First up is The Weald Smokery, based in East Sussex. Smoking over oak in brick kilns, their hot roast smoked salmon won gold at this year’s Great Taste Awards. You could go the whole hog, or fish, and treat someone to a whole side, or treat them to a gift box that includes it and a good selection of their other delicacies.

Moving round the coast to Suffolk and to The Artisan Smokehouse. Combining great smoking with the produce of other great British producers, their hamper offers some brilliant treats for Christmas including smoked beef fillet, smoked Cropwell Bishop Stilton and smoked rapeseed oil. Lots of things to work with to infuse smokey flavours into all kinds of dishes.

Heading a long way west, and to the Black Mountains Smokery. Working with both hot and cold smoking techniques, Black Mountains harnesses the best of tradition with modern technology across a wide range of products. If you’ve got someone to buy for who isn’t a fish lover, then have a look at the Meat Platter Hamper. Some great meals in there, with things like smoked chicken, duck and goose to start with, along with some sausages and even a boned quail.

For something a little different, heading south to Brown & Forrest in Somerset, and try their smoked eel, which they’ve been smoking for over 29 years. This is hot smoked over beech and apple, and comes as small packs, or whole sides, or even converted for you into a pate.

Got to feature smoked salmon, and so heading about as far north in the UK as is possible to go, and to the Hebridean Smokehouse on Uist. You can choose peat smoked or beechwood smoked, from a small pack to a whole side, sliced or left ready for you to tackle. Perfect for Christmas morning with a glass of fizz.

Want to learn how to do it yourself? Check out the appropriately named Smoky Jo’s, who do one day or weekend courses, and they can even sell you the smoking kit to get on with your own produce. If you need additional incentive to book, they’re based up near Penrith, so some beautiful countryside and good eating around you, and you get to pick up a new skill. Perfect.

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DIY.

I know I wrote about this last year as well, but it’s a continuing theme. And each year there are more ways to make whatever you make look even more professional. John Lewis have a lovely range in from Meri Meri, like these character gift boxes:

And if you’re the baking kind then I love the cupcake cases and toppers as well.

I don’t know Meri Meri as a brand, but I like all the things that John Lewis have in stock from them. And if you’re looking for something pretty and vintage, then have a look at the tins from Dot Com Gift Shop. They sent me one of these the other week, and I have to say I love it. Great biscuit tin, perfect gift for co-workers if you fill it with your best homemade cookies.

Lakeland, of course, is still a rich hunting ground for things you might need. I love the 3D Christmas cookie cutter set, but then I think my cookie cutter addiction is well documented. As you’d expect they also have all the cases, moulds and bags you could ever need for any kind of Christmas cookery gifts you want to make, to really give your tasty treats the most professional, festive treatment.

I am working on something for my team, which needs jars, and for me, there is only one source: Jam Jar Shop. Great range of both jars and bottles, as well as preserving kit, labels and covers, so everything you need really. Will post on this once they get their gifts, not wishing to spoil a surprise!

So, this year, more than ever, there’s no need for homemade to look second best. How it tastes, of course, is up to you!

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The back story for St.John & Dolly Smith’s pickles is really touching, amusing and most definitely worth a read. I think it’s really touching and one of those stories that just couldn’t be made up. And just the sort of back story that must make you really think about why you wouldn’t get into making these products.

If you want to start where it all started, then the Brinjal Pickle is the place. As it’s medium hot, then not going to be one for me (such a wimp) but if you like it warm then go for it! I am up for the Sweet Lime Chutney, as love lime, and would be great to have a change from mango.

Should you want to send this as a gift, then they do a gift set that offers all 8 current products, at a very reasonable £15. Some of them definitely come with heat warnings, so guess this is best for a heat loving pickle lover. But a great British small business to support.

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I love this time of year, lots of fruitful bounty in need of preserving. Not to mention rosettes going at the village horticultural show for marmalade, jam and chutney. So, it’s a great time to look at some of the great preserving books out there at the moment.

Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber – I know I’ve written about this book before, but it is still my favourite jam book of all time. Completely inspiring in every season, the flavour combinations are very exciting and definitely brighten up your morning toast. From my experience, they are not village show winning recipes though as they are too exciting and forward thinking. Or that could just be our village!

The Everything Root Cellaring Book: Learn to Store, Cook and Preserve Fresh Produce All Year Round – perfect especially for those of you with allotments or big gardens who have been busy growing your own produce. After all the hardwork of digging, you won’t want to let a single bit go to waste. This talks you how to make your own root cellar, not a term I think we use here but the prinicple is sound. It covers a bit of everything, so at least you can have a try of all techniques and see what works best for you.

Put ‘em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Preserving to Canning and Pickling – another long title, another fairly comprehensive look at the options, possibly slightly less homespun and a bit more modern in its recipe choices. Pickled beets with cumin and coriander is not your usual beetroot in vinegar and I like the fact that it covers things like Red Hot Vodka, as a way to use up your chillies. And I don’t know what peach butter is, but it sure sounds good.

Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavours for the Modern Pantry – don’t be misled by the title, this is a bit of a generic for preserving, though some cans involved.. Again, organised by season for easy selection, so coming into Autumn I’d be looking longingly at Blood Plum and Apple Jam with Rosewater. Some more unusual recipes, so if you think you’ve already got the basics covered, then this might be a good addition.

The SuperJam Cookbook – lets face it, by any measure Fraser Doherty is a success story. To have done so at such a young age is incredible. And the jam is tasty. And the photography is beautiful. And the recipes interesting. Honestly, if it wasn’t for all that you could really dislike him! Comes across as a very decent bloke though. Maybe a good opportunity to get a younger generation into preserving. Or one to teach us older dogs new tricks!

So some new twists on preserving possible with all of these. But if anyone has a village show award winning jam or lemon curd recipe going spare, I’d love to get it!

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It’s Seville orange time, which probably means there’s a whole heap of marmalade making going on around the country. And if you think yours is marmalade is one to be reckoned with, then you still have time to enter The World’s Original Marmalade Awards.

No, I had no idea either, but these awards are being held Dalemain Mansion and Gardens in Cumbria on the 12th and 13th February this year. You have until  5 February to make your submission, and it sounds like entries have been flooding in from around the world. There are classes for homemade marmalade, as well as for artisan producers, and even an award for poems and stories involving marmalade.

And if you fancy a weekend away, or live nearby, then it really is a “jam” packed weekend of activity. You can see the entries, meet the WI judges, even a meet and greet with the great marmalade lover, Paddington Bear. There are also some great lectures on the Saturday, including “A Taste of Marmalades Past” with food historian Ivan Day and Dan Lepard demonstrating the best bread for marmalade.

Worried it’ll be nippy in Cumbria in February? Well, Saturday night won’t be as they’re having a Marmalade Bonfire Party. Sounds more appealing than most Bonfire Nights!

If you think you need to get into production, then Jam Jar Shop have a marmalade mega pack on offer, giving you 48 jars, labels and a muslin. And if you need a bit of tutoring, or a bit of inspiration, then there’s still time to get on the Marmalade Magic course in February.

Great marmalade photo by Amanda Slater on Flickr.

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What trends does your crystal ball show?

Back in December 2009 (which really does feel an age ago) I wrote a piece about what 2010 might bring for foodand food lovers. So, should I give up the day job and take up with a crystal ball? Hmm, lets see…

* We’d all continue to rediscover the joy of homemade. Tick. But fairly safe bet I think. And even to back it for this year, as no sign of things getting imminently better. That said, according to Google trends, there were less searches on jam making last year than in 2009, perhaps suggesting we’re all properly set up now with equipment and into the swing of things.

* Not sure if politics is my thing, although we certainly got a change in government. My predicted swing to the right perhaps didn’t quite come off, and I’ve not noticed any great resurgence in nationalistic cooking. However, if we win the Ashes outright, then maybe we’ll see that happen. I did say I thought that nostalgia would reign big in food, and I think we’ve seen quite a lot of that, from traditional puds through to all the old fashioned sweets still going strong.

* An explosion in Turkish food. More like a damp squib I would say, but as food didn’t even feature in the official programme for Turkey’s year as European Capital of Culture then I guess I’m not really surprised. If it wasn’t important to them, it was hardly going to shake the world food scene. Shame, because I still think it’s a cuisine with an awful lot going for it. Which the citizens of Farnborough would seem to agree with, as they led the way in searches on Turkish food.

* I think growing your own salad probably did get a good look in, as we got quite a spell of sunshine, and there was continued featuring of the cost and conditions of bagged salad, not to mention a couple of e Coli cases linked to lettuce. Tomatoes appear to have been the most popular salad item to grow, which given their ease to grow even in small spaces is perhaps not great surprise. The fact that Nottingham leads the way in interest in the subject may be more of a surprise.

I’ve not done my Mystic Meg act yet for the year ahead, and I do wonder if much will change. Although there are two European capitals of culture this year: Turku in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia. I can imagine Finnish food having a moment (if only because it would allow me to buy the Moomins Cookbook) but Estonian? Not sure, will need some research as it’s a cuisine I know zero about. What do you think? Where’s food going this year and what will we all be worrying about?

Crystal ball shot by Richard Lamb Photography.

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Very hard to believe it’s very nearly the end of the year. Again.

Unbelievable to me, I’ve made 220 posts so far for the year, and featured a whole range of gifts for every kind of occasion, every kind of food lover, every kind of budget, even every kind of age. So, what would I say was really memorable, things that I think would make a food lover very grateful.

Hmm, so many choices…

In January, it would have been a selection of seeds from Seeds of Italy, for something different to have going on in the garden, that would produce tasty eating at some point in the summer.

In February, I was having a continuing love affair with dark, smoky tastes, so would probably give the vote to the Smoked Hamper from London Fine Foods.

In March, I had quite a lot of cookbooks on my mind and if you’re going to have a cookbook obsession you probably need something great to hold back the tide! I really, really loved the cook book ends, and would still happily give these space around the house.

April saw the sun thinking about coming out, and therefore the thoughts of BBQ were starting. And I really liked the idea of the Cobb Barbecue System, which seems to be taking portable BBQs to the next level.

In May, I made it out into the sunshine to the Derbyshire Food Fair. And my prize would go to the Chilli Jam Man for May, for great products and absolute, sheer enthusiasm.

June has Armed Forces Day, so I would most definitely pick Caley’s Heroes Chocolate Bars, sold in aid of Help for Heroes.

In July, I was obsessed with trendy shopping trollies. I blame the French.

In August, I thought I might have found the perfect shopper for a foodie. So much so that I now have one.

September, back to school, and things, sadly, begin to gear up for the festive season. That said, my favourite gifts were an advance view of some of the Christmas gifts that would be on offer from Tea Palace.

October is all about the harvest, and all about the preserving, and I would say Jam Jar Shop are one of my finds of the year. Perfect for home preservers, I would say it was also a good gift hunting ground for a foodie with a bent for jam making.

In November I was in full on Christmas mode, and travelling a lot, so there were a stash of quick picks. And from that I would pick the Naughty but Nice teatowel. Apparently nice teatowels are the homewares equivalent of the lipstick index in a recession, and sales are on the rise. But I’d also be very, very tempted to pick any of the hampers from The Spanish Food Company, as I thought they got top marks for both taste and presentation.

By December, I was asking the question everyone wants the answer to: what does Oprah want? From her list, and in spite of being slightly gimmicky, I would go for the Edge Lasagne or Brownie Pan. Because you can’t beat a bit of extra crispiness around the edges!

If I had to pick one? Really, just one? If you really, really made me pick out of these, then I would go for the hampers from The Spanish Food Company, just knowing the enjoyment it brought to so many of my friends, who were blown away by the fantastic tastes. Great value for money for the quality of products, from passionate importers and small producers. And it looks like an amazing gift when it gets delivered too. Trust me, food lovers will not strike you off their Christmas card if you send them one of these!

Looking forward to seeing what 2011 has in store!

Great calendar shot by Alaivani on Flickr.

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It’s a very short list from me this year as, like many, we’re having a frugal Christmsa as we await the impact of the austerity measures. But, Christmas will go on, but in the spirit of cutting our cloth to suit our means, there’s no list at Tiffany, only a few simple things.

And I promise, Santa, I’ve been good. Well, reasonably….! Here goes:

* Just one book on food, and I’d like it to be The Flavour Thesaurus please. I find the premise fascinating and sure it will lead to some interesting experimentation in 2011.

* Some vintage Champagne saucers. If it’s going to be miserable news, then I think there needs to be an injection of glamour. I ummed and aahed over some of these in the Loros Hospice shop the other week, and haven’t stopped thinking about them since. I see them as the perfect thing to thumb my nose at austerity with, even if I am only drinking sparkling water in them. Or Lambrini.

* A renewal of my subscription to Fire and Knives, for another year of quality food reading.

* A replacement bag set for the jelly strainer, as I can imagine there will continue to be a lot of homemade stuff going on next year.

* If I’m granted a complete indulgence, then No 1 Salted Caramels from Artisan du Chocolat please. Failing that, a tube of Smarties.

What kind of Christmas are you having? Love to know what’s on  your list!

Beautiful bauble photo by Green Gym Dog on Flickr.

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I love this time of year, getting ready to hibernate. Or at least retreat to the indoors for a bit. Which means that we’ve been busy converting our harvest, not to mention foraged treasures into all sorts of preserved wonders.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Lakeland and John Lewis for my preserving supplies, but I now have a new favourite: Jam Jar Shop. Whether you’re into serious quantities or just knocking a few jars out from the end of the blackberries, they’ll have what you’ll need. I’ve just been in to pick up some Lucca swing top bottles, ready to make gifts of sloe gin to our friends, and some new seals for Kilner jars (which have been a so and so to track down in years gone by).

There’s good bottles if you’re going to make your own ketchups and things, which may end up being a good use for our tomato glut! If you’re being really frugal, then they have great labels to cover up properly printed lids from other brands, which gives you some more great options. Or take the big bargain route with the mystery box!

They’re also on of the sponsors of the WI Real Jam Festival in November. There’s still time for you to enter your jam, across a range of classes and flavours. There’s classes for children, and I am guessing man made jam is made by men, rather than being jam made from plastic. For jam with a difference I would be raiding Christine Ferber’s fabulous book as a starting point. The event culminates in a two day festival of jam at Denman College along with the prize giving!

Good luck, let’s get preserving! Fabulous photo from Lisa Clarke over on Flickr.

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So, it’s the morning after the day before, and no doubt the vast majority of us are feeling poorer than we did yesterday. George has swung the spending axe, and we’re all left looking for the next notch to tighten up on our belts.

Oh, just on the off chance, if you’re a banker still expecting a hefty bonus this year, I’d stop reading now. Go straight to the Krug. We’re going to discuss reality.

For those of us that love our food, I would think the trimming our food budget is unlikely to mean a sudden conversion to Iceland, or value meals. If yours is like our household, it’s about making meat less centre stage, about growing our own, preserving our own, making our own and swapping. Not to mention I’ve had to vow to give up my cookbook addiction!

I asked what helps the frugal cook in the kitchen, and got some great responses, so here’s a few for helping to conduct your own spending review in the kitchen:

* A stock pot – ditch the stock cubes, not to mention ready made stock from the chiller cabinets, and get making your own. Most pro kitchens have stock on the go all the time, and it’s a great way of getting the most out of leftovers. Use up those bones and the meat trimmings, and the ends of veg. Freeze it in useful quantities and you’ve got the basis of soups, risottos, stews, just waiting to go. Just remember to label it well!

* A silicone spatula - get every last bit of everything out of everywhere with one of these. Or a whole set for different sizes of containers. But don’t get too carried away, leave the kids (big and small) something in the baking bowl to lick out! Even in hard times, in fact especially in hard times, we’ve got to still have some small pleasures!

* A stick blender – I think there’s going to be quite a lot of homemade soup going on this winter, and this is useful, and big enough, for most of us, unless you are going to be producing vast tanks of the stuff. I’d get one with the attachments for chopping and whisking as well, and then that’s one bit of kit helping out on lots of chores.

* Microplane – oh, this one set off a whole heap of debate! Kate from Gower Cottage Browniessuggested it as her frugal friend, for grating ginger and garlic right down to the knuckle (hopefully not her knuckles). However, our Microplane had just shattered the surrounding into mash potato, and it didn’t seem like it was the only one. Whilst the ones with the plastic surround do say they’re dishwasher safe, a few had experience the same thing, so I would go for the one just with the metal surround. In terms of grating, I’m with Kate, they do do a great job, and help you get your money’s worth from expensive ingredients.

* Imagination – I loved this suggestion from Kim Andrews of By Kimbo. Her point was that if you had a few pots of fresh herbs around, and you use your imagination, then you can dress up anything to make it more interesting. And growing your own has to be so much cheaper than buying a bag from the supermarket. Basil and coriander will be happier indoors over the winter, but get other stuff in pots near your kitchen door and you’ve got flavour to hand!

* Stuff for making jam – track down good kit here, and get the autumn surplus into jars of all descriptions. A preserving pan should last you a lifetime of jam and chutney making, so buy a good one. I’d also buy a decent jam funnel, given my experiences of trying to spoon hot jam into hot jars! Check out Jam Jar Shop for everything you might need.

* Flour – make your own bread. I know supermarkets use it as a loss leader but with the price of wheat going up then they may be less and less inclined to do so. Make your own still for a fraction of the cost for a decent loaf. Either do it by hand, or with a breadmaker, get the kids involved. And just fill the house with one of the best aromas going!

* The lunchbox – pack your own, use up leftovers, be creative, save pounds. As the meerkat says, simples!

What will you start, or continue, doing to cut back without losing out on great food?

Fantastically stylish photo of a frugal dinner by Izakaya Punks over on Flickr.

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