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20 Christmas gifts for cooks

December 2, 2013 9 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Uncategorized

All year I bookmark things I like, saving them up for my annual foodie Christmas list. Men, Women, this is what your WAGS (wives and girlfriends) want. There are some blokey, butch-in-the-kitchen, gifts towards the end of this post.

I lust after Sophie Conran’s range for Portmeirion pottery. White, hand-made looking, simply designed but a twist on the classic white china. I like the fact that it’s slightly irregular and that despite the fineness of the china, it is oven to table. I’m looking forward to using the tajine. 

A great big sugar-pink mixing bowl for £17 with hearts on it


Jars
are another of my fetishes. Vintage Ball jars came in blue/turquoise and are a collectors item. Kilner are doing new blue, pink and green jars. Useful and pretty.

A gorgeous carbon steel knife with boxwood handle from Catalan craft producers Pallares Solsona. Available from this classy American website QuitoKeeto ($44)or directly from Spain: Pallares Solsona.
The New Craftsmen is promoting exactly that, beautifully made British products. This bowl (£70) may look ordinary in the photo, but in the ‘flesh’ it has character and refinement, made from Sycamore wood by Robin Wood (good name!)You can even microwave food in it.
(
Again from The New Craftsmen, this apple Storage Chest by Arne Maynard. Cost a bunch at over 2k though. Imagine having the kind of place/money to spend that on storing your apples stylishly! Big treat, lovely gift.

I love enamel. Light, unbreakable and portable for popups, camping, picnics. This is a Polish site  Emalia Olkusz, where you can buy it online. 

This pink enamel candle stick costs 23 zloty, about £4.50p

This sunflower yellow coffee pot costs 52 zloty, about ten pounds. 


Creamware with inscriptions from Doris & Co. Cheeseboard and mug

Or, super useful for parties these removable glass stickers so you can recognise your own glass. 

Nice homeware at Rigby&Mac.com like this glass cake stand only £4.95
Handpainted signs by Button and Jewels. Reasonably priced and charming. She’ll make any sign you want. The ‘beach hut’ sign above costs a mere £25

 Peza, smooth and fruity                                          Viannos, fruity and peppery

Olive oil.  This Greek extra virgin olive oil from Crete, cold pressed from Koroneiki olives, comes in pretty tins, a good stocking filler for the keen cook. 
Wooden ‘trook’: £9.50p
Frank has a nice selection of British-made gifts, like this hand-carved ‘trook’. 
Foodie jewellery: a Marmite bracelet  (£12.45) from Foodjewellerydirect.com but there are custard creams rings and other food related jewellery. You can even create your own via their site.
More wrapping materials or ways to decorate your foodie gifts: food ribbons from Craftyribbons.com. Like this cherry ribbon.
 Baker’s Twine to wrap your gifts or, of course your baked goods. 
For men and WAGS with an outdoor bent: I’ve always wanted a good canvas tent, like a teepee or a medieval marquee tent. Panther Primitives make them in different styles, often historically accurate, which they provide to movies. They have a charming and fascinating catalogue with camp kitchen items too: good strong cast iron bbq grills, dutch ovens in different sizes, wooden canteens, boneware, copper kettles, barrel drinking cups. Hours of fun. (Note: they are based in Virginia, USA).
In the UK you can go to Wild Stoves to order tripods and pots. 
S Hooks. I use these everywhere, in the kitchen, in the shed. I don’t think you can have enough hooks. Not girly, not glam, but useful. From Labour & Wait. (£4.80)
You know what I’ve asked for this christmas? A decent pastry brush, that doesn’t shed hairs and properly bastes, by Rosle. £15.20p for pastry happiness. 
Other ideas: hampers, why not make your own? But you can buy gift vouchers and hampers for specialist food shops like the Italian Lina Stores from  £35 to £100
Check through my recent post on essential items for the kitchen. 

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Comments

  1. Porridge Lady

    December 2, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    Great post Kerstin. I love the bowl and spoon from the New Craftsmen, you have told me about them before but now I feel a purchase coming on…

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers

      December 2, 2013 at 5:22 pm

      Lovely to hear from you! I've been to their shop and to see and touch their products is a whole different experience: they look quite plain but the quality is very apparent.

      Reply
  2. SallyC

    December 3, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    I love the Sophie Conran stuff; am often to be found stroking it in department stores. (Before being asked to leave, usually)! Like the font – nice and clear and clean.

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers

      December 3, 2013 at 3:13 pm

      You can't beat plain white china, with a twist! Thanks, glad the font is easy to read.

      Reply
  3. Catherine Edwards

    December 3, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    Lots of wonderful ideas here, thank you. New font is much better!

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers

      December 3, 2013 at 3:13 pm

      Thanks Catherine!

      Reply
  4. lagard lay

    June 18, 2014 at 9:07 am

    Awesome collection,
    i think lots of idea and dedication is involve to make above the gift items.
    Christmas Gifts

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    December 3, 2015 at 12:18 am

    Oh my goodness, I've never thought I liked that Sophie Conran range but I see now the cake stand is wonderful! Can I show you what I wish Santa would bring me? This saute pan: http://www.cranecookware.com/collections/all/products/c2-saute-pan-23cm

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmiteLover

      December 3, 2015 at 12:55 pm

      That looks great, but it's a little heavy for sauté-ing?

      Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

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My next supper club 17th June london tickets £50 My next supper club 17th June london tickets £50 BYO book here: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th #london #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer
For tonight’s event I had to push the boundaries For tonight’s event I had to push the boundaries. Here is how to prepare goose neck barnacles or percebes which are a very expensive and rare delicacy, hunted down from cliffs. It’s quite dangerous to forage them. #canapes #eventcatering #satanicfood #percebes #grossfood #seafood #devilsfood
Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here h Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th at London’s pioneering supper club. Tickets £50 BYO. Scandinavian inspired summery food. #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer #northwestlondon #londonevents #popups
Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy cir Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy circa 1987 pic: kerstin Rodgers #rip #tinaturner #rockphotographer #kerstinrodgers #teenagephotographer
Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on war photography in the Ukraine . Go to the exhibition @thebppa @thebargehouse in SE1 last few days 
Had to stop filming cos I was told off. The photographers would be less forthcoming if they were filmed I was told. 
Anyway @frenchpete_1 should be followed by a camera crew cos he’s a star.
For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pas For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pastry quiche and a little one with less blue cheese & no salt for my 7 month old granddaughter. She absolutely loved it. I’m enjoying seeing her experience and explore new foods with baby led weaning. Avocado, strawberries, kiwi & buttered crumpets are a hit. Pasta less so. Who is this child? Are we even related? #babyledweaning #quiche #homemadepuffpastry
Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The natio Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The national newspaper again. These are the stories I love to do: I go off on an adventure, take my time, interview people (especially women), photograph them in their environment and create recipes on site. This story cost me a lot more than I made as I had an accident and lost my excess. My own damn fault though! Loved loved loved having a campervan. Thanks for lending me it @camperdays.international and sorry about the hole in the side.  https://www.thenational.scot/news/23505593.foraging-seaweed-western-isles/
My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @l My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @lk.general.building left yesterday. They’ve been working since January. I had the awning installed, the encaustic Minton tiles removed and put back with green grout. The terrace was causing damp so this had to be done. My calamondin plant is looking lovely. The benches which I repaired with hard wood & I repainted using a mix of 2 colours. The marble table I bought in Suffolk at a car boot. Everything is still dusty & I’m waiting for the window cleaner to arrive.
Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine f Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine for their contribution of these beautiful dry ciders for the coronation street lunch. Gorgeously illustrated labels. #stcuthbertsrd #kilburn #london #cider #artisanaldrinks
When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. It’s smoother. Artisanal distillery @devoncovevodka contributed some bottles to my coronation lunch which gave everyone a feeling of being at a classy party. Thanks so much. And also @rawfoodanddrink for arranging. If you want to read my blog post about how and why I organised this event, copy and paste this link: https://t.co/GWNNW2XKba #coronationstreetparty #biglunch #community #kilburn #london #forthepeoplebythepeople
I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now. They sent a selection: elderflower bubbly, st. Clements orange 🍊 Sicilian lemonade, @belvoirfarm_uk lemonade, which were all delicious and just the tickets for the fortuitous mini-heatwave that occurred on the Sunday coronation lunch. #thankyou #community #coronation #streetparty #biglunch
Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! T Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! Tiny bit in the guardian. Decent pic in the Mail and The Star credit @asproider #coronationlunch #kilburn #stcuthbertsrd #kingscroftrd #fordwychrd #templarhouse
My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, s My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, spinach, cheddar. I used crème fraiche and blind baked puff pastry shells. I was up at 11 last night making these for todays street party, which featured in the mail, telegraph, mirror, metro courtesy of photographer Gavin Rodgers @asproider
Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebr Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebrides with @outerhebrideanforager Fi bird. She’s cutting sea spaghetti. I drove my campervan @camperdays.international from london to the Hebrides- using my gas stove to cook foraged and local ingredients. A real food safari. With the sea spaghetti I made a sea spag vongole with giant parlourdes picked up from the sand at the same time. Great fun, beautiful weather and, the day of the full moon, a wonderfully low tide. This was on south Uist.
More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-ba More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-based version of the original. Beautifully constructed, designed and written by @nikisegnit it’s vegetarian rather than vegan but recommended for both. She widens the sensory vocabulary around plant flavours in this book- encouraging new delicious sounding combinations. Now she includes new categories such as flower & meadow, caramel roasted, zesty roost- just the words make me salivate. #foodbooks #bookstagram #newbooks
Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainman Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainmansion I found out so much about marmalade. I’m going to make it this winter. I found out the worlds best maker is Japanese, in fact I was most impressed by the Japanese marmalades in general. Everyone wore orange. I must have tasted 50 marmalades. I met Paddington’s sister, karen jankel who is michael bond’s daughter, born in the same year as Paddington. She gave a charming talk on Paddington, mentioning how the queen insisted on having real marmalade sandwiches in her @launerlondonofficial handbag during the shoot. The house itself is Tudor and Georgian. I stayed in my campervan from @camperdays.international in the car park, cosy in the rain. Another freewheeling adventure. #yorkshire #marmalade #travel #food #ontheroad #campervan
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