welcome.

April is full-on spring at last, and with

SPRING INTO April

Ideas, eats and treats to embrace the dawning of lighter, brighter days

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

Turn this month’s recipes into a meal to remember. Acting food editor Jules Mercer shares her choices for…

#notforsharing

Be good to yourself! Feed body, mind and soul with a simple yet substantial poke bowl

Over to you

Subject: Mothering Sunday solace From: Fiona Owen

From the delicious. food lovers group on Facebook

We asked: What are you cooking on Sunday? Here’s what you said…

Meet the reader

Godfrey Barton, 58, lives in Northamptonshire with wife Maggie and is a gardener

Cook it like delicious & win

Jess Meyer, our acting deputy food editor, reviews and rates your masterworks from the February issue

Want to have a go?

Cook any recipe from the April issue and send us a photo – you could win a St Maur cocktail masterclass for six

APPETISERS

Bitesize news, reviews and diary dates. By Phoebe Stone

A glass of red with Matt Tebbutt

The convivial chef and Saturday Kitchen host on his TV hero, quiet Friday nights and hopes for his kids

Easter joy

Chocolate recipes • Best gifts • Mi x-and-match feast The batch-cook debate • Monica Galetti ’s brunch Hot cross buns and simnel ca ke • UK cheeseboard

HOTLIST

EASTER GIFTS SPECIAL

EASTER LUNCH

pick ‘n‘ mix Beautiful beetroot-tinged cured salmon “I

Confession: I hate batch cooking

For Debora Robertson, the joy of making a meal lies in novelty and spontaneity rather than repeating and reheating yet another frozen-ahead casserole. It’s controversial, mind…

brilliant brunch

These recipes aren’t designed to be served all together as they’re rich and big on flavour, so start with one or two that appeal most and go for it – neither you nor the people around your bank holiday table will be disappointed

10 CHOCOLATE RECIPES every cook needs to know

RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING: JESS MEYER. PHOTOGRAPHS: SAM

The new hot cross buns

Some would say the familiar flavours of this seasonal treat aren’t to be messed with, but these recipes add the X-factor to the popular Easter bake… Is it time for a change? We say yes!

Enticing, scrumptious & gluten free

There’s a reason Becky Excell has scores of loyal fans: her recipes taste fantastic – and if you happen to be coeliac, the joy is they’re all gluten free. Here’s her exclusive take on an Easter favourite

It’s a wrap!

How to put together a fresh, different Easter cheeseboard? There’s nothing predictable about the collection Patrick McGuigan has destined for your spring favourites list. Clue: there are leaves, herbs and even flower petals involved

Asma Khan

Diana Henry meets

" Food highlights the humanity we share "

Cookery school Migrateful helps refugee chefs on the road to a new life. It hopes to change hearts and minds too, says its founder Jess Thompson

Abergavenny

The handsome Welsh market town hosts the UK’s best food festival each autumn, but with its smart independent cafés and shops, friendly pubs and popular market, it’s worth visiting the rest of the time too, says Les Dunn

Hands up for hogget!

Thinking about lamb for Easter Sunday? At this time of year, hogget is a better option. If you’ve never tried it, now’s the time – you’ll be hard pushed to find better meat than that reared by Steve and Kara Lewis in West Wales

April Recipe index

STARTERS, SIDES & NIBBLES • Beetroot cured salmon

It’s good to play with your food

Accepting a meal as it comes isn’t an option for ‘cooking comedian’ George Egg, an inveterate snack-hacker. Here’s his manifesto for having a bit of fun with what’s on your plate

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A very special persona lised gift

Create a cookbook for a friend or loved one, packed with classic delicious. recipes you know they’ll adore

Next month in delicious.

Make.Eat . Share Plan ahead for the great

Take five

There are prizes to be won and fun to be had with Hugh Thompson’s delicious. brain teasers

THE FOOD QUIZ

IT’S WHAT COFFEE, CAKE AND SOFAS WERE MADE FOR

What’s my dumpling?

Match the little bundles of food to the country

Drinks

A spring cocktail, plus dessert-friendly w ines and beers

SusyÕs Best buys

The promise of chocolate eggs, Easter bakes and a bank holiday feast has prompted drinks editor and TV regular Susy Atkins to pick bottles to match. Plus: Hugh from the delicious. team savours a class on natural wine

Beer school Choc tactics

In time for Easter, expert Mark Dredge ponders an unlikely pairing for ale – is it wrong or a genius Willy Wonka moment? Try his suggestions and decide for yourself

Make. Life. Simple .

Easy food for busy days. Family friendly recipes. Easter bakes in the tin. Leftovers all used up

Solve the dinner dash

Cooking a meal needn’t be a Hollywood production. Here are five quickprep dinners to create more time on a weeknight – they might not be ‘gone in 60 seconds’ but it’ll be close

Cook once, eat twice

You’ll barely need to lift a finger for this crowdpleaser curry – and you can freeze half for another no-fuss cooking day

Everyone’s favourite

There’s a reason Italian food is so popular: it’s simple, relatively inexpensive and the flavour combinations are greater than the sum of their parts

Share the (Easter) love

Encourage whoever’s in your house to join you in the kitchen and whip up a batch of cookies or cupcakes for friends and neighbours – there’s joy in every bite

Use it up

Get creative with your leftovers, whether it’s the half-empty jars and tins from recipes in this issue or the use-by clock-tickers in your fridge and cupboards

The latest thinking on FASTING

It’s the diet trend that’s captured the imagination of millions and promises better health – yet how much is really known about the benefits? And is cutting out meals wise for everyone? Sue Quinn fills up on the facts

Health NEWS

Ancient Greeks ate boiled kale to cure drunkenness

An older kind of fasting

In many cultures, the idea of excluding certain foods for a set period of time is a tradition that goes back millennia. Rather than revolving around a calorie-controlled regime, food writer Georgina Hayden’s plant-based recipes are inspired by growing up in the Greek Orthodox tradition. They also happen to be delicious and nutritious – a healthy-eating win-win

discoveries

Taste-tested for you: the best new food and drink from retailers big and small

Be a better cook

Indispensable chocolate and pastry tips from the delicious. kitchen, plus classic lemon tart from a master and a weekend DIY project: rhubarb gin

The knowledge COCOA POWDER

“While researching recipes we’re always learning useful snippets.

KITCHEN RESCUE: SPLIT GANACHE

Ganache is a multi-purpose chocolate and cream sauce/

Ask the (chocolate) expert

Top chocolatier Paul A Young’s tips for working with the dark stuff

2 sweet pastries to know

Michel Roux Jr’s tart case on p128 uses

1 TARTE FINE AU CITRON [classic lemon tart]

Learn with Michel Roux Jr

Rhubarb gin

“This boozy treat is a cinch to make – great on its own or in the cocktail on p83. Like you, the delicious. team and I aren’t keen on chucking away anything food-related, so I’ve included a recipe for rhubarb and blueberry jam –a wonderful use for the gin-soaked fruit”