Preparing insalata caprese. Photograph: Roberto Salmone/AFP/Getty
Today's live session is over. Allegra will be back in a fortnight's time.
This week's exciting topic is how to make dull leaves into an exciting salad - toppers that transform.
With the sunshine comes the desire to eat salads by the wheelbarrowfull - a combination of a change in our bodies' needs plus a stirring to get in shape for the summer.
And whilst a lettuce fresh from the garden/allotment/farmers' market is a pure joy that needs no bells and whistles, the reality is that a hell of a lot of folk rely on baggies of prepared leaves as the base, and in truth, their flavour often needs a bit of help to kick them into the higher echelon that is universally acknowledged by the word 'yummy'.
And that is what this week is all about - how to take that slightly limp rocket, tangled watercress and shards of radicchio and give them the culinary equivalent of a trip to Accessorize, so that they can be served proudly on their own, or on the side at any mealtime.
