With the promise of honey-glazed ham for Christmas lunch just around the corner, it seems the perfect time to consider pungent cloves. The dried, unopened flower buds of the evergreen tropical tree Syzygium aromaticum pack a punch in flavour. Cloves impart a warm, deep spice to both sweet and savoury..read more

I find our vegie patch to be incredibly easy on the eye but some gardeners eschew homegrown fruit and vegetables in favour of flowers for a more dazzling display of colour.

While Bruce Elder's taste buds party, it's his eyes that are served a real treat.

> TUNE IN The Long Way Down, SBS, 8.30pm: Actors and best buds Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman embark on an epic journey from Scotland to South Africa by motorbike.

Rob McFarland throws caution to the wind and finds the pungent bulb seduces his taste buds.