The starring role of onions in the world's 4000 year old cookbook and other food and drink news

• Three cheers for the onion - Deep in the archives of Yale University's Babylonian Collection lie three small clay tablets with a particular claim to fame - they are the oldest known cookery books.Covered in minute cuneiform writing, they did not give-up their secrets until 1985, nearly 4,000 years after they were written. The French Assyriologist and gourmet cook Jean Bottero - a combination only possible in France, some might say - was the man who cracked them. He discovered "a cuisine of striking richness, refinement, sophistication and artistry" with many flavours we would recognise today. Especially one flavour. "They seem obsessed with every member of the onion family!" says Bottero. Mesopotamians knew not just their onions, but also their leeks, garlic and shallots."
• Is a Great Wine Palate God Given, Learned or Bought? - "I’ve read one wine lover’s waggish suggestion that the greatness of someone’s palate is directly proportional to the value and size of his or her wine cellar."
• New restaurant trends for 2015 - - Venture capital is bolstering start-ups that aim to bring about changes to how, and especially where, people eat out. ... the appearance on the dessert menu of a new category: chocolate boards ... similar to a charcuterie board, with various flavours of chocolate to share ... This could be a breakthrough. Outside of tasting menus, restaurateurs currently persuade only 25 per cent of their customers to order dessert. Hyman’s approach of canvassing sommeliers to enthuse about chocolate boards is clever, as the flavour descriptors of chocolate and wine overlap. And for the customer, it offers a lighter option than a rich pudding."