Award-winning pastry chef, Waitrose consultant and 2010 Acorn Scholarship winner Will Torrent published his first cookery book last month, Pâtisserie at Home. Here we share some extracts from his book, published by Ryland Peters & Small, with photography by Jonathan Gregson

GÂTEAU SAINT-HONORÉ

This is one of the most famous of all French pâtisseries, and it is definitely made to impress. The caramel-tipped pistachios are optional, but they add a touch of style. It is traditionally made as a large gâteau for the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, Saint Honoré, but I make little individual ones as well.

James Wellock of fresh produce supplier Wellocks highlights which ingredients will be in their prime in July, while British Larder chef Madalene Bonvini-Hamel shares some seasonal recipes

A seriously exciting month lies ahead, with UK produce at the forefront and a couple of real stunners from Europe. In July, we will be in soft fruit heaven when the local berries come into season - their freshness and flavour is outstanding.

On a sunny day there is nothing better than  going to see a grower and walking through their fields - the smell of the fruit hits you as it floats on the air, and to be able to just pick and eat the berries is a taste sensation.

At the Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye, executive chef Michael Smith uses mussel stock for sauces, batters and vegetables as well as his shellfish risotto. Michael Raffael reports

It's one of those culinary "no-nos" at the back of a chef's mind. He knows he's not supposed to mix both cheese and fish in a risotto. That's why a shellfish risotto is less rich. What's more, it isn't possible to disguise an otherwise bland flavour with Parmesan or a poor texture with knobs of butter or cream.

Using mussels rather than fish for the stock base helps to achieve a pronounced umami taste. They, along with scallops and clams, contain a significant amount of naturally occurring glutamate (three times as much as bonito flakes and twice as much as prawns).

Ricotta isn't just a type of soft cheese - in fact, it isn't really cheese at all, it's a by-product of the cheese-making process. And only a real perfectionist of a chef would consider making his own. No surprise, perhaps, that Tom Aikens does exactly that. Michael Raffael reports

What is ricotta? It's important to start with a definition, because the name is a hold-all that covers a loosely defined family. Strictly speaking it isn't a cheese; it's a by-product of cheese-making. The word itself translates literally as "re-cooked". Milk is heated with a coagulant to separate curds and whey - the cooking stage. The curd is the basis of all cheese; the whey still contains some solids. By reheating it, 
"re-cooking" it, the lost, protein-rich solids are recovered from this liquid phase. Italian ricottas, made from sheep's, goats', cows' or buffaloes' milk come in dozens of shapes and sizes. The key eating quality is freshness.