The more someone is in my face, the less interesting I find them. Indeed there are one or two starry chefs I would be happy never to read another word about. On the other hand, there are those who fascinate me, partly because they are masters of their craft, and partly for the simple reason they don't court publicity.

Flying just under the radar, they retain a certain mystery and intrigue. They have style. One such understated überchef is Giorgio Locatelli. There are few restaurants I like more to eat in than his sleek and sexy place, (the kidneys with mashed potato is pure manna from heaven) and there are few more people whose take on food and cooking interests me more. His new 600-page book, Made in Italy, is my book of the year and puts everything else I have on my Italian shelf in the shade. The pasta chapter alone is worth the price of admission. The chapter on risotto is a small masterpiece.

For this issue of Food Monthly, Carole Cadwalladr has been talking to the country's dishiest chef about how he learned to cook at his family's restaurant in Italy and then she gets to eat at Locanda Locatelli, a grissini's throw from Paul and Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow. And we have recipes from his new book, too.

While much is being done to improve the food our children eat, our hospital patients are still waiting for their own personal Jamie treatment. Let's face it, hospital food is a far less sexy subject for the media. (Photo opportunities with cute kids or pictures of sick people without their teeth in? You choose.) But next to our schools, there is no place where good eating is more necessary. This is the food that is supposed to get us back on our feet. As our own intrepid Jay Rayner puts it, 'thick, salty soup with the texture of wallpaper paste, misshapen mechanically recovered meat, over-boiled cabbage, a brick of cake with custard served cold. It's enough to make you sick.' This month, he goes off in search of something worth eating in our hospitals. Does he find something that will bring back the colour to our cheeks?

Now, Stephen Fry's cheeks couldn't be more rosy I'm sure, but the best-selling author, presenter, actor, director and all-round slightly scary genius likes his food, too. In fact, so much does he love a pudding or two that he has had to call in the help of no less than Paul McKenna to put a stop to it. Read his fascinating food memoir. We also join Kirsty Wark in her Glasgow kitchen, historian Simon Schama at his favourite table at Moro, and Joanna Blythman takes us to the hot new food shops. Welcome to the new issue of Food Monthly; not so much in your face as in your mouth ...