Delicious UK

Buongiorno! You may have noticed something different about your magazine this month. Most excitingly, after such a fantastique response to our French issue last year, this time we’ve gone bigger and more bellissimo, with a comprehensive Italian food tour. Frolicking across every one of Italy’s 20 delicious regions, we’ve jam-packed the issue with over 40 traditional Italian recipes. They range from our cover star, Sicily’s saucy, cheesy, anchovy-and-garlic-spiked, breadcrumb-topped pizza-style bread (p109), to a flourless chocolate rum cake (p98) – the sort of thing that, once baked, disappears quickly. Of course, there’s so much more – take our expert tips designed to help you be a better cook (I’ll be dusting down my enamelled cast iron to sear my steaks, p116). There’s also storytelling from our Italian foodie experts that’ll…

APERITIVO HOUR Mondeghilli (fried breaded meatballs) p63 Gnocco fritto (deep-fried pasta) p45 Bicicletta cocktail p119 I’d like to thank the Italian genius who came up with the idea of a snack and a drink before dinner at 6pm – or aperitivo hour, as it’s known in Italy. These dishes are perfect for entertaining, as both the meatballs and the dough can be prepared in advance, then fried as your guests arrive. The bicicletta is my spritz of choice; give it a go if you’re getting tired of Aperol. SICILIAN SUPPER Insalata pantesca (Pantelleria-style cherry tomato salad) p92 Chicken with capers, lemon, chillies and thyme p70 Almond granita ‘affogato’ p64 Sun-kissed Sicilian flavours sing out in this trio of dishes, ideal for the end of summer. The tomato and potato salad…

Zabaione with hazelnuts & figs Serves 4 Hands-on time 20 min BE A BETTER COOK Don’t try to use a hand whisk to make zabaione – it needs a lot of powerful aeration to get the foamy texture. Heatproof glass is better than most metals as it conducts heat more gently. KNOW-HOW It’s generally agreed that the most likely birthplace of zabaione is Turin, the capital of Piedmont. It can be made with all sorts of sweet wines, including Piedmont’s semi-sparkling moscato d’asti – although marsala is most common these days. Put a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the base touch the water). Add 4 egg yolks, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 30ml sweet marsala wine, then whisk with an electric mixer for 5 minutes until light…

Inspiration, bite-size news, reviews and great stuff to do september moments. A SEPTEMBER STROLL Be inspired by the Italian passeggiata tradition and take a stroll after work before going home for supper (the insalata pantesca on p92, perhaps?). Go for a walk in the park, the countryside or just to your local corner shop… And let’s hope for some late summer sunshine. 5 THINGS TO BUY, TRY & DO This issue is all about celebrating the deliciousness Italy has to offer. Here are our recommendations for making la vita a little more dolce… 1 Try one of the workshops at Bottega Caruso, a deli-restaurant in Margate, Kent, and learn from masters how to make pasta and preserves. You could also try their Rovo Nocino (walnut liqueur), which launched this year. bottegacaruso.com/workshops-events…

STAR EMAIL ★ Subject: Ultimate carpet picnic From: Helena Gough My family and I go to the horse racing at Goodwood every summer and always have a posh picnic. This year my granny died, so we decided we’d do a ‘Goodwood at home’. My boyfriend just bought me a subscription to the magazine and I made lots of recipes from my first issue (July): aubergine caponata, kecap manis chicken wings, kerkennah prawns and the no-bake peach cheesecake, which was perfect. Thank you for bringing so much joy from my cooking in these sad times, and providing the basis for a VERY happy family day. IF LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS… Aleesha Hansel’s Talking Point [August issue] bemoaning the lack of good lemon tarts in the UK compared with France provoked passionate…

PISTACHIO PERFECTION Sicily is famous for its pistachios and we can’t think of a better use for them than this paste. Head of food Tom Shingler loves this stuff so much that he has “seriously considered buying catering tubs of it – although they’d cost a fortune!” It isn’t a pure pistachio nut butter – rather, the nuts are whizzed with sugar and milk to create something silky smooth. Use it like you would Nutella – in baking, spread on toast or, of course, snaffled straight from the jar with a spoon. Sweet Sicilian Pistachio Spread, £11.50 for 100g, souschef.co.uk An offer you can't refuse? Frequenters of London’s food markets know about the wondrousness of cannoli from Casa Cannoli. The stall was started by Sicilian-born Dario Dendi, who missed his…