No matter how hard a dish may seem, Mary has a way to make it foolproof. In each episode, Mary shows fabulous recipes and technical tips to please the novice and the expert cook alike, as well as sharing some of her memories of her life, family and friends. Revealing recipes and secrets guaranteed to help in any culinary situation - from feeding the family to impressing friends, from busy days when time is scarce to finding comfort on those more gloomy days - Mary has the perfect trusted recipe that will never let you down. Mary also gets out and about visiting suppliers and producers all the way along, giving help and advice to the viewers, whether they are looking for dinner party suggestions or a quick weeknight dinner. In the first programme, Mary cooks up a celebration of five delicious dishes suitable for those special days when you are having people around for dinner or simply want to treat a loved one at home. To start, Mary prepares some delicious salmon fillets with herbs and red pepper with a foolproof side of spiralised veg, perfect for any dinner party. Mary visits Ventnor in the Isle of Wight where she meets lobster-fishing expert Ed Blake. Ed shows her how to catch the nation's favourite delicacy. She then returns to the kitchen to make an indulgent treat of lobster tails with aioli and asparagus. Next, Mary prepares a vegetable dish for all tastes - 'posh roast vegetables' - before visiting Rules restaurant in London, which has been open since 1798 and is renowned for its beef Wellington. Here, Mary enjoys a delicious meal with her friends before returning to the kitchen to create her own foolproof version of this dinner party favourite. To finish, a perfect ending for those truly special occasions- latte panna cotta.
In this programme, Mary cooks up the best of her comforting home-cooked dishes - those that pick you up and put a smile on your face. To start, Mary prepares a warming roasted butternut squash soup with indulgent cheese and parma ham twists. Next, a foolproof mackerel pate with lime that couldn't be simpler, followed by a warming Mexican tortilla bake, perfect for a cosy evening at home with the family. Mary also visits a garlic farm on the Isle of Wight where she meets Colin Boswell to learn about the pungent bulb and taste some of their varied garlic dishes. Afterwards, Mary returns to the kitchen to make a comforting chicken casserole with garlic and rosemary crushed potatoes. Finally, Mary prepares a delicious crème caramel to enjoy time and time again.
The Great British Bake Off judge prepares a selection of dishes perfect for outdoor entertaining and lazy summer days, beginning with a whole seabass with lime and dill butter. Mary then meets experts Jules and Nick to have a go at catching crayfish in the waters of Oxfordshire, before using the crustaceans in an oriental vegetable salad. She then demonstrates simple recipes for lamb burgers with mint mayo, and smoked Texan chicken wings, and finishes with refreshing lemon and elderflower jellies
Mary prepares a selection of dishes perfect for families, preparing a simple and easy herb flatbread and enlisting the help of two of her older granddaughters to make a chicken and bacon lattice pie. Mary then moves on to a light tuna salad with avocado and lemon mustard dressing and is joined by her grandsons to make cranberry and coconut energy bars. Her final two dishes are ideal for a stress-free Sunday lunch, featuring butterflied leg of lamb, and honeycomb ice-cream.
Mary shares her recipes for those days when time is at a premium, including tomato soup made from ingredients from the store cupboard and an express bacon and pesto pasta. After visiting Wiltshire and meeting a woman who runs a vegetable box scheme, Mary is inspired to create a roasted cauliflower dish to accompany stuffed chicken thighs, and finishes with a pudding of passion fruit pots with sweet lemon crisps.
The Great British Bake Off judge and food writer demonstrates dishes that are perfect for a party, preparing a Thai chicken curry, and a ham hock terrine. A visit to the Isle of Wight sees Mary taste some different varieties at a tomato farm, before she returns to the kitchen to use the fruit for a salad with whipped goat's cheese, and makes salmon and herb coulibiac, and a showstopping gateau.