Table of contents for September 2021 in Delicious UK

September means that new-term feeling; it means end-of-summer bounty (the last of the sweetcorn cobs in their rustly wrappings, the never-ending tomato glut – and hello, apples!). And it means, somehow, that time is starting to feel squeezed again as we reacquaint ourselves with what life used to be like. I, for one, am trying to note and hold on to things I’ve learned and appreciated from the past year and a half – the importance of friends and neighbours; how to cram in less and appreciate more (quiet moments in particular); and that, on occasion, it’s okay to say no. It really is. As the schools go back, it’s an apt time to learn new skills (or polish up existing ones). To help you do just that, we’re honoured…

PHOTOGRAPH: OXFORD UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY/ EASY TIGER CREATIVE A new exhibition at Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, Meat The Future, explains how modern meat production and consumption affects people and the planet, and explores alternatives – from high-tech substitutes (are you ready for lab-grown meat?) to traffic light-style eco-credentials on products. A mobile installation, Meat Your Persona, is visiting two more cities around the UK – Glasgow (24 Aug-5 Sep) and Leeds in October. If you can’t make it along you can still take the quiz at meatyourpersona. com. Exhibition runs until 16 Jan 2022; oumnh.ox.ac.uk; @morethanadodo Turn to p68 for an in-depth look at eating meat and dairy…

*LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR SPACE/CLARITY AND ARE PUBLISHED ON THE BASIS THAT CONTRIBUTORS HAVETHE AGREEMENT OF ANYONE ELSE MENTIONED IN THEM FOR ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO BE PUBLISHED “I’m reluctant to post about this, wanting selfishly to keep these places to myself! I live in the area and feel blessed to have such amazing purveyors on our doorstep. A great read.” Maria De Luca Simms replied “We’re the same here in Leicestershire. The cheese, ciders, beers, pork pies, beautiful fruit and veg... We are blessed in this country.” Katie McGuinness said “We have some fantastic local produce around County Durham and North Yorkshire. I agree we’re blessed to have so many amazing food producers and retailers in Britain.” HAVE YOUR SAY Connect with other delicious. cooks on our reader…

We’ve all been there. You’re busy, tired and hungry. You don’t want anything OTT, just something simple to fill a gap. You settle on a sandwich but, as you’re buttering the bread, it occurs to you that plain cheese is a bit boring. You should probably add some pickle because, you know, you’re someone who appreciates food and you should make the effort. Plus, if that gourmet pickle isn’t oozing from the sides of a doorstep sandwich that really should be filled with an artisan cheddar rather than shrink-wrapped mild, you definitely won’t be able to post it on Instagram. “I’m as guilty as anyone, adding garnishes to ensure I make the grade and creating dishes based on what will satisfy the gaze of others instead of my own belly”…

Past-their-prime tomatoes and summer herbs get a second chance to shine Savour the abundance of radishes this month. Pickle them whole or sliced Basil, lemon & ginger cordial Makes 800ml (about 14 portions) Hands-on time 20 min MAKE AHEAD Keep the syrup in a sealed container or jug in the fridge for up to a week. USE UP A GLUT This drink is great for using up lemons. If you have some limes, oranges or even passion fruit lying about, try adding them to the mix to vary the flavours. • 500ml lemon juice (from about 12-15 lemons) • 440g caster sugar • 100g fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated • Generous basil sprig per glass • Chilled soda water and ice to serve 1 Put the lemon juice, caster sugar and ginger in a…

PORTRAIT: SKY UK LTD Dear Edna Really this letter is to say thank you – for your inspired cooking and your clear poetic writing. The pace of your books got me thinking about what’s beautiful in a kitchen and how culinary achievement is quantified – and by whom. When I look at the world of respected cooking, I don’t see many faces that look like mine. I don’t taste many dishes coming out of those kitchens that use the ingredients I’ve grown up eating and cooking. YOU are the cook who got me to start looking at the heart of what we call soul food. Because of you, I feel proud of the food I grew up eating and reading about. Because of you, I understand there are many ways…

Richard Bertinet’s Baking Bread and Pierre Koffmann’s Classic French Cooking are available from 1 September 2021. Jancis Robinson’s An Understanding of Wine is open for registration now and will be available later this year. All online courses cost £80 each. Each BBC Maestro course consists of 20-40 video lessons with downloadable course notes from experts, including Julia Donaldson on children’s picture books, Marco Pierre White on home cooking and Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio on writing television drama. bbcmaestro.com…

Chocolate and tahini ruffle filo pie Serves 6-8 Hands-on time 15 min Oven time 35-45 min You’ll also need 20cm round pie dish, buttered MAKE AHEAD Prepare the pie to the end of step 2 up to 8 hours ahead. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container until ready to bake the filling. The assembled pie is best eaten on the same day but will keep for 1-2 days, covered in the fridge. Reheat in a low oven to crisp up the top. EASY SWAPS Switch the milk chocolate for dark if you prefer and replace the pistachios with hazelnuts or almonds. Try lemon zest instead of orange zest. KNOWHOW Don’t use a springform/ loose-bottomed tin unless the seal is tight. • 270g pack filo pastry (we used Jus-Rol) • 6…

Don’t want to make a fancy frosting? Make a traditional buttercream icing instead • 250g butter softened, softened • 500g icing sugar, sifted • 3 tbsp whole milk • 2 tsp vanilla extract How to make it Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the icing sugar in 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla, then beat on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and very fluffy. Choose your flavour Chocolate Replace 50-100g icing sugar with an equal weight of sifted cocoa powder. Lemon Replace the vanilla extract with finely grated zest of 1 lemon (or lime or orange for a different citrus twist). Strawberry Add 10-15g finely crushed freeze-dried strawberries (or any freeze-dried fruit you like) for a fruity flavour boost. Biscoff, Nutella or…

It’s not an agricultural system as such – it’s a nature restoration process that produces meat as a by-product. Isabella Tree’s renowned rewilding project at Knepp Estate, West Sussex (see Read More About It, opposite), uses large herbivores such as fallow deer, English longhorn cattle and wild Tamworth pigs to drive a dynamic habitat. Says Tree: “The disturbance the animals make – not just grazing but trampling, rootling, debarking trees and so on – competes with the vegetation to prevent it becoming close-canopy woodland” – in other words, woodland so dense that few species can flourish within it. The restoration of a healthy, diverse habitat is the priority for the Knepp project, which means controlling the wildlife and keeping a balance – neither too few animals nor too many. In…

Seaweed power Scientists are getting closer to understanding how red seaweed, common in Japanese diets, may protect against cancer. US researchers have discovered that sugars in the seaweed inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells without affecting normal cells. They’re now researching how to use this in cancer treatment. JAZZ DIET? NICE... Scientists have long known that background music can influence consumer behaviour. Research now suggests listening to jazz can nudge us towards healthier food choices. In a recent Danish study, 70% of participants who listened to gentle jazz music chose fruit, veg and salad over unhealthy options like doughnuts, chips and pizza. But only 57% opted for the healthy stuff while listening to heavy rock. Why? Scientists don’t know for sure, but one theory holds that relaxing background music…

You’re in safe hands Your delicious. online cook school is run by the respected WhitePepper Cookery School, awarded Gold Centre status by the Confederation of Tourism & Hospitality. Your tutor, the school’s founder Luke Stuart, is a celebrated chef with a clutch of national awards and a trailblazer in culinary education. Take the classes whenever you want Get instant Q&A access to professional instructors Learn lots of new skills Have fun! BAKING MASTERCLASS (5 CLASSES, £35) Raise your baking game, learning how to make macarons and genning up on the different leavening agents and methods. Proper doughnuts, a crisp-pastry cheese tart and rich carrot bread will become part of your repertoire. SWEETSHOP (5 CLASSES, £35) Are you a pudding lover? Bring your skills up to date with a contemporary spin…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT. STYLING: MORAG FARQUHAR Southern-style slow cooker beef chilli Serves 8-10 Hands-on time 10 min Simmer time About 7¾ hours on low or 4¾ hours on high You’ll also need Slow cooker (or large, lidded casserole, if using the oven) NEXT TIME Make your own chilli paste. Try a mix of 6-8 dried guajillo, ancho and chipotle chillies (find them online at coolchile.co.uk, ocado. co.uk or souschef.co.uk and in some larger supermarkets or spice shops). Remove the stems and seeds, toast in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes on each side over a high heat, then soak in the hot coffee for 1 hour. Whizz to a smooth paste and proceed with the recipe. FLAVOUR BOOST Season the meat a few hours before cooking…

ADDITIONAL RECIPES: JESS MEYER Egg yolks  from chocolate and pear cake • CHEFFY CURED YOLKS Mix 300g fine sea salt with 150g granulated sugar. Spread half in a small glass dish. Make shallow indents with the back of a spoon, then gently drop a yolk into each dent. Sprinkle over the rest of the cure, cover and chill for 4 days. Heat the oven to its lowest setting. Gently rinse and pat dry the now-firm yolks, put on an oiled wire rack set over a baking tray, then bake for 45-60 minutes until dry and very firm. Grate over pasta, risotto and salads. The cured yolks will keep in the fridge for 2-3 months. • DUCHESS POTATOES Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Boil and mash 4 large floury potatoes until…

My golden rules… CAKE BAKING If you’re making our celebration cakes on p56, here are my tips for getting great results: BE INGREDIENT-SAVVY Start with room temperature ingredients. They mix and cream more easily, with less curdling risk. We bake with medium free-range eggs and golden unrefined sugars. FOLLOW THE RECIPE (TO A POINT) It’s important to weigh ingredients accurately and add them in the order given, but you’ll need to use your instincts when it comes to the method. If your oven is inaccurate to 10-20°C (and many are), you may need to bake the cake for more/less time. To see if it’s done, as well as pushing in a skewer to check for unbaked residue, you can press the top gently to check it springs back (it should.)…

ONE POT: THREE WAYS Turning Sunday’s roast into Monday’s supper is an age-old time-saver. Here, vegan cook Rachel Ama gives plant-based recipes the same canny treatment. Each one-pot centrepiece has three serving ideas – like miso oyster mushrooms to be magicked into a stir-fry or banh mi. Batch-cook fatigue begone! Yellow Kite £22 TWO’S COMPANY Forgo tiresome recipe maths with veteran cookery writer Orlando Murrin’s ideas to feed two people with minimal waste. Recipes for weeknights (oven paella) and weekends (beef shortribs with parmesan polenta), storecupboard stalwarts (masala beans on toast) and desserts (New York cheesecake for two – genius!) are peppered with useful cookery tips. Ryland Peters & Small £18.99; out 14 Sep FIRST PUT ON YOUR APRON Chef, food writer and restaurateur Sally Clarke’s ‘gentle guide’ for kitchen…

PHOTOGRAPHS: LAURA EDWARDS. FOOD STYLING: ROSIE RAMSDEN. STYLING: ANNA WILKINS A BIT ABOUT KYLEE After trying her hand at DJing, photography and floristry, New Zealand-born Kylee forayed into the world of preserving, making a chutney to give to friends for Christmas. Positive feedback led to her selling pickles and chutneys at east London’s Broadway Market — suddenly pickling was cool. The Modern Preserver’s Kitchen is her second book. Green tomato chutney Makes 5-6 x 250ml jars Hands-on time 30-50 min You’ll also need Sterilised jar/s; muslin for the spice bag MAKE AHEAD The chutney will keep for up to 1 year in a cool place. Chill once opened and use within 6 weeks. KNOWHOW If you use ripe tomatoes, cook them for longer to evaporate the liquid. See p104 for…

EXPERT GUIDE When is cold too cold? With wine most rules can be broken, but serving your favourites at the right temperature is important and can enhance your enjoyment of them. There’s a tendency to chill whites and rosés a bit too hard, which can mute or close up their aromas and flavours, so aim for a light chill rather than ice-cold. And we often serve reds too warm – keep them in a relatively cool place, not near the oven or a fire. Here are the guideline temperatures to suit each style: And don’t forget to chill dessert wines, tawny ports and dry sherries – treat them just like a white. MATCH OF THE MONTH Chateau de Navailles Jurançon 2016, France 12% Marry early autumn’s fruit harvest cakes and…

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT. STYLING: SARAH BIRKS Peach and blackberry knickerbocker glory Serves 1 Hands-on time 15 min, plus cooling and chilling Oven time 25-30 min You’ll also need Large roasting tray; sundae glass or wine glass EASY SWAPS Use nectarines, plums or whatever fruit you have to hand. Out of season you can use tinned fruit or, if you’re in a hurry, use 4 tbsp good shop-bought conserve. DON’T WASTE IT The conserve makes more than you’ll need. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months. Add to cakes, bakes or cocktails. • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream (or your favourite flavour) • Small handful fresh blackberries • 3-4 meringue kisses, roughly crumbled • Ice cream wafer and whipped…

Cooking is for everyone If we could get everyone in the world cooking we would. Food brings people together – families, friends, communities – and baking a special cake makes everyone happy (p56). Or if you want to get your children involved with something easier, try the banana loaf on p98. Simply fantastic. You can trust us Every recipe is rigorously tested by our food team at least twice, using domestic ovens, so you can be confident our recipes work every time. When it comes to reviews, we only recommend discoveries (see p115) we deem to be good quality and worth the price tag. Keeping it simple Eating locally and seasonally, whenever you can, really is a no-brainer. We aim to use easy-to-find seasonal ingredients (p22). We’ll tell you where…

Who’s behind the @? Julius Roberts swapped life as a busy London chef for the Suffolk sticks in 2017 “to start the journey towards self sufficiency”. Today he shares his sunny outlook on ethical, sustainable farming – and recipes for revelling in the season’s bounty – from his smallholding in Dorset. What’s great about his feed? A chick emerging from its shell, a goat snacking on sweet peas… Julius’s chronicles of country life, from birthing goats to baling hay, might seem idyllic but they showcase his food philosophy too. And there are platefuls of garden-fresh food... (but mostly it’s the baby goats).…

And the winner is… ARUNI YAPA’S TIAN TART  Aruni’s veg-laden creation wins a Vitamix machine and accessories worth £750. Jen says “It looks incredible, but I was also drawn to your candlelit bench. Hope the evening was as good as the picture looks.” The runners-up JILLIAN MACKIN’S GRILLED STONE FRUIT SALAD  Jen says “This image is bursting with colour. I could imagine diving in and enjoying all the juicy flavours.” RUTH STEAD’S DOUBLE-CHOC COOKIES WITH A GOOEY CARAMEL CENTRE  Jen says “Well done on achieving the crinkled finish – and that irresistible gooey centre.” Follow us on social @deliciousmag…

Freeze The simplest way to save your hard-earned harvest is to freeze it. Chop, open-freeze on trays until solid, then pack into freezer bags, label and stash in the freezer. For delicate crops like soft herbs, whizz in a food processor, mix with some oil, then freeze in ice trays (ready portioned) and decant into freezer bags. Soft berries and stone fruit can be frozen fresh, but most veg and herbs benefit from a 1-2 minute blanch in boiling water first to help preserve their colour and texture. Boil If you have a bumper crop of tomatoes, courgettes, berries or stone fruit, whip up a batch of homemade jam, chutney, relish or compote. Preserves are usually shelf stable, and give blemished, less-than-perfect veg and overripe fruit a second lease on…

WHY YOU NEED IT IN YOUR LIFE The only raw milk wensleydale made in Wensleydale, Old Roan is a very different proposition to the snow-white, crumbly block versions that line supermarket shelves. The cloth-bound cheese is hand-made on a small Yorkshire Dales farm and has a softer, yielding texture and warm, buttery flavour. There’s no danger of finding dried cranberries in this cheese either. THE BACK STORY The Home Farmer, which has a herd of Friesians in Aysgarth, has long supplied local cheesemaker The Wensleydale Creamery with milk to make pasteurised wensleydale on a large scale. When Ben and Sam Spence took over the family farm they planned to make yogurt on the side, but received unexpected encouragement from their main customer to make cheese instead. The creamery’s MD David…

Birthdays were a big deal at delicious. HQ, before our working-from-home days. We took it in turns to bake a celebration cake for another team member, with the most popular being Dorset apple cake, Malteser brownies and chocolate porter cake (find the recipes at deliciousmagazine.co.uk). Was our enthusiasm out of the ordinary? Well, yes, apparently. Recent research by online cake shop Baker Days suggests nearly a third of UK adults no longer receive a birthday cake, with the age of 32 being the average year the birthday candles are snuffed out. Yet 58% of those missing out confessed it makes their big day feel less important. “The cake is the focal point,” says Peggy Porschen, bakery owner and cake designer to the stars. “People gather around it and sing, candles…

Gluten-free triple-layer chocolate cake “A favourite in our house” SUE BOLAND 40th birthday “I used to bake professionally but now it’s for family & friends.” CLAIRE FITZSIMONS Chequerboard cake “It took a couple of days but I was pleased with the result.” ELENA LONGLEY Impressive pink piped cake No words needed for this beauty! MOIRA ADAMS…

Climate change. Deforestation. Loss of biodiversity. Water pollution. When it comes to meat and dairy, it’s now easier to list the reasons to avoid them than the reasons to eat them. Whether it’s the greenhouse gases or the razing of species-rich habitats, we can no longer ignore the damage livestock farming is wreaking on planet earth. Yet ignore it we do – or, rather, we deflect. We prevaricate. I’ll order an oat-milk latte with my BLT. I do Meatless Mondays, saying I’d go vegan if only I didn’t love cheese… And like many others, I feel guilty. Constantly, quietly culpable, my sense of complicity in the world’s destruction is a persistent alarm in my life. Though most of us try our best to eat less meat and dairy and buy…

Wilding by Isabella Tree (Picador £9.99) The story of a couple who gave their clay farmland back to nature – creating a conservation project and an extraordinary ecological experiment. We’ve got carbon capture all wrong (wired.co.uk/article/ carbon-capture) Writer Bianca Nogrady explores why intelligently taking advantage of natural processes will be key in tackling the climate crisis. Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock (find it at fao.org) A global assessment from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Restore by Gizzi Erskine (HQ £25) In this combined recipe book-manifesto, Erskine explores the real carbon footprint of food, looking at the reality of what we need to support our environment and using that information to create recipes.…

ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES Tailored nutritional advice isn’t new, of course; dietitians have been dispensing it since ancient times. And the tantalising idea we might avoid ill-health by matching our diet to our genetics has been touted since scientists first mapped the human genome almost 20 years ago. But interest in personalised nutrition is surging, propelled by advances in technology and a deeper understanding of how our individual bodies respond to food. DNA tests, blood screening kits, apps, patches, online questionnaires and one-to-one coaching are just some of the ways bespoke nutrition plans are being devised and dispensed. According to consumer data company Statista, the global value of the personalised nutrition market will soar to more than $16 billion by 2025. But how can we know which options and advice are based…

VEGGIE RECIPE 1Aubergine cannelloni parmigiana Serves 4 Hands-on time 15 min Oven time 15-20 min You’ll also need Roughly 20cm x 30cm baking dish FLAVOUR BOOST Add a handful of freshly torn basil leaves to the sauce and save some smaller leaves to garnish. If you like more of a garlicky flavour, add a couple of chopped garlic cloves to the onion mixture. • 3 tbsp olive oil • 1 red onion, finely chopped • 500g passata with garlic and basil • 100g mascarpone • 4 tbsp chilli pesto (or ’nduja pesto for non-vegetarians) • 2 large aubergines, chopped into 2cm chunks • 250g cannelloni tubes • 125g mozzarella, torn into chunks 1 Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry…

1 Chilli cornbread cobbler Serves 4-6 Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6. Put ½ batch beef chilli in a large oven dish. In a bowl, mix 375ml buttermilk, 170g polenta, 120g plain flour, 100g grated cheddar, a handful of chopped coriander and spring onions, 1 tbsp baking powder and a large pinch of salt, then set aside to soak for 10 minutes. Dollop the dumpling mix on top of the chilli. Put the oven dish on a large tray, then bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and the chilli is bubbling. Serve with extra coriander and spring onions. Per serving (for 6) 537kcals, 15.1g fat (6.9g saturated), 50.2g protein, 48g carbs (9.8g sugars), 3.8g salt, 4g fibre 2 Chilli beef & bean puffs Serves 4 Heat…

RECIPE: JEN BEDLOE. PHOTOGRAPH: HANNAH HUGHES.FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE Banana and chocolate bread Serves 8-10 Hands-on time 25 min, plus cooling Oven time 40-60 min You’ll also need 1 litre loaf tin (about 21.5cm x 11cm x 7cm) lined with compostable baking paper, lightly greased and overhanging the narrow ends DON’T WASTE IT If you have more brown bananas than you need, freeze them for future baking projects. Freeze them in their skins and defrost at room temperature before adding to cakes and bakes. NEXT TIME Replace the caster sugar with light or dark brown sugar. Add roughly chopped nuts of your choice to the mix for a healthy twist. Brown the butter (keep cooking for a few minutes once melted until it’s deeply golden and smells…

“Pickling is a traditional method of preserving food by storing it in an acidic liquid. Many pickles are preserved in vinegar, while others are fermented to create acidity (kimchi, sauerkraut and certain kinds of pickled cucumbers, for instance). So how does it work?” Food writer (and self-confessed food obsessive) Lucas Hollweg The science-y bit 1 It’s all about acids Bacteria don’t like acidity – it stops them from multiplying to dangerous levels. Although there are other things that slow bacterial growth – in jam, it’s the high sugar content that stops it from going bad, while salt draws out water when curing fish and meat, making them less attractive to bacteria – acidity is key to pickling. The aim is to create a pickling liquid with enough acidity to deter…

Classic tarte tatin Serves 6 Hands-on time 30 min, plus setting, cooling and a few hours/overnight chilling Oven time 40 min You’ll also need 20cm deep-sided ovenproof pan (heavy based, preferably cast iron) MAKE AHEAD The tart is best eaten on the day it’s made, but you can prep it a few hours in advance. Cook to the end of step 6, then turn it out onto a serving plate and leave until ready to serve. It’s great at room temperature. NEXT TIME A good quality store-bought puff pastry gives great results, but if you fancy stretching your skills, try making your own. Search ‘How to make foolproof puff pastry’ at deliciousmagazine.co.uk. • 8-10 large pink lady or braeburn apples • 120g all-butter puff pastry (see Next Time) • Plain flour for dusting…

Kiwi burger with pickled beetroot and a fried egg Makes 4 burgers Hands-on time 30 min Divide 400g British beef mince (at room temperature) into 4 and roll each portion into a ball. Sandwich each ball between 2 pieces of baking paper and, using a rolling pin, roll into patties 1cm smaller than your burger buns (you need 4 good quality brioche buns). Set the patties aside. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 1 finely sliced red onion and fry for 6 minutes until softening and a little charred. Set aside. Add 2 patties and season with salt. Cook for 30 seconds, then squash gently with a fish slice to the diameter of your buns and cook for 1½ minutes more. Flip the…

Torres Celeste Crianza 2018, Pago del Cielo, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 14.5% Made from tempranillo and aged in oak barrels to add spice to its ripe plum and cassis, this will shine with lamb souvlaki (p29) and stews. £12.99 (£9.99 25 Aug-21 Sep), Waitrose Ramón Bilbao Rosado 2020, Rioja, Spain, 12.5% Keep the summer vibe going for a while longer with this good-looking Spanish rosé – its juicy red-cherry note and dry, fresh finish make it one of the best around. £10.95, greatwine.co.uk Asda Extra Special Soave Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy, 12.5% A good-value dry Italian white, versatile with light suppers or to be enjoyed on its own. Has a lemon-lime streak, but not too tart. It’s my fridge staple this month. £6 Stiegl Grapefruit Radler, Austria, 2% A tangy…

THIS MONTH’S STAR EMAIL WINS... …two boxes of premium red and white Portuguese wine worth over £50, by the experts from The Wine Show (Amazon Prime). These delicious wines stay fresher for longer thanks to their box format, which produces less CO2 than glass bottles do. For more information, visit thewine show.com/ boxed-wine FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN... Let us know your thoughts on this month’s issue by emailing us at info@ delicious magazine.co.uk* Star email Subject Yes, we can! From Gemma Howes-Salisbury I’m an ex-landlady, and Candice Brown’s interview [Aug, p19] resonated with me. I was cleaner, bar person, stock orderer, pot wash, cellar manager, chef helper – and many other roles you need to take on to run a successful pub. Despite all that, I remember how often…

Why do you love food? It’s allowed me to find my creative side. In lockdown I spent hours making my version of world dishes and made an Instagram account @chelsieskitchenantics to catalogue my favourites. Cooking made living alone easier. It can have an impact on mental health and I hope to encourage patients to cook. Treasured food memory? Before lockdown I was in Brazil. On my last day, a local girl and I sat looking over Rio eating feijoada, knowing the world was about to change and we wouldn’t see each other for a long time. The food was amazing, the view was incredible, and I made a friend for life. Favourite family recipe? Lasagne, learned from my nan. Pure comfort! Living with her taught me a lot. Cheer-up dish?…

PORTRAIT: JONATHAN STEWART. ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES I totally understand why people have allotments: it’s a great form of exercise, great for mental health and wellbeing. The problem is they produce gluts. People come up with interesting chutneys, some of which I’d really like to try, but it’s a problem when you get into the complex psychodrama of friends turning up on your doorstep with homegrown bounty, causing you to try not to be resentful. I just wish nature wasn’t quite so bountiful – or people with allotments would keep their bloody bounty to themselves. The hospitality industry faces a massive challenge. Lockdown was obviously terrible, but a lot of people in the industry discovered what it was like to be at home with their kids, to not be stressed, to…

VEGGIE RECIPE Sweetcorn with smoked paprika and a damson, chilli and garlic sauce Serves 4 Hands-on time 30 min You’ll also need Barbecue or a heavy-based ridged griddle pan MAKE AHEAD The damson sauce can be prepared several days ahead and stored in the fridge. Take out of the fridge an hour before serving to come up to room temperature, or gently warm through. KNOWHOW Damsons have a brief season and are harvested in September. Find them in greengrocers or at finefoodspecialist.co.uk – or try foraging your own. If you can’t get hold of them, use small tart plums instead (they’ll be a little sweeter than damsons, so adjust the honey to taste). • About 18-20 damsons (see Know-how) • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced • 1 red chilli,…

FOR A PRE-DINNER APERITIF… Louis Roederer, Collection 242 NV Champagne (12% abv) An irreproachable blend made by a champagne genius who’s an organic and biodynamic pioneer in the region. WHY? There’s nothing like champagne for lifting the mood and sharpening the appetite and this is the best non-vintage example there is. From £35, widely available FOR THE SCALLOPS… FE Trimbach Réserve Riesling 2019 Alsace (13.5% abv) Fine, concentrated, steely, bone-dry riesling should provide real refreshment with this dish. WHY? Pierre’s father was from Alsace, so this wine seemed appropriate. It has the acidity that virtually all seafood dishes need (a substitute for a squirt of lemon?), plus the body to stand up to powerful sauces. From £20.95, widely available online FOR THE LAMB… J Boulard Esprit des Trois Pierres 2020,…

PHOTOGRAPHS: TOBY SCOTT. FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. STYLING: SARAH BIRKS “Be playful. We often don’t consider that in cooking, so hell-bent are we on perfection” Have you sharpened your pencils and stocked up on new notebooks? I don’t know about you, but although it’s been several decades since I prepared for a new school term, September always feels like a fresh start, as though a sense of reawakened promise arrives on the wind along with that crisp autumn chill. It’s also at this time of year when my services are called upon by godchildren, friends’ children and members of my own family about to go off to university for the first time. Suddenly confronted with the prospect of how they might feed themselves, they call Auntie D to the rescue.…

• Ancient Greeks made round honey cakes to honour Artemis, goddess of hunting and the moon, adding candles to suggest moonlight – and cultures around the world have believed smoke can help carry prayers to gods. • By the 18th century, children’s birthdays were marked in Germany with the celebration kinderfeste. The child’s age was reflected in the number of candles, which were kept burning all day and extinguished in the evening. It’s thought this is where the ritual of blowing them out and making a wish may have originated. • The tradition may even make your cake taste better. Psychologists have found that ritualistic behaviour and anticipation make us enjoy our food more.…

1 Invest in digital scales that weigh down to 1g or 2g. 2 A heavy turntable (preferably metal) that spins easily is key to achieving perfectly smooth buttercream or icing around the side of a cake. 3 A selection of side scrapers is useful for styling icing. 4 Make the sponges, buttercream and fillings a day in advance and allow yourself time and space for decorating. 5 Remember: sprinkles or other decorations can cover up a few errors! Peggy Porschen: A Year in Cake (Quadrille £22) is out now…

1 The most important thing you can do is buy local. 2 Don’t buy meat and dairy from animals whose diets have primarily been based on grain: “Ecologically speaking, grain is expensive to produce. The price per tonne doesn’t reflect the true cost of production,” says Holden. All too often grain cultivation means pollution, soil erosion, deforestation. Land that could and should be used for growing crops for humans is being used for animal feed. 3 Look out for these words when checking the sustainability of the products you’re buying: agroecology, rewilding (see What Is Rewilding?) and agroforestry – a sustainable system of food production in which arable crops or livestock are cultivated side by side with fruit or nut-bearing trees. 4 The LEAF Marque: a global labelling system that…

VEGGIE RECIPE Fruit with rose & lime dressing, yogurt and mint Serves 4 Hands-on time 10 min, plus macerating Simmering time 5 min MAKE AHEAD The syrup can be made up to a week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. EASY SWAPS You could swap coconut yogurt for natural or greek yogurt and use melon instead of papaya. For vegans, swap the honey for agave nectar or maple syrup. KNOWHOW If you want to grind your own cardamom you’ll need the seeds from about 10 cardamom pods. • 1 small papaya, peeled, cut into wedges • 225g strawberries, trimmed • 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and halved • 100g whole grapes • Seeds from 1 pomegranate • Handful mint leaves to serve • 500g unsweetened coconut yogurt to serve (see Easy Swaps) For the…

Zoe test kit Developed in conjunction with nutrition researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford Medicine, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and King’s College London. Available in the UK in late 2021; price to be announced. For further information visit joinzoe.com To find a dietitian visit bda.uk.com and search for ‘Find a dietitian near me’. To check a nutritionist is fully qualified and registered with the Association for Nutrition (RNutr) visit associationfornutrition.org. Visit nhs.uk/oneyou for free tips, tools and apps, and to take a health quiz with personal diet advice.…

RECIPE: ELLIE AND SAM STUDD. PHOTOGRAPH: BEN DEARNLEY. FOOD STYLING: KIRSTEN JENKINS.STYLING: EMMALY STEWART. PRICE BASED ON TESCO WEBSITE PRICE CHECK IN JULY 2021 VEGGIE RECIPE Makes 4 burgers Hands-on time 25 min You’ll also need Barbecue or ridged griddle pan – or just use the grill • 2 x 225g blocks halloumi, drained, patted dry, then cut in half horizontally • 4 brioche burger buns, halved • Butter for spreading • ¼ iceberg or butter lettuce, leaves separated • 2 tomatoes, sliced • 1 small onion, thinly sliced into rings For the burger sauce • 2 dill pickles (gherkins), drained, finely chopped • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup • 75g mayonnaise • 2 tsp dijon mustard • ½ tsp garlic powder/granules • ¾ tsp onion powder/granules 1 For the burger sauce, put all the ingredients in a small bowl, stir to combine…

RECIPE: ELLIE AND SAM STUDD. PHOTOGRAPH: BEN DEARNLEY. FOOD STYLING: KIRSTEN JENKINS. STYLING: EMMALY STEWART VEGGIE RECIPE Serves 4-6 Hands-on time 30 min Oven time 20 min You’ll also need Large oven tray DON’T WASTE IT The quick chutney is a great way to use up a rogue splash of wine and onion halves at the back of the fridge (use any colour). You can swap the walnuts with hazelnuts, almonds or even a mix of toasted seeds. If you have any old blue or hard cheese to use up, scatter them over the tart before baking. SCALE IT UP Make a bigger batch of the chutney if you have a glut of onions. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or divide into…

Make it dairy free or vegan Replace the butter with a plant-based spread and leave out the eggs (add an extra banana, as these are also a natural binding agent). If adding chocolate, make sure that’s vegan too. Make it gluten free Replace the plain wheat flour with plain gluten-free flour. Check the baking powder is also gluten free. Make it a little healthier Swap up to half the plain flour for wholemeal flour and replace the cane sugar with a less refined alternative such as coconut sugar. You could also try adding flaxseed or even protein powder.…

85% of Brits don’t realise that chewing gum contains plastic – it’s often disguised as ‘gum base’ in the ingredients. One piece of gum can contain as much plastic as a drinking straw. Yeesh. Thankfully, new gum brand Nuud uses chicle, a sustainably harvested, biodegradable tree sap, instead. nuudgum.com TIP OF THE MONTH “Don’t waste mushroom stems. Use with whole mushrooms to make ‘mushroom mince’. Chop, then fry hard and fast with a little oil. Add to veggie bolognese or replace half the beef in a meat bolognese with mushroom mince. Mushroom mince fried up with leftover rice, a fried egg and a squirt of chilli sauce is a brilliant 10-minute dinner.” Eat Green by Melissa Hemsley (Ebury £25) is out now Coastal coasters Love Liga is a Cornish brand…

PASTRY The puff pastry forms a lid over the apples, trapping in their moisture so they cook in the caramel. At Galvin the pastry is freshly rolled out – at home, you could either use a block of puff pastry or, if you prefer, buy a ready-rolled sheet. Be sure to buy all-butter for best flavour and puff! APPLES A crisp dessert apple is the best choice as they hold up against the caramel and the long cooking time. Braeburn and pink lady are the Galvin brothers’ picks. Peeling the apples ahead isn’t essential but it dries them out, helping the caramelisation when you cook them. They’ll brown in the fridge but that’s fine. CARAMEL Salted butter is key for the colour and taste. Take your time cooking the apples…

Munch with crunch Forthay Granola isn’t sickly sweet or gimmicky-flavoured – it’s simply hand-baked in Gloucestershire and additive-free. There are five blends, including our favourite, the Great Taste Award-winning Honey, Nuts & Cranberries. £12 for 2 x 450g bags, forthaygranola.co.uk Postie, we love you! Though #workfromhome is easing off a bit now, deliveries that fit through the letterbox are a boon – and great for gifts. Lewis & Baker’s mixed brownie bites (£24.99 for 600g including delivery, lewisandbaker.co.uk) come in six squidgy flavours. Cheddar supremo Quicke’s new cheese picnic box (£22 with free next-day delivery, quickes.co.uk) has 3 x 100g wedges of regular and oak-smoked cheddar, plus double devonshire (a sort of double gloucester), Peter’s Yard crackers and quince jelly. Bag some of these We could probably fill a whole…