Pasta

For those of us longing to be festive, we officially announce that Christmas prep is on! In Great Britain the last Sunday before advent is Stir Up Sunday—November 24 this year. A Victorian tradition, this is the day to make those Christmas treats that need to be made well ahead—such as Christmas pudding, fruitcake, and the mincemeat for mince pies. Several weeks of maturing and being ‘fed’ regularly with spirits ensures they are at their tip top best when the time to serve them comes around.

Fred Plotkin is an expert on both Italian opera and Italian food. His regional Italian cookbooks on the cooking of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and of Liguria have already delighted users of ckbk, and we pleased to also now make available The Authentic Pasta Book, his canonical work on real Italian pasta. Below Fred recalls the journey which led to the writing and publication of this much-loved work.

This week we have an embarrassment of riches, an opportunity to share a treasure trove of recipes that add up to an Indian feast – with books from four chefs each with a different take on the rich diversity of food both from India, and influenced by it, and the food they love outside of that tradition.

Vegan cooking used to be niche, and the foods on offer were "same old, same old" with recipes that were worthy but uninspiring. That is no longer the case — there's now now glorious and tasty variety of options for those who want to cook and eat plant-based food. We are pleased to offer two new books to help you on your quest.

How we eat is a vital way to influence how we feel. There are two new books on your ckbk bookshelves that take food and mood seriously. Pescan: A Feel Good Cookbook is a healthy pescatarian collaboration between Australian actress Abbie Cornish and chef Jacqueline King Schiller . Peace, Love & Pasta , meanwhile, offers home cooking from James Beard Award winning chef and TV personality Scott Conant.

Diwali, the most celebrated Indian festival, serves to remind humanity of the triumph of good over evil. The celebration has important meaning for Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. This year, the Festival of Lights is celebrated on October 24 and across five days, from Saturday October 22 to Wednesday October 26.

How deep does your pasta knowledge go? Take our quiz created in partnership with artisanal pasta makers Rustichella d’Abruzzo, to find out how much you really know.

12 quintessential Italian recipes that will have you cooking like an Italian nonna.