Paper Palate

Spring starts with a very fresh Easter this April edition – Camembert and Champagne Soup, Spinach & Smoked Salmon Roulade, Baked Ham in a Bourbon Glaze – the list goes on of indulgent recipes to recover from the rigors of Lent. Anthony Worrall Thompson also creates several delicious seasonal dishes for a traditional Easter or April lunch.

For those less inclined to sit down, imaginative cheesy fingerfood recipes are presented for an Easter party, and for those of a DIY nature, instructions on how to make your own chocolate Easter eggs are provided.

We all know that eggs – the ultimate symbol of Easter – are good for us, and fresh gives us the detailed reasons why, as well as the basic of boiling, frying, poaching and one of my personal favourite comfort foods – the coddled egg. If you’ve never tried coddled eggs or know what an egg coddler is, you definitely should check take some time to track one down.

Easter isn’t the only cultural celebration highlighted in this month’s issue; Thai New Year (Songkran) - which runs 13th to 15th April - is celebrated with a host of fresh and delicious Thai recipes. I’ve always been partial to their Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup myself, and it’s nice to see the recipe here.

Food writer Micheal van Straten gives the lowdown on vitamin D, vital for the formation of healthy bones and defence against everything from cancer to osteoporosis. He also tells which foods to find it in and how to cook it – imagine my delight when admidst several fish recipes he lists zabaglione! Personally, I’ve always known zabaglione was good for me.

Britain’s most famous pig farmer Jimmy Doherty urges us to think about what we’re eating and discusses the reasons why careful nurturing of pigs leads to better meat, better health and a better economy (preaching to the converted here, but it’s always good to see the producers point of view!).

Tea, that very English obsession, is featured to celebrate St Georges’ Day (England’s patron saint) with a listing of types and FAQ. The article is served up with a selection of recipes to accompany the amber liquid.

Cheese of the month is Goat’s Cheese (or Chèvre), another healthy diary choice for its high source of calcium, magnesium, vitamins C and D, and low cholesterol qualities. Traditionally a spring cheese (due to a lack of milk during winter), it’s also an ideal choice for the lactose intolerant. Vegetable of the month is the runner bean, a good source of vitamin C and folic acid and (as evidenced by the numerous childhood Saturdays I spent weeding them), a favourite with home gardeners.

The Kitchen Garden looks at rhubarb this month, and how to grow it in the garden or using a forcing pot. Basil, the herb of love and certainly the herb we all love, is this month’s windowsill plant.

On Rosalind Cooper’s wine rack this issue is Tempranillo, the full bodied Spanish red. Especially recommended is the Penedès Organic Tempranillo 200 albet I Noya – also hightly rated by the US’s influential Wine Spectator magazine.

Wrapping up with a Food for Thought article is top chef Alan Coxon, who wonders why we don’t save the NHS a fortune by educating children on what to eat – before they get so obese they need medical help. A subject of cause for concern no matter where you live.