Editor’s letter

June is my favourite month. The days are long, gardens are in their verdant pomp, weekends promise sun-kissed meetings with friends, Aperol spritz in hand, and summer holidays loom bright on the horizon. Here, at Food and Travel HQ, we also embrace the return of ‘Greek Salad Fridays’, where each member of the team takes it in turns to make their own incarnation of the dish – my trick is to marinate the feta in olive oil, lemon zest and fresh oregano. It’s with this spirit of conviviality and feasting that we bring you this issue. We start in California (p48) with a roll call of vibrant dishes that will transport you to the Golden State. There’s a bounty of Greek meze (p62) bursting with flavours of the Med for alfresco gatherings, or, if barbecuing is more your thing, we have winning burgers (p52) care of grill master DJ BBQ. Round it all off with our collection of tempting desserts (p56).

Whether you’re after far-flung adventure or a staycation par excellence, there’s plenty to inspire your travels, too. Forest-clad Baracoa, Cuba’s most isolated town (p34), gets the gourmet traveller treatment, before we head to Hamburg (p66) to unravel the port city’s dining scene. Next, we set sail across the globe to discover the best boat charters to book today (p76) and check in to the UK’s top new hotels (p82). If, like me, it’s a city break you’re looking for, try Algiers, The Hague or Ottawa for size (p87). Just sit back, relax and get planning. It’s going to be one heck of a summer.