The Twelve Wishlists of Christmas; Food!
- Naomi Tatchell
- Dec 4, 2015
- 5 min read
So for our third instalment of The Twelve Wishlists of Christmas, or, bloody hell that’s crept up on me what on earth do I buy for the entire family?! We are looking at what to buy the foodies in your life. And if the people in your life aren’t foodies, probably get new ones. Here we go!
1. The ultimate food gift foodie could wish for. Actually, the ultimate gift full stop. A KitchenAid. By far the best freestanding mixer money can buy for all types of baking. You won’t see a decent food programme without one on the side. Available in a multitude of colours to suit any kitchen. If any loved ones that are feeling super generous are reading, Copper is my preferred colour.
2. There’s nothing more therapeutic than baking bread, the kneading, the mixing, watching it rise. And then it comes out of the oven and it’s the hardest, stodgiest mess you’ve ever encountered. Woe! Even more infuriating than buggering up a cake as it takes so long to prove. Treat your frustrated baker to a bread making class, allowing them to learn the basics with an expert and probably bring home some goods for you to test. A thoroughly relaxing day, a great option for those that hate spas. For those local, One Mile Bakery in Cardiff offer brilliant day long sessions.
3. For the busy friend who will be lucky to get two consecutive days off together over Christmas, why not get them a festive food hamper?! This means they don’t miss out on getting in the Christmas spirit and have supplies ready and waiting when they come in from their stupidly late shift and just want something quick to eat before bed. Perfect for those people who you exchange presents with early, they can enjoy the present in the run up to the big day. Check out the selection at Fortnum and Masons here.
4. No other book is as well used in my kitchen than British Baking by Peyton and Byrne. Every single one of the recipes not only works, but works amazingly well. Their version is what I base my carrot cake recipe on after years of not being able to get it quite right, and theirs is the easiest pastry recipe I’ve come across and I massively struggle with pastry! Only buy it for someone you live with if you have literally no ambition to lose weight in the new year!
5. A kitchen blowtorch. Now, those of you who know me will know of my struggle to get a kitchen blowtorch into my house, but alas, until I have a kitchen of my own, it doesn’t look hopeful. I have dreams where I win awards for my crème brulees, and prove every one of my blowtorch detractors wrong with shelves of books written by me on blowtorch technique. But I digress. A great little gift for someone that spends a lot of time in the kitchen and loves a finishing touch. Expect any meal cooked by them in January to be caramelised.
6. On my personal wishlist this year, a fondue set. I love cheese, I love wine and I love anything alpine. A very grown up version of chips and dips, and if you don’t like chips and dips you should probably stop reading as we are not on the same page when it comes to food! Perfect for gatherings when you don’t really have the time or inclination to cook, you sort the cheese, everyone else can bring various meats, breads, and wine and you’ll pretty much have the perfect night!
7. The trend for slow and low cooking has grown over the past year as let’s be honest, there’s nothing quite like a BBQ’d slab of meat. However, British summertime is very rarely on board with the trend and getting the BBQ out is a military operation of watching the met office app fastidiously to work out the optimum 17-minute window of dry weather combined with the best positioning of the parasol after it inevitably rains anyway. And if you live in a flat you can flat out forget it. So step up the Smoking Gun. This allows you to inject a smoky wood-chipped taste to your food in your own kitchen after cooking it in the oven and not dicing with food poisoning. Really a win win situation!
8. The Chocolate Block Wine. I was lucky enough to take a little trip to Cape Town recently and tasted some incredible wines whilst there. Usually a white fan, I bought a bottle of this beaut and it has made me appreciate a red a lot more. A fabulous red with really chocolaty notes. Definitely a winter warmer!
9. If you live in London or are taking a little trip there, take your loved ones to Duck and Waffle, the 24-hour restaurant famed for its namesake signature dish. Other offerings include an Ox Cheek Doughnut and the “Full Elvis,” which is Peanut Butter Jelly, banana brulee and cream on a waffle. Worth the trip to London alone! There’s also an incredible cocktail collection that currently includes a Chocolate & Blue Cheese Martini! This is the top of my to do list for 2016. If you’re not London bound anytime soon the Duck and Waffle book is a more than decent alternative, with recipes for Brownies with Peanut Butter Ice Cream and Marshmallow and also a Salted Caramel and Bacon Manhattan. Re read that last one again. Buy the book.
10. The Amazing Chocolate Workshop makes the most incredible chocolate designs that are not only delicious but also astonishingly crafted. I went for a bronze clothes peg, a golden key and some white ravioli! For those local, they are in St David’s shopping centre until Christmas Eve. Everything is extremely fragile so I would buy as close to gift giving day as possible.
11. They say if you love someone you should let them go. And this is utterly spot on. Let them go to the Oliver Bonas website and put this Bar Table in their shopping basket and whatever else they want, and pick up the bill for them. It’s one of my most lusted after items, and I’d consider basing the entire decor of my home around it. Understated and practical (who wants to go back and forth the kitchen to top up?!) it’s the perfect gift for the new home owner who has pretty much everything else.
12. As I said earlier, I'm not a huge red wine drinker, but what I do love in the winter months is some Port. Either straight or with some lemonade, it’s a perfect cheese buddy for a cosy night in. You can also make a banging wine with it to splash over a game pie so you honestly can’t go wrong with a bottle. Any left overs can go towards this incredible concoction by Rich Woods, the head cocktail guy at Duck and Waffle. I made this for New Years Eve last year and it went down a bloody storm! Hotel Chocolat do a delightful little hamper which you’d be mad not to want.
Comments