Lifestyle

Some may balk at Netherlanders’ ‘nothing to hide’ approach, but there is evidence their curtain customs could come with health benefits Name: The Dutch method. Age: Possibly in place since the Reformation, making it about 500 years old. Continue reading...

A drop of lemon and being selective about your choice of cookware could zap any troubles with blackened spuds, as would a highly novel solution from the seaside Why do some potatoes turn black on cooking, and how do I stop this happening? I usually leave them to cool in the cooking water, but should I plunge them in cold water instead?” Jean, Ha mpshire “We’ve all been there,” sympathises spud queen Poppy O’Toole . “It’s a harmless chemical reaction,” the author of The Potato Book continues, “but it looks rank and only gets worse with the slow cooling process that Jean’s using.” But let’s wind things back for a moment. According to the food science guru Harold McGee , in his bible On Food & Cooking , the darkening of cooked potatoes “is caused by the combination of iron ions, a phenolic substance [chlorogenic acid] and oxygen, which react to form a pigmented complex”. So what’s the solution? Make the pH of the water “distinctly acidic”, which McGee does by adding cream of tartar or lemon juice “after the potatoes are half-cooked”. Another possible suspect for Jean’s blackening tubers is her cookware: “Reactive metals such as a carbon steel knife or aluminium pan may also be the cause of the issue,” says the Guardian’s Tom Hunt , which is why he recommends using a non-reactive metal (think stainless steel) instead. “Leaving the cooked potatoes in water is also a bad idea,” adds Jess Murphy, chef patron of Kai Galway in Ireland and author of The Kai Cookbook :“They are like little sponges.” Hunt couldn’t agree more: “The potatoes will absorb the water and turn soggy and less fluffy – and never refresh them under cold water or in a cold plunge, either, unless it’s momentary.” Got a culinary dilemma? Email [email protected] Continue reading...

With more than 350 establishments closing last year, social media accounts such as Proper Boozers and London Dead Pubs have rallied to fight their sticky-carpeted corner – and bring the ‘old-man pub’ a new clientele The Calthorpe Arms on Gray’s Inn Road is a fairly atypical central London pub. With patterned red carpets, brass fittings, leather bar stools, a pool table and Christmas tinsel still hanging in early February, it feels very much a “local”, although on a Thursday evening it’s busy with the post-work crowd. It’s the fifth time Niall Walsh, who works nearby and runs the Proper Boozers Instagram account , has visited in recent months. “It’s just off the beaten track, but easy to get to,” Walsh says over a pint of Harvey’s. “You can get a real, authentic pub experience.” Continue reading...

This natural pesticide may work on a small infestation – it just requires elbow grease and repeat treatments The problem Mealybugs are the clingy exes of the pest world, wedging themselves into leaf joints, hiding in roots and coating everything in white fluff. Left untreated, they suck sap, stunt growth and spread quickly from plant to plant. Once you notice them, they’re usually everywhere. The hack Neem oil is a natural pesticide that coats soft-bodied pests and interferes with their ability to feed and reproduce. Used properly, it can eliminate mealybugs without the need for harsher chemicals. Continue reading...

How a cast of secret stars helped to bring Emerald Fennel's hit literary adaptation to life.

Hitting the piste in Verbier doesn’t come cheap, but in laid-back La Tzoumaz you can access the same pistes without such a steep price tag I’m standing at 3,330 metres on a tall metal platform with a heavy harness strapped to my back, gazing in awe at the snow-covered Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and the Dents du Midi ridge. It’s a gorgeous distraction while I wait to be clipped in and launched down the valley at 120 kilometres an hour. This is the Mont Fort zip line , the highest in the world. I sit with my legs dangling over the precipice, then with a stomach-churning clunk the mechanism releases and I speed through the air over tiny figures skiing below. It’s exhilarating and over too soon. I’m grinning ear to ear, my lungs full of high mountain air. I’m in Verbier, one of Switzerland’s most famous ski resorts. With access to 410km of pristine piste, excellent alpine food and a legendary après-ski culture, what’s not to like? Well, for many, the price. Verbier has long been favoured by A-listers and royalty, with eye-watering prices to match. Happily, there is a way to enjoy the same slopes, with much less of a financial hit. Stay in the village of La Tzoumaz (pronounced La Tsoo-mah), where accommodation can be half the price of Verbier, and you’re one chairlift away from the entire Four Valleys ski area. And as I discover, this “back door” resort has plenty of its own charms too. Continue reading...

Keep your boss happy, develop your ‘personal boardroom’, ask for honest feedback, don’t take the notes in every meeting and remember: no one gets promoted for inbox zero There is nothing worse than feeling stuck in a job. What are the best ways to progress without having to resort to shameless self-promotion? Here, career coaches explain how to make sure you are first in line for a promotion – and a pay rise. Continue reading...

The humble spud is the star of the show in a spicy potato and cheese fried sandwich and potato-stuffed battered chillies Celebrate Holi, the festival of colours and the arrival of spring, with sumptuous, delicious and addictive snacks. The bharwa mirchi pakode ki chaat is full of flavour and topped with tamarind, green chutney and chaat masala. Alongside it, a street-food favourite from my home town of Mumbai: the classic chilli cheese toastie stuffed with potato, peppers and green chutney. Both are the sort of dishes you can eat at any time of day, and the unifying ingredient is the humble potato, which I feel is the backbone of Indian cooking, be it in curries, stir-fries, flatbreads, snacks and even raitas. Continue reading...

Organisers of the Newquay festival are applying to extend live music performances.

Click here to access the print version. Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. Continue reading...

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Hundreds of fans line the streets of Birmingham to catch a glimpse of the show's stars.

A magician reveals his visual tricks Earlier today I posted five optical illusions by Olivier Redon, a French-American inventor. Here they are again – with demonstrations of how he created the effects. Three of the images are inspired by the Necker cube, a two-dimensional drawing of a cube that can be understood in two ways: either with the bottom left face at the front, or the top right face at the front. Once your eyes settle on one interpretation, it is hard to see the other. Continue reading...

Finnian Garbutt says on social media that scans have shown cancer has "progressed rapidly" in his body.

Cornwall Council approves plans for a new building in front of the writer's holiday home in St Ives.

Jade, CMAT and Wolf Alice share thoughts on residencies versus touring and what this means for fans.

Spring might be on the way, but your February favourites prove you’re still in your nesting era – for now • Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Other than the fact that it’s mercifully short, February doesn’t have a lot to boast about. Spring’s not yet in full bloom, and the twinkly lights of Christmas and new year optimism have long since faded. And indeed, your favourites this month suggest that the nesting continues, from sponges for the spring clean to a machine that makes really good coffee at home. Of course, it was also the month of love – and it’s lovely to see that a date-night card game was your favourite thing this month. Perhaps the promise of romance was behind the popularity of an eco-friendly deodorant and Ben Fogle’s favourite toothpaste, too. Continue reading...

Don’t let leftovers languish in the fridge. These oven, microwave and freezer-safe glass containers from Anyday will help you waste less food – and cut back on dirty dishes The seven best non-toxic cooking pans in the US Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things When I cook for my family, I always pack up leftover food with the best of intentions, and remnants of a weeknight meal generally get eaten within a day or two. Large spreads, however, are a different story. In the past, I would stuff what was left from a large dinner or party into the biggest air-tight containers they required, then cram them all into my fridge, full-well believing my kids and I would live off of those leftovers for the better part of a week. The best glass food storage containers : Anyday 2-Cup Glass Round Dish Multipack Continue reading...

I disliked my first encounter with pole, but two years later my experience with the sport has made me appreciate my body and my self-determination Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email When my friend Bea took up pole dancing, she enthusiastically tried to convert everyone she knew to it – a common trope, I’d later find out. As a childhood gymnast and dancefloor enthusiast, I was scouted as a potential recruit, so along with my sister in 2023 we joined her for a class. The class was packed and the studio felt overly commercialised. The friction of the metal pole against my skin was straight-up painful and spinning around made me so dizzy I had to sit down to reorientate myself several times. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

A soupy, substantial version of a classic Persian chard and yoghurt dip, bulked up with beans and crowned with a crisp garlic and brown butter topping I am emphatically not a dip person (see also: salad), but the first time I tried chard borani , a Persian dip made with chard and yoghurt, I became so obsessed that we’ve been having it on repeat at home ever since. Today, I’m sharing my soup version, thickened with beans and topped with crisp garlic and brown butter. It’s perfect served with flatbreads, and takes just minutes to put together: a homage to the excellent original. Continue reading...

Souvenir tickets given out at Cruz Beckham's gig in the Welsh capital said the venue was in Cardiff, England.

Tell us about a favourite trip – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Peak District national park – the first designated national park in the UK. That number has grown to 15 across the UK, alongside more than 200 national nature reserves, which are designed to protect specific landscapes and habitats. Whether it’s boating through the Norfolk Broads national park, birdwatching on Lindisfarne national nature reserve, or camping in the Cairngorms, we’d love to hear about your favourite things to do and places to visit in our national parks and reserves. The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website. Continue reading...

Our new free course AI for the People will show you practical ways to work with AI –without giving up judgment, privacy or your humanity Sign up for AI for the People, a six-week newsletter course, here Continue reading...

I used to scroll through scores of online reviews to put together a trip itinerary before I’d even left home. Now I just let my feet – and my nose – guide me wherever I go I have always been indecisive and scared of wasting money. When it came to travel, this meant I was forever desperate for someone to tell me where to go, what to see and what to eat. Before any holiday or day out, I’d already scoured the area on Google Earth, watched endless videos on social media, and read scores of online reviews. I knew exactly where I was going before I’d even left my house. My Google Maps would be filled with saved spots and I would build a plan to cram them all into a few days’ holiday. I was reluctant to go anywhere without a well-recommended “hidden gem” in my back pocket. Sometimes, one of those places I’d scouted out weeks in advance would truly be sensational. Bistrot Victoires in Paris, for instance, really did earn its spot on a top 10 list (the duck confit was incredible), and I was glad to have done the research to find a good, affordable place to eat in a notoriously expensive city. But more often than not, reality fell far short of what was promised. The images of colourful, likely Photoshopped views, unspoilt historical landmarks and huge, gourmet, mouthwatering sandwiches I’d come across online would turn out to be utterly underwhelming in real life. Continue reading...

He could use door handles and steal catnip from the kitchen cupboards. And, when I became very unwell, he would pace around me like a doctor on call Harvey came into our lives during a year of loss. It was 2004, and my grandmother had just died, quickly followed by our beloved cat Skeet (Manx English for “nosy”). With the family thrown into mourning, the house became eerily quiet and still, and my mother was grieving. I was only 11, and did not know how to take care of her, but I did know that we needed the chaos and joy of a new cat. We found Harvey at the local cattery on the Isle of Man: he sat squeezed at the back of his pen, looking curiously at us with enormous, owl-like eyes. My mother smiled for the first time in months. We knew he was the cat for us. Continue reading...

The two-time Oscar winner on dressing Michael B Jordan’s twin antiheroes, her start with Spike Lee and crafting the period detail of Ryan Coogler’s genre-bending epic Ruth E Carter’s costumes were a crucial part of establishing the identities of the two identical twins, both played by Michael B Jordan, in multi-Oscar-nominated Sinners. Particularly the hats. One brother, Stack, wore a red fedora. The other brother, Smoke, wore a blue newsboy flat cap. Finding the hats was a critical moment in the film’s backstory. When director Ryan Coogler first saw Jordan try on Stack’s red fedora, bought by Carter in Los Angeles’s Melrose Avenue, “he was like – that’s it. Then he goes up into the rest of the office, and people are coming down, like, ‘Ryan’s talking upstairs about a red hat?’ You know when you’ve hit it – it’s a transformation.” This is just a small example of the canny period world-building that has made Carter the most-garlanded Black woman in Oscars history, and the owner of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (her family were in attendance, she says, of its Covid-era unveiling, while Oprah and Eddie Murphy dialled in via Zoom). Her work on Coogler’s genre-squashing, Jim Crow-era drama, which has gained a record-breaking 16 Oscar nods, has landed a fifth nomination for the two-time Oscar winner (she is, according to a poll by Variety, a favourite in the category). Among her starry upcoming projects: a biopic of the pioneering Black fashion designer, Ann Lowe – designer of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress – which she will produce alongside Serena Williams. Continue reading...

I swerved the tourist traps and went on a bar crawl of the city’s bruine kroegen , the cosy, dimly lit pubs that are the Netherlands’ ‘surrogate living rooms’ Is there anything better than a good old British pub? Well, a Dutch person may prefer a  bruine kroeg (brown bar). Often nondescript from the outside and thus easy to miss, these cosy, homely, rustic cafe-style bars typically have plain dark-wood furniture, candles on the tables, aged knick-knacks and faded pictures. There will be dim lighting, usually from antique-style lamps, and they make ideal hubs – they are often referred to as a “surrogate living room”. The name comes from the venues’ tobacco-stained walls and ceilings, which since the smoking ban started in 2008 have been topped up by dark brown paint. Beers and jenevers (Dutch gins) are the most popular drinks, and snacks such as bitterballen (meat ragout croquettes), boiled eggs and borrelnootjes (nuts with a crispy coating) are often available too. The choice of background music is a vital component; soft vintage jazz is ideal, so when I visited Cafe ’t Hooischip the Michael Jackson and Culture Club soundtrack jarred somewhat with the cosy, historic setting. Continue reading...

At London fashion week models wore headscarves adorned with jewellery, and brands like Vela are leading the change online. For gen Z Muslim women, bolder designs are making a break from darker colours • Don’t get Fashion Statement delivered to your inbox? Sign up here There’s a common sentiment among my hijab-wearing friends: a plain black headscarf is the equivalent of putting your hair in a slickback bun. A slickback bun is classic, timeless and polished – it can go with almost anything. But, it can also look a little tired. I love bold prints, and it isn’t just me. A friend of mine gravitates toward leopard prints and pashmina-style scarves, a nod to her Kashmiri heritage. And it’s not only an aesthetic choice – for many hijab-wearing women, patterned scarves feel like a push against the idea that Muslim women should blend in. Continue reading...

Hollyoaks star Alex Fletcher is set to bid farewell to the soap with a heartbreaking storyline.

To coincide with Dr Seuss Day, the BBC looks back at how Oxford University helped create the icon.

A wholesome, one-pot chicken-and-rice dish that’s rammed with flavour thanks to a zingy marinade Welcome to your new favourite one-pot rice dish! I have been looking at ways to introduce more fibre to my rice dishes, to make them more balanced, and what I’ve ended up with is a recipe that has extra flavour, texture and fibre from the lentils and sweetcorn. Serve with a vibrant, zingy green salad topped with toasted sesame seeds. This recipe is an edited extract from Rice: Make Rice the Heart of Your Table with Recipes from Malaysia and Beyond, by Ping Coombes, published by Murdoch Books at £26. To order a copy for 23.40, go to guardianbookshop.com . Delivery charges may apply Continue reading...

He helped bring dance music to the mainstream, was a staple of the 90s Ibiza scene and at 65 still DJs on Radio 1. But all those hours in the club have come at a cost. Here, he talks survival, selling out and why he’s secretly quite shy ‘I’m of an era, really, where nobody ever got old,” says Pete Tong with a smile. Certainly not in the rave scene. “When you start, you never think you’re going to be doing it for that long. But then, equally, you don’t think it’s going to only be for, like, two years or 10 years. You just don’t think about it.” The dawn of dance music in the 80s was far too exciting to worry about when the party might end – and there is no sign it is about to. Tong is still presenting his BBC Radio 1 dance music show 35 years later, as well as running a record label. Last year, he says, he had more gigs than he has for ages. Tong, who is 65, was talking to fellow DJ and longtime friend Carl Cox (63) about it the other day. “We’re just so blessed and lucky to still be doing it – being able to play music to people and doing what we loved as kids.” Continue reading...

The ceremony, formerly known as the SAG Awards, took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

Claire Danes, Wunmi Mosaku, Rose Byrne and host Kristen Bell were among the crowd at the 32nd Actor awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards, held in Los Angeles on Sunday. This year, for the first time, the awards had a fashion theme: ‘Reimagining Hollywood glamour from the 20s and 30s’. While some stars dressed the part, others interpreted the costume cue very loosely Actor awards 2026: Michael B Jordan, Jessie Buckley and Catherine O’Hara among big winners Continue reading...

Late designer’s niece opts for natural womenswear look after Bottega Veneta features swishy yeti coats in faux fur Does it matter who designs women’s clothes? Silvana Armani – niece of the late Giorgio, creative director of womenswear and one of the few women in charge of a fashion house – thinks so. “The way women and men relate to their bodies is different, which affects the design process. Dressing a woman is more complex than dressing a man,” she said before her first solo show on the last day of Milan fashion week. “Yet, as a woman, you know your body. You try things on and notice if a jacket’s length is off, adjusting it as necessary.” Continue reading...

This Welsh fruit loaf is tricky to get right, and even trickier to perfect, but it’s squidgy heaven if you do Bara brith, the traditional Welsh fruit loaf whose name means speckled bread, is, as Ben Mervis notes, not dissimilar to Yorkshire brack, Irish barmbrack and Scottish “kerrie loaf” – the last is a new one on me, though, of course, I’m more than familiar with how well they all pair with strong tea and cold salty butter. According to food writers Laura Mason and Catherine Brown, they were originally known as teisen dorth in south Wales, and they date the recipe to no earlier than the beginning of the 20th century. However, the digitising of records since their book Food of Britain was published in 1999 allowed me to find a reference to it being eaten before school examinations in Bala, Gwynedd, in Seren Cymru from 1857. ( Pen Vogler notes that “anything made with flour, however, is likely to be relatively modern, as wheat was too unreliable to be a staple in wet, upland Wales.”) There’s no reason to doubt the pair’s claim that bara brith was originally made from excess bread dough, but I think it’s good enough to need no such excuse. Continue reading...

From live audio descriptions to fabric swatch booklets, designers including Chet Lo are rethinking the catwalk experience for blind and low-vision clothes-lovers ‘If you put your hands out and run your fingers along this skirt, you’ll feel that there are soft feathers appliquéd on to it,” says the fashion designer Chet Lo. “The skirt is emerald green in colour with black panels on the side and it is designed to be very fitted on the body.” Lo is speaking to a group of six guests ahead of his London fashion week show, offering them a sneak preview of his new collection that will shortly be unveiled on the catwalk. Chet Lo shows his Night Market collection at the Mandarin Oriental hotel at London fashion week Continue reading...

Being spontaneous is overrated, say Mia and Elijah, who find timetabling sex means it never gets forgotten • How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously OK, you’re volunteering on Tuesday, and I’m going fishing on Thursday, so we’re going to have sex on Monday and Friday Continue reading...