Long weekends

Cakes to bake

Take the opportunity offered by a long weekend to indulge in the joys of baking - one of life's more simple pleasures. The methodical and often precise nature of cake and biscuit recipes requires a satisfying level of focus, taking your mind away from everyday worries into a world of measuring, weighing, folding and sifting.

Whether you're a novice or a seasoned hand, you'll be rewarded with a housefull of warm and comforting smells and a home-baked taste that no shop-bought product can match.

• Afternoon tea cake by Rachel Allen from Rachel's Favourite Food For Living
• Polenta and ricotta cake with dates and pecans by Delia Smith
• Intense chocolate cookies by Nigella Lawson from Nigella Express
• Victoria sponge with raspberry jam (video recipe) by Lesley Waters from Get Cooking
• Rich scones (video recipe) by Lesley Waters from Get Cooking
• White bread plait (video recipe) by Lesley Waters from Get Cooking
• Chocolate and hazelnut torte (video recipe) by Sophie Grigson from Get Cooking

Slow cooking

A slow-cooked dish is ideal if you're planning to relax at home but don't want to spend all your time cooking. These recipes are better left to their own devices and don't suffer from neglect.

Once they're cooking, you're free to go off and do as you please, returning only to give the occasional prod, stir or baste. At the end of the day you'll be rewarded with the intense flavours and melting tenderness that only time can bring.

• Porchetta (roast pork belly) by Gennaro Contaldo from Saturday Kitchen (cooking time: three-and-a-half hours)
• Beef and wine stew with black olives by Elizabeth David (cooking time: three-and-a-half hours)
• Slow-roast lamb with chickpea mash by Nigel Slater (cooking time: nearly four hours)
• Slow-roasted ginger pork by Angela Boggiano (cooking time: five to six hours)
• Beef in Guinness with gremolata by Good Food Magazine (cooking time: five hours, on and off, over two days)

Outdoors eating

If the weather's kind to us over the bank holiday then treat your tastebuds to the extra seasoning that outdoor eating brings to food. Pack up a simple picnic of sandwiches, homemade pasties and a frittata and find a sunny spot; or wipe down the garden table and chairs and serve your meal al fresco.

Sophie Grigson's pale green broad bean soup, flecked with darker green mint and bright green beans, conjures up thoughts of kitchen gardens and summer days. Follow this with a generous serving of home-cooked fish and chips, or a rare beef salad and crunchy new potatoes, and you'll swear the sun's shining even brighter.

• Broad bean, yoghurt and mint soup by Sophie Grigson
• Deep-fried fish in beer batter and chips by Jo Pratt from Nation's Favourite Food
• Seared beef fillet with watercress, gorgonzola and parmesan dressing by John Torode from Saturday Kitchen (serve with Roasted new potatoes by the British Potato Council)
• Instant portobello burgerby Alastair Hendy from Veg Talk
• Pea and mint frittata by Ben O'Donoghue from The Best
• Potato, chorizo and feta frittata by Rachel Allen from Rachel's Favourite Food at Home
• Butternut squash and gruyere pasties by Merrilees Parker from Saturday Kitchen
• Grilled vegetables with pitta croutons (video recipe) by Paul Merrett from Get Cooking

You can search for more recipes with the BBC Food Recipe Finder