Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Good Food

The results of our annual Good Food Nation Survey* show that our appetite for comfort food never ends. We still love retro classics like rice pudding and trifle, but what we define as ‘comfort food’ is changing. While fish pie and macaroni cheese will always have a special place in our hearts, now we’re as likely to turn to a bowl of fragrant ramen when we want something warm and reassuring. Taking it to the next level, innovative UK chefs are creating new globally inspired comfort dishes – Newcastle’s The Patricia, for example, uses epoisses and preserved cherries to create a grown-up cheese toastie, and there’s a hint of nostalgia – a big factor in comfort food – in Sprout’s Hobnobs cheesecake. We’ve highlighted 31 of these new-wave comfort foods…

IN THE BEGINNING We ve long been a nation of pizza lovers, but the pizza bases in restaurants and supermarkets are usually made using a traditional pizza dough (made from flour, yeast, oil and seasoning). THEN In 2008, Franco Manca opened in London’s Brixton, making delicious wood-fired pizzas with a sourdough base. Founder Giuseppe Mascoli explains why: ‘Sourdough is simply better. It’s traditional, while commercial yeast is a newer ingredient. With sourdough, you have longer fermentation and a slow rise. In this process, the starch disappears and the proteins are pre-digested so you end up with a highly digestible product. You can really taste the flavours hidden in the flour’. NOW Franco Manca rapidly expanded thanks to the popularity of its authentic-tasting pizzas, thoughtfully sourced ingredients and low price. Several…

THE FOOD PROGRAMME Tea, dinner, supper? At the table or in front of the TV? How we eat says much about us. In a fascinating four-part series, Sheila Dillon looks at how we eat, starting on Sunday 1 October with a programme on eating alone, secret snacking, ready meals for one and the pleasure of solitary cooking. Sundays at 12.30pm (repeated on Mondays at 3.30pm). BRITAIN’S BEST COOK Are you a whizz in the kitchen, up new impressing family and friends with your creations? The BBC are now looking for contestants for a new prime-time series on BBC One next year, Britain’s Best Cook, judged by Mary Berry. Applications close on 31 October. To apply, visit bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/takepart. Kathryn Custance…

Comfort by John Whaite (£19.99, Kyle) Full of cosy recipes, this book by 2012 Bake Off winner John Whaite is perfect for when the weather turns. Clever twists on dishes elevate them to dinner-party worthy standard, from Indian shepherd’s pie with a sag aloo top to tartiflette pizza (hello double carbs). Our must-try recipe Pecan, cranberry & dark chocolate pie River Cafe 30 by Ruth Rogers, Sian Wyn Owen & Joseph Trivelli (£28, Ebury Press) London’s iconic River Cafe restaurant turned 30 this year, and to celebrate, they’ve updated 90 recipes from the best-selling 1994 River Café Cookbook and written 30 new ones, making this a bible for fans of modern Italian food. Our must-try recipe Spaghetti al limone Feasts by Sabrina Ghayour (£20,…

In her latest BBC series, Nigella shares the food she cooks for family and friends. She says: ‘What matters most in life is the connections we have with each other, and food is always at the heart of this.’ Her new BBC Two series, Nigella: At My Table, and accompanying book very much reflect this, with feel-good welcoming dishes including old family favourites along with fresh takes on classics. As ever, Nigella provides inspiration for that important, everyday question ‘What are we going to eat?’ with simple flavour-packed recipes and shortcuts that make life easier without sacrificing taste. Cumberland sausage with apples & onions There is nothing more comfortingly old-fashioned than sausages with apples and onions. This is what my maternal grandmother, who otherwise had an enthusiasm for what my…

If you’re the sort of cook who occasionally hankers for a deeply comforting blow-out of cheese, cream and pasta, then this sumptuous dish from Rome is for you. It’s devastatingly simple and utterly satisfying: just the thing for a Saturday evening à deux as the evenings close in. Italians, and fans of authentic Italian cuisine, may raise a sculpted eyebrow when they observe that my recipe involves clotted cream. This is in fact an ingenious shortcut; the only other way to achieve the required hit of intense creaminess is to simmer double cream until reduced, which takes longer and doesn’t taste as good. This dish is so full-on that it requires nothing more than a simple green salad to accompany it. If you’re feeling particularly self-indulgent, you can divide this…

Easy chocolate cake An airy light sponge and rich buttercream makes this cake simple enough for an afternoon tea but special enough for a party; just add cake candles. SERVES 10-12 PREP 35 mins COOK 20 mins EASY V * sponges only for the cake 200g golden caster sugar 200g unsalted butter, softened plus extra for the tins 4 eggs 200g self-raising flour 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp milk for the buttercream 100g milk chocolate, chopped 200g butter, softened 400g icing sugar 5 tbsp cocoa powder 2 tbsp milk to decorate chocolate shards (see tip, below) 1 Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins, then line the bases with baking parchment.…

“Back in the day, wines like Blue Nun and Black Tower were all the rage, but now we sneer at them” We may snigger about Blue Nun, but I’ve poured it for unsuspecting friends towards the end of an evening and had them rave about it. What do they love? The girlish, meadow-like scent, for one thing. The sweetness, for another. Yes, I know it’s not popular to talk about sweetness in wine, but this is sweetness like the juice of a ripe nectarine or the cool flesh of a fresh grape – which is exactly where it comes from. It s an attractive quality, if you think about it like that. day, -dry German such as Blue Nun and Black Tower were all the rage, but nowadays we sneer…

In an era when the London restaurant Sexy Fish thrives and people eat at the extraordinarily-named Cabbages & Condoms restaurants (FYI they fund a sexual health NGO in Thailand), you may argue that what you call a restaurant is irrelevant. Create good food or a glam destination and people will come, regardless of any dissonant allusions to prophylactics or curvy cod with come-to-bed eyes. Nonetheless, I dislike the dreary predictability of Ham & Friends, a spin-off from the Friends of Ham venues, which, in Leeds and Ilkley, serve cured meats of distinction alongside A1 craft beers. Granted, it’s hard to stretch that porcine conceit further (try it: Piggy Pals sounds juvenile; the Pleasures of Pork pornographic), and I can see how Ham & Friends emphasises the conviviality of this enterprise.…

“My kids love meat pie, and I love making it for them, as it reminds them of their northern heritage” Sara Cox, 42, was born in Bolton and worked as a model before getting her big break in 1996 as a presenter on Channel 4’s The Girlie Show . By 2000, she was a DJ at the helm of the Breakfast Show on Radio One, where she spent nearly four years and recorded ratings of around 8 million listeners. In 2013, Sara made the move from Radio One to Radio Two, and currently hosts Sounds of The 80s on Saturday nights. For Red Nose Day 2017, Sara did a 24-hour danceathon, raising over £1 million. Married for the second…

Oat & chia porridge with prunes SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins NO COOK EASY V 6 prunes few pinches ground cinnamon 50g traditional oats 2 tbsp chia seeds ½ tsp vanilla extract 300ml bio yogurt milk, for diluting (optional) 2 small pears, cored and thickly sliced 2 tsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional) 1 The night before, put the prunes in a small pan with the cinnamon. Cover scantily with water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Tip into a bowl and set aside to soak overnight. 2 Put a kettle full of water on to boil. Tip the oats and chia seeds into a bowl, pour over 300ml boiling water then stir well. Cover and leave to soak overnight too. 3 The next morning, stir…

‘Catalonia is really beautiful. I have visited so many times over the years and one thing I know for sure is the more I go, the more I appreciate the place and the people. In their cooking, the people of Catalonia have never lost their culinary roots – sometimes aspects of recipes or methods stretch as far back as medieval times. In Catalan cuisine, there’s often a healthy nod to history, and this I really love. In the food, we see that the people are so proud of their heritage and cultural identity and love who they are and where they’re from.’ Pan-fried pork belly with courgette, fennel & preserved lemon salad Pork belly usually feels wintry, but I think this makes for a refreshing dish at any time of…

1 BUY YOURSELF A DECENT KIT Extract kits have come a long way from the dusty back shelves of Boots of yesteryear, and give you a simple, affordable way to try out the hobby with very acceptable results. Established breweries like St. Peters and Woodfordes have decent kits in shops and online at about £20. wilko.com • brewuk.co.uk 2 BUCKET OR DEMIJOHN Whether it's your first time with a kit, or your hundredth all-grain brew, you need to ferment it in something suitable. Most of the time your options are between a bucket and a carboy. Carboys or demijohns look nicer, especially if they're glass, but can be a pain to clean. Food-grade plastic buckets lack glamour, but are practical – just make sure you get one with a close-fitting lid…

Quattro formaggi  SERVES 1-2 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins EASY Mix 2 tbsp ricotta with 1 tbsp grated parmesan and 50g mozzarella. Take 2 thick slices white bread and spread the cheese mixture over one of them. Top with 25g gorgonzola broken into pieces, then close the sandwich with another slice of bread. Spread the outsides of the sandwich, top and bottom, with 1 tbsp mayonnaise. Fry the sandwich in 1 tbsp butter for 3-4 mins each side, pressing the sandwich down gently with your spatula as it cooks to make sure it melts evenly inside and stays together. GOOD TO KNOW calcium PER SERVING (2) 447 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 14g • carbs 20g • sugars 3g • fibre 1g • protein 16g • salt 1.5g…

GF’S HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS Plan ahead for the festive season with our new guide to edible crafts, easiest-ever turkey dinners and showstopper desserts. On sale now, £5.99. GF SHOWS Discover a BBC Good Food Show near you – find out more on page 90. Readers save 20% on tickets! GOOD FOOD ON YOUR PHONE OR TABLET Download our interactive app at the Apple App Store. HOW-TO VIDEOS Sharpen your skills with our cookery videos. Find over 200 recipes and techniques at bbcgood food.com/feature/videos.…

SKINTED George Foreman 4-portion Family Health Grill, £19.99, amazon.co.uk A good buy for health-conscious students, this bargain grill is easy to use and maintain, thanks to its highly non-stick coating which can be wiped clean. When cooking meat, the fat grease are removable drip tray, making it a healthier option than pan-frying. MINTED Tefal OptiGrill+ health grill, £126, Currys This multifunctional grill cooks everything from sandwiches to steaks, with different programmes for each. It cleverly recognises the thickness of meats such as steak, and will beep to indicate rare, medium etc, ensuring perfect results without any guesswork. The sloped grill means oil or fat drains into the drip tray resulting in healthier cooking.…

Sweet Manhattan The Manhattan, like all the best classics, is a very simple formula – just whiskey, vermouth and bitters. But it’s a formula that you can tinker with endlessly. However you make it, though, it always lets the spirit shine through, which is why the Manhattan has always been a real whiskey-lover’s drink. SERVES 1 PREP 5 mins NO COOK EASY V 50ml bourbon or rye whiskey 25ml rosso vermouth 5ml syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries (I used Luxardo) 2 dashes angostura bitters ice for the garnish maraschino cherry a twist of pared lemon Stir the ingredients with ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish and serve. GOOD TO KNOW gluten-free PER SERVING 163 kcals • fat none • saturates none •…

Good Food contributing editor Rosie Birkett is a food writer and stylist. Her cookbook, A Lot on Her Plate, is out now (£25, Hardie Grant). @rosiefoodie Celeriac & cavolo nero colcannon with thyme & bacon crumb SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins EASY 1 celeriac, peeled and chopped 50g butter ½ leek, finely sliced 100g cavolo nero, de-stemmed and sliced ½ lemon, juiced splash of olive oil 2 rashers of streaky bacon, very finely chopped 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked 50g rye sourdough bread, blitzed to a coarse crumb 50ml double cream grating of fresh nutmeg 1 Put the celeriac in a deep pan, cover with water and add 1 tbsp salt. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, cooking for about 20 mins until tender.…

The trick with these Chinese dishes is to prepare most of your ingredients in advance. The actual cooking times are often quick once you get going. When cooking this menu, stick your chicken wings in the oven while prepping the rest of the courses, starting with all the chopping and slicing, then complete the final steps of the rice and veg when the fish is in the oven. Add some prawn crackers (see p41), and use chopsticks and small bowls to set the scene. Sichuan chicken wings SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 55 mins EASY 800g chicken wings 1 tbsp baking powder 11/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns 11/2 tsp chilli flakes 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine 11/2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste 3 tbsp each dark and light soy sauce 11/2…

Mummy pie SERVES 8 PREP 15 mins plus chilling and cooling COOK 20-25 mins EASY V * plain flour, for dusting 500g all-butter puff pastry 6 tbsp whole-fruit strawberry jam 1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp golden caster sugar icing eyes (see tip, below) 1 Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the puff pastry to a 30 x 45cm rectangle, then put it on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment. 2 Put the pastry in front of you with a short edge nearest to you. Spread the jam in a line down the centre, about 12cm wide, leaving 2cm of pastry at the top and bottom. Arrange the apple slices on top in a thin layer. 3 To…

‘Chefs are finally realising you’ve got to give people what they want to eat, not what you want to cook’ Tommy Banks, head chef and one of this year’s BBC Great British Menu winners Comfort food will always be synonymous with bangers and mash, nursery food and gastropubs, but a new movement is emerging in Britain. The dishes are often still loaded with nostalgia, but what’s difierent is that these meals thrill as much as they sate. Partially responsible for this quiet revolution is the next generation of classically trained chefs, who are rebuflng fussy food and stufiy service for unpretentious cooking. ‘Chefs are finally realising you’ve got to give people what they want to eat, not what you want to cook,’ explains Tommy Banks,…

“Are we catching up with the US, or just catching one of its bad eating habits?” In the café of a stately home recently, I must have appeared rather stupid by asking the very pleasant woman behind the counter if they had any scones. She looked at me, surprised, then pointed to a basket of baked rounds that were the size of a side plate and about three inches thick. I hadn’t recognised them as scones, taking them as circular loaves. The ‘deal’ with these supersized scones was that, for £6.99, they came with a tiny pot of jam, and either butter or cream (also small), which was never going to be enough to anoint the vast scone, and a one-cup pot of tea. ‘They’re enough for two people,’ she…

A Sunday roast is a British mealtime institution, it’s often the one time of the week we gather with friends and family to sit down and eat together. The concept might be traditional, but that doesn’t mean the meal itself needs to be. By trying new meats, seasonings or cooking everything together in the same pan, you keep things interesting for both the cook and the diners. So, when you next go to cook a roast, don’t go into a kitchen autopilot – use it as an opportunity to cook something new and hopefully it will end up becoming another one of your Sunday favourites. Good Food contributing editor Tom Kerridge is a regular BBC presenter and chef-owner of The Hand & Flowers and The Coach – both in Marlow,…

Wine expert Henry Jeffreys, along with the BBC Good Food team, tasted his way through more than 100 wines to choose our Wine Club selection. Henry writes about wine for The Guardian and The Spectator, and on his blog, worldofbooze.wordpress.com. He is also a judge in the Best Drinks Producer category for the BBC Food and Farming Awards. His first book, Empire of Booze, is out now. Find Henry’s tasting notes, including food pairings, for all the selected wines at bbcgoodfood.com/ wine-club. Le Mani di Federica Grillo 2016 The grape here is Grillo, which is used to make Sicily’s answer to sherry, marsala, but is now being made into some delicious table wines. The taste is so evocative of Sicily, lemons of course, but also orange blossom and an invigorating saline…

Ingredients in-depth Dried mushrooms For a big hit of autumnal flavour from your storecupboard, you can’t beat dried mushrooms. Rehydrate them in just-boiled water and you get the added bonus of a mushroom stock that can also be used. There can be some gritty sediment left in the stock, so leave that to settle in the bottom of the soaking bowl. Morels These standout honeycomb-capped fungi should be left whole or simply halved. They work well with chicken, pork or fish or in a cream sauce. Find our recipe for chicken and morel pie at bbcgoodfood.com. Porcini Also known as dried ceps, they make a great flavour-packed base to vegetarian gravy, or use them to boost the flavour of a mushroom soup or risotto. They also pair well with meat…

Kitchen scissors are a versatile kitchen accessory that can be used for anything from jointing poultry and game birds to snipping herbs. We found our best buys, scoring for comfort and ability to cut through packaging, chicken joints and other ingredients. BEST ALL-ROUND KITCHEN SCISSORS – STAR BUY 1 OXO Good Grips kitchen and herb scissors Price: £16 Best bits: Sharp blades and a herb stripper for removing herbs from their stems. Comments: These scissors have a comfortable moulded grip with cushioned pads to absorb pressure – over time, an uncomfortable pair of scissors can cause calluses. The scissors had really sharp blades that made light work of bones, herbs and packaging, and we found them to be the best all-round performer. Buy from OXO. oxouk.com BEST FOR SMALL HANDS…

Going back 20 years and, if someone had offered you a glass of perry you’d probably have wondered what they were talking about – or thought they meant sherry. Although perry has been made in Britain at least since the Norman Conquest, in the 1970s and 1980s it fell out of favour, perry pear orchards were grubbed up and perry became the tipple of just a few cognoscenti. Now perry (like craft ciders and real ales) is witnessing a revival, thanks to the dedication and skill of producers such as Tom Oliver from Oliver’s Cider & Perry (oliversciderandperry.co.uk), who has been named a finalist in the Best Drinks Producer category of this year’s BBC Food and Farming Awards. Tom grows over 40 varieties of perry pear on his family farm…

Vegan chickpea curry jackets SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 45 mins EASY V 4 sweet potatoes 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds 1 large onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp turmeric 2 tbsp tikka masala paste 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 x 400g can chickpeas, drained lemon wedges and coriander leaves, to serve 1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, then put on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 45 mins or until tender when pierced with a knife. 2 Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.…

What’s wrong with ‘cheese toastie?’ I hear you cry. Well, you’re right, they’re pretty similar – bread, butter, melted cheese... but these stateside sarnies take the cheese toastie to the next level. They’re fried for a start (so for now, your sandwich maker is safe in the loft) and the range of fillings take inspiration from all over the globe. This more-is-more trend isn’t going anywhere. First overloaded burgers and outlandish cream and cookie-topped milkshakes to what is essentially an entire meal sandwiched between two golden slices of fried artisanal bread. What’s not to love? (Just try not to look at the nutritional analysis). If you went to a new farmer’s market, trendy wedding or festival this year, you probably spotted at least one grilled cheese van. Even high-end gastro…

Here at Good Food HQ, we’re always trying weird and wonderful new food and drink products and unusual seasonal ingredients. This month, we shine the spotlight on a little-known vegetable… What is it? Salsify is a root vegetable belonging to the dandelion family. It’s also known as oyster plant because of its (arguably) oyster-like taste when cooked. Similar in appearance to parsnip and horseradish, the root has creamy white flesh and a thick skin. When can I get hold of it? Right now! Salsify season starts in October and continues up to January. Where can I eat it? You won’t find it in supermarkets, but you’ll see it on restaurant menus and in certain greengrocers throughout autumn/winter. Okay, so if I can get my hands on it then how do…

World of Zing jalapeño, apple & cucumber table sauce, £4.25, ocado.com This bright, punchy sauce combines the fresh taste of cucumber, sweet apple and spicy jalapeño. It’s great with meat or fish, or drizzled onto nachos, tacos and other Mexican dishes. Or try a dash in your bloody mary! Grandpa’s apple & cinnamon crisps by Calsway, £15.99 for six packs, amazon.co.uk These air-dried apple pieces dusted with cinnamon make a super healthy snack. Mallard breasts, £5, M&S These British mallard breasts are quick and easy to cook – simply pan-fry. We served them with salad leaves, goat’s cheese, blackberries and hazelnuts. Cointreau blood orange, £17, Waitrose We love the new blood orange flavour from Cointreau (maybe even more than the original). It’s tangy and…

Matar paneer SERVES 2 PREP 15 mins COOK 10 mins EASY V 1 tbsp sunflower oil 225g paneer, cut into 3cm cubes 2.5cm piece ginger, grated 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander 1 green chilli, finely sliced 4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or ½ 400g can chopped tomatoes) 150g frozen peas 1 tsp garam masala small pack coriander, roughly chopped naan bread, roti or rice, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat until it’s shimmering hot. Add the paneer, then turn the heat down a little. Fry until it starts to brown at the edges, then turn it over and brown on each side – the paneer will brown faster than you think, so don’t walk away.…

Asian-ish 1 This year’s must-try winter stew is mutton porridge at Birmingham’s Lasan . Chef Aktar Islam cooks mutton lamb shanks for eight hours. The unctuous bone marrow, sticky collagen and stock is simmered with oats and bulgar wheat. Bengali lemon – the edible rinds explode with zestiness – and ginger run through it. ‘It’s warming and curing,’ says Aktar. lasan.co.uk 2 Coveted by in-the-know Bristolians is ‘KFC’, Korean fried chicken bao, in a cloud-soft, doughy bao bun, at Woky Ko . Its inventor, MasterChef finalist Larkin Cen, says, ‘The bun almost melts in your mouth. Then you get the crispy batter of the chicken and inherent flavour of kimchi. The chicken is marinated in shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil, salt and sugar overnight, then deep fried to order.’ woky.co…

So that went well. I think the point is that this post-millennial generation is so used to takeaways that the ideal home-cooked meal is something which tastes as close as possible to fast food. So reader, I have a plan… making brilliant copycat fast food at home. The trick is making it look and taste as close as possible to something that arrived on a bike, while using healthy and easy-to-buy ingredients. There’s a multitude of information available online for making ‘takeaways’ at home, but I’ve done the hard work for you. These are my top tips. Pizza Express-inspired pizzas If I had a pound for every time I’d seen my children’s ‘underwhelmed’ faces when I presented my homemade pizza, I wouldn’t need to be writing this article. Turns out…

Slow cooker lamb curry Inspired by the lamb saag, this curry uses lean lamb steaks cut into chunks. We’ve swapped the spinach for more robust kale, slow-cooked to tender perfection, and added chickpeas, which count towards your five-a-day. SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins plus overnight chilling COOK 6 hrs EASY * 1 large onion, halved and sliced 3 tbsp Madras curry paste 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder 25g red lentils 210g can chickpeas (don’t drain) 1 tbsp grated ginger 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 cinnamon stick 75g curly kale 2 lean lamb steaks, fat removed, diced (about 240g) cooked brown rice, to serve 1 Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker pot with a third of a can of water and stir well. Cover…

It’s almost ridiculous to see sherry as a single ingredient. The cold, flinty, dry fino you knock back with shellfish is a world away from the sweet, raisiny, pedro ximénez (PX) someone offers you – if you’re lucky – with a slice of chocolate cake. Drinks writers have been predicting sherry’s rise for the last 40 years. When tapas bars started to open here in the mid 1980s, it looked as if we were going to seize sherry from our nans and make it the drink of our time but the enthusiasm just didn’t build enough momentum. It’s true that ‘foodies’ no longer see sherry just as something to slosh into a trifle, but we still don’t make enough of it. As soon as I discovered sherry at university, where…

Magpie will not be for everyone. An industrial-style fit-out, potent cocktails and central location (off Regent Street) make for a clattery, occasionally chaotic, atmosphere. Dishes are ofiered on a wooden trolley that snakes and judders its way through closely packed tables – fun for some, or a gimmick too far? There’s no arguing with the food though. Co-owners Sam Herlihy (below left) and James Ramsden have created an intriguing menu of feel-good dishes with clever twists, such as coq au vin fried chicken and steak tartare with taleggio and trufle crisps. Many dishes feature ambitious ingredients such as kombu (seaweed), umeboshi (pickled plumbs), gjetost (cheese) – eating here is an education. We asked Magpie to create a simplified menu based on what’s served at the restaurant, adapted to be cooked…

Everybody even vaguely interested in food and wine knows about Napa, California’s Michelin magnet and powerhouse of the grape. But fewer are as familiar with hipper, more affordable Sonoma – actually about twice the size of its swankier neighbour. For those of us who find Napa’s huge viniculture conglomerates a little corporate, travelling further west towards the coast rewards over and over again. The two areas couldn’t be more different: Napa is all limos and blockbuster wines, while there’s still a refreshing touch of the hippie about Sonoma. Here is where to come for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, blended reds, delicious fizz, often from wineries that won’t charge for tastings. The towns that pepper the countryside are sometimes stage-set pretty. Petaluma, for example, is a beauty: its Hotel Petaluma (hotelpetaluma.com), complete…

star letter I managed to make your cupcake bouquet for my children’s teachers on the last day of term. The instructions were really easy to follow and the end result was great. They were very grateful and it went down a treat! Samantha Eastwood, Colchester We’ve just eaten the ultimate macaroni cheese (August) as our Saturday night treat tea. It received a huge round of applause from the whole family as well as a comment from my husband – ‘undoubtedly the best macaroni cheese I’ve ever had!’ We’ll definitely be having it again. Clare Kenyon, Bolton Your tweets @ HayleyDaviez This is a delicious recipe for spiced roast cauliflower from @bbcgoodfood @ ChickNichola My dad made the ultimate chilli con carne from the July issue of @bbcgoodfood and…

Trends, trends, trends: food is driven by them, and why not? Eating out would be mighty dull were we not open to new ideas. But this is a notoriously inexact science. For every movement, there is a fad. For every epochal shift, a disposable hype. The jury may still be out on natural wine and British charcuterie, but what of the big trends over the past two decades? Here is my personal overview. CLANGERS ‘Gastropubs’ The concept (affordable, unfussy food in working pubs), is sound. But as soon as the big pubcos piled in, they turned the gastropub into a formula that was all generic-style over scratch-cooked substance: bare floorboards; squishy leather sofas; flabby pan-fried sea bass. Now, every third pub is a gastropub charging £15 for pork belly, yet,…