Take a handful of pearl barley rinsed in cold water and pop it in a pot with more water so it is well covered. Place a lid on the pot to shorten the time it takes the water to boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and wait for 20 minutes until the beads of barley are soft but still chewy to bite.
Read MoreFrom plate to pixel - getting started with food photography
"From plate to pixel" is the title of Helen du Jardin's excellent book on food photography. It takes the reader through buying a camera and lenses suitable for taking photographs of food, to styling and shooting great images.
Read MoreIntroduction to food blogging and photography - a Guardian Masterclass
I am sitting in room 1.1 at the head office of the Guardian Newspaper, London awaiting 10 students. I know one is called Emily and she has told me she is a journalist and has a young child who has both Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease.
Read MoreFood Photography
"How many students have we got today?" I asked Joe Piliero, the director of the School of Artisan Food as we were setting up our first Introduction to Food Photograph course a couple of weeks ago. "Fourteen" he answered and I was delighted. Just enough students to work in four groups on our projects for the day but not too many to overwhelm me.
Read MoreA darker shade of rice
In February last year I walked into the Underground Gallery at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and saw 272 samples of rice meticulously lined up along the walls of the gallery. What surprised me was the variety. From the palest beige to the purest white each sample possessed a particular beauty.
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