The Kitchen Café

Most of us are familiar with the field to fork journey or even nose to tail cooking but this week on the Kitchen Café, Chef Tom Hunt joins Jenny MacPherson to talk about his root to fruit philosophy and we hear about easy ways in which we can all eat and cook more sustainably. Also, Jenny takes a trip to Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland to get a taste of the Caribbean and Simon Preston finds out why macaroni pies go so well with a traditional Caribbean dish called chicken brown down.

How often do you come across tins of food right at the back of your cupboard that you just don’t quite know what to do with? Author of Tin Can Magic, Jessica Dennison tells us how we can transform humble tins of food into hearty delicious meals for any night of the week. Simon Preston visits one of Leith’s newest charcuteries, Chef Neil Forbes tells us how to make your own home made bacon and Ghillie Basan cooks us up a delicious chocolate fridge cake.

Fancy a bit of “healthy hedonism”?! Food writer Signe Johansen explains to Jenny Macpherson why cooking for one can be fun and describes how we can create simple solo meals without it feeling like a chore.Chef and big brunch fan Alfie Little shows us how to create a bistro-style brunch at home by making a simple frittata and a delicious espresso smoothie.Simon Preston finds out why passionate bakers Lesley Pert and Cecilia Young give up their time to make cakes for kids.And Jenny learns some tips and tricks from baker Kaitlyn Taylor on how to easily transform an ordinary cake into something quite spectacular!

Does having your kids cooking in the kitchen from an early age always have to result in kitchen chaos? Jenny MacPherson talks to food blogger Foodie Quine and cookery teacher Sumayya Usmani about different ways we can encourage children to become more involved in family cooking.Chef Steven Devlin cooks up a delicious spaghetti carbonara - the first dish he learned to cook as a 13 year old - and he talks about how his love of food took him from a 13 year old kitchen porter to later becoming a restaurateur. Scotland’s National chef and 'Master Chef: The Professionals' Winner Gary Maclean joins Jenny to talk about his new BBC Scotland series, Corner Shop Cook Off.

Chef Kirsten Gilmour has set herself a bit of a “5-mile challenge”, buying as much produce as possible from her local high street. She loves to support local businesses and cut down on the food miles but just how do-able is it? What little steps can we all take to shop more sustainably? And is it a case of being more organised and getting more creative with what IS available round the corner?Continuing our occasional series on how to make the most of your food on a city break, ex-pat Ruth Barry shares her foodie favourites in Berlin.Organic? Biodynamic? Vegan? Sustainable? Fancy going a bit more “green” with your wine purchases but finding the terminology a bit perplexing? Simon Preston rummages through the shelves of his local wine shop to see what’s available while wine expert Nikki Welch helps us unpick what the labels mean and just what we’re getting in terms of taste, cost and environmental impact.

Do you want to save £440 per year? We can help you to be more cash savvy in the kitchen! Ylva Haglund from Zero Waste Scotland is on hand with lots of simple money saving tips. Radio Scotland's 'Clever about Cash' presenter Kim McAllister is set the 'yellow sticker challenge' to hunt out bargains in the local supermarket.As Valentines Day is on the horizon, Jenny MacPherson and Scotland's very own spice girl, Ghillie Basan explores what it means to cook with love as they create a delicious meatball tagine and discover why cooking with love can enhance your eating experience.

Does the sandwich you brought to work today feel like something really special? If not, on the Kitchen Café this week we’ll be finding out what makes the ultimate sandwich and we’ll be giving you some ideas of how you can make your own gourmet sandwich on the cheap. Selecting the right bread is essential so David Hoyle from the Findhorn Bakery will be talking about the various grains he uses and how that changes the flavour and texture of the bread. Are you looking for food that will give you a bit of a hug this week? Chef Alfie Little from River House restaurant in Inverness will be cooking up a mouth-watering Haddock Welsh Rarebit served on a bed of crushed potato and samphire.

Fed up of stodgy comfort food but not quite ready for spring salads? Step forward the blood orange – bang in season and sure to put a zing into your cooking! Chef Neil Forbes shows Jenny MacPherson how to make a warm pigeon breast and blood orange salad – just 20 minutes from start to finish!Avacados - love ‘em or loathe ‘em? They’re a bit of a "marmite" food so how does Dave Griffiths manage to devote an entire café to those squidgy green beauties? Emma Gryczka meets him to find out more while food writer Claire Jessiman offers ideas on what else we can do with them beyond avo on toast. Neil and Claire share their thoughts on the sustainability issues surrounding avocados and how they offset the food miles that produce like that bring with it…Continuing our occasional series on how to make the most of your food on a city break, ex-pat Jenny Soep shares her foodie favourites in Stockholm.And in this week’s “green hack” Kilted Chef Craig Wilson offers a handy tip for what we can do with leftover yoghurt.

If you think Burns night is all about haggis, neeps and tatties then think again......Chef Neil Forbes joins Jenny MacPherson to give haggis a complete makeover, Ryan Van Winkle talks about how food and poetry are the perfect pairing and Emma Gryczka heads along to Aberdeen's indoor market where she gets a pasta masterclass from Francesco Di Nicola.

January is a time where many of us have to think about tightening the purse strings so Lorna Cooper joins Jenny MacPherson to talk about her new book "How To Feed Your Family On £20 A Week", and Mary Contini, having grown up in a large Italian family, gives us some great hints and tips on how to make your food go further. Plus, Simon Preston visits Glasgow’s first Hellenic Pie shop to learn how to make a traditional Greek Spanakopita pie.

Left over chicken on a Monday, mince and tatties on a Tuesday, macaroni on a Wednesday and baked potato on a Thursday… Does this sound familiar? Chef Andy Cumming and food writer Sumayya Usmani join Jenny MacPherson to make dull dinners a thing of the past as they provide inspiration to shake up your weekly menu. Also, if we shop in the same places and buy the same ingredients then it’s likely we’ll cook the same things so Simon Preston visits an international supermarket in an attempt to jazz up his shopping basket. And to get your taste buds going, Chef Neil Forbes cooks us up a quick and delicious beef shallot recipe.

Jenny Macpherson and the team get the new year off to a cracking start with some fresh foodie inspiration!Kilted chef Craig Wilson explains how we can all make our kitchens and our cooking more sustainable with some simple everyday tips.Food writer Felicity Cloake offers advice and ideas for getting the most out of our food on a city break, from the markets we shop in to the street food we try out ... and from the cafes we sample coffee in to the restaurants we dine at. Local resident Arnar explains the best foodie experiences in Reykjavik.Chef Kirsten Gilmour shows Gillian Russell how to create a delicious but easy perfectly sexy quiche!

If your palate is in need of a bit of a lift after all the festive indulgence then cook and food writer Ghillie Basan is on hand to spice up your Boxing Day dinner with a delicious gado gado, guaranteed to get your taste buds going!Chef Julie Lin lets us sample some of her mouth-watering Malaysian mee hoon goreng and explains why she chose it as her Boxing Day dish...Jenny MacPherson hears about how other cultures from around the world celebrate food throughout the festive period here in Scotland.

If you're looking for some inspiration on the festive food front, Scotland's National Chef Gary Maclean cooks us up a couple of delicious starters including citrus prawns and pan seared mackerel. Mary Contini has some great ideas for Christmas nibbles to keep you going while you slave over a hot stove and Simon Preston meets up with wine expert Davy Zyw for some advice on what festive fizz we should have on our Christmas tables this year.

Festive food inspiration - from sides you can freeze ahead to pudding ideas and cheeses!Chef Alfie Little cooks some Christmas side dishes you can make now and freeze ahead of the big day, baker Jeni Hardie makes a cranberry chocolate brownie for those who want a change from Christmas pudding and cheese expert Phoebe Weller shares her tips on creating a memorable festive cheeseboard!

Jenny MacPherson, Claire Jessiman and Simon Preston review some of this year's Christmas cook books, chef Neil Forbes cooks us up a delicious festive Ecclefechan tart and Carina Contini is on hand to give us tips on creating some tasty, edible Christmas gifts.

It may still be November… and you might not want to hear the C word … but trust us, your Christmas food planning and cooking will be a lot less stressful with Beth Kempton’s guide to a calm Christmas. And it starts right now!Food writer and lover of all things Italian Vicky Bennison has spent years travelling across Italy, meeting the nonnas and finding out their culinary secrets. Discover just how simple it is to cook like a “pasta granny” in your kitchen at home!Nigel Slater explains why the humble cheese grater has a special place in his heart!And wrapping up Soup Month, Chef Kirsten Gilmour makes an apricot, carrot, rosemary and red lentil soup. Yes, really – apricots in a soup!

Ghillie Basan shows us some inspiring ways in which we can use up our leftovers in a pot of soup and Fife food ambassador Christopher Trotter is on hand to give us some expert advice on how to create the perfect stock. Also, Christopher Mullin tells Andrew Thomson about his one man mission to revive the ancient tradition of making mead in Scotland.

The Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers talk to Jenny about their new book 'One Pot Wonders' and as November is soup month on The Kitchen Café, chef Alfie from River House restaurant in Inverness shows us how to make a quick fish soup, using only 5 ingredients. Also, as part of Children In Need week, Jenny speaks to Carol MacLennan from the Elgin Youth Café to hear about the difference their cookery classes are making to the young folk of Elgin.

Join Jenny MacPherson and the team for more great foodie ideas, stories and inspirational tips.This week Nigel Slater shares his passion for autumn and winter cooking with a whole bunch of fresh, inspiring recipe ideas. He explains how the plant-based recipes in his new GreenFeast book are comforting, satisfying and certainly not puritanical! Oh, and some pudding-for-breakfast confessions like: “I have been known to open the fridge at 7 o’clock in the morning and glory, there’s yesterday’s trifle…!”With the clocks changing and winter fast approaching, we’ve declared November to be Soup Month on The Kitchen Café! Chef Neil Forbes shows us how to make a simple but delicious lightly spiced parsnip soup.Meryl Gilbert from Glasgow’s SWG3 talks about their fresh approach to eating out. The dining space at the Acid Bar is taken over by different chefs and cuisines every few months – like a pop-up restaurant but for longer than one night only! It mirrors the shared space in the rest of the building and allows for greater flexibility and creativity with the food … and a chance for us to broaden our horizons with what and how we eat.