I’ve had it a week or so and I’ve so far made the honey and lavender panna cotta –sublime, very creamy with that perfect wobbly texture–, the ambrosial apricots with pistachios –zesty mouthfuls of joy–, and the lemon and samphire potatoes, which I served with hake –deliciously lemony and naughtily salty. Tidying and washing up – well, if you bought this book, chances are you don’t employ someone to do the job, so it comes in handy. It is the author’s and very Italian-looking and sophisticated, full of fresh veg and sumptuous fruit, flowers and crusty bread as decoration; like a classical painting. Think dainty mauves and pinks. Writing

Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the eggs to the melted chocolate and stir vigorously until well combined. Now add the flour to the chocolate and stir vigorously until you have a smooth, chocolatey cream. On the face of it, 2020 would not seem a good year to bring out a cookbook called A Table For Friends: The Art of Cooking for Two or Twenty. And yet Skye McAlpine’s new book is so full of the comforts of cooking and eating and the life-enhancing joys thereof, it turns out to be the perfect read for now. Besides, the dinner party element is never dominating, and even recipes rather more geared to larger numbers can often and easily be pared down to suit smaller gatherings. I suppose her style could be called sumptuous simplicity: Rigatoni with Mascarpone & Pancetta; Buttery Carrots with Chestnut Honey; Creamy Baked Leeks with Mustard & Parmesan; Panzanella with Tuna & Anchovies; and Limoncello Semifreddo. Those recipes all call to me, but the one I particularly wanted to share with you here is the cosy yet elegant Tagliatelle Gratin.It is impossible to grow up in Italy and not love food,” enthuses bestselling cookbook author Skye McAlpine. British born but Venice raised from the age of six to 18, McAlpine recalls a childhood of long, convivial lunches and dinners thanks to her very social parents, the late property developer (renowned for his transformation of Broome in the eighties), art collector and former Thatcher Conservative Party treasurer Lord Robert McAlpine (best known as Alistair), and former magazine contributing editor Romilly McAlpine. “It was never just the three of us,” their daughter says. “For lunch or dinner there would always be friends, or friends of friends, joining us. It became a way of building family and creating a sense of home.” Combine the white chocolate, butter and sugar in a small saucepan and set over a low heat to melt. Stir regularly to stop the chocolate from catching and take the pan off the heat as soon as it is melted. Drawing on years of cooking for more people than it ever seemed possible to squeeze into her kitchen, Sunday Times columnist and cookery author Skye McAlpine shares the secrets to her stylish and relaxed way of hosting, setting you up for success whether you’re cooking for two or twenty. This travels most easily on the tray it was baked on, just covered with reusable food wrap. It keeps for up to two days in the fridge, just warm gently in the oven to serve.

For a super-easy roast why not try her Honey-roast poussins, Butter-&-sage roast pumpkin, Saffron fennel, A really good chicory salad with creamy mustard dressing and Winter fruit & mascarpone tart? Or for a wonderfully soothing pasta supper, Tagliatelle with gorgonzola, pear & walnut and Chocolate chestnut meringue cake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The recipes themselves are charmingly simple; this is unpretentious food that affords the host more time with their guests. The recipes Each section is divided into stars, sides and sweets. And, the cherry on the cake, there are menu ideas at the bottom of each recipe too! She’s a sweetheart, and so organised. Dishes I look forward to enjoying You’ve not been able to host many parties of late and you’re dying to host some soon; I have what you need.

Rhubarb and Cheddar Tart

How to cook by timings – dishes thrown together at the last minute; dishes you can prepare up to six hours ahead / 12 hours ahead / the day before / days before McAlpine’s father favoured “relaxed but over-the-top tables, where he’d lay bowls of cherries, big bunches of herbs or pots from the garden as decoration”, she recalls of the days of living in both Hampshire and then Venice, before her parents divorced in 2001. Much like Lord McAlpine, she doesn’t think twice about filling the table with overflowing bowls of fruit, abundant bunches of flowers, candelabra, vintage china and antique glasses. Her recent collection with the global lifestyle brand Anthropologie reflects this mismatched style, with bowls, plates and cake stands softly splattered in the style of Pugliese ceramics, and long oval platters, jugs and mugs illustrated with delicate jasmine, lilac and forget-me-nots. “If you have the right dishes, all you need are some ripe tomatoes and a creamy burrata, or lentils dressed with olive oil and herbs, and within five minutes you have lunch – but it looks inviting too,” she says. As WISH wanders with McAlpine on a hot July day around the shady cobbled streets of Venice, the author is heading early to the canal-side fruit, vegetable and fish market in Rialto. “Food is such a source of joy in Italy, where everyone talks about what’s coming into season, what they had for lunch, what they’re cooking for dinner. It creates such a wonderful quality of life,” she muses as she shops for fresh peaches, which she will later poach in Amaretto, and pretty, sunshine-yellow zucchini flowers for dressing the top of a deceptively simple taleggio puff pastry galette.