| | | | | Dear Reader, | The end of summer always feels bittersweet. I'm eking out my last days in the New Forest, where I'm woken in the early morning by a golden sun and I can watch a family of fallow deer help themselves to whatever sustenance they can find in the garden. Come evening, it's the call of the tawny owl that thrills and stars I can actually see. But the ground is still rock hard, the grass is like straw and leaves hang limply on branches. We hear the rains are coming hard, that next year's summer will be hotter still, and that the seasonal norms we grew up with are unreliable. Today though, the light looks so beautiful in the trees and the birds are singing. | | Lucy Cleland
Editorial Director | | | Staying In | READ: Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason | | It’s easy to become parasocially obsessed with an author. They comfort you when you’re down, make you laugh when you need it. They get you, they understand you… quite like no one else. This is the concept behind Meg Mason’s follow-up to her bestselling novel Sorrow And Bliss. When Sophie finds herself dumped by her husband mid-shower, it is books that she turns to for comfort. Particularly the books of Lilac Dunne. Sophie finds solace and companionship in her words, and so spends hours rereading her stories, scrolling through her images, listening to her podcasts, and even talking to an imaginary version of her. It's almost like love. A lot like love. Sophie would love to meet Lilac. And then one day, she does. A hilarious and raw tale about finding connection in a lonely world, Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason is out now. One to read this autumn. uk.bookshop.org | | MAKE: Truffle Marry Me Gnocchi |
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| They say the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach – and we’re told this gnocchi dish is so delicious it will warrant a proposal. It’s taken from new cookbook TRUFFLE: Irresistible Recipes Using The World’s Greatest Ingredient, created by the two truffle-obsessed founders of The Truffle Guys, Jordan and Rikki. No need to shell out on actual truffles – the oil will suffice. |
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| | Serves 2, cook time: 20 minutes | Ingredients: | 1 tbsp olive oil ½ onion, diced 1 garlic clove, diced 175g chicken breasts, diced into bite-size pieces 40g sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into small pieces 250g gnocchi 1 tbsp red pesto ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp dried thyme 150ml chicken stock 1 tbsp Truffle Guys Signature White Truffle Oil, plus extra for drizzling 60ml double cream 25g Parmesan cheese, grated Small handful of basil, chopped flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper
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| Method: | Heat half the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the chicken pieces and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan, stirring for 1 minute. Push everything to one side of the pan and add the remaining olive oil. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat, letting them cook for 1 minute before stirring and cooking for another minute. Add the pesto, oregano, thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil. Add the Truffle Oil, cream and Parmesan, stirring to form a silky sauce. Cook for 3 minutes, then add half the chopped basil and mix through. Plate and finish with the remaining basil and a drizzle of Truffle Oil.
| Top Tip: Make this meat-free by leaving out the chicken and using vegetable stock – it’s just as irresistible. |
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| | WATCH: New Vigil | | From the creators of Line of Duty, Vigil is one of the BBC’s most successful series of the 2020s. High-stakes yet filled with heart, the show centres around the complicated relationship between DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie). While series 1 took Amy to the titular submarine, HMS Vigil, and the second took her to an unnamed country in the Middle East, the third is all about the Arctic. When a member of a covert British special forces mission is shot dead at a remote Arctic research station, Amy and Kirsten are tasked with catching the killer. All the while they must diffuse a potential international confrontation, as the murder fuels the flames of land-grabbing and resource insecurity in the changing polar climate. Out Sunday at 9pm, BBC One and iPlayer | | Going Out | PARTY AT: Notting Hill Carnival | | The capital’s biggest street party returns for its 60th birthday bonanza this Bank Holiday weekend. A massive celebration of London’s rich and vibrant Caribbean culture, Notting Hill Carnival first took place in 1966 to help integrate the area’s diverse local community. Each year, the festival draws in huge crowds – on average two million revellers hit the streets of West London – lured in by its colourful parades, eclectic music and delicious food. If the latter appeals, make sure to break up the revelry with a quick trip to The Laslett, which will be hosting a Caribbean-inspired brunch complete with jerk waffles, crispy fried plantain and rum, pineapple and coconut Eton mess. Ideal for fuelling your Carnival plans. 29 – 31 August 2026 | BOOK: Helen Graham at Panzer’s | | Al fresco dining isn’t over just yet. Head to Panzer’s Deli in St John’s Wood on 1 September to enjoy a summer feast on the terrace courtesy of Helen Graham, former executive chef of veggie favourite Bubala. She’ll be drawing on recipes from her bestselling cookbook, Centrepiece: begin with flatbreads filled with creative combinations like wood-fired leek with mango and nigella seed skewers, ahead of mains including hispi cabbage with sesame whipped tofu, saffron braised fennel, and black garlic pilaf. For dessert, there’s chocolate ganache with passionfruit, black lime and urfa salsa. £70pp, eventbrite.com | VISIT: Battersea Park In Concert | | Nab last-minute tickets to Battersea Park in Concert, a weekend of outdoor concerts in one of the city’s prettiest green spaces. Highlights for 2026 include a performance from the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra – featuring a night dedicated to movies and musicals – as well as the return of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra. Alongside the music, guests can bring their own picnic, or pre-order one from Pique, plus book wine tasting sessions from French vineyard Domaine des Jeanne. 28 – 31 August, batterseaparkinconcert.com | | Share This Newsletter With A Friend | | | | Staying in Forever… | Property Of The Week | | Built around 1940, this Mallorcan holiday home was more recently done-up by US interior designer Michael Smith (previously selected by the Obamas to redesign the residential quarters of The White House). The main residence features seven bedrooms with terraces, while a separate two-bedroom guest house and staff quarters provide additional accommodation. | On the market for €46,000,000, engelvoelkers.com | | Competition Time | | | | Psssst… | We have our first look at the sixth and final season of Emily In Paris, which will be set across Greece and Monaco. Here’s everything we know so far, including when the series will drop on Netflix. | | | Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39 |
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