At the start of the week, my colleague Yasmin Alibhai-Brown was characteristically forthright in her antipathy towards the Jubilee. Not for her a union jack plate, some bunting and a street party.

Ingredients to serve 4-5

Serves 4

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Kristin Scott Thomas

They're deliciously tasty, good for you and excellent value.

The National Audit Office (NAO) will carry out a value-for-money review of the BBC's move to Media City in Salford later this year.

No tickets for the Olympics? Time was, you could roll up and join in

Kristin Scott Thomas's latest, wonderfully puzzling role is the perfect fit for this most enigmatic of actresses, says Kaleem Aftab

A BBC executive said the corporation was "delivering value for money" on the day it published expenses claims showing senior staff claimed thousands of pounds for taxi journeys and entertaining.

Serves 4

I am now officially recognised as a salmon smoker – my Hix salmon is smoked up on the rooftop at Selfridges, believe it or not – so I thought I should devote a column to this luxurious treat. Apart from enjoying simple slices of smoked salmon, there are so many tasty snacks and meals to be made with it, especially if you buy a pack of pre-sliced salmon and realise that it's not quite good enough to eat on its own, or if perhaps you have bought a side which always yields a few bits that aren't serveable as portions, such as the tail and belly. In fact, even the skin, cut into strips and deep-fried, makes a delicious snack.

Serves 4

Serves 10 as canapés

Serves 4