As the holidays approach, the usual bombardment of festive advertising is starting to appear on TV screens around the country. One ad in particular has intrigued me.

It shows a woman getting ready to welcome her family over to the house for dinner. In her hand she has a...

The last time I was in London, I picked up a packet of extra fine green beans from a Tesco supermarket. The label, which I kept and which has been sitting on my desk ever since, intrigued me. The amount of information packed on to this small sticker reminds me...

The wildly international nature of America's culinary culture never ceases to amaze me. I'd barely spent ten minutes wandering through the aisles at this week's Fancy Food Show before I'd sampled a Belgian chocolate, a tangy English cheddar, a cup of fragrant white tea -- made from the tips of...