Charmian Smith

Learning to cook is beneficial - whatever your age.

Meat and milk from animals grown on farms may well be a thing of the past for many people when the new products of cellular agriculture come on stream in an estimated four or five years, Charmian Smith writes.

Californian chef Samin Nosrat had a childhood obsession about NZ, so when she was invited to speak about her best-selling book at the Wellington Writers and Readers' festival recently, she jumped at the chance.

At the Otago Farmers Market a couple of weeks ago, stallholders were wearing brightly coloured hats to celebrate the market's 15th birthday.

These days, Christmas and New Year have become such important celebrations and holidays that it's strange to realise that they weren't always so, Charmian Smith writes.

Charmian Smith reports on the move to more sustainable diets.

Fermented foods are becoming increasingly trendy, and there's evidence the fermentation and the compounds produced are linked with physical and mental health.

Many of us would prefer our food to come with less packaging, Charmian Smith writes.

These days you may well find a few ants, locusts or huhu grubs turning up on plates in some of New Zealand's leading restaurants.