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Beetroot Relish from Jamie Oliver

You’ve been making a list, checking it twice, you’ve worked out what’s naughty and what’s nice. And now you’re having a sudden panic as you’ve counted up the presents and you’ve forgotten someone! If it’s a foodie gift you’ve forgotten, then never fear! Here’s some last minute suggestions you can still order in, so no need to brave the High Street just yet.

1. Jamie Oliver has some great stuff, without his face on it, that I think makes a great standby foodie present. There are good preserves and oils and, lets face it, you’re going to trust these more than some awful flavoured collection from the corner shop. A duo of beetroot relish and red onion pickle, wrapped in a funky teatowel, or a mixing bowl, would make a brilliant gift. Or I suppose I should have said a pukka present. Order by Thursday this week to guarantee pre Christmas delivery, and benefit from free delivery. Perfect!

2. Treat them to a different foodie day. All of the major experience companies offer very interesting days, and most still seem to be guaranteeing pre Christmas delivery. From Virgin, you could buy the Cupcake & Cocktails Experience, or learn some new dishes at the Novelli academy or spend a day cooking fish with Keith Burke. Not quite doing it for your foodie? Try Red Letter Days or Buy A Gift or check out the fantastic courses for real artisanal food at The School of Artisan Food, from patisserie through to wild yeast baking.

3. Heal’s have some great foodie gifts, and you’ve got through till midnight this Sunday to order from them. Truly a

Love it or loathe it, it's a great gift

present of love if you hate the stuff, but if your foodie loves the stuff, then they have a great Marmite gift. I’ve featured the pate gifts before, and you’ve got a choice of game, meat or fish, so something for everyone. There’s some cool stuff in their barware section, like the Beer Cooler Zinc Tub, ideal for the beer and party loving foodie. Looking forward to warmer days ahead, then I like the Metrokane Wine to Go Neoprene Carrier, perfect for picnics.

4. For the serious foodie with expensive tastes, then London Fine Foods is perfect hunting ground for great gifts. They have everything from Beluga Caviar to White Truffles, milk fed Pyrenne’s lamb and fabulous Jamon Iberico de Bellota. There are gift boxes on offer or, if the choice is too much, gift vouchers! The provenance and quality will make any foodie’s Christmas morning!

5. For your pick of great foodie presents, it’s also still not too late to order from Natoora. For most of the UK, orders can go through up until 22nd December, some parts of London are the 23rd. There are beautiful boxes of macaroons (watch this space, I say 2010 will be the year of the macaroon) and panettone, and if the choice is too much there are some great hampers already put together. Check out the Pure Indulgence and Great British Christmas versions.

That should keep the foodies very happy with their presents come Christmas morning, and should keep you happy by shopping from the comfort of your own chair!

If you spot a quince, grab it!

I had moments of pure envy this week! Thomasina Miers was tweeting that she was experimenting with quince, poaching them with vanilla pods, and then making them into a custard. Which all sounded delicious, but there’s been no sniff of a quince around here yet!

And I have such a hankering to try to make quince cheese, that Spanish delicacy known as membrillo, as there’s a piece of Manchego just winged its way into the fridge direct from Best Foodie Friend’s recent trip to Spain. I’ve never tried making it before, but have tucked into it quite a few times (a particularly good example served up at Iberico in Nottingham, always worth a lunch stop).

If I spot some, then I am buying as many as I can afford as soon as I see them. And I’m inspired by the quince jelly recipe over on The Cottage Smallholder. If you want something different, then have a try of some of the quince recipes over on Historic Food, or just read them as it’s fascinating!

Supply of quinces seems to be a bit hit and miss though, so the only way to really be guaranteed a crop each season is either adopt someone with a tree, or grow one yourself. Trees Online have a number of varieties on offer and not knowing anything else about them I would start with a Champion Quince Tree. Although may just find it has a high opinion of itself!

This option would mean a very long wait for Membrillo though, so I am tempted to order some from Bellota at Food Full Stop. If it’s for someone else, you could go the full hog (no pun intended) and order their gourmet selection which includes a whole host of other goodies such as Jamón de Trevélez, Salchichon Ibérico and Chorizo Ibérico, as well as the membrillo.

Quince photo by erix! on Flickr.

A little plate of Turkish delights

I was in London on Tuesday with MGG, an end of school holiday treat (for her, allegedly). And being MGG, it meant a good lunch. Her normal choice is Chinese somewhere in Chinatown, but as we were visiting Buckingham Palace that felt like a bit of a trek. Checking in with the Best Foodie Friend, she recommended Shepherd Market.

I looked at her blankly.

Hard to believe, but I spent two years living in London, practically going past this every day. I’ve stayed in a hotel at the top of the street. I’ve been in London a day a week of the past 10 years. Yet like Diagon Alley this has been hidden from view. But what a find!

We lunched on a meze selection plus a few extra bits at Sofra. A lot of the Med meet Arabic cuisines are perfect for kids in my view, particularly a meze where they can try a little of lots of different tastes. We had the small mix plate – hummus, falafel, spinach & feta filo parcels, mujver and kasir. Added to this was Sucuk, the spicy sausage which was not a hit with MGG but at least she tried. We did love Icli Kofte, a very different use of bulgur wheat.

But it wasn’t just the food that I loved. It was that all I could really hear was the buzz of happy eating. Not the sounds of central London. I’d really recommend getting in there and having an explore. I thought the menus at The Little Square and Le Boudin Blanc both sounded really good, and there were some good set lunch options.

Icli Kofte

Every city tends to have a hidden gem or two of an area, or even just a gem of restaurant that’s just that one or two turnings off the main drag, two minutes from Costa or Starbucks. From my years living in Bristol, I practically lived in the Primrose Cafe, right down the end of Boyces Avenue. I’ve not been for years, but looking at their website, the food still sounds great. Although bring your own seems to have disappeared now! It’s a great choice if you can’t get into the nearby, often featured, Albion.

In Bath, keep heading uphill, but veer away from the Royal Crescent and try Same Same But Different. Up a little side street, this is like the Primrose, in that it’s a cafe that transforms into a restaurant. A good mix of cuisines but with a Spanish slant. Great wine list too!

So, even if you think you really know an area, it’s worth tracking down somewhere a little different. And with the Internet nothing is hidden for too long! And if you do a lot of travelling on the motorway, then I really do recommend having a copy of Breaks Near the Motorwayor something similar. You’ll be amazed what’s just round the corner from the Moto!

Happy hunting!

Chuck a tom today

Oh yes, today you could throw tomatoes with impunity, in the right place. First held in 1932 La Tomatina Tomato Throwing Festival takes place today, so I would think your chances of attending are a little slim. If you want to get sorted for next year, it’s the last Wednesday in August.

You could cook up a great tomato sauce to celebrate. like Jamie’s really quick tomato sauce. There are gluts of veg going around, so if you don’t have your own toms, then I bet someone around you does!

But if you want to head to Spain, and see if they’ve got rid of the tomato stains, then you need to head for Valencia, as it’s the nearest place to Buñol. Valencia is one of those places that doesn’t seem to really be on the UK tourist trail for Spain, which is shame as it’s a great looking city, and the third biggest after Madrid and Barcelona.

Which means it’s going to have some decent restaurants. Ca Sento is currently reckoned to be the best on offer, a mother and son combination that delivers traditional and modern dishes from the region. This is one of Spain’s top restaurants, so you’re going to need to book. No word on what they do with tomatoes though.

If I was heading somewhere in Spain I didn’t know, then my first choice for hotel and first night eating would probably be the local Parador. If we had government run hotels here, I think we can all take a guess what they might be like. Paradors, on the other hand, have combinations of great accommodation and great cooking, based on the locality and what’s in season.

The Parador near Valencia is a modern one, so you’re not staying here for what it looks like, but the location looks amazing, with it being on the coast. They make paella, as well as other rice dishes from the area, and you can always work it off, gently, on the golf course. Or relax in it’s spa whilst you recount the calories!

You could tour the Parador’s and indulge in amazing buildings and great food around the whole country. We did this on our honeymoon, and I can highly recommend heading to Leon, Sos Del Rey Catolico, and Olite. All of these are beautiful buildings, they are connected to great wine regions (particularly loved Olite in the Navarra region for the wine selection from Ochoa at dinner).

So, if you need a special trip without going to the ends of the earth, then look to Spain, but not the usual suspects! Then look forward to ham, more ham, sherry, tapas, churros, late nights and great eating. Nothing at all like La Tasca!

Photo by Dahon