Welcome to February

Optimism, togetherness and cooking will get us through the next few weeks. This is the time to enjoy the food you love: comforting family favourites, easy bakes, pancakes (p48) and weekend roasts (p102). Keep small hands and minds occupied in the kitchen making everpopular pizza, burgers and rocky road, all given a plant-based twist by CBBC’S Omari Mcqueen (p55).

Challenge yourself to learn something new, too. Our vegetable gyoza recipe is fun to master (p100), and new online masterclasses will keep you busy (find out more on page 54). But, take some time out, too, and be as kind to yourself as you are to others. Make life easier with batch-cooking (p23), one-pots (p38), and storecupboard pastas that take little effort to put together, but feel like a treat.

Finally, supporting each other by sharing stories, successes and laughs is surely the best way to see us into spring. Join our BBC Good Food Together Facebook group, the loveliest, liveliest community of cooks of all skill levels who will brighten your day in every way.