Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
These were the ultimate treat growing up. My father would often arrive home, a rumpled white paper bag stained with tell-tale splotches of peanut oil in hand. And if that wasn’t enough of a clue, the smell would hit you soon after: pandan, peanuts and the vanilla-sweet whiff of coconut. The waffles themselves are a […]
Continue Reading
If you happen to be a stranger to pandan, let me introduce you to this enigmatic Asian ingredient. Hold tight, you’re in for a treat. Pandan, or more correctly Pandanus amaryllifolius (no sniggering, please), is a tropical plant with an aroma like no other. It has a subtle, almost floral perfume, dancing with notes of […]
Continue Reading
Kelp – the seaweed that sparked the biggest xenophobic food scare in the west. The three letters, that when printed on any ingredient list, is powerful enough to instil fear in even the bravest eater. To make a health food junkie drop a packet of vegetable crisps like a scalding hot potato. MSG. This vilified […]
Continue Reading
The combination of apple and toffee has always been delicious, whether in the form of a toffee apple or a caramel and apple tart. Often, however, the apple is overlooked as people favour the intense sweetness of toffee, only eating the apple to assuage their guilt. This recipe, however, places the spotlight on the apple, […]
Continue Reading
Tofu can split opinion. While I belong to the ‘Pro Tofu’ camp, for many it is often bland, lacklustre, and uninspiring. You may have seen it in the fridge section in Tesco and decided to give it a miss. Tofu is BORING. I am here to tell you it doesn’t have to be. When treated […]
Continue Reading
Even though its January, I’m sure nobody has any intention of reading diet recipes: the prospect of waiting another year for Christmas is sad enough without throwing quinoa into the situation. So, to wean off Christmas feasting, make one of the simplest cheesecake recipes that (despite its deliciously sounding title) doesn’t require any fiddly work […]
Continue Reading
Christmas is now well and truly over: the decorations have been stowed away, our fridges are no longer filled with food that’s being ‘saved for Christmas’ and the socially acceptable window of watching festive TV on catch-up is quickly closing. And as ‘tis the season for New Year’s resolutions, I’ve become reflective on what mine […]
Continue Reading
The annual month-long celebration of veganism is upon us – Veganuary. As someone who made the decision to eschew animal products seven years ago, I rejoice every time January rolls around. Supermarkets bring out sandwiches which aren’t stuffed with the uninspiring falafel-hummus combination, restaurants reinvent their vegan offerings (gone are the days of ‘house-salad-but-will-you-hold-the-cheese’). The […]
Continue Reading
My co-editor Elle and I had dinner at The Ivy Oxford Brasserie last week, also known as one of the best nights in my life ever. It’s important to note that I, Ben Chuah, love food. I can spell it out if you’d like. I. Love. Food. I love fast food. I’m obsessed with comfort […]
Continue Reading
The innocent question ‘where to quench your thirst around here’ to one of my college’s porters brought me to the Gardener’s Arms on North Parade Avenue on my first night in Oxford. I have been returning regularly since. It is a small, narrow pub, shaped like a railway carriage. It is usually rather empty than […]
Continue Reading
The bones may be dirty, but the food? Incredible. My first – and until the next 21st birthday dinner on the calendar – probably last time at Westgate’s sparkling restaurant left an impression on my palate so profound, I thought it best to share. It is a stunning restaurant – think decadence meets green juice […]
Continue Reading
It’s rare that I look for recipes outside of Pinterest these days. There’s something exciting about playing link roulette with each perfectly arranged lay flat photo of food. Am I going to get a nine-page saga with child-rearing tips alongside the recipe or end up on a different, unrelated web page altogether? In this case, […]
Continue Reading
As a busy, slightly broke student, I’m guilty of forgetting to eat enough fruit and veg. During my first summer at Oxford when I didn’t go home for the vac, I managed to accidentally malnourish myself by trying to subsist on porridge oats and gluten free pancakes. My GP kindly prescribed ‘Salmon and dark green […]
Continue Reading
Amidst a year of closing shops on the High Street, a new establishment has opened it doors this week: The Ivy Oxford Brasserie. If you’re in 4th year and beyond, you may recognise it in the old NatWest building (which had previously been bought by Lincoln College). A week before its official grand opening, the […]
Continue Reading
If like me, you have found yourself out and about with nothing to eat due to the unfortunate affliction of a gluten-free lifestyle, occasionally forced to subsist on a chocolate bar and a bag of crisps because you haven’t mapped out your safe foods in town, look no further than this handy guide to gluten-free […]
Continue Reading
As someone who enjoys cooking and who has been brought up with a mindset that home-cooking is the healthiest and cheapest approach to food, I naturally plunged into self-catering from week one of first year. After having survived one year without making a huge economic loss (or weight gain), I realised my methods must be […]
Continue Reading
My dearest Solomans, You’ve been my one and only since freshers’. I cemented our love with a loyalty card, each smiley stamp bringing a sense of achievement I have yet to experience in other aspects of my life. But I have a confession. I didn’t mean to do what I did, you have to […]
Continue Reading
Let’s assume you’re a fresher. If you’re actually reading this in print form, then let’s face it, you probably are. Having just arrived in a new, unfamiliar environment, and needing to be heavily caffeinated to get any work done, you contemplate your options. You’ve found the big coffee chains in the town centre, but you […]
Continue Reading
Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I am a Gen-Z-Millennial cusp, and I do not like avocados. Or rather, I do not share my generation’s fanatical fetish for the green fleshy fruit. Done well, they’re fine. I could take them or leave them. Done badly, they taste like texture. My mother and […]
Continue Reading