I managed to get some autumnal baking in this week with grape schiacciata, plum and almond cakes, and oatmeal, raisin and coconut cookies. Hoping to get time today to finish off Mary Berry’s Bara Brith.

• I enjoyed this essay: ‘Why I’ll never cook again’. I try and cook for my own enjoyment as much as I can. Expecting gratitude from others for going over-and-above is not healthy. Getting food on the table deserves thanks, but any more messing around better be for your own amusement.
• I’ve signed up for a Cocoa Runners subscription. They have an amazing list of independent chocolate producers, most of which I’ve never heard of. My favourite so far is this bar from Original Beans.
• When Jay Rayner writes about food issues and policies (as opposed to cheese on toast), he often has a balanced and rational approach that I like. He’s very good on the advantages as well as the flaws of supermarkets here.
• The New York Times had a weekend issue about children and food. I haven’t read it all yet, but this Mark Bittman piece on how he fed his daughters is a good one (we have our own broccoli monster here).
• Also from that issue, a video of what happens when you take seven year olds for a tasting menu meal at two-Michelin-starred Daniel. My favourite part is how much they use their hands to eat.