Table of contents for March 2023 in Delicious UK

I t's strange when Easter falls in early April because it means we need to give you all your long-weekend cooking ideas this month, rather than in the April issue, so you have plenty of time to rev up your anticipation and plan what to make over the long weekend. As I write, the mornings are frosty, but I'm dreaming ahead to happy gatherings, with spring flowers on the table and laughter around it. Regardless of the weather, the delicious. team and I are lull of spring-like anticipation because, after years of working at home (who thought that would go on for so long? It seems unbelievable, looking back on it), we at last have an office again – a new space with two kitchens and a studio, all set…

YOU'RE GONNA DIG THIS BOOK “There are two things I want from my garden,” says Sarah Raven. “It has to be beautiful, and it has to produce lots of fresh, home-grown food.” So says the expert famous for reintroducing colour to the nation's green spaces after years of a style obsession for all-white (see p126 for an opportunity to meet her). Sarah's new book, A Year Full of Veg (out 2 March), is a guide to making sure your outdoor patch produces good things to eat, all year long. Growing advice is divided into categories such as ‘big producers’, ‘flavour first’ and ‘unbuyables’ (clever), with month-by-month plans for when to sow and harvest, and how to get the best out of your crops. There are geeky tips in abundance and…

With a hospitality background myself, I agree with many of Sam Wilson's points in ‘The customer is often wrong’ [Oct, p130]. But I take exception to describing mothers as ‘“MumsNet types with battering prams… nursing two lattes, as if that were enough to keep the place in profit”. STAR EMAIL After having both my babies, cafés were lifesavers. I was on maternity pay and couldn't afford expensive lunches. New mums are encouraged to socialise and breastfeed, and for me this would take hours, but I was always aware of not outstaying my welcome. I'm sorry if mothers aren't profitable enough, that breastfeeding takes time, that prams take up space. The customer may not always be right, but mothers need more compassion and less berating. FEBRUARY'S FEATURE ON SUSTAINABLE VENISON [P72]…

SPLURGE Could this be the egg to convert dark choc haters? Love Cocoa's moreish Sea Salt Dark Chocolate number is refined but not bitter, and Maldon's cult ingredient adds a delicate salty edge. The brand works with suppliers that guarantee farmers above-market prices and a tree is planted for every product sold, to fight deforestation. £15 for 150g (vegan friendly), lovecocoa.com SAVE M&S's Exremely Chocolatey Dark Chocolate Peanut & Pretzel egg is another that could tempt you to the dark side. Thick, knobbly and studded with salty pretzels and caramelised honey peanuts, it's smash-another-bit-right-now good. £7 for 210g…

centrepieces. “This is so good – salty soy sauce acts as a brine here, keeping the chicken juicy and adding flavour. The roasted broccoli crisps up beautifully, while the sesame chilli sauce adds oomph” Ginger garlic chicken with broccoli and sesame chilli sauce Serves 6 Hands-on time 20 min, plus 2 hours marinating Simmering time 20 min Oven time 45-55 min • 100ml light soy sauce • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce • 100ml chicken stock • 100ml shaoxing wine, plus 4 tbsp for the glaze • 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder • 80g ginger, grated • 1 garlic bulb, cloves chopped • 3 tsp granulated sugar • 1 large free-range chicken (about 1.5kg) • 2 broccoli, quartered • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil • 1 tsp vegetable oil •…

Let Polly be your your sandwich sommelier, providing guidance on which side sarnie is going to bring out all the flavours of your soup… Each pairing has been fine-tuned to create the perfect balance Curried cauliflower soup with spiced egg mayo Serves 2 Hands-on time 25 min Simmering time 30 min Spice is a cauliflower's best friend. Here, cauli is whizzed into a creamy soup, topped with crunchy croutons and served with a lightly spiced egg mayo sarnie on the side. This is a winning combo on chilly days – and nights. DON'T WASTE IT Cauliflower leaves are great drizzled with oil and roasted in a hot oven. Serve them with this soup or with any dish that usually has greens on the side. • 1 small cauliflower • 1…

Club Med chocolate bark (dark chocolate with sea salt, rosemary, pistachios and candied citrus) Makes 6 generous shards Hands-on time 15 min, plus cooling Sun, sand, sea, citrus… Close your eyes and feel the Mediterranean sun beating down on you as you take a bite out of this seriously sophisticated chocolate, studded with pistachios, rosemary-flavoured salt and little bursts of candied peel. Melt 200g finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensuring the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water). Meanwhile, whizz or grind the finely chopped leaves of 1 rosemary sprig and 1 tsp sea salt. Pour the chocolate into a small oven dish or container lined with baking paper and tilt it to swirl the chocolate in an even…

be a better cook. Tahdig is a dish of slow-cooked basmati rice. The word literally means ‘bottom of the pot’, referring to the caramelised crispy base that develops during cooking. The rice is served as a side to meaty skews – but ask any Iranian and they'll tell you it's the tahdig crust, not the stew, everyone goes for first PREPPING YOUR RICE IS KEY As a rice dish, the type of rice, the way it's prepared and how it's cooked is, unsurprisingly, what makes or breaks a tahdig. It must be basmati and it must be very well washed before you begin your tahdig journey. When rice is processed and transported, all those grains rubbing up against one another coat them in a light dusting of starch. Without removing…

• A stand mixer will help immeasurably to create any type of meringue, as it does all the hard work for you and ensures a good, even whisk. • Make sure your mixing bowl is spotlessly clean. Even a hint of grease can prevent the egg whites from whisking properly, making the meringue less stable. Don't use plastic bowls as they can harbour grease. • Always use room temperature eggs (older rather than fresher) – cold ones will take longer to form soft peaks and will hold less air, which is what gives meringue its texture. • To check whether the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites, rub a little of the mix between your fingers. If it feels grainy, keep whisking. • Bake or pipe your meringue as…

We asked Charlotte Coombes, Good Fish Guide manager at the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), why hake is a great choice… European hake makes a great swap for other firm white fish such as cod or haddock in recipes. It's firm and flaky, has a mild flavour and holds together well in dishes like curry. In the early 2000s, stocks of the fish were at an all-time low and it was red-rated. Better management was put in place and now stocks have recovered. Give it a try! Turmeric-roasted hake with coconut sauce Serves 4 Hands-on time 20 min Oven time 30 min DON'T WASTE IT Save the peelings from root vegetables to turn into crisps – it reduces waste and makes an easy garnish to add texture to your dish. • 4…

Radishes The French love radishes, consuming 1.5kg of them per person per year. After a winter of rich, comforting foods their fiery crunch is irresistible. I like them with softened butter and sea salt, or dipped in butter that's been whizzed with a couple of anchovies and a squeeze of lemon juice. Roquefort This famous blue cheese is made about 50 miles to the north of us and is almost always in my shopping basket. I love it crumbled into a salad with frisée, lardons and toasted walnuts, plus a hot vinaigrette. Sorrel The first little bunches of sorrel start to appear now and their leaves are mild and less acidic than they become later. I like to whizz them into a cream sauce to make an elegant Easter starter…

drinks. ALL-PURPOSE WHITE Kleine Zalze Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2021, Western Cape, South Africa 13% A versatile and refreshing white to suit fish, seafood, green veg and light chicken dishes as well as being an aperitif. It's a cocktail of lime, melon and peach with a mouthwatering finish. £7.50, Tesco EASY-GOING RED Extra Special Pinot Noir 2020, Valle de Leyda, Chile 13.5% Raspberries and juicy red plums burst out of this keenly priced, softly textured Chilean pinot, and there's a dab of chocolate too. Bang on with a rare steak or duck – and even with richer fish such as salmon or tuna. £7, Asda CRACKING FIZZ Victorine de Chastenay Crémant de Bourgogne Brut NV, France 12.5% A smashing fizz from Burgundy, made in the champagne method, delivering plenty of bubbles and…

make it every day. “I'm sure there'll be many who feel a potato gratin should accompany roast meats or feature as a side dish, but I think this is absolutely knockout as a main – I'd eat it with a green salad and a cool crisp glass of riesling. It's vegan, utterly delicious – and you may want to make it again and again” “I've always been as happy eating eggs and waffles as I am in my ultimate-Punjabi-eating mode. We looked forward to the English Sunday roasts that were as regular on our tables as dhals and rotis; we enjoyed lasagnes, burgers, traybakes and cakes. My parents managed to bridge our cultures and we were raised to enjoy everything. This has always felt natural to me – and to…

Are you a secret Pooh bear? A little honey each day could lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, a new meta-study suggests. But don't rush Pooh-like for the honey jar! The findings simply suggest you might be better off replacing the sugar you already eat with honey. The biggest benefits are thought to come from raw, unprocessed honey, as the production methods used in the industrially processed stuff destroy many of the beneficial compounds. THE SWEET… AND THE SOUR New guidelines on artificial sweeteners are expected soon from the World Health Organisation (WHO) after a safety review. Last year WHO found artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharine and sucralose may aid weight loss in the short term – but also linked long-term use to the possible increased risk…

The newest in London Essence Co's top-quality range of sodas and mixers is Pink Grapefruit Soda, which has lime-leaf distillate and pomelo rounding out the convincing grapefruit flavour. It's great on its own as a grown-up softie but would also partner well with tequila for an effervescent take on the paloma cocktail. Another plus: though it's sweetened only with sugar – no artificial gubbins – a bottle is just 40 kcals. £22 for 24 × 200ml bottles, shop.londonessenceco.com…

When Sadia Ahmed was ready to wean her son, Oliver, she went to her local supermarket –and was greeted with bland baby meals. “We live in a multicultural society, and what we eat should reflect that. Food is the perfect way to foster equality, and I don't see any reason why that should exclude children,” says Sadia. Putting her law career aside in 2017, Sadia stepped into the culinary unknown to showcase her Bangladeshi heritage and that of other families. “I don't come from the business world,” she admits. “But I realised there was a need for a venture like Oliver's Cupboard. There was no baby food that represented my family's culture, and I wanted to change that.” A DREAM BECOMES REALITY Sadia decided to liaise with cooks and parents…

HOW TO WIN A PRIZE Complete the crossword puzzle correctly, take a picture and email it to info@deliciousmagazine.co.uk by the end of the month for a chance to win* JUMBO CROSSWORD PRIZE Win a Flapjackery Taste of the West box of 12 giant gluten-free flapjacks plus a jute bag, worth over £50. Made in Devon, the flapjacks’ array of flavours includes clotted cream fudge and peanut butter brownie – all crunchy, crumbly and laden with golden syrup.** flapjackery.co.uk Across 1 Bloomy, white-rinded soft French cow's milk cheese (9) 8 Sandwiches made with Italian bread, often toasted (6) 9 Sugar-rich plant liquid that's attractive to bees (6) 12 If you want some bread, you might buy one of these, sliced or unsliced (4) 13 Variety of wheat, often used for making pasta (5) 14 Wild berry…

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is food shopping your slice of heaven or hell? Tell us at info@deliciousmagazine. co.uk I don't know if I'm alone on this, but one of my favourite places to go on a quiet weeknight is my local supermarket. Late evenings are best, when the after-school shrieks of hangry children have given way to the silence of solo browsers –the tired, the overworked, those awaiting the hour when certain items will be stickered as ‘reduced’. In times of stress, there's something soothing about those technicolour aisles. During the height of the pandemic, grocery runs became anticipated outings. I could have spent hours gazing up at luminous towers of cereal, taking the edge off the day's fears and existential crises. I don't want to romanticise it, and of…

Soooo many to choose from, as always, but my chart-topper has to be chef Sabrina Gidda's amazing-sounding coconut curry dauphinoise (see p122) – comfort food in potato form. March eat-out tip-off I love José Pizarro's food, so it's great to hear his lively Poster Bar at London's Royal Academy of Arts has launched Pintxo Fridays, serving Spanish small bites, 5.30-8.30pm, with your drink. First one's free, too. MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR EDITOR OF THE YEAR, FOOD & DRINK…

“Bubble and squeak is a hug on a plate” When did you start cooking? From childhood. My two older sisters did their City & Guilds Hotel & Catering diplomas. I used to watch them practising at home. Piping mashed potato was my fave. Drink order? Negroni. Treasured food memory? Arriving in Moliets-et-Maa in southwest France on our honeymoon and eating the most amazing fish with a bottle of sancerre. Cheer-up meal? Bubble and squeak. It's a hug on a plate! You can have it with a cooked breakfast, cold cuts, sausages, loads of stuff. Favourite recipe? Probably paella, or Spanish tortilla. Food hero? Elizabeth David. Food zero? Octopus legs with huge suckers on my plate. Just wrong. Most used cookbook? Delia for anything that has rules! My latest joy is…

in the know. RICE TABLE Su Scott's intimate book shares the food and experience of a Korean mother living in Britain, and the relationship between her, her daughter and food. The design is beautiful and the recipes are a delight. Expect everything from innovative ferments to bold mains. Recipe I can't wait to make: Spicy squid salad. I didn't know that… Many Koreans believe the touch of the fingertips can influence the harmony of flavour in a dish. Quadrille £27, out 30 March (look out for recipes from Su's book in next month's issue) SALT OF THE EARTH Carolina Doriti's rich celebration of Greek food is written with the affection and authenticity of someone who's lived most of her life in Athens. As inviting as the recipes are, there's equal…

I can trace the start of my food education and passion back to two things: growing up in Wakefield and my old man, David. Yorkshire is a fantastic region for food, and I feel privileged to have started my culinary journey there. It's a rich and luscious haven for produce with a plethora of great chefs, places to eat and wonderful home-grown fruit and veg. Those rolling hills house a wealth of food stories that are aching to be told. I was fortunate to grow up right in the centre of the Rhubarb Triangle, where so much brilliant pink forced rhubarb is grown in the winter, and we used a lot of it in the kitchen. I'd often sneak into the farmer's fields at the back of my house to…

Mushroom lasagne Serves 6 Hands-on time 1 hour Oven time 55 min Simmering time 1 hour Specialist kit 2.5 litre baking dish Making all the different elements for a lasagne and layering it up can seem a bit of a faff, but the magic happens when it cooks, transforming the dish into a delight greater than the sum of its parts. You can get this cheesy mushroom extravaganza ready up to 24 hours ahead and chill, then pop it in the oven when it's time to eat – we promise you it's worth the effort. • 40g dried porcini mushrooms (also called ceps or penny buns) • 100ml extra-virgin olive oil • 2 onions, finely chopped • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 3 tsp fennel seeds • 800g mixed…

dessert time. Sticky toffee pudding tops many a desert island dessert list, and this one is a classic. The addition of golden syrup boosts the sweetness, which is tempered by the lactic tang of buttermilk. Just before serving, add an extra pinch of salt on top for a salted caramel vibe This rustic apple tart embodies the minimal effort, maximum reward approach to cooking – the pastry is good and rough and the only properly hands-on element is slicing up the apples. The golden syrup frangipane bolsters the natural sweetness of the fruit, which still has enough tartness to balance everything out Golden syrup frangipane apple tart Serves 8-10 Hands-on time 30 min, plus 2 hours chilling Oven time 1 hour MAKE AHEAD You can prepare the pastry and keep…

Side dishes get their time in the spotlight with food editor Torn Shingler's restaurant-inspired toppings and marinades that pan make any veg sing Chef Yuma Hashemi gives a masterclass on how to perfect tahdig –a fragrant Persian rice dish. It's crisp, chewy and sure to vanish first from the dinner table Do you know your French from your Swiss? And what about Italian? Whip up melt-in-the-mouth meringue every time with our expert guide…

• Use a heavybottomed, good quality non-stick pan. • Making sure the slices of potato are all the same thickness is more important than getting them as thin as possible, which is why a mandoline is useful. • Be liberal with the oil and butter when brushing – along with the saffron, it's where the majority of the flavour comes from. • The temperature you cook at impacts the overall cooking time, so it's a bit of a guessing game for the first one you make. If you think of the heat of your hob on a scale of 1-9, you want to aim for a 3. The cooking can take anywhere between just over an hour and an hour and a half. • You need to use your nose…

Eggs GET GLAZING! You don't always need a whole egg to glaze pastry before baking. Leftover yolks give a rich finish – stir in a little milk for extra shine. Whites add gloss but less colour – boost it with a little demerara sugar for sweet bakes or turmeric in savoury. WONDERFUL WHITES We all know you can use leftover egg whites to make meringues (find our best recipes on p82), but did you know that thawed frozen egg whites make the best ones? Freezing breaks down the protein structure in the egg so, once defrosted, they'll whip up into fluffy clouds. Ideal for macarons too. Leftover whites also make a great binding agent – add to fritters, meatballs and burgers, or use as a coating when breadcrumbing. And let's…

Pressure cooker mushroom and leek risotto Serves 4 Hands-on time 25 min Specialist kit Pressure cooker COOK IT IN A PAN No pressure cooker? Cook it in a wide saucepan, adding the stock bit by bit as you would with a traditional risotto. DON'T WASTE IT Finely slice the dark green leek ends and, after you've cooked the pumpkin seeds, return the pan to the heat and add enough olive oil to give a thin layer. Once hot, add the sliced leek ends and cook, stirring, until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to lift out onto kitchen paper. Add as a garnish. • 20g salted butter • 1 tsp olive oil • 1 leek, halved lengthways and finely sliced • 40g dried porcini mushrooms • 1 vegetable stock cube •…

COMPETITION WORTH £1,200* It's a quintessential English getaway with a difference… Lainston House near Winchester has over 60 acres to explore and is a wonderful base for heading out into the Hampshire countryside – or a place to stay put, enjoy the beautiful surroundings, cook up a storm at Season cookery school and find out why the hotel is such a haven for food lovers. Menus at Lainston House's two restaurants are inspired by the hotel's kitchen garden and local produce. The Avenue, the choice for fine dining, looks out over the hotel's lime tree-lined drive. Expect elegant dishes such as Portland crab salad with ponzu jelly, cod with sake beurre blanc and mango souffle. In contrast, The Wellhouse is relaxed and rustic, housed in a listed outbuilding with wooden…

What's for dessert? In my house the answer always comes with another question: do I have a beer to go with it? Puddings give us some of the most enjoyable (and perhaps unexpected) food pairings for beer. Think about a chocolate mousse with a raspberry beer's tart sweetness, or the bold citrus hop in a double IPA with a slice of carrot cake. Imagine the combination of a Belgian quadruple's raisin and cinnamon flavours with apple pie, or a rich, chocolatey imperial stout with a slice of vanilla cheesecake. These are matches that elevate already-great desserts into something even more special. Not all beers are good with pud, however. You need beers with body, sweetness and often a higher strength, so finish any crisp, bitter pale ales and lagers before…

NEXT MONTH Cherie Denham's banana and apple muffins Mushroom, smoked cheese and tarragon danish pastries Makes 6 Hands-on time 15 min, plus chilling Oven time 15 min BE A BETTER COOK Make sure you chill the pastries before baking. If the butter is solid when it goes in, the pastry layers will stay separate for longer and puff as they cook. If you can, prep the tarts and chill overnight. EASY SWAPS If you can't find tarragon (or aren't a fan), use fresh thyme or parsley. • 50g unsalted butter • 200g mixed mushrooms • 3 tarragon sprigs, leaves picked • 320g sheet all-butter puff pastry • 125g smoked cheese, sliced or coarsely grated • l0g parmesan (or veggie equivalent), finely grated • 1 medium free-range egg, beaten with a pinch…

tested for you. THE BIG NIGHT IN Recipe boxes from The Cookaway aren't just about emptying and warming vac packs –you have to do a bit of work. The trade-off: they're less pricey than the instant-posh-meal kind. The quality of the venison loin in this box is up there. You make an oat crust before cooking the meat juicily rare (tip: get the oats well toasted in the pan first). To go with, you knock up a creamy celeriac gratin, whisky-braised leeks and a cheffily involved (but worth it) peppercorn sauce. As you may have guessed, the recipes are Scottish (irom Peter Meechan, a chef at Gleneagles Townhouse). Give yourself a Saturday afternoon for prep, add a bit on to the timings to avoid stress, and be careful not to…

ON SALE Fri 31 Mar • Nathan Outlaw's expert guide to fish (including baked hake cigars – they're smokin’!) • Asparagus! Roasted, pickled, shaved, hollandaise-dipped and more • The great wild garlic project Capture it in clever ways, from pesto to oil to pickles • La dolce vita Fresh ideas from hot Italian restaurant Bancone • Dare to be different Classic cakes and puddings with unexpected twists Plus… HOME-COOKED FAVOURITES from Su Scott's Korean kitchen (bibimbap alert!) HAS VEGANISM LOST ITS WAY? Food for thought – with recipes for how it should be…

Croque señoritas Makes 2 Hands-on time 20 min SCALE IT UP You can easily double this recipe to make 4 toasties. Butter 4 thick slices white bread. Flip 2 over and spread them with 2 tbsp quince paste. Share 80g grated manchego and 8 slices chorizo salami between the slices, then top with the other 2 bread slices (buttered-side on top) to create 2 sandwiches. To make the bechamel, put 20g butter, 1 crushed garlic clove and ½ tsp smoked paprika in a small saucepan and cook until the garlic has just started to infuse into the melted butter and smells fragrant. Add 20g plain flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually pour in 100ml milk, whisking constantly until you have a smooth, thick sauce, then stir in 1 tbsp…

Serve Drambuie liqueur as your final course to enhance and extend the evening the next time friends come round for dinner THE BIG BRUNCH Croque señoritas (p5) Mushroom, smoked cheese and tarragon danish pastries (pl24) Lemon, golden syrup and ricotta muffins (p67) Drambuie & whisky twist on an espresso martini (p67) Start the weekend with a proper spread: on the savoury side, choose toasties with Spanish flavours or prep-ahead pastries, then go sweet with muffins. Swap coffee for a cocktail with a kick - it is Saturday, after all! EASTER FEASTING Chicken and prawn koftas (pl20) Sea bream with spring onion and brown butter rice (p32) Golden syrup sticky date pudding (p66) Drambuie coffee grapefruit paloma (p67) Make this year's Easter lunch different with an aromatic starter and main that…

Follow us on social @deliciousmag @nmattinson Prosecco flavoured crisps @JIngs17195685 Food served on boards. Just a mess @Wendy_James1 Sharing plates. I don't mean tapas - I mean those restaurants that have a random menu of dishes that don't go together, that appear at random times in random order during the meal. Done. Time to move on @maggooc Foams & scatteredon flowers @SejalSukhadwala The relentless overuse of miso (it's delicious but doesn't have to be in every recipe) @BalabustaOG Tahini in everything. TAHINI DOES NOT BELONG IN BROWNIES! @gourmettravel Truffle everything @JudyWil54936823 Mashed avocado. Superb in its solid state, awful when battered to death @Firecoma Sourdough bread. Wretched stuff @SusieMGoss Brioche buns with burgers! JOIN THE CHAT Connect with other delicious, food lovers on social @deliciousmag or join our Facebook group…

1. MODERN BUNNY… Dorset-based Chococo uses chocolate produced in the country of origin, which aims to bolster local economies – and has given the Easter bunny a geometric makeover. Creamy Colombian dairy-free* oat choc is new, joining Colombian milk and Ecuadorian dark. £9.50 for 115g, chococo.co.uk 2. OR VINTAGE HEN? Pump Street's dinky hen-on-nest design (with eggs!) packs a flavour punch. Pick from Madagascan milk choc, Jamaican dark or Ecuadorian dark flavoured with real hot cross buns from its bakery. The Suffolk bean-to-bar producer works directly with cocoa farms it lists online. £9.95 for 63g, pumpstreetchocolate.com 3. POSH CHOC BUTTONS Arthouse Unlimited's soaps, mugs and more are adorned with work by artists with neuro-diverse and physical support needs, including the new ‘Full of Joy’ button bags. We rate the caramel…

ED'S DREAM DINNER “Asking someone for their dream meal, like James Acaster and I do on our podcast Off Menu, is a beastly thing to do! That said, mine would be: steak tartare, then a large Turkish mixed grill – doner kebab, shish kebab and lamb ribs with bulgur wheat. Houmous, bread and halloumi on the side, and another side of the unbeatable confit potatoes from London's Quality Chop House. A burnt Basque cheesecake for pud. And a JJ Prüm riesling to go with it. Expensive – but it is my dream meal!” It's amazing to be part of Red Nose Day this year. Aside from all the great work it does, it's been a huge part of my life and my comedy. I used to have a double-sided cassette…

Lamb, rosemary and olive sausage rolls with pale ale ketchup Makes 8 Hands-on time 40 min Oven time 30-35 min Simmering time 20 min MAKE AHEAD You can make the sausage rolls (without brushing the outsides with egg or sprinkling with the rosemary and sesame seeds) and freeze them for up to 3 months. They'll cook straight from frozen; just brush with egg wash, sprinkle with the rosemary and sesame seeds, and add another 10 minutes to the cooking time. DON'T WASTE IT You'll no doubt have some beer ketchup left over – keep it in the fridge and use within 2 weeks. • 70g fresh breadcrumbs • 60ml pale ale • 500g lamb mince • ½ onion, coarsely grated • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard • 1 tbsp finely chopped…

Recipe taken from At Home by Monica Galetti (Aster £20) and tested by delicious. Monica's walnut & coffee pastry layer cake Serves 6-8 Hands-on time 40 min, plus cooling Specialist kit Piping bag MAKE AHEAD You can make the coffee cream up to a day in advance and keep it in the fridge. The pastry discs can be made and fried a few hours in advance – store them in an airtight container to keep them crisp. DON'T WASTE IT Lightly beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and freeze (in smaller portions) in a labelled bag for up to 3 months. Use for meringues, macaroons, cakes and soufflés (see p87). • 200g caster sugar • Plain flour to dust • 320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry • 100g…

Our traditions are, at this time of year, a strange, colourful mix of the religious and the pagan, of key events in the Christian calendar and the rites of spring, where rabbits and eggs symbolise fecundity and new life. Some of our traditions are deeply rooted in religion, such as Passion Plays and Lent. Then there's at least one that's only ostensibly religious – it has a cross but it's undeniably a bun. It's available for several months of the year and gets adulterated with anything from cheese to Marmite to chilli. As it happens (and rather wonderfully), the UK isn't alone in its eccentricities: in lands near and far, ‘eccentric’ doesn't quite cover the mix. KITES AND CARPETS Bermuda channels its inner Mary Poppins to go fly a kite.…

be a better cook. Eton mess and pavlova are among the most popular desserts to end a dinner party. At their most basic they're assembly jobs, involving no skill beyond whisking cream and adding fruit. But those dry, ready-made meringue nests and bases are nothing like the chewy-crisp homemade versions. Making a good meringue is a key skill for any home cook, and while it can get a bit scientific (as anything involving eggs, whisking and heat tends to), it's simple once you know how. Let's take a look at the three types of meringue and how they differ. French This is what comes to most people's minds when they think of meringue. Usually used for pavlova bases and meringue nests, French meringue has that classic crunchy-outside-chewy-inside light and crumbly…

be a sustainable cook. There are certain products that, thanks to revelations about their natural resources-hungry production, you might think twice about buying (we're looking at you, avocados). It's a bit harder when the decision involves chocolate, but the good news is you can buy your favourite treat with a clear conscience. The challenge is seeing beyond the marketing hype and judging which brands are ethically best to buy. As Ayn Riggs, founder of advocacy organisation Slave Free Chocolate, says, “We vote with our purchases” – you do have the power to bring about change. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS CHOCOLATE? It comes from the small evergreen tree Theobroma cacao, which grows in the Tropics. Cacao farmers harvest the fruit pods, then ferment and dry the seeds and flesh inside.…

voices in food. I know the rest of the world thinks the British are, shall we say, exuberant drinkers but I never really thought of myself that way. I can nurse a drink for hours – or at least, that's what I tell myself to ease the thirst. The first few times I went to local French friends’ homes for dinner, I thought there had been a terrible oversight, some sort of error, that we were all pretending not to notice. If you come to my house, I have a rule that guests must have their coats off, been introduced to anyone they don't know and have a drink in their hands within five minutes. Except I kept noticing that while the first two of these things happened in French…

Cocktail of the month If an indulgent long-weekend Easter brunch is on the cards, how about this boozy coffee inspired by the breakfast table? It's from Sharon Carrara, bartender at chef Robin Gill's newest restaurant, Bottle + Rye, in Brixton, south London. Croissant cognac and Nutella coffee Makes 4 Hands-on time 10 min, plus at least 2 hours freezing To make croissant cognac, put an 80g croissant and 240ml cognac in a blender/ food processor and whizz until smooth. Put in a freezable container, cover and freeze for at least 2 hours. Strain the slush through a fine sieve (or, for a clearer finish, through coffee filter paper) and reserve. To make Nutella syrup, put 50g Nutella, 25g demerara sugar and 25ml water in a small saucepan and gently warm…

make it every day. Ready in 25 min Super flexible recipe Variation on a classic Peppery smoked mackerel and sweet earthy celeriac get the gratin treatment to create something rich but super simple to prepare. Serve with a crisp, peppery rocket salad Easy to make it veggie Coriander seed sirloin with lentils, beetroot and pickled shallots Serves 4 Hands-on time 25 min BE A BETTER COOK Using dried lentils takes a little longer, but if you have time it's cheaper and worth it for the extra flavour. Simmer them in water with a bashed garlic clove and rosemary, sage or thyme for 30 minutes until tender, then drain. Chop/crush the softened garlic and stir into the lentils. You'll need about 265g cooked lentils (100-125g dried) for this recipe. • 1 tbsp…

TRAVEL CLUB delicious. TRAVEL OFFER ALL TRIPS ARE FINANCIALLY BONDED Fancy visiting seven beautiful English gardens in Kent and Sussex, as well as enjoying a kitchen-garden lunch and a talk hosted by the inspirational garden designer Sarah Raven? Highlights of the trip, in June 2023, include visits to Great Comp Garden, Scotney Castle and the magnificent Lullingstone Castle. Spend time among the scented roses and lavender of Pashley Manor, admire the classic styling of Great Dixter and enjoy a special early bird visit to Sissinghurst, where you'll explore the world-famous gardens early in the morning before they open to the public. On a visit to Sarah Raven's garden at Perch Hill in East Sussex, you'll listen to her give an exclusive talk about the 25-year transformation from a dairy farm…

health matters. Savoy cabbage, broccoli, sprouts… Is there much truth in the long-held belief that eating the green stuff regularly is great for health – or is it an old wives’ tale? Nutritional scientist Toral Shah doesn't hesitate in her reply: “They do give a lot of bang for your buck,” she confirms. “They're high in fibre, very low in calories and contain loads of vitamins, minerals and healthy plant compounds called phytonutrients. All these things can have a positive impact on health.” ARE ALL GREEN VEG CREATED EQUAL? Many nutritional-powerhouse greens are cruciferous vegetables, often referred to as ‘leafy greens’. (The word cruciferous comes from the Latin term cruciferae meaning “cross bearing” because the plants have four-petalled flowers shaped like a cross.) Think broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, turnips and…

EVOO FOR YOU Produced from single-variety Megaritiki olives grown on the Greek mainland and harvested at the beginning of the season, this new oil is punchy, green and slightly herbal in flavour – and we're loving it. Style bonus: the pale green tin cuts a dash on the worktop. Drizzle liberally and use to make salad dressings – heat will destroy those fresh early-season flavours. Odysea Greek Early Harvest Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, £7.90 for 500ml, Sainsbury's THE HEAT IS ON Smoke, heat, tang – three essential characteristics of many of our favourite dishes. Very Lazy's new Smokey Chilli Boost has all three in spades, meaning a teaspoon (or a tablespoon in tester Tom's case) stirred into tomato sauces, chillies or houmous can instantly pep up dishes lacking in a little…

1 Which Italian sweet treat was supposedly created in the 1400s for a Milan wedding? a) Tiramisu b) Torrone c) Gelato d) Cannoli 2 What herb is used for saltimbocca? a) Sage b) Rosemary c) Basil d) Bay leaf 3 Who was the first chef to be awarded three Michelin stars? a) Marie-Antoine Carême b) Auguste Escoffier c) Eugenié Brazier d) Paul Bocuse 4 Duchess potatoes are spuds… a) Mashed with egg yolks and butter b) Sliced with cream and garlic, then baked c) Cut into chunks and slow-cooked in butter d) Sliced and fried with lots of onions 5 What fruit do you get from a blackthorn bush? a) Blackcurrants b) Sloes c) Huckleberries d) Mulberries ANSWERS Food Quiz: l) b (it was probably imported from Arabia long before 1400 but local lore states that torrone arrived on 25 October 1441, the wedding day…