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Christmas gift ideas 2021

December 19, 2021 Leave a Comment Filed Under: Books, Christmas, Christmas Gifts, Christmas Presents, Gardens, Kitchen equipment, Lifestyle, London, Shopping, Travel

These last minute Christmas gift ideas could also work for the New Year’s sales (let’s see if the price goes down) or birthdays. As a side note, I’m expanding my blog from primarily food and travel into other areas that inspire: interiors, craft, politics, design, fashion and history.

Books

Blood Legacy by Alex Renton £12.76 hardback (Canongate books)

A few years ago I was invited to the Fortnum & Mason food writing awards and I took my upstairs neighbour Karen Campbell with me. She got chatting to writer Alex Renton, down from Edinburgh, about her Scottish Jamaican (and Chinese)ancestry. In the ensuing years, Alex wrote this book about his family’s connections to the slave trade in the Caribbean. He admits that, as an old Etonian, as the son of a Baron and MP, he comes from privilege, but he doesn’t flinch from looking at the question of his family’s responsibility for the slave trade and the resultant wealth. Renton spends time in the Caribbean, visiting an abandoned familial plantation on Tobago and the profitable ‘Rozelle’ on Jamaica where his ancestors  cashed in. During the Caribbean sugar boom, every adventurous young man of means had a go at making a fortune and the inhumanity of the slave trade was largely ignored. This part of British history (and let’s be specific, Scottish history) has been buried. It wasn’t just the English who were the baddies.

You might feel, as a white person, that this book would be grim reading, but it’s not. It’s well written, intricately researched, flowing and readable as a good yarn, but is suffused with a humble honesty from Alex. Right now, with the terrifying costs of the pandemic looming over us, this is probably the last thing we want to think about, but Renton makes a reasonable case for reparations.

Alex Renton also wrote a great book on vegetarianism Planet Carnivore which I recommend. While he chooses painful intense subject matter, he writes so well that it’s a surprisingly easy read.

Pretty Little London by Sara Santini and Andrea Di Filippo £12.55 (Frances Lincoln)

This is a book stemming from a successful instagram account . Amidst the grime, the pollution, the poverty, the stress, the crime statistics, London is pretty, there are hidden corners of beauty everywhere. Even though I’m a Londoner, I learnt about many new places and locations. The authors are Italian, and perhaps you have to be a foreigner to appreciate this city with new eyes. This is a great gift for those who like to walk, to shop, to nose around. If we cannot travel, explore your home town.

Edwardian scrapbook £14.95 Museum of Brands shop

I love this museum in London: they have scrapbooks for every era which is a great research source for fonts, packaging and style. I love packaging, especially food tins and boxes and I love a museum gift shop.

For food themed books and cookbooks see my previous post.

Drinks

Aarke water sparkler £200

We need to use less plastic don’t we? I carry around a water bottle and a collapsible coffee cup. But what about sparkling water? While I love my Soda Stream – design-wise, the Aarke water carbonator beats them hands down. Gorgeous colours, which fit in with today’s interiors, and a slimline minimalist aesthetic influenced by Italian espresso machines, I highly recommend this. It’s worth the price.

Food

Monastery gifts, basil vinegar £4.20 by Buckfast Abbey

I like perusing this niche site for monastery-made goods. A German monastery (Beuron Erzabtei St. Martin) made this basil-flavoured vinegar. I’m assuming the sales also benefit these religious communities.

Mr Moris bottarga £16.99

Have you tried bottarga? Addictive and delicious, it’s compressed grey mullet roe that you can grate on pasta or thinly slice onto toast. This version is beautifully packaged and would make a good foodie gift.

Clothes

Sheepskin slippers £24 from Notonthehighstreet.com

I was bought these pretty and cosy moccasin slippers for my birthday way back in January. I’ve wood floors in my flat so I need a bit of comfort for the feet. The stitching has come out of the toes which I’ve repaired with embroidery thread.

Red checked puff sleeve blouse £16.94 from Cider.

Soo cute. Unfortunately they’ve run out of XL sizes. I don’t know if Cider clothes (an instagram shop) are of good quality but I love this style. I’ve also been using Mimi’s Edit to buy some clothes. She’s a normal-sized woman with good taste so check it out.

Homeware

Ceramic splatterware plates (4) £115 from Petersham Nurseries. 

God I love Petersham Nurseries style. I’ve never eaten there, too expensive for me, but their homeware and garden stuff is sublime. Go onto the site and drown in an orgy of interiors and exteriors.
Enamelware salad bowls from Turkey, £20 from Kapka.com

I’ve been collecting enamelware for over a decade. It’s great for catering pop ups, being unbreakable, lightweight, easy to clean, and improving with the chips and dents of age. This Turkish company is exploring modern designs for a vintage material.

Splatterware enamel light shades, £15 plus shipping from the USA, from Crow Canyon Home

Bornn large deep rectangle dish (baking tray) £20 plus shipping

I discovered Crow Canyon spatterware at one of those posh organic petrol stations, while driving to Scotland. I bought the only pieces they had, a grey splattered bread tin, and a couple of serving spoons. ADORE. They aren’t expensive but I’ve sent an email to enquire about shipping. This is a woman owned business.

Twisted lacquered green picture frame, £80, hosthome.co.uk

Charming artisanal picture frame that comes in several on-trend colours (millennial pink, buttercup yellow, a subtle turquoise). This is a collaboration with art dealer Domenica Marland. 

Step Up Stool in forest green £74 Selfridges

If you are a short-arse you need one of these. The world is built according to a man’s average height. Even the areas that are not their usual domain such as the kitchen. Reach the top with this stool on casters that fixes itself to the floor as soon as you stand on it.

Linen ruffled sheets, turmeric £149 Folkinteriors.co.uk

Admittedly not cheap. Sometimes you can find cheaper linen sets in Homesense. You can also find ruffled linen on Etsy. My style is fundamentally romantic, so I love a ruffle but I do try to keep it within the boundaries of good taste. (I’m old enough to remember the swagged, ruffled Austrian blind fad in the 1980s. It wasn’t a good time for interiors.)

I have also started to opt for coloured bed linen after a couple of decades of only white. It is amazing how bed linen can really date your era. In my smaller bedroom everything is dark teal and mustard so this colour hit the spot.

Black and White Cake Stand £70, Finnish Design Shop

Stylish, graphic, modern.

Screenshot 2021-12-19 at 14.38.14
Screenshot 2021-12-19 at 14.37.31

Rattan fruit shaped baskets (large £95.90 and small £48.50) Finnish Design Shop

They say these are for kids but I think they are charming as laundry baskets, fruit baskets, anything you can think of.

Courses

How to make a notebook, £65, online class, House of Illustration.org.uk

They did have classes on how to make a comic novel of your life which sounded great. I think people often want experiences rather than things, especially if you are not sure about their taste, or they already have everything. A few years ago I bought my brother a musical comedy class and this led to a whole new circle of friends, a chance to improve his confidence on performing and several appearances in musicals. This class teaches you about book-binding and different kinds of paper. If there is another lockdown then an online class is a fantastic gift: you feel part of a community and learn a new skill.

How to make a pleated lampshade £360, online and in person. minervaworkshop.co.uk

I love the trend for printed fabric pleated lampshades. They are very expensive so why not learn to make one instead? Earlier this year I learnt to make a corset at Gartmore House (highly recommended). During the last 18 months I find I want to use my hands to make things. It’s good for my mental health during a time when it’s been very difficult to host my supper club and make a living.

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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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Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Naples at Christmas- discovering piennolo di vesuv Naples at Christmas- discovering piennolo di vesuvio,the Christmas 🍅, which lasts up to a year fresh. It’s given boxed as gifts around Christmas being the only local fresh tomato available. It dresses all the Christmas pizzas and pastas. It’s grown on volcanic Vesuvius soil and sparsely watered. As a result it has thick skins, and a sweet intense flavour. #tomatoes #italy #naples
Not cooking much at the moment due to a thick laye Not cooking much at the moment due to a thick layer of dust over my kitchen. This will be my dining room/photography studio. Done on a whim.#unplanneddemolition
Another picture of my granddaughter Ophelia in a n Another picture of my granddaughter Ophelia in a nest of apricot tulle (found at portobello market). Isn’t she lovely? #granfluencer
Broccoli Stilton soup. This freezing week is defin Broccoli Stilton soup. This freezing week is definitely a week for soups. My friend @jimfrommanc is staying & needs his hot lunch.
Cheese on toast with crushed chilli 🌶️ in Ven Cheese on toast with crushed chilli 🌶️ in Venice the fresh food market sells bouquets of colourful chillies. I’ve still got mine, drying in an enamel jug. #travelandfood
The Christmas tomato or piennolo di vesuvio. Read The Christmas tomato or piennolo di vesuvio. Read all about it: https://msmarmitelover.com/2022/12/christmas-in-naples.html  Got a couple of bunches hanging in my kitchen. #naples #campania #tomatoes🍅 #travelphotography
Opheliagram. This morning I photographed her in an Opheliagram. This morning I photographed her in an Italian outfit I bought in Naples on a William Morris playmat which looks great and is practical for tummy time. So many things are different about parenting now. Parents use apps to track feeding, pooing, weeing etc. You don’t bathe them anymore for the first few weeks because you want to leave the vernix ( the white waxy stuff they are covered in at birth) on their skin as long as possible. Nappies now have a line on them that turns blue if they’ve done a pee. White noise apps to help them sleep. New technology guides new parents. As well as ancient probably prehistoric customs being rediscovered. #granfluencer #grandaughter I’ve tagged in @siennamarla and @jamescalmus as the authors of this baby.
I made two dishes from one pack of white beans las I made two dishes from one pack of white beans last night. Soak, then cook with 2 stock cubes, water & a fan of bay leaves. When soft & cooked, scoop some into a soup bowl with plenty of stock, add white wine, fresh basil and or a scoop of pesto and a squeeze of lemon for soupe au pistou. Garnish with Parmesan. Today I cooked the pot until the liquid had almost disappeared and added a block of feta. I baked this in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, added @pomoragoodfood new olive oil, salt and pepper for a gigantes plaki (but with smaller beans). Eat more beans!
What to make when you have lots of leftover egg yo What to make when you have lots of leftover egg yolks after making a pavlova? Zabaglione, that classic Italian trattoria dessert made from egg yolks, sugar & tons of masala sweet wine. Whisk it up over a bain-marie or be a bit cheaty & add a teaspoon of cornflour. Strong wrists needed. #italianfood #christmasdesserts #leftovers #cooksmart
The unpackaged vegan meats. My panel of 4 ( from c The unpackaged vegan meats. My panel of 4 ( from carnivore, to recent vegetarian, to long-time vegetarian to never eaten meat (my daughter)) tasted 18. It was quite a bushtucker trial. Carnivores & vegetarians liked very different things. Full report in next weeks @hamandhigh #veganuary #vegan #vegetarian #tastetest #fakemeat #plantbasedmeat
Fake meatathon tasting taking place as my veganuar Fake meatathon tasting taking place as my veganuary column for @hamandhigh So many companies doing this now. As a longtime vegetarian I don’t want anything that tastes too much like meat. But new vegetarians and vegans may want something that tastes close as damnit to meat in order to stave off cravings? Which category are you in? Have you any favourites or dislikes? Is this just another example of ultra-processed food? Let me know in the comments #vegan #vegetarian #meatfree #veganuary
Pasta buselli al cedro. Cedro or citron is a fragr Pasta buselli al cedro. Cedro or citron is a fragrant citrus & one of the founding citrus (along with pomelo and mandarin) that created all the other citrus fruits you know about. Usually candied, it is also used in this unusual neopolitan recipe in which you soak the zest in the pasta water overnight before cooking. Post up on the blog later today. Board a Xmas present from @siennamarla #pasta #naples #cedro #citrus
My london garden ce matin My london garden ce matin
My Sacher Torte (1 word or 2?) with a difference- My Sacher Torte (1 word or 2?) with a difference- bergamot marmalade in the middle. In the @hamandhigh this week. It’s bloody delicious. #chocolatecake #feelaustria #untoldstories #vienna #sachertorte
These are Mela Annurca apples, ‘mel’anurca’ These are Mela Annurca apples, ‘mel’anurca’ in Neapolitan dialect. They are a Christmas apple, in season now. I bought this little model basket of apples in San Gregorio di Armenia street in Naples where every year neopolitans buy something to add to their ‘presepe’ or nativity scene. Often scenes from markets to add to the expensive, anything from 500 euros to 5000 euros nativity crèches. Around Christmas this street is packed (watch out for pickpockets) with locals and tourist picking out their addition to the scene. Melanurca apples are picked in September then laid on the ground to ripen, turning them every day by hand, to ensure all sides transform from a yellow green into a Wicked Witch red. They are very healthy, particularly for your hair, according to scientists at the university of Naples. #naples #neopolitanchristmas #melanurca  #food #travel #sangregorioarmeno #presepenapoletano #nativityscenes
The Christmas tomato 🍅 or piennolo di vesuvio, The Christmas tomato 🍅 or piennolo di vesuvio, a local tomato that is sold around Christmas in Naples. It is grown with very little irrigation and lasts fresh up to a year. Hence it is used for tomato based Christmas dishes. This tomato has a thick skin and is really intense in flavour. It hangs outside grocers, on balconies, in kitchens, having been braided by ladies into bunches of 1.5 kilos. Each costs 15 euros. I went to visit the farmers and the ladies skilfully tying the tomatoes into clusters, using the vines to fasten them, like cherries. Boxed, these are given as gifts. Reel on the way! #naples #christmas #tomatoes #travel #food
Travel: how I pack. I choose one colour as well as Travel: how I pack. I choose one colour as well as black and white and stick to that palette. For Sicily & Naples I’m doing red, white & black. I’ve bought @coti_vision red glasses chain, a red beret & a black one, a pair of red @snagtights & a black pair, a red hair clasp, a red & white pair of shoes (25 euros, leather from Naples), a red & white dress, a black & white striped dress, and so on. Do you roll? Do you flatten & spread? Do you fold? How do you pack? A few days before I leave I leave my suitcase open in my bedroom and every time I think of something I need to take I sling it in there. ( like adaptors) Last thing is wash bag ( I have a hanging one which is useful) and coat (red for this trip). Basically I colour code my life. When I did the Camino everything was blue & yellow, the colours of the Camino. When I went to Ireland I took all my green clothes ( I don’t have many). If I go on a boat trip I pack blue and white. #packing #colourcoding #travel #mysuitcase
Ruota di pesce spada. A glorious oven baked Sicili Ruota di pesce spada. A glorious oven baked Sicilian fish dish, baked on onions, studded with garlic cloves wrapped in mint leaves, then more onions, capers, olives, oregano & rosemary. Use a thick central slice of swordfish (where can I get that in london?). I’m tasting grillo & Nero d’avola wines @tenutorapitala about an hour inland from Palermo. The owner is the last count Bernard de La gatinais. He has 3 daughters. He’s French (Brittany) and Sicilian. He spoke about how difficult it has been for wine growers since lockdown- so many restaurants closed. Now they are grappling with high energy & fuel costs. ##winesofsicilia #siciliaDOC #wine #travel #sicily
I love Venice. I love Maneskin. I love Italy. I lo I love Venice. I love Maneskin. I love Italy. I love boats and water. #biennalearte2022
London cure smoked salmon from @formanandfield wit London cure smoked salmon from @formanandfield with mikawa citrus (cross between mandarin & pomelo) and home pickled green peppercorns on a plate I bought in minori Italy. #londonfood #citrus #sundaylunch
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