Gillian Riley
All in a pickle: Gillian Riley turns her eye to microbes
Our resident food historian on the ‘busy little critters’ found inside our guts
Wild courses: Gillian Riley explores the cultural traditions of preparing and eating game
Eskimo diets, venison and sixteenth-century Italian butchery are on the menu this month, courtesy of our beloved food historian
‘Deities, not dinner’: Hackney and a plant-based past
Our resident food historian Gillian Riley points out that the vivid, varied vegan food we can now enjoy around the borough is rooted in traditions from hundreds of years ago
‘The Empire was a commonwealth of recipes…Britain was fortunate in having access to many of them’
With Windrush in mind, our resident food historian considers the folly, from a culinary angle and otherwise, of the idea of vital ingredients ‘going back where they came from’…
Where have you bean? Gillian Riley with more on legumes, seeds and all manner of other pulchritudinous pods
Our beloved food historian hits us with an update of last month’s broad (bean) overview, featuring some localised info for Hackney citizens
Beans, pulses, nuts, peas and seeds: it’s the little things
Our resident food historian takes a historical view of the newly ‘rehabilitated’ ingredients. Whether scrubbed, peeled or dried, these versatile morsels are more than meets the eye
Pumpkins are for life, not just for Halloween…
…but, as our resident food historian Gillian Riley spells out in this latest piece, every member of the cucurbit family of fruits is worthy of your attention
Essence Cuisine, Shoreditch, restaurant review: raw and order
This shiny new Shoreditch hangout is part-takeaway salad joint, part-molecular gastronomy café, and 100 per cent meat, dairy, gluten and refined sugar-free. Rabbit food or raving success?
Walking on eggshells: Gillian Riley on eggs, featuring global recipes and some cracking history
Through the eyes of Gillian Riley’s “always hungry” Roman legionary (who this month is picking up some eggs from Stamford Hill for the journey north), take a tour of the world’s unbeatable eggy dishes
Gillian Riley on food: Why pastrami? The answer is blowing in the wind
Ever heard of Iron Age salt beef? Our resident food historian reveals the obscure history of the quintessential deli meats, from pastrami to Turkish basturma, with an eye on Hackney’s thriving bagel scene
Travelling on an Oyster: history, biology and some local cooking tips
Our resident food historian Gillian Riley and her trusty Roman legionary are again on the move in the borough, bringing you a fascinating overview of the mighty mollusc
Bring on the artichokes! Gillian Riley on Caravaggio, veg and violence
In her latest column, our resident food and art historian imagines the painter and GBH enthusiast storming through Hackney