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Brain Food 2022-2023: All your food and cooking questions, answered

Columnist Richard Cornish answers all your vexing questions. Submit a question via email or tweet to @foodcornish.

24 recipes
Homemade mayonnaise is great for sandwiches, salads, and vegetable dishes.

How to stop mayonnaise from splitting and the correct temperature to serve long black coffee

  • Richard Cornish
Adam Liaw's avocado shichimi dish can be made in two minutes.

How to stop cut avocado from browning

  • Richard Cornish
Dan Lepard's classic thick pancakes.

The secret to perfect, tender pancakes, and is the sniff test enough to protect you from food poisoning?

  • Richard Cornish
Removing excessive liquid will result in a thicker, more luscious tzatziki.

How to make thick, luscious tzatziki

  • Richard Cornish
Neil Perry's slow-cooked lamb shoulder with tahini yoghurt, pickled cucumbers, pomegranate and herbs.

How to cook roast lamb so the meat is tender

  • Richard Cornish
Mushroom and pea risotto.

What's the best way to cook mushrooms?

  • Richard Cornish
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White pepper has a shorter shelf-life than its black counterpart.

What is the difference between white and black pepper?

  • Richard Cornish
This classic Swiss dish isn't so much a meal as a social event. But there are a few tricks to avoiding a molten mess.

The secret to making a perfectly smooth cheese fondue

  • Richard Cornish
The beauty of a terracotta pot is it also makes an attractive serving dish on the table.

How to cook with a terracotta pot

  • Richard Cornish
Pop the jug on. We're going to spill the tea on the best water temperature for the perfect cuppa.

What is the best water temperature for making tea?

  • Richard Cornish
Lettuces hide a bitter secret: the milky sap coming from the stems contains compounds that relieve pain and cause drowsiness.

What makes lettuce leaves bitter?

  • Richard Cornish
Romesco makes the most of hazelnuts.

How to dry, toast, skin and cook with raw hazelnuts

  • Richard Cornish
Neil Perry's prawn and mussel saffron stew.

Why some mussels are orange and others are white

  • Richard Cornish
In the olden days, it was a biannual job to make vinegar using wine, beer, or cider and the mother.

How to make your own vinegar

  • Richard Cornish
Remove the leek's green part, and slice the length of the whites, leaving the root intact.

The best way to remove grit from leeks

  • Richard Cornish
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Prawns don't take long to cook on the barbecue.

The secret to juicy barbecued prawns (that don't stick to the shell)

  • Richard Cornish
There are a few secrets to making a creamy hummus.

Chef Tom Sarafian reveals the secrets to smooth, creamy hummus

  • Richard Cornish
Coaxing onions until they are caramelised requires patience but the process is richly rewarding.

What's the secret to perfect caramelised onions?

  • Richard Cornish
You can reverse the state of stale bread by rehydrating it and heating it.

Why do cakes and bread go hard when stale, but biscuits go soft?

  • Richard Cornish
Sausages made with real animal intestines are naturally curvy.

Why sausages curl (and how to make them brown all over)

  • Richard Cornish
Good eggs, good butter, a good pan, a little salt and pepper and a warm plate are essential for a good omelette.

What is the secret to the perfect omelette?

  • Richard Cornish
Tinned anchovies have a deeper, saltier flavour.

What's the difference between white and brown anchovies?

  • Richard Cornish
Ajvar, a condiment made from red capsicum, garlic, eggplant and chillies.

How to use ajvar, the flavour-packed vegetable spread

  • Richard Cornish
Follow a few simple tips to keep your bread fresher for longer.

The secret to storing bread and how to make it last longer

  • Richard Cornish