A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink

It’s a Listener Choice special as the team tackle three very different culinary favourites. Sam champions custard in all its forms, from medieval recipes to modern puddings. Allie investigates the mischievous history of Sicily’s “Chancellor’s Buttocks” pastry. And Neil celebrates the crumpet, exploring the history of those hole-filled griddle cakes that have become a staple of the British tea tabl...

The team return to the theme of vegetables for this episode. Neil champions the much maligned cabbage which he calls the ‘dog of vegetables’. Sam expresses her beef with celery and why it needs a lot of help from its friends to make it more palatable. And Allie delves into the anthropomorphic qualities of cauliflower. Sources/Useful Links Cabbage Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book (1978) A Nievve Herba...

As promised in the last episode of A is for Apple , here is the full interview with Tom Tibbits and Lydia Crimp of Artistraw Cidery and Orchard in Herefordshire. Lydia and Tom go to great efforts to make a natural cider and perry using fruit from their own orchards, fermented the natural way without pitching any yeast. You can find out more about Artistraw on their website www.artistraw.co.uk , wh...

Drink is the theme for this episode! Sam explores the (reputedly) perfect beverage to drink while giving birth. Neil chats to Tom and Lydia from Artistraw who make natural cider and perry. And Allie reveals there is a whole lot more to a cappuccino than a frothy top. You can listen to the latest episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the penultimate episode before our Listener’s C...

C is for Caraway, Curry & Cinnamon In this episode of A is for Apple , we turn to aromatics and ask what these ingredients carry with them beyond flavour. From the binding qualities of caraway in early modern folklore to the layered histories of curry and its place in Britain, and the enduring warmth of cinnamon, we explore how spices move, adapt, and settle. Along the way, we think about trad...

Things get wet and wild in this episode as the team explore fish and seafood. Allie explores the world of caviar, bumps and all. Sam introduces the gang to cockle bread and Neil asks whether there is any real point to cod? Don’t forget to email us at aisforapplepod@gmail.com or tag us on Instagram or BlueSky if you have any suggestions for future episodes. You may also want to subscribe to the A i...

Today’s theme is PEOPLE! Allie, Neil and Sam bring some guests with them to this episode (metaphorically speaking). One is renowned for her flamboyancy; another is an avid champion of fruit and veg and the last has a very large bone to pick with one of history’s most renowned cookbook authors. But can you guess who they are? (Well of course you can because their names are in the title, but indulge...

Sam Bilton Allie Pino and Neil Buttery are back with a brand new season exploring the culinary alphabet. This time it’s the letter ‘C’. In the first episode of this season our team had free reign to explore whatever took their fancy. Sam opens with carbonado , diving into its rich history and cultural associations. Allie follows with carrots , exploring their meanings, myths, and surprising journe...

Welcome to Episode 7 of Season B. This is a Listener’s Choice ep, and things get hot, messy and monstrous as Sam, Neil and Alessandra look at Boiling, Bloody Mary and bay leaves. Things mentioned in this episode Sam Bilton wins at the Fortum & Mason Awards Museum of Royal Worcester project wins at the British Library Food Season Awards Sam’s black pudding episode on Comfortably Hungry Neil is...

Welcome to this bonus episode of A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink . Last episode the theme was Meat, and as usual, the three of us nattered away for a bit too long and some of our conversation was edited out for time. One of these things was the part of Neil’s section on brains and the BSE crisis. We’re busy behind the scenes getting the listener's choice episode ready for you,...

Welcome to Episode 6 of Season B. The theme is ‘Meat’ and Sam, Neil and Alessandra get beefy with three choice nuggets of fleshy goodness, looking at Beef Wellington, Brains and Bovril. Don’t get the meat sweats! Don’t forget the next episode is the Listeners’ Choice. Please send your suggestions (with a reason why you’ve chosen it) to aisofrapplepod@gmail.com . Your deadline is 21st May! Links &a...

Welcome to this bonus episode of A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink . Last episode had the blue theme, and Neil chose to look at blue cheese, in particular Stichelton, which is made on the beautiful Welbeck Estate in rural Nottinghamshire. Neil spoke to Joe Schneider, who makes this delicious, unique farmhouse cheese. Neil cut the interview down to 6 minutes or so, but here it is...

In Episode 5 the intrepid team enter their blue period. Neil finds out how a unique blue cheese was resurrected from obscurity thanks to some mouldy leather. Allie explores the significance of blue corn to the Hopi in Arizona. And Sam explains why a blue flower was believed to lift the spirits (and also looks great in a glass of Pimms). Useful Links and Further Reading: Blue Cheese Stichelton Dair...

Check out Thom's podcast The Delicious Legacy here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-delicious-legacy/id1494707127 Watch Thom smoke pork and mutton over a charcoal fire like an ancient Greek: https://youtu.be/u7JN1pl_JVs?si=k-j6dZGYVne_0zUa The Odyssey by Homer: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm

In this bonus episode, Allie explores the rich tradition of barbacoa from  Chef Edson Diaz-Fuentes' hometown, diving into its regional variations and the traditional pit-cooking techniques that define its deep, smoky flavours. They also discuss his journey through London’s dynamic food scene and how his three restaurants bring the heart of Mexican cuisine to the city. Ciudad de México: Recipe...

Cooking is essentially a series of techniques. In Episode 4 Neil, Sam and Allie explore an ancient form of hearth cookery; find out why being called Béchamel could merit a kick in the posterior and get sizzling on the barbie. (No cakes or dolls were harmed in the making of this podcast 😉). Useful Links Neil’s recipes: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2012/02/21/pancake-day/ https://britishfoodhisto...

In this bonus episode of A is for Apple , Allie looks into the unexpected Britishness of bagels, their nostalgic ties to celebrations, and even their royal connections. In this episode: Discover how bagels earned a place in Good Housekeeping's 2024 best street party food list Learn about bagels' links to Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee and William and Kate's visit to Brick Lane's famous Beigel Ba...

In this episode of Season B, Sam, Neil and Ally focus on the world of baking. Sam cooks up some delicious (or not) baked beans, Neil considers the Bath bun and Ally dives into bagel culture. Useful links, references and things mentioned in the episode: Baked Beans Beans: A History by Ken Albala (2007) The Frugal Housewife by Lydia Maria Child (1829) The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook by Fannie Mer...

Welcome to a special extra tidbit excised from the previous episode where Ally, Sam and Neil talked about butteries. We ended up going off on one about the upper servants - off-topic, but interesting (we hope!) and so here it is for your aural entertainment. You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on Instagram and X (Twitter). Sam Bilton also hosts the Comfortably Hungry Podcast and is the autho...

In this episode, we explore food places beginning with 'B.' Neil uncovers the buttery—not the hearty Scottish roll, but the traditional place where wine is stored. Allie dives into the origins and charm of the bistro, with its revolutionary roots where food and culture come together in cosy, intimate spaces. Meanwhile, Sam unwraps the story of Bourneville, where chocolate and community collide.&nb...

This is the uncut discussion between Neil and Rachel Webster, Curator of Botany at the Manchester Museum. There is more talk of fruit and berries, including a gobsmacking fact surrounding avocado seeds, and we answer the all-important question: Is an apple a berry? Find out more about the Manchester Museum here You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on  Instagram  and  Bluesky Li...

Welcome back to Season 2 of the A is for Apple podcast where Sam Bilton, Dr Neil Buttery and Dr Alessandra Pino will be exploring the bountiful letter B. In this episode our team take a healthful approach to the start of the season. Allie goes bananas, Sam explores a once popular low-carb diet and Neil discovers why some fruits are only masquerading berries despite their names. You can follow the...

In this bonus episode Sam explores the Instagram sensation that is the avocado and why this berry that takes its name from the Aztec word for testicle makes some people rather anxious. This is the full interview with author and environmental journalist Louise Gray, who’s book   Avocado Anxiety  tracks the stories of our five-a-day from farm to fruit bowl and uncovers the impact that...

In this episode - the last of the A series! - Alessandra, Neil and Sam take on listeners’ suggestions to create quite the pot pourri mix of anchovies, alewives and avocados. If you have any suggestions for season ‘B’ let us know! You can find A is for Apple on Instagram  and  X  (Twitter) or email us at aisforapplepod@gmail.com Useful links and things mentioned in the episode Neil B...

In this extra bonus episode, Neil talks with Sam and Alessandra about why getting plenty of nitrogen in the soil is good for making amino acids and therefore protein. You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on Instagram and X (Twitter). Sam Bilton also hosts the Comfortably Hungry Podcast and is the author of First Catch Your Gingerbread , Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron and The Philos...