Welcome to JANUARY

Surely it’s going to be a better year… It has to be

YOUR delicious.

The stories about how food has saved lockdown for so

And now for…THE GOOD NEWS

POSITIVE IDEAS & STORIES OF HOPE FOR THE NEW YEAR

Baking is about feeling like you’re home

The popular cook’s struggle with self-belief struck a chord when she first appeared on our screens in Bake Off - and now 2020 has taught her some new life lessons. Nadiya tells Phoebe Stone about baking as therapy, her straighttalking style - and the surprising benefits of feeding a tortoise

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Restaurant kits by mail order, winter treats + general good stuff you need to know about right now

SUPPORT OUR RESTAURANTS

I’ve tried several boxed restaurant meals over the

“My first plate took me 20 minutes. Now I do it in 37 seconds!”

Karina Rickards has breathed new life into the iconic

How to succeed at SOUP

At its worst it’s bland and soulless - the food equivalent of wallpaper paste. But get soup right, says Debora Robertson, and it has the power to wrap you in cosy-inside comfort. Here’s her step-by-step (but beautifully adaptable) recipe for success, so you’ll never risk make a boring bowlful again

SAVE THE PLANET ONE STEP AT A TIME

Bags, extra packaging, discarded masks… Since the pandemic, single-use plastic has risen dramatically and food waste is still a big issue. Katy Salter looks at what we can all do to help

THE GREEN BOOKSHELF

Tom Hunt (Octopus £26) The eco-friendly chef shares

Delia’s food & wine WORKSHOPS

Join Delia Smith, Alex Mackay and other food and wine

“We knew we had something special with this coffee”

An idea sparked on the other side of the world has become, in just three years, an artisan coffee-roasting business in rural Cheshire, producing top-quality beans that create joy in a cup. Lynda Searby went to meet the makers of an outstanding coffee blend

INSPIRING the NEXT GENERATION

There are many outstanding black British chefs in the UK, yet their talents are often hidden from view. Photographer Julian George set about changing that with a campaign focused on bringing that talent to the fore. He aimed to make people look, but he never imagined his pictures would end up in lights in the West End

CHEERS!

Susy Atkins chooses wines free of animal products and grown-up no-alcohol drinks

Why 2021 trends are on my ‘miss’ list

Time to ignore the trend-spotters, says writer Ellen Manning, and instead nourish ourselves with food we actually enjoy

COOK IT LIKE delicious.

…and win a bone china dinner service

Save £80 on a Judge soup maker

Exclusive offer for delicious. readers

Curl up with a puzzle

We thought you’d want an excuse to snuggle for longer this month, so the quiz is extra long. Just add tea and cake to feed the little grey cells

RECIPE INDEX

• Coronation chicken on toast 93 • Curried eggs on

The crowdpleasers FEELGOOD FILO

Ah, the crunch of crisp, buttery pastry layers yielding to reveal a gently spiced filling. Close your eyes, take a bite and allow yourself to be transported to faraway lands

Rösti eggs royale

Start the year with a wonderful brunch. My 2021 twist on eggs royale switches lightly toasted muffins with a super crispy rösti base. I’ve also taken away the stress of homemade hollandaise with a nifty cheat’s version that’s ready in minutes. Serve with buck’s fizz if you want to up the ante or chill out with steaming coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and the Sunday papers

Ghillie Basan writes to Elisabeth Luard

Inveterate traveller, anthropologist and food writer Ghillie left behind glittering restaurants in favour of a dilapidated croft in the Scottish Highlands, where she single-handedly raised her family. It’s only natural, then, that she finds a kindred spirit in globe-trotting Elisabeth, whose writing lent her courage in tough times

ROLLED GOLD

Is it the slices of stuffed pork belly you’ll love most or the crispy crackling? In chilly January, both are more than welcome. And, as a beautiful bonus, the roasted apples, sage and tangy quince sauce add intriguing flavours and textures to this Italian-style classic

IN THE LOG CABIN

Time to hunker down for a cosy ski chalet-style spread. You might need to imagine the roaring log fire but the food has that warming comfort factor for real. And the refreshing bit? The whole thing is vegetarian

Gill Meller’s winning tart

Summer colour in winter - that has to be good, right? This flavourpacked tart uses tinned tomatoes cooked right down to pulpy sweetness - a wonderful backdrop to the fresh tang of goat’s cheese, the mellow savouriness of cheddar and the spike of chilli heat

“This chicken curry was our soul food”

Infused with happy memories and beautifully balanced spices, Anjum Anand’s classic chicken curry will make a worthy addition to your own collection of time-honoured recipes

A NEW (ANCIENT) WAY TO CELEBRATE

Wassailing is an old English rural tradition - a proper January moment to celebrate any time you like. The reason? To bless the orchards in hope of a good harvest to come. Drinks editor Susy Atkins usually gets together with friends in her Devon village, but this year she’ll keep the tradition alive with family in the back garden - and deliver little wassail treats to the neighbours… Bonfire Night mark two? Bring it on!

AND TO EAT…

What to serve with your hot wassail cup? Nibble on spicy nuts, then wrap mittened hands around a cup of earthy, chill-chasing soup and finish with fruity little orchard muffins

Magic monkey loaf

This tear-and-share beauty is so good, you might be inclined to tear and keep to yourself - but how could you deny others the pleasures of a soft, stickily sweet loaf studded with pecans and drizzled with vanilla icing? It’s worth taking extra tea breaks or scheduling in a weekend brunch just to have an excuse to bake it

WHISKY MARMALADE

If you’re new to jam-making or want to get more comfortable around pectin, the first of our new rainy-day projects will see you right. James Strawbridge’s classic marmalade will fill your kitchen with the scent of oranges and your cupboard with jars of bittersweet loveliness

Malted chocolate caramel cheesecake

Luckily, there are some things we never grow out of. Give favourite childhood flavours a sophisticated twist with this exceedingly grown-up dessert

Leave it to… THE OVEN

Throw-it-all-in-the-cooker suppers needn’t lack finesse. These warming, comforting recipes require no more than 15 minutes of hands-on time but they’re brimming with flavour

RECLIAM YOUR LUNCH BREAK

2020 was the year when employers realised how surprisingly

your FIVE-STEP STRATEGY

REMEMBER WORK-LIFE BALANCE? It used to mean leaving

WHAT TODO WITH YOUR PRECIOUS HOUR

These are only ideas - the most important thing is to do whatever makes you feel good

BRILLIANT PODCAST IDEAS

Listening to a compelling bit of audio is a sure way to get your mind off work worries. We love…

FITNESS VIDEOS TO TRY FOR SIZE

• There’s a great range of free fitness videos for

This month’s lunch hits TOP TOAST TOPPERS

SERVES 2. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN

20 smart ways to save money on your food bill…and still feast your way through winter

When you’re counting the pennies, cutting down on your favourite food seems a tough call. But get familiar with these basic strategies and there’ll be no shortage of comfort and good eats

Sardines

Make like our European cousins and treat good quality seafood in tins as a staple. These flavoursome ideas use a thrifty, healthy favourite

How healthy is being VEGAN?

If vegan was big in 2020, just watch the trend explode this year. Is it the shortcut to good health that influencers and food brands claim, or do we need to take care? Dietitian Juliette Kellow looks at the research

HEALTH BITES

NEWS, NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE AND ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST.

Keep it simple the Donna Hay way

She’s the queen of weekday cooking whose recipes combine ease, speed and style in an inimitable way. These creations from Donna Hay’s new book bring a lighter approach to warming comfort food - and they’re so good they’ll only add to her legend

The FAST-DAY RECIPE

What you need if you’re cutting back on calories: a warming lunch or supper that really hits the spot. This wholesome laksa is full of punchy flavours

TEST KITCHEN

We’re still not in our office test kitchen (how we miss it), but every delicious. recipe is put through its paces in the food team’s homes and circulated via pictures (while the rest of us salivate!). Food editor Jen Bedloe shares her best supermarket buys, gadgets or kit she’s tested, along with intel she’s gleaned this month

TAHINI

This month’s Donna Hay recipes (see p106) caused a

When life gives you lemons (or oranges)…

Seasonally it’s a great time to add citrus to your

LOOSE ENDS

Savvy ideas for using up what might otherwise go to waste

Duvet Day

THE SUREFIRE WAY TO PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE

THE BEST FOOD PROGRAMMES FOR A VIRTUAL ESCAPE

Five now-classic series that bear rewatching any number of times

THREE TV SHOWS FOR BELLY LAUGHS

1 The TripAmazon Prime, to rent or buy Pick a season

FIVE FILMS FOR A VIRTUAL HOLIDAY

1 Before SunriseAmazon Prime, to rent or buy It’s a

BOOKS TO TRANSPORT YOU TO OTHER LANDS

Whether to read and imagine or to inspire you into the kitchen to cook (preferably both), Susan Low chooses three outstanding cookbooks with flavours to tempt the mind and palate

THE COMFORT-FOOD RECIPE

To accompany your day of relaxation, some seriously