Cuppa time

WELCOME TO April

Sunshine and a good fix of it - that’s what we need.

IF YOU COOK ONE THING THIS MONTHÉ

This meat feast for one takes just 15 minutes

Everyone’s favourite

Chicken isn’t the most popular meat in the world for nothing, and our food team never rest in their quest to find new, exciting recipes for it. Here’s your latest batch of winning dinners

“Colour, vibrancy and zing - all in one magic ingredient”

Rhubarb was once traded along the Silk Route. In West Yorkshire it’s lovingly grown in dark sheds. From Samarkand to Wakefield, why are the red stalks so desirable? Gill Meller knows exactly why, and loves to use rhubarb in myriad recipes, from drop scones to spare ribs and more

FOOD-HERO SUNDAY LUNCH

The ever-popular chef is a champion of great British produce. For his latest TV series, he travelled to some of the nation’s far-flung corners to unearth (sometimes literally) the best, most exciting and surprising produce in the land. This menu is a fitting tribute to the producers’ hard work and is just the thing for a Sunday lunch, the Easter weekend or any special get-together

A match made in heaven

The combination of English asparagus and hollandaise sauce - Delia’s favourite French sauce, which she’s made utterly foolproof - is an unbeatable classic for the all-too-short asparagus season

“This was always my welcome home dish”

A stone pestle and mortar, a lifetime of memories and a special recipe are the treasures that help Thuzar Kyi keep the memory of her mother alive

The Easter (or anytime) SHOWSTOPPER BAKE

This stunning layer cake by Bake Off finalist Alice Fevronia is a project for a labour-of-love baking session… Then sit back and wait for the oohs and aahs

Liquid gold

One of nature’s great creations, honey has been prized for thousands of years. But with bee populations under threat, it’s time to celebrate the world’s oldest sweetener and find out how to help protect its busy, buzzing creators

The top 3 honeybee facts (for next time you’re doing a pub quiz…)

1Honeybees have built-in shopping baskets (corbiculae

Pasta pronto!

A week’s worth of nourishing recipes with solid weeknight credentials: that means less faff, a short ingredients list and plenty of fresh new ideas

FRIDAY NIGHT

It’s obvious what to eat with the 1980s coming-of-age drama Mystic Pizza. But don’t reach for your phone - you can make your own house special before you’ve said “extra salami, please”

Tofu

Three moreish recipes, packed with flavour, colour and texture

THE JOY OF VEG

Whether you’re thinking about your health, the environment or just pure pleasure, now spring is here it’s time to make the most of all the great new fresh produce - and Annie Rigg’s recipes do that in spades

delicious. MASTER CLASS

Tricks, skills and know-how to help you become a better

YOUR delicious.

The simplest way to cut down on single-use plastic

THE BEST OF April

SIX GREAT THINGS TO DO + STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW

Meet the man shaping the future of food in England

Yes, it’s a big claim… But being leader of the government’s landmark new National Food Strategy is a big job. Sue Quinn talks to Henry Dimbleby about how he’s tackling some of the toughest issues, from food poverty to animal welfare, and finds out what keeps him awake at night

RUTH ROGERS

More than 30 years ago, US-born Ruth set up the iconic River Cafe in London with British chef Rose Gray, who died in 2010. Here Ruth reveals that her drive for perfection in the kitchen was inspired by the paper-thin pastry of her grandmother

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Welcome to my new selection of favourites: places to eat, books to read, gorgeous items to consider adding to your own personal wish list - all tried, tested or tasted by us

HOT ON THE SHELVES

Every month, we’re sent dozens of products to try. We test them all, considering flavour, value for money and, where possible, ethical credentials. Phoebe Stone picks the best

The recipe for cheer-up food

More than mere sustenance, favourite foods can soothe the spirit, lift the soul and banish life’s ills - particularly if carbs are involved. Debora Roberston sets out her Prescription Kitchen menu. Pass the butter…

Ravinder Bhogal writes to Nigella Lawson

Four years ago, the fashion journalist-turned-chef, food writer and acclaimed restaurateur couldn’t find the words to thank Nigella, whose cookbooks and TV programmes first opened her eyes to the joy of cooking and inspired her to pursue her culinary ambitions. This is what she wanted to say

Do we still need COOKERY BOOKS?

What’s the point in splashing out on a cookbook when there’s an untold wealth of recipes available to us in seconds at the click of a mouse? Restaurant critic, book lover and cookbook author Yasmin Fahr argues the case in defence of print

WHAT TO DRINK

Susy Atkins picks her top bottles for April and recommends an intriguing book

THE HEALTH DEBRIEF

+ FAD-FREE insight + DEBUNKED food & health news + HEALTHFUL ways to eat better + COMPILED BY SUE QUINN

There’s a new health buzzword in town

Despite its clunky name, the fodmap diet, which is specifically designed to alleviate painful digestive symptoms, is in danger of becoming the latest health bandwagon for the fad-dieters to leap onto. What is it, who’s it for - and who should say no? Sue Quinn digests the facts

IT’S FRANCE, but not as you know it

The Alsace region on France’s eastern borders with Germany and Switzerland has a language, character and culture all its own. Add world-class wines and hearty cooking, and this is a destination that needs to be top of your visit list. Norman Miller travels to Strasbourg and Mulhouse, and tells a tale of two very different cities

Why I’m binning my leftovers guilt

Must we struggle to repurpose every last scrap of uneaten food, asks Emma Sturgess, or can we be a bit more realistic about it?

COOK IT LIKE delicious. …and win a £500 voucher to spend with Rose & Grey

We’ve teamed up with online boutique Rose &

FREE! James Martin’s new book Islands to Highlands

The book is an inspiring culinary journey for fans of James’s show, with 80 recipes from the series, along with details of the producers and chefs he visits - and there’s also exclusive photography from behind the scenes on this extraordinary food trip.

WIN! A gourmet Highlands getaway

PRIZE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY, EXCLUDING JULY, AUGUST

The glories of May

• Goan roast chicken from the Bubbledogs chef

RECIPE INDEX

TERMS & CONDITIONS 1. All information forms

BEEF CARBONNADE

If you’ve never heard of or tasted this classic Flemish beef stew, you’re in for a treat. Beef and onions are slow-cooked for hours in dark beer sharpened with mustard until rich, flavoursome and tender. It’s a taste sensation

How to make a really good prawn cocktail

Popularised by Fanny Cradock back in the 1960s, the British version of the prawn cocktail has been in and out of fashion ever since. It’s the small details that make all the difference; here’s our version with just the right amount of oomph

CINN AMON B UNS

Make the renowned Gail’s Bakery recipe with help from rollin’ and foldin’ expert, head baker Roz Bado

Delia’s food and wine WORKSHOPS

Join Delia Smith, Alex Mackay and other food and wine

Learn to cook Thai

Steaming food is a key technique in the Thai kitchen. This month, Kay Plunkett-Hogge, who spent her early years in Bangkok, shows how to master this gentle art with a simple but stunning recipe for steamed whole fish with pickled plums. It’s a revelation

THE KNOWLEDGE

Tips, hacks and know-how in the kitchen, key techniques explained step by step, plus in-depth appreciation of the best food and drink. Find it all and more, right here each month

LOOSE ENDS

Don’t let this month’s special ingredients linger in your kitchen. Instead make the most of them with these smart and easy ideas