Farewell...

It’s a poignant moment to be writing my

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

Food editor Tom Shingler combines this month’s recipes for some spring joy

If you make one thing…

Upgrade the classic dippy egg with some seriously decorated soldiers – a weekend morning treat that’s well worth a little extra time

APPETISERS

Inspiration, bite-size news, reviews and great stuff to do

OVER TO YOU

STAR EMAIL ★

Get your sweet fix

A trio of tantalising treats from ‘Norn Iron’, each a shoo-in for your next tea break

HOT LIST SPECIAL

An extravaganza of gifts and excellent food to try – for Easter, Mothering Sunday and beyond. Compiled by Karen Barnes and Mia Rodriguez

The booklist

Spring is coming, as Mark Diacono’s pick of the best new books shows. Find seasonal inspiration, fresh recipes for entertaining and two explorations of Italian cuisine. Plus: the ultimate egg cookbook

A whisky and ginger ale with Keith Brymer Jones

The expert ceramic designer and judge on TV’s The Great Pottery Throw Down has created thousands of mugs and bowls in his long career – but what does he like to eat and drink from them? Keith talks pizza-making in his Whitstable studio, salutes his mother’s high teas – and reveals the snacks he stashes in the green room

The rise and rise of the egg

In a world where we now have unusual and exotic ingredients at our fingertips, Debora Robertson celebrates the everyday, reliable magic of yolks and whites – especially when combined into a light-as-air soufflé

A celebratory FEAST

What happens when you blend, beautifully, cuisines and flavours from different cultures? In the hands of Ravinder Bhogal, master of the art form, the result is a sublime, cosmopolitan spread fit for the most special Easter weekend gathering

Spring onions

The clue’s in the name – these sharp, fresh essentials sing of the new season. But they’re not just for finishing a dish or throwing into salads, you know...

Get prepped!

Give yourself time to have fun over the bank holidays with our seven most useful make-ahead dishes for Easter time to have fun over the bank holidays with our seven most useful make-ahead dishes for Easter

Easter Sunday roast

“This year, Easter falls in March, which is earlier than many years and, in my opinion, too early for spring lamb. When this happens, I like to cook my family a rib of beef for Easter Sunday. This dish has all the freshness of spring, with the added young onions, goat’s cheese, sprouting broccoli and herbs – a real celebration of the new season”

Caribbean roast pork

Looking for an impressive centrepiece for the big – or any – weekend? Ebullient chef and TV presenter Andi Oliver has a tongue-tingling, nice ’n’ spicy recipe, from Antigua by way of Portugal, that’ll leave the crowd more than satisfied

GOING FOR gold

THE CHOCOLATE YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 

THE TIMESAVERS

Make the most of your freezer.

CARROT CAKE

Best of the best.

Mango and passion fruit choux buns

Technical bake.

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD BRIOCHE

The project.

DON’T BIN IT!

PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES Wine If only one or

CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE LOAF AT A TIME

From home baking to shop-bought bread, pasta and cereals, wheat is at the core of our diet, but there’s a problem with wheat production – it’s about crop diversity and it’s a big issue. Clare Finney finds out what we can all do to help, then Emily Gussin shares some fabulous recipes using lesser-known wheat varieties

“Everyone would go wild for aunty’s tear-and-share treat”

One from the heart.

WIN! A three-night stay in the Lake District

Enter to win a ‘Head for the Fells’ break for two at the stunning Another Place hotel with views over Ullswater and the fells

Athens

bite-size break.

A drizzle of sunshine

Champion producers.

Recipe index

MARCH

PUZZLES PAGE

There’s a prize to be won and food knowledge to be tested with Hugh Thompson’s crossword and food quiz. They’re what a cuppa and cake were made for

Let’s skip the TikTok dinners

The super-popular social media app is making a

Drinks

A food-matching special, plus beers for cake and a retro tipple

Susy’s best buys

A good meal is a great experience, but pair it with the perfect drink and the pleasure is multiplied many times. How to know what drink goes with what food, though? Expert Susy Atkins suggests wines for recipes in this issue, plus she finds a bargain softie and a cockle-warming spirit – that’s Easter sorted!

Cakes and ale

Beer school

Make it every day.

PHOTOGRAPH: INDIA WHILEY-MORTON Get creative with storecupboard ingredients

Cupboard love

With fresh veg a bit thin on the ground – March isn’t called the hungry gap for nothing – it’s time to get out the spices and let those super-hero storecupboard ingredients work their magic

Feasts for the senses

The food I cook at home.

Health NEWS

News, nuggets of knowledge and advice you can trust.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO GIVE UP ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD?

It’s the latest headline-grabbing health issue: ultra-processed food and how bad it is for you. Yet it makes up about 60% of the calories British adults consume, so how easy is it to cut back… or even eliminate completely? Food writer Sue Quinn took on the challenge. Here’s how she got on