welcome.

PORTRAIT: PAUL MITCHELL I t’s going to be

If you make one thing…

An effortless little pud for grown-ups, packed with the heady aromas of elderflower. The first few flowers come into season at the end of the month, too, making a beautiful garnish if you can find some. Finished with cream, it’s sunshine by the spoonful

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

Food editor Tom Shingler mixes and matches this month’s celebratory recipes

APPETISERS

Inspiration, bite-size news, reviews & great stuff to

PUB OF THE MONTH

THE RED LION INN, CULROSS, FIFE

It’s tractor-ride season

Open Farm Sunday returns on 11 June. Run

POSH NOSH OPENING

A stomach-rumbling browse of Fortnum & Mason’s food

IT MIGHT JUST CHANGE YOUR LIFE

PUB WORDS: CAT THOMSON. PHOTOGRAPHS: ED SCHOFIELD

FOR YOUR NEXT COUNTRY JAUNT...

We all love a brilliant farm shop, and the Farm Retail Association’s annual awards recognise the best, alongside farm cafés, butchers and markets. Make a pitstop on a weekend away at one of these 2023 winners…

The booklist

From an Iranian-Italian odyssey to a creativitysparking kitchen reference book, award-winning writer and cook Mark Diacono picks this month’s top titles

OVER TO YOU

STAR EMAIL ★ Subject: Fish revolution From: Philip

HOT LIST

It’s a month of celebrations, which call for extra kit for entertaining or taking with you to parties. Here’s what we rate – including several bargain buys – all chosen by editor Karen Barnes

discoveries

Whether it’s from a tiny producer or a major player, we try all the new stuff and recommend the best for you

Hot on the shelves

Food editor Tom Shingler chooses what’s worth putting in your trolley from the big retailers

Pickle in the limelight

It’s a special moment when a customer says something is the best thing they’ve ever tasted. That’s exactly what happened when Mr Vikki’s debuted its latest award-winning creation

Meet the reader

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES, TOM SHINGLER, TOBY SCOTT. *CONTRIBUTIONS

An aviation cocktail with Claire Ptak

The creative cake-maker and owner of London’s Violet Bakery talks lifting weights, her mother’s fruit pies and the importance of speaking out

The food I cook at home

What do you get when you combine Australian and Chinese-Indonesian food with an extra dash of flair and a spritz of originality? Answer: the super-popular dishes of Lara Lee. Her East and Southeast Asia-spanning recipes are fully loaded and ready to deliver the goods

“My mother taught me to cook with my senses”

Sumayya Usmani’s approach to cooking has been shaped by the strong women in her life, who inspired her to trust her instincts in the kitchen rather than following a written recipe. In her new book, the challenge has been to capture that wisdom on pages that tell the story of a meld of influences, cultures and experiences, and the result is an acutely personal food memoir, with recipes that go way beyond mere lists of ingredients and instructions

RESPECTTO THE SANDWICH!

What used to be a last-minute lunch has ascended the ranks of food royalty in recent years, becoming a meal-between-bread that can hold its own against anything on a plate. Make 2023 the year of the sandwich and start giving this universally loved snack the reverence and attention it deserves

Love me tender

With spring in full swing, the seasonal larder has rewarded us with a welcome explosion of tender green delights: broad beans, peas, spring onions and leaves of all shades are suddenly available – and all set for kitchen action

A right royal feast

We asked six of the UK’s top chefs and food writers to come up with a crowning-touch dish for the coronation – whether you’re watching it on the telly, hosting a street party or just fancy an excuse to create something special on one of the three May bank holidays. Peg out the bunting… And pray for sunshine!

The great celebration food quiz

With lashings of nostalgia, royal facts and British flavours, food writer Nicola Miller’s quiz is the perfect activity for a weekend get-together

Let them eat CAKE!

Queen of baking Mary Berry is never short of a cake or biscuit recipe, and these crowdpleasers range from simple to positively crownlike... Perfect for bank holiday gatherings, street parties – or just a cosy afternoon tea at home

Putting on a spread

Bring me your egg sandwiches, sausage rolls, mini pork pies and victoria sponges, says Debora Robertson: it’s time to celebrate in street party form – the very British, bring-everyone-together way of increasing the jollity of the masses

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AND GET LARA LEE’S A SPLASH OF SOY FREE

STEP INTO SUMMER WITH NEXT MONTH’S delicious

ON SALE Thu 1 June NEW! THE BEST

GET AWAY FROM IT ALL IN CORNWALL

Stay in the peaceful fishing village of Portloe – a fine chance to enjoy fresh seafood and good wine – and walk the South West Coast Path

PRIZE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUE SET BY LES DUNN. CROSSWORD DEVISED

Be a better cook

Excellent recipes help you become a good cook,

Acing acidity

An often overlooked element of seasoning, acidity can level up so-so sauces and boost bang-average dinners. Food editor Tom Shingler looks at it how it can work for you

FLAKY PASTRY How to get it right

Shop-bought pastry, step aside! Sitting in the sweet spot between quick and easy shortcrust and tedious, technically challenging puff, flaky pastry is something any home cook can master. Learn the knack of adding layers of fat to the dough without ending up in a sticky, buttery mess with Emily Gussin’s foolproof guide

DON’T BIN IT!

Milk

The herb conundrum

Adding fragrance, freshness and colour, herbs can transform a dish from dull to dazzling, so it’s no surprise we’re using more of them in our cooking – but what’s the ethical and environmental impact? We asked Clare Finney to investigate the best way to source those green flavour bombs – and how to make the most of them… Then turn the page for Emily Gussin’s herb-hero recipes

Drinks

Bank holiday bottles, party-proof beer casks and a cocktail that really hits the high notes

Susy’s best buys

Paint the town red, white and rosé this month with celebratory bottles expertly chosen by drinks editor Susy Atkins. From bank hol get-togethers to spontaneous moments in the sun, there are so many things worth raising a glass to

Beer school Larging it

With May 2023 being a month of celebrations, beer expert Mark Dredge is rolling out the barrel

Weeknight wonders

Don’t settle for boring Tuesday night dinners! We’re on a mission to give every evening that Friday night feeling – starting with these cosmopolitan creations

Small change BIG difference

Is it really possible that adding a few simple things to your diet could have a positive impact on your health? It won’t be a surprise to hear there’s no magic cure-all, says Sue Quinn, but new evidence shows it’s worth considering a few simple tweaks…

Health NEWS

News, nuggets of knowledge and advice you can trust

STY LE by the sea

Finland’s capital Helsinki regularly tops surveys of the world’s best cities – and it’s easy to see why. Fringed with harbours and Baltic inlets, it’s stuffed with glorious architecture and home to world renowned design. As Norman Miller discovers, the food is elegantly put together too

Spare me the seasonality snobs

Is the obsession with eating only what’s produced locally, in season, coherent or consistent? Writer Andy Lynes raises a rebel glass to Peruvian asparagus