add kidney beans and you are done. This can be served in a big pot with everyone helping themselves. Serve with an assortment of rice, tacos, tortillas and tortilla chips and, most importantly of all, plenty of sour cream. A beer or two wouldn’t go astray either.

Both of the above recipes can be recreated as vegetarian dishes by adding any variety of vegetables you wish instead of using mince. They are incredibly versatile. You can also use vegetarian mince if you prefer.

Travelers use the Michelin star system to choose where they will eat and where they will stay when traveling to unfamiliar regions. Guides are produced each year and include detailed ratings for every budget and every palate. Michelin may be best known for their tires (and the tyre-man mascot) but the company has also been producing its guide for over a century. This experience has allowed the company to hone the inspection process in order to provide the very best recommendations.

Michelin employs full-time professionals to inspect both restaurants and hotels. The inspections are always done anonymously and according to a pre-determined (but unknown by all but the inspectors) set of criteria. Becoming a Michelin restaurant judge is a great way to travel the world. Most people would enjoy just having the opportunity to eat in some of the finest establishments around the globe. Getting paid for the experience seems too good to be true.

Traits of a Michelin Judge

Michelin looks for inspectors that understand the industry and have a palate that can assess a wide range of cuisines. The Michelin website suggests that those seeking to become Michelin judges need to have five to ten years of experience in the food or restaurant industry.

Traveling is an important part of being a Michelin inspector. Michelin produces around 24 guidebooks that cover restaurants and hotels in 23 countries. Each Michelin inspector will work in a given region or location but traveling to all the different restaurants is a full-time job in itself. Michelin inspectors are required to dine out for about three weeks out of each month.

The stamina necessary to eat so many meals can be a challenge. Michelin inspectors do not eat lightly when visiting a restaurant. Most often an inspector will order the house specialty. This helps with uniformity in reviews since stars are not issued until more than one inspector has visited the location.

A delicate palate does not work in favor of someone looking to become a Michelin inspector. The wide range of cuisine reviewed in the Michelin guides means that an inspector will be eating from almost every available cuisine. Diners need to have adventurous palates to survive.

What a Michelin Judge Does

Getting the job of a Michelin inspector means spending most of your time eating out and/or staying in hotels. Even before the journeys begin, training must take place. Each Michelin inspector receives extensive training to insure adherence to the criteria set up for the Michelin guides.

Most inspectors eat out around five times each week on average. That means a total of around 240 meals each year. A Michelin inspector can expect to work hours from about 7 am to as late as 11 pm each day. The commute can be painful as well. Most Michelin inspectors drive almost 19,000 miles each year.

Getting a job as a Michelin restaurant judge could be as simple as visiting the website and filling out your application. The company has plans to expand their guides to more cities and as they do the team of inspectors will also expand. You could be a future Michelin restaurant judge.

Ideals and bests come subject to individual tastes and interests. There are certain things that will be considered when choosing the best restaurant in the world.

Location

The old real-estate adage about location being the most important element holds true in the restaurant world. The difference in the culinary experience is that a location can be centralized, unique or chosen for a particular element (like an amazing view).

Central location - a restaurant in the heart of a particular city may make it to the ‘best’ list because it is easy to access.

Unique location - a restaurant underground, under the water or in a tree will get points for the unusual location. Restaurants that have been developed in historic buildings provide cuisine and culture in one stop.

Location for elements - a mountain-top restaurant with amazing views, a beachfront diner that caters to the sand and surf folks or a floating restaurant on the lake all provide an ambience that takes the location to a new level.

Locations can make a restaurant stand out from the crowd. The best restaurant in the world will have a location that makes you want to visit.

Cuisine

A great location can only take a restaurant so far. Amazing food can overcome even the worst locations.

Quality of the food - great food makes for great dining. Cuisine that makes your mouth water when you think of it can be served on plastic tables in an old cabin and still earn that restaurant a reputation as the best in the world.

Quantity of food - tough economic times have made many people look at the value they get for their money. That means a great restaurant has to leave you feeling satisfied for the money that you are spending at the establishment.

The items that are served at the restaurant and the way they are prepared can make even the worst location worth braving. Add value to the dining experience and you have a contender for the best restaurant in the world.

Service

The dining experience is often determined by the service provided. Great food can be spoiled by cheap service. Mediocre food can be elevated by service worth remembering. The best restaurant in the world provides service that makes you feel welcomed and leaves you regretting having to go.

Employees - great restaurant service starts with employees that have a passion for the culinary world and for the service industry. A happy employee leaves a great taste.

Entertainment - dinner and a show can mean employees that go above and beyond the normal and expected.

The best restaurant in the world comes with service that makes you feel glad you chose that location to dine.

Tell anyone you’re pregnant and one of the topics that’s bound to come up pretty quickly is ‘have you had any weird cravings?’ Many of us don’t, perhaps experiencing a dislike of various foods, but for those of us who do crave certain types of food, there’s more in it than just taking a fancy.

Cravings in all humans, pregnant or not, signify the body’s need for a certain mineral or vitamin. The obvious ones are citrus fruit for vitamin C, and red meat for iron, but it goes a lot deeper than that. The pressures on a woman’s body during pregnancy are immense, not just because of the extra weight she carries but also because of her increased blood volume, the demands on her resources from the baby (sugar and iron especially) and the high levels of hormones being released into her blood. Just some of the foods that women regularly report craving during pregnancy include peanut butter, apples and eggs, so we’re going to tell you what they might mean your body is lacking and how you can cater to those cravings in a variety of ways. After all, who wants to be eating the same snack or meal every day for nine months?

What Your Body Needs, and What Will Satisfy It

Protein - found most abundantly in eggs and meat, but also dairy products, nuts, bread, pasta, pulses and beans

Magnesium - found in broccoli, nuts, okra, fish, spinach and soy milk.

B Vitamins - found in oats, avocado, eggs, meat, nuts, yeast products such as vegemite and - the big one - chocolate!

Potassium - found in avocado, melon, milk, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, spinach and prunes.

Sodium - found in meat, milk, cheese, leafy greens, beet-root and - the one you’ve been waiting for - pickles!

If you’re craving junk food and anything that you know will make you put on weight then you’re not just being greedy, your body may be craving fat. Your baby needs to put on fat in order to grow, but the most important thing is that this is healthy (polyunsaturated) fat. Polyunsaturated fats are found in leafy greens, fish, cheese, seafood, nuts and seeds.

Some women suffer from a strange medical condition during pregnancy known as Pica. It’s characterized by the desire or craving for non-edible substances, and while the cravings themselves aren’t dangerous, actually indulging them can be. At first scientists thought the cravings indicated a deficiency, but the intense desire carried on once any deficiencies were ruled out, indicating the problem is more likely to be psychological. If you find yourself suffering from Pica that’s really disrupting your daily life and leaving you feeling constantly unsatisfied we recommend you visit your health visitor, midwife or doctor. Some Pica cravings can be satisfied just by chewing or licking (e.g. if you have cravings for ice). In her book ‘Minus Nine to One’, Jools Oliver tells readers about her love of anything rubbery during her first two pregnancies, and how she loved to chew anything made of the substance. This is safe, providing you ensure there are no chemicals or treatments on the material.

How to Satisfy Your Cravings

Eating the same thing day in day out might be great if you’re craving it badly, but nine months is a long time and you’ll get tired of it at some point. Try and find some recipes that include your craved foods abundantly, but remember that these are best if the foods are as raw as possible. If you do need to cook the foods (e.g. french beans and broccoli) then it’s best to steam them as this keeps as much of the nutrients in the food as possible.

Listen to your body and ask your midwife about any cravings you have as they may indicate a deficiency, but most importantly have fun with it. There’s nothing wrong with getting up in the middle of the night for a pickled onion sandwich, and this is the perfect opportunity to learn some quick recipes for after the baby’s born.

Food presents a range of problems for both parents and children, but why? We’re going to look into what food is like for a child, and how you can help establish some healthy eating habits.

Fussy Eating

The ‘big one’ has to be fussy eaters, as children are particularly prone to this. It’s a natural stage of childhood, but it should be kept within reason and it’s difficult to know whether to give in to them or not. One key tip is to feed your child a huge range of foods as early on after weaning as possible. Even foods that you know they won’t like (e.g. olives or grapefruit) are important so that they know a wide range of tastes and can start to decide what they like and what they don’t like.

Staying calm is easier said than done when it comes to trying to feed a fussy child, but remember that their taste-buds are far more sensitive than ours. Very small children prefer delicate sweet tastes because they remind them of breast milk which is comforting and ’safe’. They may not be refusing a food because they’re playing up, they may refuse it because it tastes bitter and their innate intuition is telling them it could be poisonous. This is why children dislike bitter sprouts so much.

You might also want to try alternatives to foods that have certain vitamin/nutrient contents so that your child is still healthy, but not having to eat foods they hate. For instance, if they refuse to eat carrots then substitute for another food that’s also high in Vitamin A, such as sweet potato or spinach.

Playing with Food

Unfortunately, children will play with food, because that’s how they learn about it. Without experimenting with the texture, how it breaks apart, whether it will stick to other bits of food etc. they can’t begin to know if they like it or not and whether the really want it in their mouths.

Luckily, there is a way around it that doesn’t mean excusing your child’s manners to guests and being embarrassed by them. This involves setting up a play time in between meals (you don’t have to do this a lot, perhaps once a week) where your child is allowed to play with a certain type of food, on a specific play-tray and they can do what they like with it (within reason!). You might choose jelly, custard powder with water (a very unique and fascinating consistency), ice blocks, rice pudding or anything in between as long as it’s not hot or small enough to get lodged in their throats if they eat it. These sessions are the time when they’re allowed to play with food, but they should not be allowed to play with food at the table. You might, on the other hand, choose to allow it during lunch, but not the evening meal.

Self Confidence in Cooking

Teaching your child that tasty home-cooked food is easy to make is important, to stop them preferring brands. A very young child can pick out a brand logo a mile off, before they can even read what they’re hankering after. If they start to assume it’s easier to buy yummy food at McDonald’s than cook it from scratch, that could carry through to adolescence and early adulthood. They start to feel they can rely on brands better than they can rely on themselves, and they become unhealthy as a result. If you teach a child how easy it is to home cook then when it comes to going to University or moving out of the home they’ll have the confidence to look after themselves.

Start off by asking them to compile their own dinner plate. Learning to serve their own dinner is a great way to develop motor skills and coordination, even if it does mean a few spills! They’ll also learn about portion size this way, and you can tell them that they have to eat everything they serve themselves before they get dessert to exercise even more self-control. Next, try basic baking, like making rice crispie cakes or flapjack. Cooking at home can mean treats too! You might ask them to help make a fruit salad by cutting a banana with a child’s knife, or scoop out the inside of a mango with a spoon. It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as the preparation is safe.

Arthur, Artie, Bucco Jnr (The Sopranos)

Arthur, Artie, Bucco Jnr is a fictional character played by John Ventimiglia on the HBO television series The Sopranos. Artie appears throughout the series as a childhood friend of Tony Soprano, a restaurateur, the owner and head chef of Nuovo Vesuvio a local upmarket restaurant. The restaurant, both the original and the new one built after Tony had set fire to the old one, was the scene for birthday parties, business meetings and other key moments in the successful drama. Artie is married to Charmaine and together they have three children, Chiara, Melissa and Arthur.

Bender Bending Rodriguez (Futurama)

Bender Bending Rodriguez is a robot character in the animated television series Futurama. John DiMaggio voices the character. He is described by fellow character Leela as an alcoholic, whore-mongering, chain-smoking gambler. He was supposedly built in Mexico and others remark on his swarthy Latin charm although there is a lack of a Mexican accent. Bender hates all non-robots and constantly wants to kill all humans. He works as chef being a member of Hubert J Farnsworth’s delivery crew, cooking up meals for the long voyages to deliver meals for Planet Express.

Ian Beale (Eastenders)

Ian Beale is a fictional chef in BBC’s long running soap opera Eastenders played by Adam Woodyat. Ian is the only character to appear continuously since it began in 1985. Ian caused tension with his father when he wanted to pursue a professional career as a chef as opposed to taking over the family’s fruit and vegetable stall. Ian successfully graduated from catering school and worked for Ali Osman in the Bridge Street café while doing private catering functions part time. Ian’s ruthless qualities were shown when he began lending money to Ali, who addicted to gambling, could not eventually pay back his loans. Ian took over as owner of the café.

Chef (South Park)

Chef in South Park was a character on the Comedy Central series. Jerome Chef McElroy was voiced by Isaac Hayes. His character worked as an elementary school cafeteria worker and was often sought out by the children to give advice. His advice would usually be inappropriate, usually in the form of an absurd and lewd soul song. A real dining hall worker that the series co-creator actually knew when he attended the University of Colorado inspired the character of Chef. The character was killed off at the beginning of the tenth series in the Return of the Chef, in response to the public outcry when Hayes objected to the shows depiction of the religion Scientology of which the soul singer is a member.

Francesco, Frank, Costanza (Seinfeld)

Francesco, Frank, Costanza played by Jerry Stiller is a character on the American television sitcom Seinfield. His character moved from Tuscany to the US when he was four, as did his entire family except his uncle’s family and his cousin Carlo. He is married to Estelle and is the father of George. He is loud and neurotic and speaks in a hesitant manner. Frank is a very good chef having trained as an Army cook with the Fighting 103rd during the Korean War. He has a fear of poisoning people with his efforts and once destroyed food after seeing Eddie Sherman choking.

Monica Geller (Friends)

In US comedy Friends Monica Geller, played by Courteney Cox Arquette became a chef after a sarcastic remark from her brother’s friend Chandler when they were at college. Later, Monica and Chandler married. As a teenager Monica was overweight and is now very conscious about food. In the comedy, it is Monica’s flat that is the meeting point for the six friends and she likes to look after them, organising and cooking events such as Thanksgiving. She works in several restaurants during the show and like everything else in her life is obsessive and competitive.

Terry Hughes (Fawlty Towers)

In series 2 of Fawlty Towers, Brian Hall played cockney chef Terry Hughes. His character was introduced because John Cleese and his co-writer wife Connie Booth felt that more employees were needed in the fictional hotel in Torquay. Terry plays a stereotypical east Londoner, who puts women before his work in one episode admitting that he was leaving his shift early to meet a Finnish girl. He also states that it is him and Polly, played by then Mrs Cleese, Connie Booth, who basically run the ‘bleeding hotel’.

Roadblock (GI Joe)

Roadblock, GI Joe, is a character from Hasbro’s GI Joe: A Real American Hero collection of toys, comics and cartoons. Roadblock’s real name is Marvin F Hinton and is one of the most well known African- American’s in the series. His main job is as a heavy machine gunner but has a secondary function as a chef. Roadblock was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and started working as a bouncer to earn money to realise his dream of training at Escoffier School in France in order to become a gourmet chef. One day an army recruiter persuaded him to join the army where he could learn to be a chef. He deplored army food and transferred to the infantry but still maintains a love of food and cooking.

The Swedish Chef (The Muppet Show)

The Swedish Chef is a Muppet that appeared on the hugely popular The Muppet Show, a parody of celebrity TV chefs. He was one of the few puppets to have human hands in order to handle ingredients and cooking utensils. The sketches show the Swedish Chef in the kitchen singing a song in pseudo Swedish and giving a commentary of his latest recipe, throwing in an occasional English word so that the audience can follow what he is supposedly preparing. While he is cooking he uses strange utensils such as tennis racquets and firearms that usually take over in the slapstick finale.

Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Willy Wonka is a character created by Roald Dahl in his 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Willy Wonka is an eccentric chocolate maker who one day offers five lucky people a tour of his secretive chocolate factory if they find one of the Golden Tickets hidden under the wrappers of his chocolate bars. Four greedy children and Charlie are the winners and spend a day with Willy Wonka. The four greedy children are punished along the way until Willy announces that Charlie, as the only good child, is going to be his heir.

What we eat has continuously evolved along with the human race, from the berries and nuts we ate as Neanderthals, to eating meat around 2.5 million years ago. Since then we’ve discovered flour and baking to make pies, using heat and water to make soups and broths, and everything that comes in between.

When we reached the Industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries, food really started getting interesting. Finally we could transport large quantities of different foods from country to country, and different flavours came to the UK. The 20th century gave rise to the aeroplane and the cargo ships that import and export much of the food we eat today. This was how we were introduced to new fruits such as the banana, and different forms of cooking, too. Marmite entered our repertoire in 1902, about 45 years before the fast food culture would begin. After the second world war, all of a sudden food was seen as a nuisance and the quicker it could be produced and eaten the better. This prompted the growth of fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Burger King, and while we could afford to eat well, many people opted for efficiency over nutrition and good taste. This would be a common theme throughout the 60s to the present day (especially the 80s when business was booming and workers worked overtime), but thankfully it’s always been pushed away from the limelight.

There have been some odd trends in the past 100 years, some emerging through necessity using rationed foods, and some through simple showing-off (such as elaborate knickerbocker glory ice creams and shrimp cocktails served in glasses). The 60s saw alcohol being added to a number of ‘new’ desserts such as rum babas, melon with port and sherry trifle, and the early 70s welcomed ‘Nouvelle Cuisine’ with open arms.

Nouvelle cuisine was a style of food that didn’t categorise the ingredients themselves, but rather concentrated on the quality and portion size of each dish. The aim was to provide a more refreshing and light option. The concept seems strange today as there’s no way such small portions could constitute a decent meal, but at the time nouvelle cuisine was almost a marriage of art and food.

That was 40 years ago, and since, we’ve seen food become greatly associated with the media, with competitive cooking programmes like Masterchef and Hell’s Kitchen. There’s also been concentration on where our food comes from, with TV chefs like Jamie Oliver urging us to buy local meat and Gordon Ramsay raising and slaughtering his own pigs. Others such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have focused on organic, self-grown fruit and vegetables, so we can only deduce that the future of cooking is about to get a lot more economically friendly. Will mass farming take a turn for the worse? We could even end up where we were over a century ago, where many owned and ran small farms. This isn’t, of course, a bad thing, but it will be interesting to see how food imported internationally will mix with locally grown food.

In the past 5 years unusual food has had a comeuppance, with chefs like Heston Blumenthal encouraging us to think outside of the box. Whether this kind of cooking becomes mainstream is debatable, however, as it needs to be accessible by everyone, not just Michelin star restaurants with three-foot high jelly-moulds and dry ice.

If one thing is for sure, it’s that we need to encourage cooking to ensure its survival. Jamie Oliver has already demonstrated how many families rely on takeaways and ready-meals to feed themselves, and also (despite what many believe) just how easy it is to cook a good meal from scratch. So hold onto your favourite recipes and share them with friends, but don’t be afraid to try out something new, and don’t rule out the possibility of growing your own food. Even if it’s just a bunch of carrots, they’ll be much fresher and tastier than ones from the supermarket that have been in a bag for days!