Newsletter: A spotlight on baking guru Nick Malgieri + lots of quiches for The Big Coronation Lunch

Baking and patisserie with a master – Nick Malgieri

There are few kitchen tasks more satisfying than baking. Whether bringing together a crumbly pastry, or getting stuck in kneading dough, the alchemy of flour and water, possibly yeast, possibly an egg or butter, into bread, pies, cake, is real kitchen magic. At entry level a batch of cookies is so easy the results far outweigh the effort. At the other end of the spectrum fine patisserie and bread-making are true culinary arts.

Baking icon Nick Malgieri is a master of these arts. Malgieri was the executive pastry chef of Windows on the World, has more accolades than it is possible to list here, and is the author of a long list of bestselling cookery books.

Five of Malgieri's books are already on ckbk, with two more arriving early next month. To celebrate this valuable addition to our bookshelves we bring you our Author Profile: Nick Malgieri.

In it Malgieri shares his nerves as he began to write about his work, and his journey to the warm and confidence-inspiring style that make his books so popular.

Malgieri also peppers the interview with recipe recommendations from among his ever-tempting catalogue. Try a Smoked Salmon and Goat's Cheese Plait, or Russian Punch Cake from famous patisserie Demel in Vienna. If you want to get started with bread, Easiest Home-Baked Bread will ease you into the joys of his book Nick Malgieri’s Bread.

Want more baking inspiration? We’ve put together a cookbook showcase of The Best of Baking.

Discover more than 700 recipes from Nick Malgieri

Pictured above: Total Heaven Chocolate Almond Cake from Nick Malgieri's Bread by Nick Malgieri

Cook up a quiche for The Big Coronation Lunch

Saturday May 6 is the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, and households across the UK will be gathering for The Big Coronation Lunch – one of a series of Big Lunches spearheaded by Camilla since 2013 to bring together neighbours and communities. But what to cook?

Coronation Chicken, originally created for Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 Coronation, is popular to this day. Charles and Camilla, who like to eschew meat for a couple of days each week, and wanted to create a dish from humble seasonal ingredients, have proposed we celebrate with The Coronation Quiche.

A flaky shortcrust pastry, generously filled with spinach, broad beans and fresh tarragon, is set with a savory custard and given depth by cheddar cheese. It sounds an easy thing to like. They suggest serving with new potatoes and a green salad to create a simple lunch that is nonetheless fit for a king.

Quiche is a fine and satisfying lunch choice, whether or not you are royalty or celebrating a Coronation. Quiche Lorraine with its salty bacon tang against buttery pastry is a classic for a reason. A quiche can take a lot variation in fillings and remain a delicious thing – try Butternut and Blue Cheese Quiche, throw in mushrooms, zucchini, smoked salmon. Or try any of these ideas from our Quintessential Quiche Recipes collection, twelve recipes that are just the tip of the quiche iceberg. Search ‘quiche’ for dozens more.

Ingredient spotlight: cauliflower

The name cauliflower derives from the Latin cauli- (stem or stalk) and flor (flower) and shares these characteristics with broccoli. The creamy firm head of cauliflower evolved from the looser broccoli, has a milder, sweeter flavor, and suits a great diversity of cooking techniques.

Countries that prioritise vegetable cookery treat this highly adaptable delicious vegetable with greater respect than it has sometimes been shown in the UK or the US. But cauliflower is now having a moment - Cali'flour Kitchen is a book devoted entirely to recipes benefiting from cauliflower's low-carb credentials, and elsewhere in ckbk's collection, we have hundreds of recipes that make the most of its firm texture and ability to carry flavor.

Roast cauliflower is superb, simply made with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt, or given pep with fresh ginger, chili and garlic. Griddle a fat slice of the whole head and serve as a cauliflower ‘steak.’ Try a Cauliflower Rice Pilaf, Smashed Cauliflower Sandwiches with Roasted Asparagus, or any of the recipes in our 12 Ways With Cauliflower collection.