You know the score. The sun peeks out from behind the clouds and the people of Britain are gripped with spring fever, stripping off to shorts and t-shirts, flopping down on packed beaches and pouring into pub gardens. And all this with the temperature barely tickling 12 degrees Celsius.
Here at Food Tube HQ we are getting in the spirit and celebrating the start of a new season with our five signs spring has sprung.
1.Festivals
We're looking forward to rubbing shoulders with Monica Galetti and Fatboy Slim at Jamie's very own Big Feastival with Alex James but that's not cropping up until August. Instead, this week the fabulous Felicitas Pizarro took us on a trip to an awesome Argentinian food festival. Join her:
2.Cocktails
We know cocktails are not exclusively a warm weather tipple but they do sit beautifully with sunshine.
Our drink of choice - a Tom Collins with a twist - is the perfect refreshing beverage for those lazy, hazy days:
3.Barbecues
Our very own DJ BBQ needs no excuse to get the barbie out - he's an outdoor grill man all year round - but for the less hardy, now is the time to dust off the tongs. And our man isn't just cooking any old food on his coals. Check it out:
4.Salad
There's still plenty of room for a roast but now is the time to tuck into something leafy. The Chiappas have created the perfect compromise - a hearty chicken salad that's just a bit naughty:
5.Holidays
The summer hols may be a long way off but it's good to have something to look forward to. To get you in the mood, we packed Gennaro off to Malta where the weather was temperamental to say the least. Nothing stands in the way of the Food Tube Don dishing up and he created beautiful bites against the backdrop of glorious Gozo:
We're slapping on the factor 30 and dining alfresco. Catch you next week. And if you haven't subscribed to Food Tube yet, you know what to do.