editor’s letter.

PORTRAIT: PAUL MITCHELL. PHOTOGRAPHS: KIM LIGHTBODY, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

The delicious manıfesto

The values underpinning everything we do and everything we are

Why doing thıngs WRONG can IMPROVE your cooking …and other things a year of lockdowns has taught me

The restrictions of the past year have meant lots of us have been doing a lot more cooking, whether out of necessity or for the love of it – or both.  Writer Lauren Bravo began by failing at preposterously complicated challenges and ended up embracing the comforting and predictable. It’s been a bumpy ride, but as the journey’s end hoves into view, she reflects that it’s made her a better – and wiser – cook

STYLE SECRETS Outside in

Flowers, ferns, fruit and veg… A few things that make gardens such a joy. Why not bring all that loveliness inside too?  Laura McLeish finds the buys that will turn your kitchen into an indoor Eden

Nourishing. Balanced. Healthy.

PHOTOGRAPH: TOM REGESTER Nutritious meals. Fresh f lavours. Light

Coming in the June issue of delicious.

ON SALE 1 JUNE

Take five

There are prizes to be won and foodie fun  to be had with our page of brain teasers

Not for sharıng Recipe for one

Sometimes you need to be good to yourself, and if that means making and wolfing down a Mexican-style treat without pause, so be it

Cook it like delicious.

Great recipes are at the heart of delicious. – and editor Karen, food editor Jen and the rest of the team love to see what you’re cooking and hear what you think of our recipes. But did you know you can also win prizes for your pictures? Cook any recipe from our May issue and share it with us this month for your chance to win a pizza oven and wood burner (see right) *

Want to have a go?

Make and share any recipe from this issue and you could win a Gozney Roccbox pizza oven and wood burner

What’s getting you going

EMAILS MAY BE EDITED FOR LENGTH AND/OR CLARITY.

Just because you can cook, doesn’t mean you should

Something to chew on? Former delicious. food editor Rebecca Woollard says however much of a whizz you are in the kitchen, there are times when you need to let someone else do it

And the best supporting actor is...the kitchen

When it comes to drama on the silver screen, Debora Robertson only has eyes for something with a marble worktop and a discreet undercounter dishwasher

A cup of Darjeeling tea with Asma Khan

The pioneering chef and advocate for women on her childhood in India, the drive behind her restaurant Darjeeling Express – and her secret hobby

Nutshell

News, diary dates and interesting nuggets, compiled by Phoebe Stone

Make. Eat. Share .

Inspiration and dreams. Magical menus. Taking time. Glorious weekends. Special

Cornwall, sea & shore Food from a magical place

The St Tudy Inn was a bit neglected when chef Emily Scott took it over seven years ago. But her brilliant, unfussy cooking soon put the pub, and the tiny Cornish village it’s named after, on the culinary map. These recipes from her first book are a love letter to the county Emily calls her “soulmate”

Turning sugar into gold

Indulge in a little kitchen alchemy and transform workaday sugar into something extraordinary – rich, sticky, meltingly wonderful caramel. The magical ingredient brings a luxurious touch to this beautiful collection of desserts

Introducing your... New picnic star

Our cover recipe has that winning combo of looking amazing but being a cinch (though there’s a bake-yourown-bread option for challenge-lovers too). If you can resist scoffing it immediately, it makes a scene-stealing picnic contribution – just don’t forget the napkins

Pack & go!

When you’re looking for something portable to eat in the great outdoors, it’s hard to beat a mini pork pie – it’s easy to carry, ready-portioned and needs no cutlery. Perfect with a piquant piccalilli – try saying that with your mouth full

May ’s best Cooling cordial

With spring now in full swing and the temperature rising, hedgerows and woodlands are prettily decked out with the creamy, aromatic blooms of elderflowers. Pick the flowers young and make Gill Meller’s simple, refreshing cordial – it’s a taste of the summer to come

Letter to a food legend

The queen of cooking on a budget, Jack Monroe is a fully paid-up member of the tin can fan club. Here she writes a letter to French inventor Philippe de Girard, whose canning process was patented in 1810, and shares a stonking 21st century recipe that owes everything to the good old tin can

Vivek Singh’s Celebration menu

“We set out to dream big.” That was the aim of The Cinnamon Club restaurant when it opened in 2001. We asked Vivek Singh, founder and exec chef, to mull over 20 years of memories and share some favourite recipes. Here they are in menu form... A feast to end all feasts

3 easy salads for an omega-3 boost

Most of us need to include more omega-3 oils in our diet, but it’s no chore when the recipes are as inviting as these: colourful, full of texture, simple to make – and darned flavoursome

The best low-carb breakfast

Seven years ago, renowned restaurateurs Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi transformed their diet in a bid to put Giancarlo’s type 2 diabetes into remission. He’s now leaner, fitter and full of energy – and, most importantly, their efforts worked. This recipe has become a favourite

The 5:2 recipe

This tempting plateful packs plenty of lean protein and enough zingy lime and spice to give your taste buds a proper workout, leaving you feeling satisfied

Health matters

News, nuggets of knowledge and advice you can trust

10 easy hacks to get more from what you eat

You’re probably already clued up on the basics of a healthy diet, but with a little know- how you can go from an A-grade student to an A* one. Dietitian Juliette Kellow reveals some simple things you can do to get more nutrients from every mouthful

Make. Life. Simple.

PHOTOGRAPH: TOM REGESTER Easy food for busy nights. Family

Yes, we can

Tinned food is a storecupboard star (read Jack Monroe’s homage to it on p52) for five reasons: it’s practical, nutritious, waste-saving, good value – and yum

Cook once, eat twice

Everyone loves to say “Here’s one I made earlier” and bring out a quick-butbrilliant meal. Make a big batch of succulent spiced pulled pork and you’re sorted

Use it up

Chick ’n’ macaroni cheese with crispy pancetta

...and more ideas for leftovers

Simple, savvy ways to use up the open, partly used bits and bobs left over from some of the recipes in this issue

Take one wedge of parmesan.... 3 great recipes

Parmigiano Reggiano is the official name for proper parmesan cheese from northern Italy, and a grating of it can add instant umami to any number of recipes. Here are some nifty new ideas

Lunch with crunch

Bored with your usual sarnie? Try this New York deli classic and, badda-bing, you’ll be ready to take on the world

The easy bake

PHOTOGRAPH: TOM REGESTER. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE “Bakes

Learn. Discover. Buy.

Skills, knowledge, best buys & sustainable living

Jen’s kitchen

Fresh from her test kitchen, our delicious. food editor reveals the best stuff she’s tried from the big retailers, salutes seasonal crab and shares her tips and tricks

Green kitchen

Katy Salter celebrates proper British apple juice, the best wraps for your picnic and more

Food geek

Ready to raise your cooking game? In this series we equip you with the science to ensure success every time

Sweet tahini swirls

Move over, cinnamon buns – there’s a new swirly queen in town. Yasmin Khan celebrates a crisp, light Med classic that drips with sesame-fragrant tahini

Cheers!

It’s all about the botanicals for Susy Atkins as she compares vermouths and finds a worthy non-alcoholic ‘spirit’. Plus: bottles for late spring and an armchair wine tour

UK cheese tour

...with Patrick McGuigan. This month we’re in Devon, home of mellow goat’s cheese ticklemore

Karen’s discoveries

This page is about supporting smaller producers with a story to tell. Everything you see here has been tested, curated and pronounced excellent by editor Karen Barnes and the delicious. team

The wonder seasoning

Paul Clarke is Northern Ireland’s Willy Wonka when it comes to inventing food products, and his Black Garlic & Porcini Sea Salt, the result of clever tinkering, was his golden ticket to success

May Recipe index

44 STARTERS, SIDES & NIBBLES • Bright green