Hold on to your Champagne flutes, it’s time to celebrate. And our latest issue, on stands today, is party-central.

Welcome to November. The days stretch longer, the promise of sunny weather sits on the horizon, and our minds start to linger on those long weekend lunches of summer’s past. In other words, it’s time to party.

To start off, our summer dreams are realised by Jessi Singh, who heralds the warmer months with his Indian-inspired menu. Fresh, vibrant, and seasonal – think tandoori chicken and seared king prawns, all washed down with a vegan mango lassi.

Warm weather doesn’t disqualify comfort food crowd-pleasers, though, as Colin Fassnidge and Anthony Puharich more than prove in this month’s Chef and the Butcher. Prosciutto, caramelised onions and sage meet bread and butter in the ultimate pre- (or post-) party jaffle.

Speaking of parties, we join Justin Hemmes, head of hospitality empire Merivale, in his Vaucluse home for a the ultimate long lunch, complete with a recipe for a killer negroni, and a seafood platter that’s so good, it could be a piece of art.

The seafood love affair continues with the inimitable Rick Stein, premiering his new Port Stephen’s restaurant. Stein’s signature simplicity is at its best in his pink ling, mussel and prawn stew with sourdough and his Ensenada fish tacos – talk about summer on a plate.

From plates to platters, queen-of-food Phoebe Wood and stylist-extraordinaire Kirsten Jenkins talk us through the (arguably) most important component of your soiree – the grazing table. From charcuterie to seafood to dessert, this is all the inspiration you’ll ever need.

The party doesn’t stop there, either. Silvia Colloca talks us through baking 101, late-night cravings are cured by Phoebe Woods’s Golden Century-inspired feast (pipis in XO sauce and ‘nduja, anyone?) before Matt Preston freshens things up with Vietnamese classics from his latest book, Yummy Easy Quick Around the World.

Which delivers us here, to the main event – dessert. Inspired by our favourite cocktails, they’re decadent, boozy and oh-so-good. Someone hand us an espresso martini Crème Brule… and maybe a slice of gin and tonic cheesecake, too.

Now, before you put your feet up, jet off towards Mexico with Shannon Harley as your guide, taking us through the under-the-radar wine oasis, hop to the Mediterranean to eat at the bar, courtesy of Matt McConnell and Jo Gamvros, and return home via Perth, where we dive into the new wave of dining along Australia’s west coast, spearheaded by local chef George Kailis.

OK – now you can relax. You need to start preparing for your next party, after all.