It's something of a family tradition that my father buys me something to do with cooking for Christmas. Over the years, he's bought me a milk frother, a juicer, a tagine and a yogurt maker: in fact, a casual glance in my kitchen cupboards will probably tell the story...

I have never quite got the hang of New Year's Eve or New Year's resolutions. I can understand the point of marking dates and remembering special occasions, but the world's way of celebrating, with copious amounts of alcohol immediately followed by pious resolutions to...

As we look back on 2014, different people will have different perspectives. For some, it has been an exciting year, full of promise. For others, it has been a difficult year, with illness or bereavement predominant. Everyone has a different view based on what has...