Gill Meller A COOK’S YEAR

Welcome to OCTOBER

If I had to pick a favourite month, October would be

October FIVE GOOD THINGS TO DO

Nigel Barden (right, with chef John Fell) is a treat

FROM OUR INBOX…

Tell us what you think of delicious. (good and bad)

FOR STARTERS

NEWS, NIBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW

DARINA ALLEN

This year Darina – founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, Slow Food supporter and author of a shelf-full of inspirational cookery books – celebrates her 70th birthday. She talks about how we can all be healthier through growing and knowing our food

WISH LIST

”These pages are about us doing the hard work so you

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT…

Our silly squeamishness about a venerable meat is getting Kay Plunkett-Hogge’s goat, and she’s adamant tinned doesn’t mean bad

Our website just got a whole lot better

We know you love leafing through the magazine, taking time to browse recipes and read the articles. But when time’s not on your side (too often now) pick up your phone and get on our new website. Can’t remember which issue you saw a great chicken recipe? Need dinner inspiration? Our site is speedy, intuitive and – as you’d expect – oh so beautiful

Sausage casseroles

Nothing says comfort food more than an old-fashioned sausage casserole and these three knock-out recipes, from food writer Debbie Major, show you just how good they can be. And the bonus – they can all be stashed away in the freezer for that rainy autumn day

”WE’RE KEEPING A CORNISH TRADITION ALIVE”

Pig-rearing wasn’t part of this former bank manager’s game plan, but Sally Lugg’s efforts show what can happen when you mix a family legacy with a bit of serendipity. Lucas Hollweg travelled to a model family farm in Cornwall to find out the story behind a sausage that’s worth saving

CHEERS!

Susy Atkins rounds up top buys and says “Yo ho ho!” to a bottle of rum

THE SUPERB SHARING STARTER

London’s vibrant Flat Iron Square in SE1 is home to a clutch of independent restaurants, food trucks, artisan bakers and bars – including Lupins, whose small plates have given big pleasure to lots of people. Their flavour-packed starter is dead easy to make at home

What three MasterChef finalists did next

…Would you run a supperclub with your friends, alongside a full-time job? Three 2017 MasterChef finalists – Lorna, Alison and Giovanna, otherwise known as Three Girls Cook – have taken on that challenge. Here they share their wisdom and winning recipes

10 restaurants that have stood the test of time… How many have you eaten at?

As hard as it is to open a successful restaurant, surviving Britain’s competitive dining scene is even harder. This is a celebration of places that get it right, year in, year out – and we’ve even managed to persuade a few of them to share a hallmark recipe

Ottolenghi’s COMFORT FOOD

Yotam’s hotly anticipated new book, Ottolenghi Simple, proves that taking a less complicated approach to cooking needn’t mean losing out on flavour. Try these new recipes for an easier route to mealtime nirvana

AUTUMN’S BEST JAM

plus 3 great recipes to cook with it

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Enjoy personalised premium performance with Fisher & Paykel’s mix-and-match companion set

Chestnuts

”Nothing captures the essence of autumn more than the

How to cut down on food waste: Tom Hunt’s 10 no-nonsense tips

Nose-to-tail is fantastic, but there’s a new style of cooking in town called ‘root-tofruit’. It gives equal billing to all parts of the plant, helping to minimise what gets thrown away. Anti-food-waste campaigner and chef Tom Hunt has pro advice to help you eat better and waste less… Bring on the clear conscience!

“Lamb reminds me of friends, family & good times”

Henry Harris earned a reputation as a champion of French country cooking at London’s (now sadly closed) Racine restaurant, but the roots of his style lie in the English countryside, and he brings both influences to bear at the four London pubs where he now masterminds the cooking. Here Henry recalls a childhood connection to lamb that will inspire new food memories for everyone who tries the recipes

“I treasure the memories of my mum’s bagna cauda”

For Italian food blogger Carolina Stupino, the merest whiff of garlic is enough to revive childhood memories of the joy of sharing the creamy, flavoursome Piedmontese dish that made her mum a local celebrity

v Cherry on top

Up your breakfast game with Bonne Maman’s new fuss-free, fruity Breakfast Compotes

GAME OF SCONES

What’s the secret to perfection when a recipe is simple – yet so easy to get wrong? To find out, we pitted our go-to method against three different techniques… Which scone rose victorious?

GARIBALDI BISCUITS

The history of this teatime treat named after the 19th-century Italian general may be a bit sketchy but these favourites (also known as squashed-fly biscuits – yum!) continue to please. Here, Debbie Major re-creates the classic recipe, then gives it an aromatic, autumnal twist

FANCY A SLICE?

Each month we’re creating an all-new recipe that’s available online only. If you want to make this shock horror splatter cake for Halloween, complete with glass-like sugar shards and bloody icing, you’ll have to grab your tablet, phone or laptop and go to… deliciousmagazine.co.ukdeliciousmagazine.co.uk

Make this showstopper autumnal bake

” If, like me, you’re looking forward to weekends filled

DREAM TICKET An intimate evening of Italian food in Mayfair with chef Theo Randall

You’re invited to The InterContinental London Park Lane as an exclusive guest of celebrated chef Theo Randall, for a special dinner and Q&A in the private dining room of his laid-back Italian restaurant. Your hosts are Theo, editor Karen Barnes and pesto pioneers Sacla’

FREE! PRUE My All-Time Favourite Recipes

If you love delicious.magazine, subscribe now to make

Go for gold

Bring some bling to your brunch with the brilliant new gold-flecked Gem avocado

EAT WELL FOR LIFE

NO FADS, NO UNREALISTIC HEALTH CLAIMS… JUST 16 INSPIRING

COMFORT FOOD WITH VEG AS THE STAR

Harvest time is when nature’s bounty of vegetables reaches its peak. These dishes are designed to give those glorious veg a central role – each recipe is packed with nutrients, fibre and a yum factor that satisfies the soul

THE BUDGET RECIPE

A spicy, zingy feast of fish and veg that’s satisfyingly light on the wallet

vTHE 5:2 RECIPE

Fresh mint, fish sauce, citrus and ginger ensure a flavour-packed dish

THE BATCH-COOK RECIPE

Our big pot of creamy risotto is made with fresh, peppery watercress and salty pancetta but you could use any of your favourite veg. Serve it all or turn half into our oozy arancini

SCOTCH EGGS

The popular bar snack just got healthier with our leaner version that’s baked instead of fried

READY-ROAST CHICKEN

A chook doesn’t have to be for the weekend only. Buy one ready-cooked for a time-saving shortcut to countless midweek recipes

Is eating a raw-food diet a healthy choice?

Most of us love a crunchy salad or a carrot stick dunked in aïoli. But a fully raw diet? The trend has gathered momentum in recent years, as adherents swap frying pans for dehydrators in their quest for health. Yet is there any nutritional advantage? Sue Quinn considers the facts

SOULFUL BOWLFULS

Four enticing main-meal soups packed with nourishment, flavour and good cheer – these beauties will warm the very cockles of your heart

Staying power

Embrace plant power and discover the benefits of a great-tasting, simple way of eating

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.

BE A BET TER COOK

14 PAGES OF TIPS AND KNOW-HOW TO GET YOU COOKING SMARTER, FASTER AND WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE

WIN! A luxury vintage rail trip for two on the Belmond British Pullman

Experience an unforgettable evening of fine dining aboard this iconic vintage train, hosted by Tanqueray No. Ten gin

COOK THE COVER …& win Stellar cookware

• Maisie Chandler wins Anolon pans for her ice cream

COMING NEXT MONTH IN…

• Michel Roux Jr’s French classics, Italian veg-hero

Stay with the PRODUCERS

For food lovers it’s a no-brainer: if you want to get close to the produce, why not stay the night? Here are four places up and down the land where the welcome is warm and food miles aren’t an issue

A dream Italian getaway

TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY Umbria’s quiet hills are the

FOOD LOVER’S CROSSWORD

See how much you really know about the world of food with Hugh Thompson’s culinary conundrum. Answers next month

Why the need to fill every waking minute with eating and drinking?

The grab-and-go culture of constant eating, anywhere and everywhere, is destroying our appetites, our health and our planet. It’s time to get back to proper mealtimes, says food writer Andrew Webb – preferably at a table

WIN! A KENWOOD kMIX STAND MIXER

Enter our competition and you could win one of five state-of-the-art Kenwood kMix stand mixers. It’s the perfect kitchen companion to fuel creativity in the kitchen

THIS MONTH IN THE delicious. KITCHEN…

While the delicious.team are testing recipes, they’re often debating the best ways to do things, as well as answering cooking questions that arise in the test kitchen. How do you use up all those apples? What’s the best way to make your bake rise? How often do you need to give your freezer a clear-out? And what’s the best way to tell when a steak is cooked to perfection? It’s the kind of information you won’t find anywhere else, and it will take your cooking to the next level

GRATIN DAUPHINOIS

Making this most luscious of potato bakes takes a little extra time – there’s slicing, infusing and layering to be done, followed by a long, slow session in the oven. Our recipe shows you how to take it a cheffy step further for the ultimate make-ahead side dish

MAPLE AND BACON DANISH

A BIT ABOUT FLORIN…

TEST REPORT

WHERE Paul Covent Garden, 29 Bedford Street, London