April has been and gone and, in its stead, spring has most definitely sprung. Sunny weekends and a late Easter has meant talk of alfresco eating has started in earnest and there’s a definite sense of summer on the horizon.

So, for our next instalment of jellybean recommends, in April here’s what we’ve bean…

Eating

  • Taco platters and bottomless margaritas at The Palm House, Victoria – great value, great service and a true party atmosphere (although it does come with a ‘very loud’ disclaimer if you’re after a proper catch up!).
  • Incredible Italian food in super-stylish surroundings at Dear Jackie at the Broadwick Hotel, Soho.
  • Exquisite fried chicken and sides at Wingman’s – standouts include Darjeewing Express Wings, Sticky Tamarind, Black Pepper and Jaggery Glaze with Coriander & Maple Mayo Drizzle.

Drinking

  • Wire Works Whisky from Derbyshire’s White Peak Distillery – the first of its kind in the county.
  • Rum Old Fashioneds at local haunt The Liqs Club in Ashtead. Guyenne rum, sugar, chocolate bitters – makes for a twist on a classic worth talking about.
  • The Pistachio Lattes that are all the rage in Starbucks and Black Sheep Coffee have been honed at home with the help of pistachio paste, a double espresso and hot milk. Simply heat your milk, add two teaspoons of the paste and mix it in to combine, then pour over a double shot.

Cooking

  • Elle Gibson’s viral salted chocolate brownie balls – as tried on jellybean’s Trend Watch (sign up here).
  • Early forced rhubarb – whether for a classic crumble or quick and easy compote for porridge, it’s a seasonally delicious ingredient to cook with.
  • A veggie Chilli recipe that beats all others, great served with rice for dinner, just as good loaded onto a jacket potato the following day.

Reading

  • Substack newsletter ‘Vittles’ and its issue ‘There is no recipe take it or leave it’ – a fascinating insight from Yemisí Aríbisálà on why there are so few Nigerian cookbooks.
  • The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Signit – an oldie but a goodie detailing the flavour pairings you may or may not know about.
  • Georgia’s Cakes by Georgia Green. Less a recipe book more a step-by-step baking bible to showcase techniques and skills to create the perfect cake.

Watching and Listening To

  • Finals week on Great British Menu featuring unbelievable dishes, scores and guest judges.
  • Somebody Feed Phil from the creator of Everybody Love Raymond, Philip Rosenthal who turns documentary maker in his heartwarming culinary travel series.
  • Tom Parker-Bowles and Henry Jeffreys on Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware promoting their own podcast ‘Intoxicating History’ – a deep dive into the origins of alcohol.

Following

  • Mary Berry – @damemaryberry who made her Instagram debut in celebration of her 90th birthday in March.
  • Kate Phillips – @dishedbykate Kiwi in London serving up simple and flavour-packed recipes.
  • Little Black Book – @lbbonline – online community shaping the world of advertising.
Clare Fellowes-Freeman
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