Daily 11 June

Ellie Smith & Parm Bhamra
June 11, 2026

Staying In

Eat Like A Sardinian With This Recipe

Sardinia is one of the Blue Zones – parts of the world where people have exceptional longevity. So, naturally, there’s a lot of interest surrounding the Sardinian diet: what are its inhabitants eating to live a long, healthy life? Chef Francesco Mattana gives us a taster in his new cookbook, Eat Like a Sardinian – and we’ve nabbed one of the recipes below.

Couscous from Carloforte

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 lemon
4 artichokes
250g (9oz) couscous
2 courgettes (zucchini), thinly sliced
1 small aubergine (eggplant), chopped into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes
1/2 cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 onion, thinly sliced1/2 Savoy cabbage, sliced lengthways and then into small
chunks
2 1/4 teaspoons La Saporita spice mix (or make your own, see below)
Extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

First, prepare the artichokes. Fill a bowl with water and squeeze in the juice from the lemon halves, then drop the squeezed halves into the bowl.
Hold an artichoke firmly with one hand and use a small, sharp knife to remove and peel off the tough, dark green outer leaves at the base. Cut off the top 1–2cm (1/2–3/4 inch) of the artichoke, where the leaves are still tough, and leave about 2.5cm (1 inch) of the stem attached. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, peel the tough outer layer of the stem. Cut the artichoke in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the fuzzy choke in the middle. Cut it in half again so that it is quartered. Place the artichoke quarters immediately in the lemon water to prevent browning. Repeat with the remaining artichokes, leaving the quarters in the water until needed.
Put the couscous in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil and then cover with boiling water to 1cm (1/2 inch) above the couscous. Give it a quick stir and cover the bowl with cling film (plastic wrap) or a plate and set aside.
Thinly slice the artichokes, then heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the courgettes, artichokes and aubergine. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the carrots, cauliflower, onion and cabbage. Keep an eye on both pans, stirring often.
After 5 minutes, add the chickpeas to the courgettes, artichoke and aubergine and continue cooking for around 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables in both pans are cooked but still have a little bit of crunch.
Once the vegetables are cooked, divide the spice mixture between the two pans, season with salt and pepper and stir everything together. Cook for another minute, then remove the pans from the heat. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and fluff it up with a fork. Stir in the cooked vegetables and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve right away or at room temperature.

Recipe from Eat Like a Sardinian (Murdoch Books)

Going Out

Harry Styles’ Meltdown

Harry Styles performs at Wembley tomorrow night, kicking off a 12-night run of shows at the stadium as part of his Together, Together residency tour. It’s the longest single-artist run in the stadium's history, surpassing Coldplay's 10 nights in 2025 and Taylor Swift's 8 in 2024. The London stop follows the ‘Aperture’ singer’s first run of shows in Amsterdam in May, and precedes a whopping 30-show run at Madison Square Garden that runs from the end of August through to October. Here in London, the dates are no accident: Styles’ shows coincide with the 31st annual Meltdown at the Southbank Centre, an annual festival mixing music, art, performance and film, curated by a big name artist – this year the pop singer himself. Previous curators include David Bowie, Grace Jones, Jarvis Cocker, Yoko Ono and, most recently, Little Simz. Commencing today with a gig from Warpaint, the headline concert is of course Styles himself in the Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday (16 June). But elsewhere fans can expect intimate performances from Stephen Fretwell, Ninajirachi, Erika de Casier, Foushée and more, as well as plenty of free events to get involved with. ‘Every artist involved in this year’s Meltdown festival means so much to me, both as a fan, and a musician,’ Styles said in a statement. ‘I hope attendees and performers have an unforgettable time this year at Meltdown.’ 11–21 June, southbankcentre.co.uk

Property Of The Day

Built in 1796, this Kennington home was originally occupied by the Admiralty – its clear line of sight to the Old Admiralty building in Whitehall allowing for early experimentations with telegraph technology. It operated as an active telegraph station during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century, with a telegraph tower later added (now removed) when the construction of Bethlehem (now the Imperial War Museum) blocked the vital sightline.

On the market for £3,250,000, bluebookagency.com

Little Luxury

Need an incentive to get those home workouts done? Invest in some kit from Dior, which has dropped its new Haute Wellness collection. The pieces feature Dior’s signature blue and ivory colourways across ankle weights, pilates rings, yoga blocks, water bottles and yoga mats embellished with the Cannage motif. Sitting room workouts never looked so chic. Check out the full collection at dior.com

Competition Time

Step into the world of British perfumery heritage with this exclusive prize from Atkinsons, a fragrance house devoted to connoisseurs of refined style. One lucky winner will receive four exceptional fragrances, including the new Spice of London. Enter here for your chance to win.

Psssst…

Sauna tourism continues to boom, with new analysis from Finnmark Sauna finding Britain has opened the equivalent of one new public sauna every day of 2026 so far. London is the UK’s top sauna capital with 55 across the city, with coastal destinations dominating the top 10 including Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.

Whatever You Do, Don’t

Wear wedges to a summer wedding. Why? Because ‘they’re too casual,’ stylist Alice Hare tells C&TH. ‘I hate seeing an otherwise killer wedding look ruined by a too-casual shoe like an espadrille. We need a heel with a razor-sharp toe point, pronto.’ And if you’re worried about sinking into the grass: ‘Add heel stoppers, they’ll save your shoes from the mud,’ she suggests. For more wedding guest wardrobe guidance, see our guide here.