Delicious UK February 2025

I'm sure I won't be the only one here who loves the solitude of cooking – in a dizzyingly busy and loud world, it's my moment of calm and mindfulness. It's a wonderful pocket of joy, every single day. And even if your heart is in the right place, I'm afraid, no – I never want help in my kitchen. Except, that is, when it comes to collective moments of celebration. Then, friends, I do tend to change my tune and let my loved ones in. Whether it's flipping pancakes together for Shrove Tuesday (this year it's a little late in the schedule, on 4 March, lest you forget!) or, as in Nadiya Hussain's case on p6, breaking the fast during Ramadan (28 February to 30 March), there's something heartwarming…

Q Ramadan, the month of dawn to dusk fasting, begins at the end of February. After fasting, do you reach for old favourites? A Absolutely. It depends on what your kids want to eat – if beans on toast is what they're craving after a day of fasting, I'll let them have it (but I'll make something else, a biryani maybe, for them to have after prayers). Every night is a special night, though – it's like hosting a small dinner party for the people you love the most, every day for 30 nights. Q Some people might be intimidated by the thought of hosting a dinner party every night for a month! How do you manage? A My entire existence in the kitchen is about making it easy and…

SEASON'S EATINGS RHUBARB A lot of people are still put off by rhubarb, perhaps due to sour, mushy experiences of the stalks in their youth. But they're really one of the most exciting ingredients the UK has to offer. They're great in a crumble, but try roasting batons in a little orange juice and light brown sugar for 10 minutes at 180°C fan, then serving with a dollop of mascarpone and some crushed pistachios. Heaven. KALE This leaf – once used for little more than feeding cattle – got all trendy a few years ago. It still deserves our attention; just don't bother making it into ‘crisps’. Instead, massage salt really well into the leaves until they soften and break down, then dress liberally with a tangy vinaigrette and toss…

THE FOOD HISTORY BIT While the celebration of Valentine's Day and the consumption of chocolate both grew during the 17th and 18th centuries, it was in the 19th century that the commercialisation of both began in earnest. Enter Richard and George Cadbury, devout Quakers, ‘worldly ascetics’ and heirs to the Cadbury company, which had become famous for its drinking chocolate but had fallen on hard times. In 1861, the pair took hold of the Cadbury company and began to convert the bitter drinking chocolate into a sweet ‘eating chocolate’ in ‘fancy boxes’. In 1868, these became heart shaped for Valentine's Day. This canny business tactic of playing up the sensual indulgence of chocolate flew in the face of the austere Cadbury ethos but saved the business, cementing the association of…

Twenty-something Tess arrives in New York, lured in by the idea of who she could become. As she learns more about food, drink and the behind-the-scenes functioning of a restaurant, so do we – from a first-of-the-season tomato that tastes like ‘summer lightning’ to wine that softens ‘like butter coming to room temperature’. Through the metaphor of Tess's expanding palate, Danler shows how growing up has much to do with defining your tastes – like that transformative first oyster. So it's no surprise when Tess ends up in a confusing yet addictive love triangle. Sexy, sad and bittersweet, it'll leave you hungry for more.…

In the colder months there's much beauty to be found in the darkness. In celebration of this, Dark Skies Festival returns this year for its 10th anniversary from 13 February to 2 March. Across the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales and the South Downs, it will be hosting events dedicated to stargazing, from night runs, canoeing and night navigation to astrophotography workshops, stargazing safaris and children's daytime trails. For more information, visit darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk – and if you're after a flask of something cockle-warming to bring along with you, visit us online at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/winterwarmers…