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Blow me, after this morning’s post on preserving stuff, they were talking jam on the Chris Evan’s show as I drove home. Jam is the new rock’n'roll, with more of us giving it a go. They interviewed Fraser Doherty, the man behind Superjam, who started the company when he was just 18 with his gran’s recipe, about why jam is cool again. Not sure he knew either, my guess is the rise in grow your own, and also a comfort thing.

It also mentioned that the best selling thing at Lakeland is the Tefal Electric Jam Maker. I think I’m being told something, it must be Kismet. Going to have another look at it, before Dr T’s plums are ripe and ready for jamming.

Why do you think jam making is on the up?

One of the things that struck me in France was that there were still lots of preserved things on the shelves (and I’m not talking about Bardot), not just in the jam aisle. Although the jam aisle was definitely crammed with interesting flavours that you don’t necessarily get here.

Preserving certainly fits in with the grow your own, credit crunch vibe, and really allows you to extend the season of your hard grown produce. So, here’s a round up of my five choices to preserving your best:

1. The Good Housekeeping Complete Book of Home Preserving – this is my go to book on the subject, and is practically a family heirloom as Dr T inherited it from his gran, and now I have it. Covers everything from jams to chutney, bottling to drying and smoking, if you want a primer for preserving this is it. My original copy show a price of £8.50, Amazon Marketplace sellers have it from £11.59, which is not enough to tempt me to sell!

Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber

2. Mes Confitures: The Jams & Jellies of Christine Ferber – I guarantee you did not know there were so many jam flavour combinations in the world! Everytime I open this book I want to make another one! Organised by season so you can make the most of what’s around, the recipes and photographs are wondeful. A definite keeper.

3. Keeping the Harvest - one for all the allotment owners, I think this is an update really to the first book, with similar subject matter, although doesn’t cover meat products.

4. Preserved by Johnny Acton and Nick Sandler – new out in paperback, this is a very attractive book with great photography and covers a wide variety of preserving methods, including making your own sausages and salami (assuming you have a pig to preserve). There’s also a useful guide to building your own smokehouse. In case the fancy takes you.

5. WI Book of Preserves – of course we know there’s more to the Women’s Institute than jam and jerusalem, but if you don’t think there’s more to jam than the WI then this is the book for you!

Now all you need is a trip to John Lewis or Lakeland for supplies, a bountiful harvest, and you’re all set. Hopefully like your jam.

Whenever you want to moan about the state of British retailing, then go visit a branch of Lakeland. Of course, I am old enough to remember when they were Lakeland Plastics, but they are about so much more these days. But one thing that remains is the terribly nice, mainly ladies, who work there.

The Tefal Electric Jam Maker - easy jam making for the easily distracted

I went in there today, in the pouring rain, to find a very nice lady handing out plastic bags for umbrellas. Lovely.

I then found more things for making jams and preserving things than I thought existed. I restrained myself from buying the Tefal Electric Jam Maker, although I understand it takes the stress out of jam making. Or, in my case, remembering to stir it regularly so not to burn the sugar on the bottom.

I did finally buy an easy-fill jam funnel to make entry into jars much easier, not to mention less messy. I resisted all the twee jam covers though. Which is possibly why my jam is always passed over at the Horticultural Show, due to it being in a recycled pickled onions jar.

I remember the time I had bought a jelly straining kit from them, only to find it had,in error,  no straining bag. And I had a pan full of boiling elderberries on the stove waiting to be strained. The lady on the helpline was very helpful, and laughed with me as I considered what I was going to strain with whilst awaiting the replacement she was sending me (M&S 15 denier as it happens).

So if you ever find yourself in need of an extra bit of kitchen kit, some unusual foodstuffs or just generally stuff you’d never thought about, then Lakeland is the place. It’s also one of the best sources of gifts for foodies that I know of. Not posh, but definitely useful! And such lovely people!

One of the best parts of a holiday is choosing your holiday reading, and I am happy to have got through 3 books over the fortnight that have a definite foodie flavour to them (somehow, I can’t really say A Year in the Merde counts, although it was a good trashy read). In case you or your loved one need some inspiration, these were my three:

Cod - the fish that changed the world

1. Cod A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky

This was on the bookshelf in our gite, and I swapped A Year in the Merde for it, and am really pleased I did. An unlikely subject, but really fascinating. I may not be dashing into the kitchen to try some of the recipes though. Salted cod sounds anyone? I know it’s not a new book, having won the Best Food Book at the Glenfiddich 1999 Food & Drink Awards, but it is worth a read

2. Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this book, being a good Northern girl myself. Plenty of food references, from Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls through to the best black pudding on Bury market. Easy read, but worth every minute of reading it.

3. Eat My Globe by Simon Majumdar

Simon exists so I don’t have to try things like dog and rat. I feel like a very poor foodie in relation to the things he’s tried, but quite happy not to! This is a world tour like no other, and worth reading wherever you are in the world.

Should keep you going for a little while at least!

I am sat looking out at the British summertime i.e. the pouring rain, after nearly 3 weeks in France, musing on the things we missed. This was a conversation over a few Kirs one night with other people who were staying at the same gite, and I think the general conclusion was not much.

I mean, we were in South West France, with all its amazing flavours and fresh fish and seafood on tap. But there were just a few things that people were determined not to miss, and so had carried with them by land and sea. Our house had its supply of Yorkshire tea, because coffee is great, but nothing beats that first cuppa.

The Dutch family had brought Gouda cheese with them, as apparently, like the French, the stuff they send outside of the Netherlands is not as good. Why is this always the case with cheese? Although there only seemed to be Cathedral City cheddar in the local supermarket, so pot cattle black syndrome may be in place here.

The Scots had brought peanut butter. I like my peanut butter but it wouldn’t have been top of mind. However, having tried to find it in the supermarket for a recipe I was testing I found that a) the French don’t eat peanut butter much b) it sits in the exotic world foods aisle c) there was only a choice of two and d) it was the best part of €4 for a very small jar.

Consequently, I shall be taking my own next year!

Meanwhile, we will be making a big pan of Rogan Josh any moment now. Oh happy day! Bring on the naan bread.

What food do you miss when you’re away from home?

This isn’t really the post I thought I was going to write today, but sometimes events converge and the topic makes itself. Several things are going round my head: the death of Harry Patch over the weekend, the last of a quite remarkable group whose bravery and sacrifice can never really be measured; being at the Memorial Centre for History yesterday and trying to explain two World Wars to our 7 year old daughter; having a very good dinner at La Cremaillere on Juno Beach on a very tranquil evening that made it harder than ever to imagine the living hell that would have been unleashed around there just over 65 years ago.

Help for Heroes Cook Book

And finally, today, the, in my view, despicable action of the government today to reduce compensation payouts to those injured in combat who develop later complications.

So today I am asking you, foodie or not, if you buy only one cook book this year please buy the Help for Heroes Cook Book. This is much more than a cook book, with personalities and servicemen and women writing about who their heroes are and why, and what they would cook for them, with some fascinating stories, and great recipes. You can buy the book directly from the charity here, or Amazon also stock it.

Please support the work of Help for Heroes in supporting wounded servicemen and women. This is a non political organisation, in their own words they “recognize that wars happen under any government… are non critical, preferring to get on with the job rather than talking about rights and wrongs.”

For my heroes, I am choosing my mum and dad. My dad has Alzheimer’s and at a pretty early age, and so is a hero for living with it. My mum, like many, many carers, is an absolute hero and they deserve our respect and recognition too. I would cook them whatever made my dad happiest, which was roast beef and Yorkshire pud last time they were here.

Go ahead, show your heroes you care and support all the other heroes out there.

Lunch on the Ile de Re

Should you wish to whisk a foodie loved one off for a birthday lunch with a difference, can I recommend Bistrot du Marin in Saint Martin on the Ile de Ré? The island is stunning and worth the €16.50 to cross over the bridge, and lunch alone would have made it worthwhile.

In a stunning location overlooking the harbour in St Martin, the Bistrot du Marin is the sort of place I love. No printed menu, just what was on the blackboards. We’d already had the Cote de Boeuf recommended, and this is an amazing dish for two. Coming out with a stack of chips, a blue cheese and a mustard sauce, this is how a rib of beef should be cooked.

Sadly, we didn’t do it complete justice, sending a few slices back, but it was fantastic. Follow it with a walk round St Martin and then an ice cream. You don’t need to know the name of the shop, you can’t miss it. Indeed you won’t want brain space occupied with the name, as there are so many flavours to work through, translate and then decide upon. I didn’t see many people order the Oyster and Caviar ice cream, but who knows? Someone would love it!

It was, all in all, a perfect location for a birthday lunch, with perfect weather. The only thing that would have made it even more perfect would have been to have stayed overnight and start all over again the next day!

There was an Englishman, a Welshman, a Scotsman and two Dutchmen…

Which is possibly the start to a good joke, but not one I know the punchline to. It’s also the starting point for an informal, impromptu gathering last night, that expanded to include wives, friends, children and a dog. Not to mention 3 barbecues, some cheap fizz and creme de cassis, quite a lot beer, wine, and a lot of talking and eating.

Nation shall speak unto nation, and over the breaking of bread will find out that they’re really not that bad. And if food serves no other purpose than the bringing together of people, then that is a good one.

We also found culinary differences. The Dutch children were fascinated by a big bowl of jelly and made huge inroads into it. Who would have guessed? Chocolate bananas were devoured by all. And Ainsley Harriott’s recipes came in for a lot of stick, as by 10pm the dish was still not cooked. May well have been the lack of cheap, thin streaky bacon in this part of France, with the bashed out piece of pork taking a lot longer.

We also discovered, I would guess much to one G Ramsay’s delight, the Netherlanders had never heard of Ainsley. To be fair, they didn’t mention Gordon either, it was all about Jamie Oliver.

So foodie or not, I would urge you to get together around food. There was nothing more grand, Ainsley excepted, than a few sausages, pasta salad and some kebabs last night, but everyone stayed talking and drinking until the most amazing downpour called an end to outside drinking.

Although from some of the quiet faces around the pool this morning, there may not have been an end to indoor drinking. Apparently it is all the fault of the Pineau!

So, back to the Englishman, the Welshman, the Scotsman…

La Rochelle for a perfect foodie break

I love La Rochelle, and would happily spend my days here (note to the housesitters, yes, we will be home. Unless we win the lottery).

It has everything you could want, especially if you want good food. You can do everything from fine, Michelin star dining through to just a quick coffee, but it’s all here, and in great surroundings.

My starting point would be a morning coffee, really anywhere overlooking Vieux Port. You could push the boat out and have a croissant too, but you won’t get hurried away regardless of what you have. I would then make my way up to the market. It’s on every morning, and to me it’s what you want every food market to be like. Full of colour, and characters, the best produce of the local area, and you really are spoilt for choice. Get there early, and you’ll be rewarded with the best of the days catch, great fruit and veg, and then inside for the rest of your lunch.

You begin to understand the huge variety of French cheese when you stand in front of one of the counters here and know that this is just from one small part of one region. As long as you’re not dairy intolerant, you will be spoilt for choice. You can move through the various charcuterie products, and fabulous cuts of meat, mainly from local animals. I’ve already described my love of the foie gras with preserved figs from one of the producers, but there are all kinds of other pates on offer, of every conceivable combination.

It must surely be heading towards lunchtime by now. I would say you had two choices really: seafood or the best of French high cuisine. For seafood, then Andres is an institution, and is possibly worth the visit at least once. I’ve had a great lunch in there, and I’ve had terribly rude service as well, so I’ve probably done my one visit for this lifetime. For myself, I would go to A Cote de Chez Fred on Rue St Nicholas. Lovely people, great atmosphere, and fabulous fish and seafood.

For fine dining, then one family dominate the town. The name of Coutanceau is over the door of not one but six places at the time of writing and is sure to expand. The original now bears the name of father and son, Richard and Christopher Coutanceau, and has an enviable position overlooking the town beach. This is two star Michelin dining, and deserves the stars. Needless to say, you need to book in advance!

You may get luckier with a walk in at my favourite, Le Comptoir Des Voyages, run by the eldest of the two brothers. This is a more eclectic approach to eating, particularly unusual for France, with influences from around the world. Also unusually for France the wine list is dominated by non French wines.

I’d enjoy lunch, then maybe take a walk around the aquarium, or walk the walls to work some of it off. You could also go to the small but interesting perfume bottle museum. Obviously put together by real fragrance afficionados and lovers, it will only take you about 15 minutes, but will cover fragrances you’ve never heard of, as well as those you have long forgotten.

All of this is really activity to make sure that I have room for a scoop or two at Ernest. glacier par excellence in my book. If you love ice cream, or possibly only like it a little, this is a must visit, to see just how far you can stretch ice cream from plain vanilla. I’ve not been yet this year to see what is new, but last year I had turkish delight, that was delicate beyond belief, but not dull, or too subtle, with a plain chocolate laced with cracknel and pink peppercorns. A seriously sophisticated taste that I have hankered after ever since.

After that, I’d probably pop into La Belle Iloise from some tinned fish, and go home. Otherwise the temptation would be another coffee, a pre dinner aperitif, and to move onto dinner. Which is no bad thing now!

If you need to get there, then Easyjet and FlyBe fly in from the UK. I’ve always been staying in a gite outside of the town, but for perfect location I would stay at The Yachtsman – everything on your doorstep and it has it’s own outdoor pool. It’s also just round the corner from Chez Fred.

Go and discover this beautiful part of France, even for the weekend. You will come back euros lighter, pounds heavier but stress lightened!

If you haven’t discovered Not On The High Street already, then now is a great time to do so as their sale is on. This is a perfect site for shopping for everyone on your gift list, from young to old, close friends to passing acquaintances, and from style queens to full blown foodies.

I couldn’t do justice to everything on the site, but just looking through the foodie elements of the sale then I would consider putting the following away for when you are in need of a perfect foodie gift:

1. Have to mention this, as I wrote about it the other week, but the Lime Squeezer is in the sale. A gadget you didn’t know you needed, till you had one!

Fab Fifi Tea towel

2. You can never have too many tea towels, and they are a great stand by gift (they’re also useful as a replacement for wrapping paper if you are wrapping up things like jams or cakes to give as a gift). There are some gorgeous choices in the sale, I rather like the Fab Fifi Petal and Wave ones, which are just £2.70 each now. You can pay nearly as much for a roll of paper, so worth having a few.

3. I love a mug full of tea, and I rather like the ones bearing the legend “If you can’t stand the heat…” Too true!

4. For a touch of South West France all year round, then “A Touch of Aquitaine” hamper is a good purchase, with some great produce for adding a little flair to regular dishes, as well as a full blown French banquet. I am rather partial to Onion Confit, but also love the sound of the Walnut & Garlic spread. I imagine that on some decent French bread would make a perfect accompaniement to an aperitif, or two.

5. I’m a bit of a Twinings Earl Grey and English Breakfast girl most of the time, but if you’ve got an adventurous tea lover, then how about the Rare Tea Box? This is definitely not your average cuppa, and no doubt needs to be brewed and savoured. It’s an unusual gift and will give them tales to tell for a few cups to come!