October can be a bit of a limbo month. Summer is still hanging on in there in the memory bank, while Christmas is just about peaking its yuletide promise over the horizon. But there is more to autumn than simply a ‘going through the motions’ transition from sunshine to Santa; it has its own special points of order to be welcomed. Apart from grabbing ‘summer sale’ sale bargains down the high street (yes, some shops still remain), it offers the opportunity to try and test your new winter clobber, put away the barbecue (thank goodness for that) and start making hot chocolate, lighting a fire and snuggling up in front of Strictly Come Dancing. Yes, I do watch that, avidly.
You know where I’m going with this don’t you? The best thing about autumn is the cooking – comfort cooking to be precise. Turn to page 12 to see a delicious section of hearty, warming recipes to begin this march towards winter. We taste test a few comfort food offerings on page 50, which means you can skip out the prep in the kitchen, but still attain that autumnal glow on your plate.