Delicious UK May-18

One of the joys of working on delicious. is having the chance to learn new things about food every single day, to taste new flavours and push the boundaries of our culinary experience beyond the comfort zone it’s so easy for us all to settle down into. Our job is to make different recipes accessible and appealing, to demystify unusual ingredients and explain where to buy them, and I hope we manage to inspire you to try new dishes and widen the scope of your own cooking. New flavours are the hallmark of Ravinder Bhogal’s recipe writing, and it’s been an honour to welcome her as the delicious. writer in residence for two months. Her feature on p54 gives a moving insight into what it was like growing…

1 Fancy… …eating a meal at a table suspended 30 metres above the ground? As long as you don’t suffer from vertigo, the London in the Sky pop-ups on the South Bank are the experience of a lifetime. On from 5-15 July, £50 for breakfast, £60 for brunch, £125 for lunch, £75 for high tea and from £150 for dinner. We have two tickets to give away for one of the lunches cooked by Robin Gill, the outstanding chef behind Sorella and The Dairy restaurants in south London. And in case you’re wondering, yes, you are strapped in – but don’t wear flipflops. Visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk/skylunch to enter. For more information, visit eventsinthesky.co.uk 2 Plan... …a proper treat. I’ve long been a fan of Nathan Outlaw’s cooking, and if you’re not near…

The super-quick snack Houmous and herbs on toast V SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 15 MIN Whizz a 400g tin of chickpeas, drained, 50g tahini paste, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove and 50ml olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Add 50ml cold water and whizz again. Season with salt. Whisk 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp sumac, 1 tsp pomegranate molasses and the juice of ½ lemon, then toss with the leaves of ½ large pack each of fresh parsley, mint and dill, 75g sliced radishes and 100g deseeded, diced cucumber. Top 4 sourdough toast slices with the houmous, salad and more pomegranate molasses and sumac. 2 Peas with chervil and chives Fry 2 sliced shallots in butter until soft. Add 500g defrosted frozen peas, 100ml…

DINNERS THAT DO GOOD Dust off your best crockery and host a dinner party with a difference this month in aid of charity Plan International UK. They’d like the cookery-inclined (that’s you) to make the most of their skills and put on a spread to raise money for disadvantaged children around the world. Plan International UK works in particular with girls and young women, helping to challenge gender discrimination, end violence and fight poverty. They’ll provide you with a kit including invites, place names and games to play at the table and get things started – and we can supply the recipe inspiration. Put an empty jar on the table and ask your guests to give what they can. Sign up to host a Do Good Dinner and receive your…

1494 Christopher Columbus landed at Jamaica on 4 May and came in contact with the Arawak Indians, noting how they seasoned meat with allspice before smoking it – providing the foundations of jerk rub. 1930 American-born nurse (and qualified pilot) Ellen Church became, on 15 May, the world’s first air stewardess on a flight from San Francisco to Wyoming. She served the 11 passengers chicken, rolls and a fruit salad. 1976 Two California wines won top honours at a blind wine tasting in France on 24 May, judged by French connoisseurs. The event became known as The Judgment of Paris and is seen as the turning point for American winemakers.…

5-7 MAY Mapledurham Food Festival, Oxfordshire Foraging walks, cookery classes and a bbq theatre make for a fun festival. New Zealand appliance brand Fisher & Paykel, partners in our Produce Awards (see p14), will be welcoming visitors to their Social Kitchen – a chance to try restaurant-quality food from top chefs for free. Adult ticket £7; mapledurhamfestival.co.uk ; reserve spaces at Social Kitchen in advance 20 MAY Alresford Watercress Festival, Hampshire The town celebrates its watercress-growing heritage with a parade of morris dancers, musicians and children dispensing the green leaves. This is followed by the World Watercress Eating Championships. More than 80 producers will be serving watercress burgers, bread, fudge and gin. Free entry; watercress.co.uk/festival 27 MAY British Cured Meat Festival, Borough Market, London Learn the basics of butchery, try making…