Welcome to AUGUST

Summer… What does it mean to you? Are you all about

August FIVE GOOD THINGS TO DO

What’s the best picnic spot in the UK? Drinks company

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

JACK STEIN

The bearded chef talks about his love of global food, learning to cut bread and eating on the beach – a side-effect of growing up in Cornwall

IN PRAISE OF Convenience food

In this hymn to cupboard love, food writer Debora Robertson expresses her passion for those storecupboard ingredients that allow us to get dinner on the table without losing half a day – and possibly our minds

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT…

Finding herself in a food-craving pickle, Kay Plunkett-Hogge heads out of her comfort zone and discovers a whole new culinary world

MEET THE MAN WHO KNOWS WHERE TO FIND FOOD FOR FREE

Forager Wross Lawrence knows how to spot a feast where others just see foliage. Susan Low joined him in West Sussex as he searched for his award-winning sea purslane

READY FOR A TOP DAY OUT?

Food festival season hits its peak next month with two of the biggest, most established events: Abergavenny in Wales and Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast. Whether you head west or east, a feast of fun awaits – and this year we’ll be there too, to judge the regional heats of the delicious. Produce Awards, along with the Awards sponsors Fisher & Paykel. Be sure to come and say hello

CHEERS!

Susy Atkins rounds up the best buys and top summery wines

delicious TEST REPORT

WHERE Oliveology, The Cookhouse, Borough Market, London

When only a trip to the seaside will do…

Ah, to be down by the shore, with the cries of seabirds, the salt spray and the fulsome larder of our seas to gorge on. But where to stay to indulge in comfort? Look no further – we’ve scoured the length and breadth of the nation’s coastline to find four favourite spots

BITE-SIZE BREAK GHENT

The city of Ghent, in northern Belgium’s Flanders region, is celebrated for its medieval art and architecture. The food, though, as Alexander Lobrano discovers, is a lot more up to date – get ready for yuzu and algae-glazed turbot, foraged-botanical gin and beyond-hipsterish beers

Why airports ruin my appetite for travel

Are you flying off for some sun this summer, excited about all that al fresco scoffing and new flavours to discover? There’s a miserable obstacle to get through first, says travel writer Liz Edwards

Like what you see?

Each month we’re creating an all-new recipe that’s

Ice cream

Who can resist the jingly, summery sound of an ice cream van? These recipes celebrate our love for the frozen stuff. We have a super-speedy no-churn ice cream sandwich, a salted caramel Italian-style gelato and a showstopper chocolate bombe… Form an orderly queue, please

SPANISH-STYLE ROAST CHICKEN

You can’t go wrong with roast chicken, but when it incorporates the glorious colours and flavours of chorizo and fresh peppers, it raises the bar. Why keep it just for Sundays?

QUICHE LORRAINE

It’s the time of year for eating in the great outdoors, and what better fodder than a melt-in-the-mouth quiche? Food writer Debbie Major gives her version of a quiche lorraine – with added savouriness from cheese. She’s also conjured up a summery recipe using Boursin, quail eggs and chives. Time to shake out the picnic blanket…

Rick Stein’s guide to SUMMER SHELLFISH

He’s the go-to expert for everything you need to know about British fish and seafood – when it’s at its best, where to get it from and, most importantly, how to cook and enjoy it. These fresh-as-a-sea-breeze, flavour-packed recipes show off British shellfish in its prime

Sweetcorn

PHOTOGRAPHS MIKE ENGLISH FOOD STYLING SOPHIE AUSTEN-SMITH

Gill Meller A COOK’S YEAR

During his 11 years at River Cottage, our resident columnist has made an art of knowing when seasonal food is at its peak – and how to show it off to its best advantage. This month Gill turns his attention to rabbit, an under-appreciated, sustainable meat that’s at its best right now

ZOE’S EAST AFRICAN ADVENTURE

Our writer in residence this month and next is the ubertalented Zoe Adjonyoh, chef, restaurateur, food writer and all-round champion of African cuisine. Earlier this year, she set off to explore Kenya, its food history, ingredients, influences and cooking methods. Inspired and enthused, she shows just how do-able a colourful Kenyan adventure is – in your own kitchen

”Food inspiration passed from my war-hero grandad to my mum, then to me”

delicious. reader Adam Ringrose moved to Canada when he was young, a life-changing moment full of new experiences – not to mention flavours. His love of food comes from his mother, whose baking was legendary, although his grandad had a big role to play too

WHEN THE SUN IS blazing

We’ve all packed a few dodgy chicken drumsticks and curled sarnies in our time, but summer days are moments to relish and do it proper-like, with a feast spread out on a rug in a park, maybe for an open-air concert or a spot of Shakespeare. Try these sharing recipes for size

The joy of easy baking by Mary Berry

She’s a consummate cakemaker: a banisher of soggy bottoms and a technical whizz with bakes of all shapes and flavours. Yet Mary Berry is the first to assure novices that baking needn’t be tricky. These recipes from her new book demonstrate how simple it can be to produce moreishly impressive results

POSH SARNIE FILLINGS

Who can resist a good sandwich? We’ve devised eight new ideas to add a whole new dimension to your lunch or afternoon tea

FREE! Jack Stein’s World on a Plate

Order online at deliciousmagazine.co.uk/subscribe Quote

WIN! a classic 8-speed Pashley bike

Upgrade your wheels with a smart Pashley Britannia bicycle, fully equipped with all the best accessories

COOK THE COVER

…and win a top-notch Anolon copper cookware set

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

JOIN GILL MELLER FOR A COOKING ADVENTURE AT RIVER COTTAGE

delicious. editor Karen Barnes and River Cottage chef Gill Meller are hosting a day of foraging, cooking and feasting in Devon. What a treat it will be…

COMING NEXT MONTH IN… delicious

• An Italian weekend feast for sharing from Angela

MAIN MEAL SALADS

Forget limp lettuce and skimpy portions: these salads are packed with flavour and hearty, good-for-you ingredients – properly satisfying, in other words. Try them on a salad naysayer and see if you can’t convince them

THE BUDGET RECIPE

An all-in-one veggie dish that shows just how flavoursome a thrifty idea can be

THE 5:2 RECIPE

Get your oily fish quota in this quick, zingy dish, which savvily uses frozen fish

THE BATCH-COOK RECIPE

This cook-once, eat-twice recipe makes the most of ripe summer veg. It’s the ultimate timesaver for busy weeknights

SOUP OF THE MONTH

Make it ahead, then serve chilled on a hot day with a cool glass of dry sherry on the side

THE FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPER

Take the hot dog up a notch with this winning combination of spiced crispy onions and sauerkraut

TAKE A PACK OF… CHERRY TOMATOES

Use these juicy gems to create four speedy but special recipes. Dare we suggest weeknights will never be the same again?

Food that makes you look younger: fact or fiction?

Throw away that expensive facial serum: glowing skin could be yours just by heading to the kitchen… Really? Berries and citrus fruit are ‘proven complexion perfecters’, and for stronger, glossier hair, an avocado a day will ‘help the follicles work more efficiently’. If only life, ageless beauty (and health) were that simple, says a sceptical Sue Quinn

THE WOW-FACTOR VEGGIE BURGER

A quick miso marinade gives an umami-rich flavour to aubergine ‘steaks’ to replace traditional beef in this meat-free burger – and it happens to be vegan

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE VEGGIE RENAISSANCE

I remember taking my first bite of summer roll in a

THIS MONTH IN THE delicious. KITCHEN…

While the delicious. team are testing recipes, they’re

SLOW-COOKED BARBECUED BEEF

Brisket can be a tough joint, but this recipe guarantees fall-apart-tender meat with a Mexican flavour that will make your taste buds sit up and take notice

TROFIE PASTA

with watercress, courgette and almonds