Issue 691 | 28 March 2024 FREE | Next issue out 11 April Weekend HOT CROSS HAPPINESS Enjoy the traditional or discover fabulous new avours with our tempting selection of Easter buns, p4 A REAL GOOD EGG Ed Smith elevates the everyday staple with 100+ recipe ideas p6 MARTHA COLLISON Make salmon en croûte the star attraction at the holiday table p24 DESIGNS FOR LIFE How the work of William Morris continues to inspire generations p42 OFFERS Great savings on selected products from Waitrose p48
2 28 MARCH 2024 News&Views A group of urban enthusiasts are proving it’s possible to cultivate produce in contained areas and reap a bumper crop, writes Sarah Barratt THE GARDENERS GROWING VEG IN TINY SPACES ‘Social media is helping people discover that you don’t need a large garden to be a gardener’ Feeling green-fingered, Alessandro Vitale set about livening up the balcony of his London flat, cultivating everything from beans to beetroot and pumpkins to tomatillos, then posting videos online to inspire others. Ten years on, he now spearheads a smallscale growing revolution, sharing his wisdom with more than eight million followers across social media as @spicymoustache – a nod to his love of chillies. With #urbangarden boasting more than three million tags, he is one of a flourishing number of gardening influencers proving that you don’t need a big plot to grow an impressive crop. Alessandro, who presides over a modest 8x5 metre garden, reaps 200kg of produce each year. “I hope to prove it’s possible to grow food no matter what space is available,” he says. In 1900, fewer than 14% of people lived in cities. Today, more than half the world’s population does, and it’s estimated that 80% of Brits will live in urban areas by 2100. While city gardens might be small, studies reveal that they can be highly productive. Research by the University of Liverpool found that the UK could grow up to eight times what it currently produces in fruit and vegetables if all available urban spaces – including gardens – were utilised. Mark Ridsdill Smith, author of The Vertical Veg Guide to Container Gardening, has been blogging about small-scale growing since 2009 and is delighted by the increased interest. “When I started growing veg on my balcony, I struggled to find relevant information,” he says. “Most books assumed I had space for a compost heap, greenhouse and potting shed. Social media and blogs are helping many more people discover that you don’t need a large garden to be a gardener.” His top tip is to grow upwards. “Growing ladders are fantastic, enabling three or four rows of pots in a space that would normally only take one,” says Mark. “They’re perfect for herbs, tomatoes and chillies. Plus, always opt for larger pots over small ones, which dry out quickly.” Mark adds that urban plots are often overshadowed, so it’s vital to select plants according to how much sun you have. “Tomatoes and courgettes need lots of sun, while French beans and peas do OK in less. If you get barely any, leafy salads and herbs, plus woodland fruits like blackberries still grow well,” he explains. He now has an allotment, but continues to cultivate crops such as cavolo nero and potatoes in containers at his north-facing concrete yard in Newcastle. “The big advantage is the proximity – I can pop out and pick food for a meal,” he says. “I will always be a container gardener at heart.” Jason Williams tends to his tomatoes from his 18th-floor Manchester flat, sharing his trials and tribulations with his 21,000 followers (@cloudgardeneruk). Since 2020, he has designed small gardens for the Chelsea and Tatton Park Flower Shows, aiming to prove that anyone can be a gardener. Mel Darvill is on a similar mission. The mother-of-two from Upminster, Essex, posts about the joys of cultivating a concrete square (@melslittlegarden). “There’s a perception that growing your own is for older people with time and space on their hands. I want all people to feel like gardening is for them – because it is,” she says. “It tastes a thousand times fresher and brings so much joy to have nurtured something from plant to plate. You can grow your own in any space. A windowsill, wall planter or a hanging basket will all bring food – and happiness.” SMALL WONDERS Mark Ridsdill Smith on his balcony (above); Jason Williams at the Tatton Park Flower Show (left); Mel Darvill in her plot (below left); Alessandro Vitale with his produce (far left)
3 28 MARCH 2024 GOOD NEWS IN BRIEF This week’s uplifting stories from Anna Shepard Positive moves Keeping up simple habits, such as writing a journal, speaking to strangers and expressing gratitude, can have a lasting impact on your overall happiness, according to a study by the University of Bristol. As part of the Science of Happiness programme it runs for students, it found that those taught a range of ‘happiness hacks’ had better mental wellbeing two years later, but only if they practised them consistently. Four times the cuteness The UK’s rst quadruplets of a rare sheep breed have been born in Scotland. The Valais Blacknose lambs, dubbed ‘the world’s cutest sheep’, have been winning hearts with their shaggy coats and black noses at Whitehall Farm in Dumfriesshire. Emily Duncan, who runs the farm with her husband Henry, says it’s not just their looks drawing attention: “They are exceptionally friendly, which is another reason why people love them so much.” Fruitful giving BanktheFood, a charity that runs an app linking shoppers with local food banks, has teamed up with The Trussell Trust, to make it easier for people to nd out the best items to donate. As a result of the partnership, the charity is aiming to increase its food donations by 100,000 over the next year, and raise the number of people using the app. Seaside success If you fancy sur ng after work, lunching on lobster and being able to commute to Edinburgh in 25 minutes, all this is possible in North Berwick (below). The town has just become the rst in Scotland to be crowned the best place to live in the UK by The Sunday Times. The seaside spot o ers outdoor pursuits, such as sur ng, sailing and paddleboarding, and hosts a summer arts festival called Fringe by the Sea. After years of buying semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, shoppers are now reaching for full-fat as the trend for lessprocessed whole foods continues. Whole milk from grass-fed cows has a richer, creamier taste which has proven to be popular. At Waitrose, own-label whole milk sales are up more than 6% compared to this time last year, with Waitrose Duchy Organic whole milk up more than 11%. “The milk industry is down about 2% year-on-year, so these are huge swings,” says Rachel Aldridge, Waitrose Partner and milk buyer. “Customers see whole milk as less processed and more natural than semi-skimmed or skimmed, and better for their gut health. Whole milk is also naturally high in protein, so is a great source of nutrition.” Whole milk contains the most saturated fat, however nutrition experts including Dr Michael Mosley and professor Tim Spector are still fans, enjoying it as part of a healthy balanced diet, and their influence is being felt. In the Waitrose Food & Drink Report 2024, a third of people surveyed had switched from a low-fat dairy product to a full-fat one in the past 12 months, most commonly milk. Rachel says shoppers are also opting for unhomogenised rather than homogenised milk (which has been processed to disperse fat globules for an even texture). “Waitrose Duchy whole milk is closer to its natural state than homogenised milk, and preferred by some customers,” she says. Emma Higginbotham Tired egg puns – such as eggstraordinary and eggciting – have been banned by Waitrose this Easter, in a bid to give the festival the respect it deserves. In a lighthearted letter to shoppers, Partner & customer director Nathan Ansell apologises for the industry’s ‘atrocious’ egg gags, and says the retailer is taking a stand. “Easter deserves more than a bad pun,” he writes. “It’s a joyous season that should be celebrated with time together and plenty of fine British produce. That’s why we’re making a no egg-pun pledge. For the whole of Easter, we promise to not use any.” He signs off the letter saying: “I do hope you have an extraordinary, exceptional and exciting Easter. (Isn’t that so much nicer?)” The true spirit of Easter Renaissance for blue label milk Scotland is undergoing a huge rewilding programme, with more than 150 projects currently covering around 160,000 hectares. The gures were released by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance to mark the launch of its Rewilding Nation Charter, calling for Scotland to declare itself the world’s rst rewilding nation. The charter believes that rewilding 30% of Scotland can be achieved by restoring habitats, including peatlands, native woodlands, wetlands and rivers, with no loss of productive farmland. RETURN TO THE WILD Photographs: Sarah Cuttle, RHS / Charlotte Graham, Getty Images, Alamy
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE OFFER NEW Made for SHARING With rm favourites and exciting new avours, the hot cross bun range at Waitrose will keep everyone happy at Easter. O ers end 10 April unless otherwise stated Prices correct at time of going to print. Selected stores. Subject to availability. Richly Fruited Mini Hot Cross Buns £1.85/9s or 2 FOR £2.50 Smaller but just as perfectly formed, these versions of the classic fruity hot cross buns are bursting with sultanas and raisins. No.1 Golden Hot Cross Buns SAVE 20% £2/4s (was £2.50, o er ends 2 April) Fruited and lightly spiced with sultanas, dried apricots, golden raisins and Seville orange marmalade. White Chocolate And Lemon Hot Cross Buns £1.85/4s or 2 FOR £2.50 Hot cross buns with white chocolate chunks from Fairtrade-sourced cocoa, and lemon zest for extra zing. Blueberry Hot Cross Buns £1.85/4s or 2 FOR £2.50 Richly fruited hot cross buns studded with currants, sultanas and dried blueberries, with a subtle hint of sweet vanilla. Spiced Apple Hot Cross Buns £1.85/4s or 2 FOR £2.50 With soaked sultanas, candied apple pieces, Bramley apple compote and a touch of cinnamon. St Clements Hot Cross Buns £1.85/4s or 2 FOR £2.50 Packed with citrus avours, orange and lemon zest and pieces of orange peel. Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns £1.85/4s or 2 FOR £2.50 Studded with soaked sultanas, raisins, Chilean ame raisins and citrus peel in soft pillowy buns. No.1 Belgian Chocolate Hot Cross Buns SAVE 20% £2/4s (was £2.50, o er ends 2 April) With cocoa, dark Belgian chocolate and a sourdough starter for extra avour.
5 28 MARCH 2024 News&Views THE HIDDEN STORIES OF CHINATOWN If you’re looking for dim sum or crispy wontons, the obvious destination in London is Chinatown. But this colourful neighbourhood has contributed much more to the capital than its Chinese restaurants, according to a new project which aims to preserve working class heritage. The cultural centre China Exchange, backed by funding from Historic England, will be uncovering the stories of those who have worked there from 1985, when this part of the West End New laws governing England’s farm hedgerows and the myriad life they support have been announced by the government after the end of European Union protections. Wildlife groups had been calling for a replacement, and the reinstated regulations, to be introduced when Parliamentary time allows, include a two-metre bu er strip from the centre of domestic hedgerows, no fertiliser or pesticide application and a hedge cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds. More than 80% of farmer responses to a Department for Environment, Food and Rural A airs (Defra) consultation were supportive of the hedgerow protections. Nature groups including The Wildlife Trusts welcomed the news, but called on the government to go further, with four-metre bu er zones and an extension of the cutting ban into autumn to protect late-nesting birds and rare hazel dormice. They also want an extension to cover all hedgerows, not just those on farms, as around 30% are on non-agricultural land. Barnaby Coupe of The Wildlife Trusts said: “Thriving hedgerows provide a natural pest management for farmers, hosting a huge range of bene cial insects which feed on aphids and other invertebrates which can damage crops.” Anna-Marie Julyan New hedgerow laws welcomed “The organisations we work for have a much bigger environmental impact than we do individually, so if your workplace doesn’t record its carbon emissions, start a campaign with colleagues to make this happen. If you’re passionate about waste, get into the dustbins and nd out what you’re producing and how you can reduce it. Finally, would you travel to work more sustainably if it was safer or cheaper? Ask your boss if they would be up for a green travel-to-work policy that rewards teams for getting to work sustainably. What matters is that you nd allies, then start talking about all of this.” Anna Shepard DO ONE GREEN THING Make your workplace greener, says Juliet Davenport, founder and CEO of Good Energy MELTING POT The people and history of Chinatown in London will be celebrated in a new project became o cially known as Chinatown. “This is an area with more than 150 businesses and a place of work for thousands of ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse Londoners,” says China Exchange CEO Freya Aitken-Tur . “It is home to more than 90 restaurants, bars and cafés, from Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai and Korean to Irish and Dutch.” There are also 50 shops providing hair and beauty services, books, groceries and souvenirs, and even a noodle factory set up in 1978 to supply local restaurants. The project – 40 Years, 40 Stories: The Everyday Heritage of People Working in London’s Chinatown – will celebrate its people and their history. It opens to the public next spring. “Many people walk through Chinatown without thinking of the hundreds of businesses and thousands of workers who have made it the place it is today,” says Historic England senior inclusive heritage adviser John-Henry Phillips. The initiative is one of 56 backed by Historic England Everyday Heritage grants totalling £875,000. They include stories from a Birmingham rollerskating hotspot, pigeon breeders in She eld and the working-class history of drag in Newcastle’s ‘pink triangle’. Anna Shepard MORE PROTECTION Blackbird chicks nesting in a hedgerow The number of giant redwoods thriving in the UK, compared to 80,000 in their native California. Also known as a giant sequoia, the tree was introduced 161 years ago and is found at locations including Wakehurst in West Sussex, and Benmore Botanic Garden in Argyll and Bute. Research shows redwoods can live to 3,000 and absorb 85g of carbon a year. Forest res in the Sierra Nevada have greatly impacted US numbers. 500,000 Photographs: Getty Images
6 28 MARCH 2024 News&Views It’s brunchtime at Ed Smith’s house in Hackney, east London. The chef and food writer has a simple prep list: a can of finely chopped tomatoes, a jar of anchovies, a pot of olives, garlic, oregano, basil, and the star of the show – eggs. The tomato mixture bubbles and thickens in a cast-iron pan, filling the room with the appetitewhetting smell of a pizza topping. Ed cracks four eggs, dropping each into its own little tomatoey well, and lets them simmer until the whites are cooked. Minutes later, and with an umami-rich shower of parmesan, a drape of anchovies and some decorative basil leaves and warm flatbreads for scooping, brunch is served. It’s deliciously sweet, savoury, sharp, gentle, familiar and quick. “The pizza baked eggs are an easy win,” says Ed, whose latest cookbook, Good Eggs, suggests more than 100 straightforward recipes in which eggs star. “Everyone in the house [his wife and son] enjoys it.” His family’s approval reflects a nationwide appetite that has seen egg consumption rise steadily since 2006, according to Egg Info, which is administered by the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC). We now boil, scramble, bake, fry, or omelette more than 12.5 billion eggs a year – that’s around 190 each. “They are one of the most nutritious, sustainable, and a ordable foods, and play a crucial role in everyday meals,” says the BEIC’s Phil Slaney. From the perfect breakfast scramble to a Yemeni-inspired and chilli-inflected baked supper, the humble staple is a cornerstone of Ed Smith’s new cookbook. He rustles some up for Tessa Allingham AN EGG In focus 100 WAYS TO COOK GOOD EGGS Ed Smith (left); recipes in his book include Yemeni-inspired eggs (top) and Korean-style mayak eggs (right) Good Eggs is the fourth cookbook for Ed, a city lawyer turned chef and food writer. Most of the practical recipes require only a moderately stocked larder, he says, likening the immediacy to “a physical version of Instagram on a Saturday morning”. There are back-to-basics details. Boil an egg in a ‘gentle but definite boil’ for four-and-a-half minutes for dippy, six-and-a-half for runny, seven for jammy and seven minutes 45 seconds for fudgy. Time the process, too, because the disappointment of a non-dippable dippy egg is great. What about adding cream to scrambled eggs? “Unnecessary and expensive,” Ed says, setting himself up against kitchen titans such as Gordon Ramsay (he’s for crème fraîche), Marco Pierre White (double cream), and Delia (either). And he’s in the ‘season at the end’ camp. “But honestly, it’s not going to ruin breakfast. What’s important with scrambled eggs is cooking them slowly, constantly stirring and taking them o the heat before they’re done.” If you want to elevate your egg game, Ed’s recipes scope the world, because there’s barely a cuisine that doesn’t use eggs. From Yemen come hard-boiled eggs served with malawach (a pu y, flaky flatbread), grated tomatoes and the chilli-coriander pep of zhoug. Next to Korea, for jammytextured mayak eggs marinated in soy, chilli and sesame, served with sticky rice, and pickled carrots and radish (try pickled cucumber and daikon too, he suggests in the useful ‘also consider’ segment that accompanies recipes). A favourite is sausage laab and fried egg bun. Inspired by
7 28 MARCH 2024 In my opinion SARA COX TAKE TWO… the ground meat salad eaten throughout Laos and northern Thailand, Ed simplifies things for a quick win. “It’s not about hand-mincing pork or chicken [the authentic way to make laab]. I use an English breakfast sausage that you squash down in the pan with a potato masher. It’s a great one for using up leftovers.” He adds sparky Thai flavours – chilli, lime, lemongrass, ginger – to the meat and spoons it onto a toasted brioche, then tops with a fried egg and the other half of the bun. There’s precedent in writing about eggs. Before a knife pierced a yolk on Instagram, there was French chef and restaurateur Auguste Esco er. His 1903 edition of Le Guide Culinaire has 59 recipes for an omelette alone, and a daunting prep list – you’ll need chestnuts cooked in consommé and julienned partridge fillet to make his ‘mancelle’ omelette, chopped lobster tail and tru e for his ‘Victoria’. Eggs were a serious business. It’s no surprise that the 100 pleats in a chef’s tall hat are said to represent ‘I like to get some dippy eggs ticked off before we check whether the Easter Bunny has been’ They can be dressed up or down, accommodate spicy heat or be deliciously, comfortingly plain, as Ed’s book showcases Chilli heat Serve poached eggs with cherry tomatoes on toast, roasted in soy sauce and sugar, then mixed with Szechuan chilli oil. Leftover rice Reheat the rice thoroughly, top with fried eggs and serve with a gochugaru (Korean chilli akes), soy and tahini sauce. There’s a ‘chilli tickle’, Ed writes, but it’s mostly about umami savouriness. Simple bagels Fudgy boiled eggs on a buttered, toasted bagel followed by mayo, a spoonful of capers and some anchovies is as simple as recipes come. For comfort Lift spirits with savoury eggy bread. Soak white bread in beaten eggs, milk and seasoning, fry in butter, spread with a mustard-mayo mix, then shower with grated Cheddar. Crowdpleaser Try shakshuka. Ed suggests making the spiced tomato sauce, but poaching the eggs separately, because they don’t like an overcrowded pan. the number of egg dishes that should be mastered, or that the making of a perfect omelette remains a classic skills test for professionals. Food writer Elizabeth David simplified things in her classic An Omelette and a Glass of Wine – a collection of articles and recipes she devised between 1955 and 1984. She wrote that the omelette should be “a soft, bright, golden roll, plump and spilling out a little at the edges”. Ed agrees, adding that a nonstick pan and speed are also essential. Whether Elizabeth would have approved of his suggested topping of crunched-up crisps (salt and vinegar, soured cream and chives or something with paprika), we’ll never know – but it sounds good. We’ll cook more than 180 million eggs as consumption spikes over the Easter weekend, and several will be cracked in the Smith household, where Ed’s favourite are Clarence Court eggs. “We’ll play it fairly traditional,” he says. “I like to get some dippy eggs ticked o before we check whether the Easter Bunny has been, and I might do some tempura sage and asparagus as additional dippers alongside the toast soldiers.” Now that sounds good, too. Good Eggs: Over 100 Cracking Ways to Cook and Elevate Eggs by Ed Smith (Hardie Grant) is out now ENDLESS INSPIRATION Asparagus tempura (left) make great soldiers for dippy eggs; Elizabeth David (below) ‘My nurturing instinct has faded, so I no longer apologise for speaking my mind or dance around issues to protect someone’s paper-thin ego’ The broadcaster and author airs her views I’m refusing to have a midlife crisis and instead have plumped for a midlife kickass. I’ve never been more interested in people, politics, travel, the arts. I don’t feel like I’m slowing down – in fact, I’m revved up and ready to approach the next few years like a car that can, to quote Vivian from Pretty Woman “corner like it’s on rails”. My annoyingly upbeat invigoration stems from a few things. Firstly, at my ‘not 50th’ party in December, when I celebrated turning 49, I looked around the pub that was heaving with my favourite people, including Dolly Parton (well, a ruddy good impersonator), and my heart swelled with joy to be alive. Getting older is a privilege – I’ve lost people who’ve been taken too soon and left heartbreaking gaps behind them. So I’m grateful to be here, with all my original parts in decent-ish working order. Secondly, my o spring are teenagers now. They still need me, but in di erent ways. The endless routines of their younger years – eat, sleep, a thousand other tasks, repeat – no longer tethers me to the home. I now have the freedom to explore my hobbies and throw myself into my career. Which brings me, thirdly, to work. I am more confident than ever in my abilities and able to communicate what I want. This doesn’t mean I’m a raging tyrant now, it’s just that, as my hormones have adjusted with age, my nurturing instinct has faded, so I no longer apologise for speaking my mind or dance around issues to protect someone’s paper-thin ego. Finally, just because I enjoy a green tea, country walks and – from some angles – have a light beard, it doesn’t mean I’m past it. It means I have experience and skills. Reaching midlife inspired my new novel Way Back, about Josie, a woman in her fifties who starts a new life, finds romance and explores new friendships. It’s a celebration of chasing your dreams no matter your age, of being fearless. So I try to act young and feel young. I’m not qua ng cosmo cocktails and hanging around the Met Bar like some ghost of 90s past. But I refuse to become sluggish – I want to be fitter, stronger, and keep learning. I love Dr Michael Mosley’s Just One Thing podcast, about how to improve our lives with simple tweaks to behaviour. His Stay Young Special with Professor Andrew Steptoe discusses how our attitude to getting older can impact the ageing process, so we mustn’t embed lazy stereotypes. The good prof says that a biological age of 60 today is equivalent to age 50 three decades ago. Great news for us all – at this rate, I’ll be inviting ‘Dolly’ back to perform at my 40th in a few years. Sara is on BBC Radio 2, weekdays from 4-7pm. @djsaracox Photographs: Alamy
9 28 MARCH 2024 News&Views WATER WORLD Hailed as ‘the finest water garden in the world’ by the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society, Longstock Park reopens to the public on 2 April. Part of the John Lewis Partnership’s Leckford Estate in Hampshire’s Test Valley, the meandering six-acre water garden is a haven for wildlife from water voles to kingfishers. The big picture Photographs: ?????????
10 28 MARCH 2024 News&Views When I ask Christine McGuinness – the former beauty queen, model and reality star turned author, filmmaker and autism campaigner – what inspired her new children’s book, it’s fair to say I’m not expecting the answer to be ‘Duncan from Blue’. “We went on the run together for charity,” explains Christine, of the partnership she struck up with boy band singer Duncan James while filming the upcoming Celebrity Hunted TV show. “And I just felt like this was one of the first times in my life that I had a true friend. Someone who was there for me at times when I was scared, who was holding my hand… We laughed so much, I thought: ‘Wow! I’m in my thirties, and I really feel like I’ve got a true friend here. The sort of friend I could have done with as a child.’ I felt like we were on a magical adventure together, and that’s where I had the idea for a book about friendship.” In The Magic is You, The Magic is Me, a colourful picture book being released to mark Autism Acceptance Week (2-8 April), best friends Jasper and Jessica embark on the trip of a lifetime that takes them from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the Moon. “For someone like me, who didn’t have friends in childhood, I can only imagine how wonderful that must be,” says Christine. “I look at my own children now, and I see them struggling to make friends,” she adds of 10-year-old twins Leo and Penelope and seven-year-old daughter Felicity, all of whom have autism. “But I really encourage them, and when they do, it is magical. Thank God they’ve got children around them who make an e ort. It’s a part of my life that I missed out on, but I feel so lucky that, as an adult now, I’m starting to make friends.” It’s three years since Christine, then 33, was diagnosed with autism while she and her husband Paddy McGuinness were making a documentary about their children. Though not a huge surprise, the revelation is helping her to make sense of a lifetime of questions. “I’m still learning, every day,” she says. “I’m still developing di erent ways of understanding myself and dealing with myself. I’m still getting to know which part of me is real, and not masking. But just knowing that I do the things I do because I’m autistic takes a big weight o my shoulders.” Research shows that autistic women and girls’ skill at masking – which Christine describes as “presenting yourself in a di erent way to how you truly feel, to try to come across like everybody else, and to try to fit in” – is a significant factor in the under-diagnosis of autism in females. “I see it in myself, but I see it even more in my daughters,” says Christine. “If you met my son, you would know quite instantly that he is di erent, because he shows his autism quite visually. He understands himself really well, and doesn’t hide the fact he is autistic. Whereas if you met my daughters, you might just see two quiet little girls who like sitting in the corner and reading a book. Boys can mask too, but it’s definitely more common in girls.” In the past, Christine – who announced her split from Paddy in 2022, although they still live together – has spoken about how she finds spontaneous conversation di cult, and will “sit up all night, overthinking and rehearsing conversations”. And yet today, talking from the family home in Cheshire (“it’s half-term, so I’m hiding in the attic bedroom with the door barricaded,” she laughs), she is engaged, articulate and, on the outside at least, relaxed. Presumably she hasn’t been up all night rehearsing? “I think I’ve pretty much mastered talking about autism,” she reflects. “Just because I’ve talked about it so much, this is the most comfortable conversation to have. I remember years ago, going to The Pride of Britain Awards with Patrick – it was one of the very few ones I went to, because I wasn’t great at leaving the house at the time. We were sitting at a table with all these big names, these big stars, all chatting away, and I remember just sitting with my head down, thinking: ‘Please don’t anyone speak to me, I’ve got nothing to say.’ But I can talk about autism all day.” The Magic is You, The Magic is Me – Christine’s second children’s book, following her debut Amazing Me, Amazing You – is part of her mission to spread the message of autism Model-turned-campaigner Christine McGuinness tells Paul Kirkley how being diagnosed with autism is helping her finally make sense of life BEHIND THE MASK
11 28 MARCH 2024 Photographs: OK! Magazine / Matthew Eades
12 28 MARCH 2024 News&Views acceptance. “It’s not just for children like mine to feel included and represented,” she says of the story, “but also for other children and adults to see [autistic] characters and go: ‘OK, some children are more sensitive to textures, sounds and feelings…’ – even if it’s something as simple as the breeze from the wind, which feels stronger for us.” Is it partly written for her childhood self? “Definitely,” she says. “It’s the friendship and adventure that I wish I would’ve had.” Born in Blackpool in 1988, the young Christine Martin had a di cult start in life. Her father was a heroin addict who was in and out of prison, and when she crawled over one of his discarded needles as a baby, her 20-year-old mother decided the time had come to end the relationship and return to her native Liverpool. Growing up on a council estate with her mum, older sister and younger brother, Christine settled well at primary school, but struggled with the move to secondary, where she would su er fits of explosive rage, throwing chairs and tipping tables over. She was also diagnosed with anorexia, and struggled to take an interest in ‘normal’ teenage things (she’s only ever watched one film, Dirty Dancing – although she’s watched it a lot). Between the ages of nine and 13, Christine was groomed and sexually abused by a family friend – “I’d pray every night I wouldn’t wake up in the morning”, she later recalled – and at 13 was raped by a boy from school. While making her recent TV documentary Unmasking My Autism, she met a clinical specialist at King’s College Hospital, London, who suggested that as many as nine in 10 autistic women may have su ered some form of sexual abuse. “That was one of the most heartbreaking things to hear,” says Christine. “A lot of autistic people are vulnerable, but girls especially. That is mainly down to not understanding social cues – not being able to read people. I’ve spoken about being sexually abused as a teenager, and now I understand how that happened – I could never read [the di erence between] somebody wanting to be my friend, and somebody wanting more. That’s a dangerous place for autistic girls.” Written o as disruptive, Christine left school at 14 and, encouraged by her mother, began entering beauty pageants, taking the Miss Liverpool title when she was 18. She met Paddy shortly afterwards, and the couple married in 2011, just as his TV career hit its stride as the host of hit game show Take Me Out. As a result, the girl from a Liverpool council estate now lives in a palatial Cheshire home. “I still feel like I’m not living in my house,” she admits. “I still kind of feel like this is all a bit of a crazy dream.” In 2018, Christine joined the cast of reality TV show The Real Housewives of Cheshire. “When I first moved to Cheshire, I definitely didn’t feel like anyone else,” she recalls. “I was very much the stay-at-home mum. There were no photo shoots, no red carpets – I was in gym clothes every day, looking after the children. I got asked to go on The Real Housewives of Cheshire just as the kids were going to school, so I went along, and I met all these women who were so glamorous and strong, and who seemed to have it all together. And I was like a wallflower. I barely spoke the whole time I was there because I was so scared and overwhelmed. I started copying the way they dressed, the way they spoke, the way they lived. I copied it all. It’s kind of, fake it ’til you make it. But it wasn’t me at all. I was absolutely exhausted just looking after the kids.” Christine found something closer to her real tribe last year when she spoke to a group of autistic women while making Unmasking My Autism. “They were so inspiring,” she says. “I looked at them and thought: ‘I wish I was more like them.’ I can’t wait to get to that stage. I understand it takes time to process everything. Postdiagnosis, you go through so many emotions – there’s relief in understanding yourself, but there’s also some grief for the times you may have missed out on, or been misunderstood. Those women all seemed so comfortable in their own skin. “There was a quote from one of them that really stayed with me, when she said: ‘Imagine not showing up for your own life.’ Now, whenever I’m having a bit of a wobble, or wondering why I’m trying to please everyone, I think: ‘Hold on, this is my one life, too, and I want to show up for it.’” For Christine, being her authentic self includes wearing plain clothes (no patterns), and eating “plain, beige food” (as she’s hypersensitive to smell and texture). She’s also contemplating life as a single parent – although for now, she’s reluctant to trade on that label. “Although I’m a single parent, I’m not,” she says. “The children still have a mum and a dad, we’re both here equally. We co-parent fairly well. We still get on, we’re still in the same house. I think when we eventually do go into separate houses, that’s when I will feel a big dramatic change.” What about new relationships? “Right now, I don’t want anything,” she insists. “I want to use the time to continue getting to know me, and to be with my children. I’m definitely not ready for a relationship.” The children, meanwhile, are thriving STAYING STRONG Christine with Duncan James (left); in Unmasking My Autism (below); with Paddy McGuinness (bottom) ‘I have my moments, but I look at my children and I’m happy. I’ve got one unconditional love forever, with these three children’
13 28 MARCH 2024 FOOD BITES in ways that, at one time, she and Paddy would never have believed. “They’re doing amazing,” beams Christine. “I remember the paediatrician telling me, when the twins were four, that they may never talk, eat solid foods, or use the bathroom on their own. And we’ve just kept ticking all these milestones o . It’s later than other children, but they’re doing it. They’re doing things I’m not even doing, especially when it comes to food. Honestly, they inspire me every single day.” As for her own future: “I want my own career, I want to work, I’d like to be more independent,” says Christine. “But I also want to make sure I’m at home as much as possible for my children. It’s a di cult balance.” Is she happy? “Like everyone, I have my moments,” she considers. “I’m human. But I look at my children and I’m happy. I’ve got one unconditional love forever, with these three children. They’re just the best in the world. “I used to question my life all the time,” she adds. “When I was a teenager, I really struggled. I was really, really depressed. Everyone at school knew what they wanted to do, and I didn’t. I just knew I wanted to be a mum. Now I’ve got these three children, and because of them, I understand me, and feel like it’s my purpose to be their mum. I feel strongly that these children were supposed to be my children, and part of being their mum is advocating for who they are, and for who I am, and looking for acceptance and trying to get people to understand. That’s my purpose in life, and I’m very grateful that I’ve got it.” The Magic is You, The Magic is Me by Christine McGuinness, illustrated by Hannah Jayne Lewin, is out now (Scholastic) of avour, or anything too textured. A lasagne would not happen in our house. I might make a tomatobased pasta, but it will be smooth, with no lumps. Do you ever eat out? I’m getting better. There’s an Italian in Alderley Edge called Gusto. They know me, so they’ll do me something quite plain. And McDonald’s is a big favourite with autistic children, because it’s the same all over the world. You say your diet is ‘dry and beige’… That’s right. On a typical day, dinner for me and the children will be chicken nuggets and chips, straight out of the freezer. If I was pushing the boat out, I might do homemade goujons and some homemade chips. We sometimes make our own chicken goujons as a bit of messy food therapy play. What are your cupboard essentials? Bread, bagels, pastries, crisps. Everything’s quite neutral. We don’t like a lot FIRM FAVOURITE Goujons and chips Photographs: Getty Images, BBC Picture Library
14 28 MARCH 2024 OFFER NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW Speckled Chocolate Crispy Mini Bites £3.25/198g or 2 FOR £5.50 (o er ends 13 August) Rice bites in milk chocolate dotted with candy beans. 4 Chirpy Chicks £4.50/4s Chirpy Easter chicks made from golden sponge with vanilla buttercream and nished with cute hand-piped faces. Hot Cross Bunettone £8/500g A spiced Italian cake made with sultanas, butter, candied orange and lemon peel, with a sachet of icing sugar for dusting over. Simnel Cake £13/each A spiced, all-butter cake with vine fruits and glacé cherries, layered with toasted marzipan for an intricate nishing touch. 5 Simnel Slices £3.75/5s Lightly spiced cake with vine fruits and glacé cherries, layered with sweet marzipan. Ready to serve in perfectly portioned slices. Colomba Cake £14/750g Baked in the shape of a dove – the symbol of peace – this Italian cake has candied orange, whole almonds and a sweet hazelnut frosting. 9 Mini Easter Cupcakes £4/9s Golden sponge fairy cakes with fondant icing and handmade sugar decorations. An Easter treat for adults and kids alike. Easter Jack The Jack Russell £8.50/each In homage to HM The King’s pet, a chocolate sponge with chocolate buttercream, sugar paste and sugar decorations. Prices correct at time of going to print. Selected stores. Subject to availability. Spring into EASTER These tempting treats and cakes from the Waitrose bakery aisle are sure to sweeten the season Hungry for more? Simply scan the QR code below for the full range of baked Easter delights from Waitrose
15 28 MARCH 2024 Food&Drink ALISON OAKERVEE Partner & food and drink editor We put together recipe pages for Weekend a little ahead of time, so I have no idea what the weather is going to throw at us for Easter as I write – ngers crossed for a hint of spring, but it could easily give us weather from any season! Luckily, Diana Henry’s delicious menu will work come rain or shine – it’s substantial enough for a chilly day, but the sunny Mediterranean avours give it the feel of a long, lazy lunch in the sunshine. It’s simple to make too (I’ll de nitely be adopting her dessert idea), so if you’re hosting, there’s no need to be stuck in the kitchen. What’s For Dinner? p16 Too Good To Waste with Elly Curshen p21 Meal Maths p23 The Best with Martha Collison p24 Weekend Menu with Diana Henry p27 What I’m Cooking with Moyra Fraser p31 Very Important Producer p32 Wine List with Pierpaolo Petrassi MW p34 Photographs: Sam Folan, Food styling: Marina Filippelli, Styling: Tony Hutchinson, Art direction: Sharon Davis SIMPLE ROAST Chicken with cauli ower, aubergines, raisins, pine nuts and capers is the main course for Diana Henry’s sharing weekend menu, p27
16 28 MARCH 2024 Recipes: Rebecca Woollard, Photographs: Mowie Kay, Food styling: Troy WiIlis, Styling: Max Robinson, Art direction: Pippa Paine What’s for dinner? Take the stress out of midweek meal planning with these quick, easy and delicious dishes
17 28 MARCH 2024 Serves 2 Prepare 10 minutes Cook 15 minutes 20g Cooks’ Ingredients Dried White Breadcrumbs 200g No.1 Bucatini 200g pack cavolo nero, stalks stripped, leaves roughly chopped 30g unsalted butter 1 clove garlic, crushed 50g can anchovy llets in extra virgin olive oil, oil drained and reserved ¼ tsp chilli akes 1 lemon, juice 1 Set a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and toast the breadcrumbs for around 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden. Set aside. 2 Cook the pasta according to pack instructions in plenty of salted water, adding the cavolo nero for the last 3 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan and gently cook the garlic, the anchovies with ½ their oil and the chilli akes over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies begin to melt. Splash in the lemon juice and keep over a low heat. 4 Drain the pasta, reserving ½ mug of cooking water. Add the pasta and reserved water to the anchovy pan and return to a medium-high heat. Cook, tossing everything together, for 2-3 minutes until the liquid reduces to a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta. Serve, scattered with some of the breadcrumbs and the remainder on the side. Per serving 2476kJ/589kcals/18g fat/8.9g saturated fat/ 78g carbs/3.2g sugars/8.1g bre/24g protein/4g salt Bucatini with buttery cavolo nero, anchovies & pangrattato Serves 4 Prepare 10 minutes Cook 15 minutes ½ red onion, thinly sliced 2 limes, juice of 1 (see tip), 1 cut into wedges to serve 1½ tbsp sun ower oil 340g can sweetcorn, drained 2 x 200g packs Essential British Beef Sirloin Steak 300g pack Gran Luchito Mexican Soft Taco Wraps 2 x 25g packs coriander, leaves chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded if liked, nely chopped 100g feta, crumbled 1 Put the red onion into a large bowl with the lime juice and season well with salt. Set aside, tossing occasionally. 2 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan on a high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the corn and fry for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly caramelised. Tip the corn into the red onion bowl. Wipe the pan and put back over a high heat. 3 Brush the steaks with the remaining ½ tbsp oil and season well with salt. Fry until browned all over, for 2 minutes each side for mediumrare, or 3 minutes each side for medium. Remove to a plate to rest for 2 minutes. 4 Heat the wraps in the microwave according to pack instructions. Add the coriander and chilli to the corn, then toss everything together and season to taste. Thinly slice the steaks against the grain of the meat, then serve with the tortillas, corn salsa, feta and lime wedges. Per serving 1732kJ/417kcals/32g fat/13g saturated fat/ 11g carbs/6.9g sugars/2.9g bre/21g protein/0.9g salt Steak tacos with caramelised corn salsa COOK’S TIP Some limes are juicier than others – use two for step 1 if yours are on the drier side. To get the most from your lime before squeezing, roll it rmly on the work surface with the palm of your hand, to loosen its esh. When buying citrus, pick the heaviestfeeling fruit for its size – this often means you’ll be picking up the juiciest too. COOK’S TIP Try with Swiss chard instead, with its colourful, edible stems. Wash, then tear the leaves and add to the pasta water for the last 2 minutes, or until wilted. Chop the stems into 1cm pieces and sauté with the garlic and anchovies until tender. Bucatini is a thick spaghetti with a hole running along its length – perfect for pastas in less heavy sauces such as this one. But any pasta shape will work well. Food&Drink A WINNER FOR ANIMAL WELFARE Waitrose holds the Best Retailer Award from Compassion in World Farming – its fourth win in a row. The world’s leading farm animal welfare organisation scored its welfare standards higher than any other supermarket in its biennial awards in 2022. The retailer says the best quality food comes from animals that are treated with compassion and care.
T&Cs: Selected postcodes. Subject to availability. Vase not included. Flowers and plants may arrive in bud to prolong their life. We deliver Monday-Sunday, excluding bank holidays. See waitrose orist.com for full terms and conditions. WAITROSEFLORIST.COM BRILLIANT BOUQUETS Capture the pretty oral sights and scents of the season with an exclusively designed, hand-tied bouquet or plant from Waitrose Florist. We deliver seven days a week, with next-day delivery available
19 28 MARCH 2024 Serves 4 Prepare 15 minutes Cook 20 minutes 3 tbsp sesame seeds 2 tbsp vegetable oil 500g pack Essential British Pork Mince 8% Fat 1 head Chinese leaf, shredded 1 bunch salad onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated 2 cloves garlic, crushed 5cm piece ginger, peeled and nely grated 6 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Ketjap Manis, plus 2 tbsp for drizzling 2 x 300g packs Amoy Straight to Wok Udon Thick Noodles 1 Toast the sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes in a large wok, stirring often, until golden. Tip onto a plate and wipe out the pan. Put the wok over a high heat. When hot, add 1 tbsp oil, then season the pork with salt and add to the pan. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until browned throughout, then remove from the pan. 2 Add the remaining oil, the Chinese leaf and salad onion whites, then stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage is coloured and softening. 3 Return the pork to the pan with the garlic and ginger and stir until sizzling loudly. Add the ketjap manis and the udon, then stir fry for 5-6 minutes until everything is piping hot, coated in sauce and any water released has sizzled o . The pork should be cooked through with no pink meat. 4 Stir through most of the sesame seeds, reserving some to serve, then divide the stir fry between bowls. Scatter with the salad onion greens, the leftover sesame seeds and a drizzle of ketjap manis. Serve immediately. Per serving 2265kJ/539kcals/17g fat/3.5g saturated fat/53g carbs/13g sugars/8.7g bre/39g protein/2g salt/ 1 of your 5 a day Sweet soy & sesame pork stir fry Serves 4 Prepare 10 minutes Cook 15 minutes ½ red cabbage, cored then thinly shredded 2 lemons, juice ½ tsp sea salt akes 2 x 192g packs The Levantine Table Sweet Potato Falafels 60g Cooks’ Ingredients Tahini 125g Greek-style yogurt 1 small clove garlic, crushed 25g pack at leaf parsley (or coriander), leaves chopped 4 white pittas 1 Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Meanwhile, put the cabbage into a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon and the salt. Massage the juice into the cabbage a little, then leave to lightly pickle, tossing occasionally. 2 Cook the falafels in the oven for 15 minutes, according to pack instructions. Mix the tahini with the yogurt, garlic and remaining lemon juice. Season and set aside. 3 When the falafels are ready, toss the parsley through the pickled cabbage. Toast the pittas. Serve the cabbage with the falafel and dip and pittas for stu ng. V Per serving 3065kJ/733kcals/36g fat/6.6g saturated fat/78g carbs/36g sugars/11g bre/19g protein/2.1g salt Falafel with quick pickled cabbage & tahini dip COOK’S TIP Parsley stems are soft with lots of avour – save them to use in stocks as the base of a bouquet garni or nely chop and add to a chimichurri or pesto. Finely chopped coriander stems can go into a curry with ginger and garlic, whizz into a Thai curry paste, or add some pep to a stir fry. COOK’S TIP If you have toasted sesame oil in the cupboard, add a little drizzle to each serving before you eat, for a really rounded sesame avour. Leftover roast pork from a Sunday roast? Use in place of the mince by cutting it into thin strips. Fry it with the Chinese leaf and salad onions.
21 28 MARCH 2024 Food&Drink S C A N T HI S CODE F OR MOR E R E CI P E S Serves 4 Prepare 10 minutes Cook 15 minutes 1 medium leek, trimmed 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large echalion shallot, nely sliced into rounds 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed under the side of a knife 2 bay leaves 700g jar Bold Bean Co Queen Butter Beans 5 tbsp double cream 240g pack 2 Icelandic cod llets, cut into large bitesized pieces 2 sprigs tarragon, leaves roughly chopped ½ lemon, juice Crusty bread, to serve 1 Finely slice the leek and wash in a colander under warm water. Drain. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or casserole over a medium heat. Add the leek, shallot, garlic with a big pinch of sea salt akes and stir everything Garlicky white beans, leeks & cod This smart-looking dish is quick, easy and perfect for casual entertaining. It stretches two cod fillets to serve three or four by adding some tasty queen butter beans. I wanted to showcase the garlic without overpowering everything, so I combined it with leeks and shallots for a multi-note dish. I kept the cloves whole (just gently crushed), allowing them to poach in the liquid and gently infuse the sauce. Don’t fish them out at the end though – once they’ve been cooked in the cream, they will be soft, mild and delicious. A reminder that garlic doesn’t always need to be punchy! Tarragon is a strong flavour, but it works so well here. I haven’t used lots. If you don’t like tarragon, use flat leaf parsley instead. @ellypear GARLIC Too good to waste with Elly Curshen together well. Put the lid on the pan and cook on medium-low until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. 2 Add the bay leaves and the jar of beans, including the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer, then pour in the cream. Stir everything together well, then add the cod and nestle it into the creamy beans. Cook, covered, for 7-8 minutes, until the cod is thoroughly cooked, opaque and akes easily with a fork. 3 Gently stir in the tarragon and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust. I like lots of freshly ground black pepper. Discard the bay leaves. If you can spot the garlic cloves, mash them into the sauce with the back of a fork. Don’t worry if you can’t nd them – they’ll be a delicious surprise when you do. Serve with some crusty bread. Per serving (without crusty bread) 1373kJ/328kcals/ 14g fat/6.4g saturated fat/24g carbs/2.6g sugars/9.6g bre/22g protein/1.2g salt/2 of your 5 a day MORE LEFTOVER IDEAS 1Roast a whole garlic bulb Ideal for when you already have the oven on. Cut the top o the bulb to expose the tips of the cloves, then sit it on some foil. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap tightly and roast at 200ºC, gas mark 6 for 40 minutes. Squeeze the cloves out to be used in various ways – try mixing with butter to make garlic bread. 2The way you work it How you prepare garlic will a ect its strength of avour. The smaller you chop it, the stronger it will taste. Slicing garlic and adding to a sauce, for example, rather than nely chopping, leads to a milder avour. Leaving cloves whole is the best way to add just a mild hit of garlic. 3Spaghetti aglio e olio Spaghetti with garlic and oil is a classic. As the pasta cooks, heat a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Sizzle a pinch of chilli akes and 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic per portion for 1 minute, until fragrant and the garlic is light golden but not brown – too light and you won’t get the full avour, too dark and it gets bitter. Toss the pasta with the contents of the pan and add a little chopped parsley. Photographs: Kate Whitaker, Food styling: Jennifer Joyce, Styling: Max Robinson, Art direction: Pippa Paine
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