WHY I AM DOING MY CHRISTMAS/CHRISMUKKAH SHOPPING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES & MY TOP FIVE BOOKS FOR FOOD LOVERS

WHY I AM DOING MY CHRISTMAS/CHRISMUKKAH SHOPPING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES & MY TOP FIVE BOOKS FOR FOOD LOVERS

It’s Small Business Saturday this weekend, perhaps surprisingly, yet positively introduced by American Express, so a very hefty portion of this week’s substack is dedicated to buying Christmas gifts from small businesses both local to me and available, in most cases, nationwide albeit from those independent businesses that are creative and quirky in their buying or making.

I’m a huge fan of Etsy

Customised silicone pink baking set with spatula, whisk and pastry brush and a children’s set in a bag embroidered with a name, both under £15 Moonhtmyst; a personalised mug and biscuit board £17.99 Lazerchimp, a cheeseboard with assorted cheese knives under £30.  Appealing too is a huge charcuterie board for under £50 for EstesDesignstudios.  I also found many covetable French cocktail glasses, at all prices, and bought for myself (apparently, I am not alone in buying myself presents when gift shopping) a vintage Scandi butter curler for £12. https://www.etsy.com

Delli Be Pantry Proud

Real food by real people, Independently made by small makers  and curate the best from micro makers to pickle purveyors, small batch drink makers and deliver nationwide, for one fixed delivery fee however varied or full shopping basket is.  There is a choice of going for a ready picked or in millennial speak ‘curated’ box, the most appeal is by Mr Ryan, see below, or making up one’s own.  I may well do this for my foodie Dad in his 90s who lives on his own for grazing on the rare nights he is not eating out or at a jazz gig. https://.delli.market

I love the ‘Get the Party Started’ cocktail kit, curated by the renowned drink maker Mr Lyan, including a recipe card with three cocktails.  It includes Amie, Sparkling Crémant de Limoux from South of France, Disco Pils, three cocktail seasonings such as Ceylon Sour Bitters, zesty calamansi alongside the sharp fruitiness of tamarind; Sinhaya bitters, more tropical & citrussy and ideal for martinis, Pettah market bitters embodying the essence of Sri Lankan markets with tropical jasmine, rambutan and palm flower plus The Real Olive Sicilian Nocellera olives, The Real Cure British fennel and white pepper salami  £75.00

I’d also strongly recommend heading to your local high streets and see what you can find without venturing into town though I know I am fortunate in SW London to have a good choice of hunting.  I noticed that local coffee shop, Estate Coffee are selling a Festive Coffee Bean from AllPress that .  Enterprising delis often have their own label produce.  Milk Balham, quite a cult, hip coffee shop has its unusual jams, kasundi (a spicy tomato and pepper sauce good for brunch dishes) and Nutzilla (addictive mix of white chocolate, pecan and miso)..  They also tend to stock products by smaller makers such as Pump Street Eccles Cake and Croissant chocolate bar and Chocolate Detective’s exquisite bird’s egg chocolates.  Though if you want truly posh chocolates with a strong Christmas twist, I would highly recommend Belgian Pierre Marcolini who has a shop in Marylebone Village and offers mail order too.  www.https://pierremarcolini.co.uk

I love his top hat collection, modelled on the chocolate snowman created this year. A box with chocolates including sesame-yuzu with dark sesame praliné and yuzu compote and their new trinitario coco bean Congo ganache would please the most discerning chocolate lovers, including me. Likewise the Christmas twig collection with hazelnut, almond and cashew praliné coated with dark chocolate. Both £23.00

Or for those who would appreciate some truly recherché bars, CocoaRunners are a brilliant conscious choice. They work directly with farmers and co-operatives, ensuring fair pay for growers. That means that craft chocolate makers can flourish. The choice and information on the growers as well as chocolate tasting notes is exceptional. https://cocoarunners.com

Another Indie favourite in Marylebone Village is Caroline Gardner’s boutique. I first came across Gardner’s greeting cards many years ago and now she also designs covetable homeware such as these oven gloves, colourful jugs and bowls, exquisite foodie Christmas tree decorations (including a martini cocktail that’s £24!) and quirky key rings, pens and much more, plus cashmere accessories in jewel like colours, all equally covetable. https://carolinegardner.com

Other wonderful one-off shops locals to me, include Sam Ubhi www.https://samubhi.com on Bedford Hill, Balham who currently have 25% off Tom Dixon’s very distinctive glassware and sell Sicilian Ortiga’s exquisite, exotic plates, good for serving nibbles as well as the most stunning vintage evening bags.  

Arthouse Unlimited who produce artisan products presenting the artistic talents of neuro-diverse adults from chocolate bars and tea towels with vibrant designs to candles are stocked at Lark www.larklondon.com who do have a number of gift boutiques around South London from Balham to Earlsfield, all with keenly priced and creative gifts.

Maison Curate https://maisoncurate.com in Battersea and Dulwich is utterly beguiling, with its so stylish distillation of beautiful homeware. Maen is a new discovery and I especially liked these beautiful tumblers. One can never have enough candles, and they’re crackling fire tealights and incredibly realistic.  I also adore their abundance of brickett davda pottery.  Just one mug or bowl in their beautiful chalky shades of dusky pink or olive green would fill me with joy. 

Brickett Davda is also sold by The Small Home, https://www.thesmallhome.com a Balham based business (who sell by mailorder and you may have spotted their pop-ups in Peter Jones) whose founder is a close neighbour and has abundant understated good taste. I love too their fluted off white ceramics and their French linen napkins in rose des sables and havana£12 each and their raffia place mats £15 each and coasters £20 for 4. Also to keep bottoms snug! They have some beautiful round, luxury sheepskin cushions suitable for kitchen chairs. £20.

Conviviality is key to the festive season and I loved learning about the traditions of Anatolian Raki drinking, whose history stretches back 500 years, at a most sociable event Douglas Blyde arranged with Yeni Rake https://www.yenirake.com at the excellent new Turkish restaurant Leydi https://leydilondon.com of Selim Kazim

I had no idea that raki was double-distilled: first grapes are pressed, fermented and distilled to create what’s known as ‘suma’ and then redistilled with aniseed in traditional copper pot stills. No ageing required.  It is often called ‘lion’s milk’ as the liquid turns a milky cloudy white when mixed with water in a 40 ml raki to 80 ml water for an entry level smooth libation.

Although I am not a great fan of its aniseed taste, I enjoy raki in the excellent mulled wine, I was also very taken by the raki ritual that takes place around a mezze table to stimulate deep and revealing conversation and cover relationships, art & politics and religion.

CAVIAR AND ITS MORE AFFORDABLE PETROSSIAN RELATIONS

A surprise invitation to Petrossian’s only London boutique was a revelation. I was fascinated by the history of the Armenian brothers who brought caviar to Paris and the business remains a tight family business. The Ossetra caviar was utterly sublime, I adore its delicacy of taste with a hint of brine and walnuts, texture and almost golden tinge. From £77 for a 30g tin I also enjoyed the more full-on experience of the Baeri caviar with smaller, darker eggs than other caviar and a very pure flavour, highlighted by a dominantly briny taste. From £71. I was taken too by the tarama speckled with Petrossian caviar for a rather more affordable treat. £22 There is also tarama with bottarga £14. and intriguing Jajik® Salmon which is smoked and grated and can be used like Japanese katsuobushi or as a combination is an exceptional grated salmon recipe created by Maison Petrossian. This unique salmon is made through a very thorough 60-day smoking period, giving it a particularly pronounced smoked taste. Presented grated, it offers a creative playing field in cooking and tasting. Just like a condiment or Japanese Katsuobushi. £23.00 https://www.petrossian.com

CHRISTMAS BOOKS

Can I urge you not to buy all your books on Amazon.  Please patronise local bookshops. Yes, they may charge slightly more, but the authors may earn more too and we need to keep them alive.  I was very cheered to see Daunt Bookshop in Marylebone fairly mobbed this week both on a Saturday and even a Wednesday afternoon. https://dauntbooks.com  Likewise, it warms my heart to pop into my local Balham indie book store, Backstory, and see customers chatting at the coffee bar with each other and the incredibly well informed and friendly staff and loads of people browsing. https://backstorylondon.com  If you are planning on ordering books, I think 18 December would be the cut off day.  Also, I defy you not to make a few pleasing purchases for yourself.

The Get Ahead Christmas Book by Jane Lovett published by Headline

One to buy for yourself if you’re new to cooking a big traditional Christmas feast, or, know someone who is about to go through this initiation or just fancy some calm reassurance and persuasion to plan ahead. It makes me think of an update to Delia Smith’s Christmas book that my Mum used to pull out every year.   That’s not my forte, but then I am used to deadlines.  Nigella herself praises it for ‘hitting the sweet spot between cosiness and elegance’.  Funnily enough, we have both earmarked the gougères which I still haven’t ever confidentially conquered and the creamy brussel sprouts and chorizo gratin.  The latter assumes, as do many other recipes, plenty of leftovers which we rarely have in my home! 

There are good ideas too for a big buffet.  I have red pepper and roasted garlic tart with parmesan pastry earmarked, classic Burgandian jambon persillé to serve with mustard mayo, celeriac rémoulade and cocktail gherkins.  Try Kuhne for outstanding, extra small, cruncy cornichons in a savoury, spicy infusion with dill and onions. https://kuehne-international.com  I am tempted by the porchetta though wonder how that would go down at my Christmukkah feast, will do the mushrooms, butter & spinach koulibaiac with creamy wild mushroom sauce, should I find myself entertaining vegetarians.  Finally, I just  have to make the blackberry sherry trifle.

Mediterra Ben Tish published by Bloomsbury 

Those who know me well and have been entertained by me at home, will know I am pretty obsessed by Ben Tish’s cookbooks, and, with good reason.  His recipes truly transport you to the Med and beyond to Morocco, Tunisia, Syria via Sicily and Croatia, they’re relatively simple to make, properly, refreshingly original, and really, really work.  What’s more you can really tell just how much Ben loves cooking and sharing food.  I’ve tried so many recipes from Mediterra that it is hard to single out a few.  Among my favourites, so far, are leek fritters with whipped yoghurt flavoured with caramelised lemon, roast chicken with grapes, wine and rosemary, a Provençal style beef daube with rosemary and orange, Turkish meat balls with tomatoes and rose harissa, cherry and almond clafoutis, medjool date and cardamom loaf with labneh.  I am drooling.

Comfort published by Ebury Press

I love the zany, vibrant cover and, well, just mention Ottolenghi and I am sold. I have been smitten ever since I first gazed at the munificent piles of meringues and buns in the windows of his first bakery/cafe in Notting Hill’s Ledbury Road.  I am sold too on the collaborative nature of this book which mixes up so many different cultural influences and tastes for a truly all encompassing definition of comfort.  It tells intensely personal stories about each dish which gives the book an endearing intimacy.  I really really want to make chicken congee. The roasted aubergine, red pepper and tomato soup with its sherry vinegar finish and fried almond, spice and saffron topping is far, far removed from the Heinz tomato soup that they say was their starting base!  If you’ve never made Yotam Ottolenghi’s take on hummus adding ice cubes, it is a gamechanger and I would like to try the hummus by way of Southern France which has fennel and vermouth too. The baked custard affogato sounds insanely good.  In fact, I may well make it today to cheer up such a rainy day.

Amuse Bouche by Carolyn Boyd published by Profile Books

As a committed Francophile I was bound to enjoy Carolyn Boyd’s feast of a French adventure that is a really excellent balance of history, anecdotes, reconnaissances and recommendations that convey Carolyn’s love of France and her deep knowledge, she edited France Magazine for many years.  I thought I knew a lot about French culinary history but Carolyn has filled in many, many gaps and makes her travels and discoveries immensely readable.

Seasoning by Angela Clutton published by Murdoch Books

This is an ambitious book and repays careful reading as it is many layered. I like the very strong emphasis on seasonality and sustainability and some of the best ideas are in the little tips. It is beautifully produced with a mix of photographs and water colour lined drawings too. Reading it, certainly makes you feel better about winter. How about celeriac and horseradish rosti with a fried egg and walnut oil dressing, kohl rabi and brussel sprouts slaw with roast duck and perhaps best of all venison osso buco with mixed herb and citrus gremolata. I will definitely be trying the rhubarb sponge with orange blossom creme fraiche once rhubarb is in season.

This is an ambitious book and repays careful reading as it is many layered.  I like the very strong emphasis on seasonality and sustainability and some of the best ideas are in the little tips.   It is beautifully produced with a mix of photographs and water colour lined drawings too. Reading it, certainly makes you feel better about winter.  How about celeriac and horseradish rosti with a fried egg and walnut oil dressing, kohl rabi and brussel sprouts slaw with roast duck and perhaps best of all venison osso buco with mixed herb and citrus gremolata.  I will definitely be trying the rhubarb sponge with orange blossom creme fraiche once rhubarb is in season.