The women who don’t get out of bed for less than £10,000 a night

...that's how much the River Cafe turns over every day. Since it opened its doors almost 18 years ago, the restaurant has always been a reflection of its founders - relaxed, chic and classy. Geraldine Bedell meets Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray.

With friends like these…

Scientist Susan Greenfield gets Rick Stein and Heston Blumenthal to cook her lunch. By Chloe Diski.

Best food book

Rick Stein makes a toast to our own Nigel Slater for his memories of childhood teatimes.

What’s in your basket?

The seafood chef loses weight by killing his appetite with chilli. Dr John Briffa even gives the thumbs up to black coffee.

Fifteen, London N1

There are many things Victor Lewis-Smith hated about Jamie Oliver's restaurant ... the main one being that he loved the food.

Q. What do a chef and a pizza boy have in common?

Jamie Oliver risked everything with his ground-breaking project, Fifteen. His aim, to train unemployed young people as chefs under the gaze of the TV cameras, was a gamble. Two years on the restaurant is a success - it takes months to get a table - but what ever happened to the real stars of the show, the 15 trainees? John Arlidge reports.

Artist in residence

Chef Rose Gray and artist David MacIlwaine's London loft works as well for painting as it does for cooking.

Best TV food

1 Jamie's Kitchen 2 River Cottage 3 Rick Stein's Food Heroes

Best restaurant, over £20 a head

1 Fat Duck, Bray2 Terre à Terre, Brighton 3 Rick Stein, Padstow

Rhodes test

Which supermarkets have the best Christmas cake, mince pies and stuffing? Jay Rayner asks top chef Gary Rhodes to sample a range of festive fare.

The way to a man’s heart is through his kidneys

It was the River Cafe's Rose Gray who cured our writer of his offal phobia - now Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall wants to convert us all.

Rick Stein’s superheroes

Padstow's most famous resident finds Britain's best cheese makers, bakers, fishmongers and butchers.

The shooting party

Jamie Oliver is a novice, Marco Pierre White is a crack shot, and Raymond Blanc has been doing it since childhood - when top chefs want to relax they don't play golf, they play with guns. Andrew Purvis joins the boys at the butts

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Eyes Like Plates – Food & Drink – Recipes & Reviews