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Channelling Juliette, hoping for Mr Depp

Today is Juliette Binoche’s birthday, who I think is the most amazing actress. I also think she’s incredibly stylish, not to mention the fact she has that French flair of being comfortable in her own skin, and seems to have avoided the lure of the plastic surgeon.

My favourite, favourite film of hers is Chocolat, probably for many obvious reasons. And then of course there’s the chocolate. And Johnny Depp wasn’t bad either.

You could decamp to France, with the film mostly being filmed in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in Burgundy. As you’d see in the film, it’s a beautiful medieval fortified town, but also turns out to be pretty quiet and still off the tourist trail. Although it is famous for its aniseed balls, which is a little different to chocolate I guess. I can’t find any hotels in the town, but Le Verger sous les Vignes is only a couple of miles away, and the reviews describe it as a hidden gem. If you want to go a bit more upscale, then the Chateau Les Roches sounds great, with some good cooking at a weekend.

There doesn’t seem to be a huge number of restaurants listed in Flavigny itself. Le Relais de Flavignyhas a decent enough menu, with one of my favourites, foie gras with pain d’epices. It is a beautiful part of the world though, and even though there may not be great dining here, a trip to the area would reveal great epicurean delights. I love Alastair Sawday’s books, and would expect that when Go Slow France comes out in April there will be some good recommendations for this area.

There were some fabulous food scenes in the film, with chocolate being used in so many different ways, not just the obvious sweet ones. I’m a big fan of Willie’s cacao, and the savoury recipes in his book are interesting, and always cause a stir when you tell dinner guests what they are getting. So I think I’m going to channel her (I have a new frock from Jigsaw that makes me think of her) and create a chocolate feast. Just as soon as half my friends have stopped giving things up for Lent.

Not that that stopped her character!

I love being a mum, and I love my food. Which probably makes me easy to buy for on Mother’s Day. And it has meant that Dr T has never fallen into the trap of Olay and L’Oreal Mother’s Day advertising (trust me, she’s worth so much more, and no mum wants anti-wrinkle cream. Ever).

Here’s some ideas for gifts for the food and drink loving mum, to show her just how worth it she is!

Fabulous chocolates from Rococo

* There’s got to be fizz, and make it interesting. TheDrinkShop has a great selection, in every shade and to suit every budget, and if you’re going to be super generous then check out Wine Hound. You have to buy a whole case, but could mix wine and champagne, and they have some from more unusual houses in Champagne. And even if mum doesn’t do alcohol, The Alcohol Free Shop offers some very good alternatives.

* Of course chocolates are traditional, but they don’t have to be old-fashioned. I love the packaging and unusual flavour combinations from Rococo, like the dark chocolate and violet. I adore the fabulously vibrant packaging from Prestat, a long established house with anything but an old fashioned look and feel to it. Have a look at the Marc de Champagne Truffle Collection. Want to go swanky? Check out Melt, which I would say was perfect true foodie territory. How about salted feuillantines or olive caramel bon bons?

* Mum got a savoury tooth, not sweet? How about a cheese gift from Pong? There is a luxury gift box for her, which is the sort of thing I normally avoid, but this is a great collection. Mum can feast on St Eadburgha, Reblochon, organic Cotswold Blue Brie from Simon Weaver and Golden Cross. Add in some fabulous crackers and maybe even some good chutney, and that’s supper sorted out on Mother’s Day!

* For green fingered, grow your own mums, how about a fruit tree? Tree 2 My Door offer some great self-pollinating ones, from apples, to something more unusual like mulberry. Or maybe treat her to something to inspire her growing, like tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show.

So, break out a bit from the norm and make mum’s day!

More to Wales than...

So here we are, 1st March, St David’s Day already. Some of you may know this is a part ex-pat household, with Dr T being my own Welsh dragon, and I have a great many friends over that particular border. And if you haven’t discovered the great foodie things coming out of Wales, then you’ve so been missing out! Here’s my top choices of things you should be discovering:

1. Adra is my favourite source of gifts for the ex pat Welsh friends, whether or not they speak the language. There is a great pride in having things around the kitchen with Welsh words on them. For the cook of the house, perhaps the enamel sign “Cogydd ar Waith“, or for the breadmaker, or eater, the Bara bin. And, of course, who could disagree with the sentiment “does dim i drechu paned“?

2. If you want a bit of a treat at breakfast time, or afternoon tea, then try Angharad’s Anglesey Blackberry & Sloe Gin Conserve. Made from wild fruit from Anglesey, this will definitely perk up a cream tea! Very attractive looking, and there are some other great flavours on offer too. And if you’re shopping on the site, you best try their butter and Bara Brith as well.

3. Give yourself a beef treat with a great piece of Welsh Black Beef from Beef Direct. Deservedly one of Rick Stein’s food heroes, you may well come across these guys at one of the farmer’s markets in the area, or you can order online for next day delivery. Hung on the bone for 3 weeks for maximum taste and tenderness, and delivered fresh not pre frozen, you won’t be disappointed. Perfect for dinner parties if you want a big joint, drop them an email and let them know exactly what you need.

4. I couldn’t possibly mention Welsh food, without mentioning Gower Cottage Brownies. Kate Jenkins is busy rustling up great brownies, and these make a great sweet treat, and a great foodie gift. There are versions with and without walnuts or hazelnuts, and also dairy or gluten free versions, so truly something for everyone. It would appear from her tweets that Kate keeps half the rugby team in brownies. Draw your own conclusions, based on their current performance!

5. I am a bit of a cheese fan (understatement) and there are some great cheeses being produced in Wales. The Snowdonia Cheese Company make some great tasting, and looking ones, like Black Bomber the extra mature cheddar with the tough guy black jacket, or if you want something smokey, then try the oak smoked Celtic Promise made in West Wales. If it’s the blue stuff that takes your fancy, then try Perl Las Blue.

6. As far as Dr T is concerned, there is only one drink worth having out of Wales, but there are also a surprising number of vineyards. The oldest established one is Glyndwr, from all the way back in 1982, and not only is the produce delightful, but they do great bed and breakfast too. Although whether waking up the morning after our wedding surrounded by wine was a great idea for our guests I am not sure! Try the mixed case as a great introduction to what they are doing.

So, more to Welsh food than Welsh cakes and Bara Brith! There are such a great variety of fabulous food festivals in Wales that you have no excuse for not exploring the Welsh food scene. If you need breaking in gently, get the train to Cardiff (big city, other end of the M4 to London), book into Jolyons to sleep and start with dinner at Le Gallois. That should see off a few misconceptions!

Fabulous photograph by zoonabar over on Flickr.

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One of my faves!

You may have picked up that today is Cakes for Haiti day, and hopefully you’ve been busy knocking up something delicious! I’ve done blondies and hummingbird muffins, which are new to me. Dr T suggested I could have done all cakes or biscuits beginning with h, but that would be taking it a tad too far for me!

So if you need some inspiration for a last minute cake sale, or for a more leisurely bake, then these are the ones I either work from regularly, or wish I had on the shelf.

1. Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache – I know I’m boring, I’ve written about this book several times since I bought it, but I love it. I particularly love it for a) fabulous tasting cakes b) getting veg into things I know kids will eat and c) giving me some new ideas on what to do with the annual courgette glut. Courgette and coconut cake is the way to go, and I adore the Chocolate Beetroot Brownie.

2. Sky High – I am a big fan of the He Eats blog, and regularly have cake envy. Ed regularly bakes from the Sky High book, and they always look fantastic, which is down to his skill. But I so want to have a go. So this is one my wish list!

3. Cake Chic- these are very posh looking cakes from Peggy Porschen, that would be the sort of things I would want to make for a girls get-together. They are not the sort you would knock up in a quick afternoon baking session, but definitely worth it for a big occasion. One to work up to I think, but worth the effort.

4. How to Be a Domestic Goddess – I sort of hesitate to mention this one, as I am sure so many people have this, but it is a book I come back to again and again for baking inspiration. It’s particularly good for baking with kids, or for recipes that you remember from way back but have forgotten how to do.

5. Exceptional Cakes - if you spot a branch of Baker & Spice then worth stopping by for great cakes. If you want to recreate it at home, then this is the book for you. It covers everything you could wish to bake from cakes to muffins, biscuits to doughnuts and meringues. Which should keep everyone happy for at least one round of afternoon tea!

So, whether you bake for Haiti, or just for the joy of it, these would give you some ideas. No matter how depressing a day is, homemade cakes make everything seem just a little bit better!

Just a quick post on online retailers of good foodie stuff with good offers, in case you need a gift but with some cash left for day to day eating! Here goes:

Kissing Birds Free Gift from Thorntons

1. Thorntons have a free gift on offer for orders over £15 between now and the 14th, so a great one for the one for them, one for you principle. The free gift is the Kissing Birds, which is cute looking, and possibly tasty. I really like the chocolate blocks they have done, colourful and tasty. Enter code THKS at checkout to qualify.

2. I love how Majestic announce their offers: 25% off South Africa. Apparently it does just mean the wines! Great saving though when you buy two bottles. Possibly champagne discounts will follow next week if Valentine’s Day sales aren’t as good as they were hoping!

3. I do like my coffee, but good coffee. If you’ve got a caffeine freak, then how about joining them up to the Coffee Tasting Club from Coffee Cavern. It’s now available for £22.50 for 3 months, rather than £30, for which they will send 4 different coffees every month from single estates and co-operatives, along with tasting notes. A perfect pick you up gift.

4. Natoora is a great source for continental goodies from Italy and France amongst others. If you need to plan a big shop, then right now they are offering £20 off when you spend £80. The offer runs until 28 February, and you just need code HT785KE at checkout. Not sure I know where to start, but I would certainly be looking at their interesting wine and beer selection, and some San Daniele ham for sure.

5. There can never be enough fabulous chocolate in a home, and Chocolate Trading Co is a great source for finding great stuff. Just to ease some of the guilt, there is 10% off everything at the moment with code love, and it’s valid through till the end of this month. Deep joy!

6. If it’s too cold, or there’s still snow, then stay warm and safe and shop at the Virtual Farmers Market. Great selection of all kinds of producers from around the UK, and for all of February delivery is completely free, so got to be worth a go. And worth staying in for! Check out goodies from Gower Cottage Brownies, South Devon Chilli Farm and Upton Smokery amongst many other tasty choices!

Six great choices of places to shop, six great discounts. Happy shopping/cooking/eating!

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I think most places around the country are about to start half term (I know, it seems like they just went back). There is good news, roads will generally be quieter. But homes with kids may not be! So this is a perfect opportunity to get kids in the kitchen and get them busy cooking up a storm. There is no better way to get them involved with food than getting them involved in it’s preparation.

So, this post is a bit of a collaboration between me and Mini Gourmet Girl, as MGG has acquired a number of cookbooks over her 8 years (can’t think where she gets that habit from) and she has some favourites, as do I, for really getting stuck in in the kitchen. Here goes:

The Usborne Cookbook for Children

1. The Usborne Cookbook for Children - this is MGG’s favourite, and you can regularly find her poring over it before coming to tell me what she wants to cook. There’s a good mix of savoury and sweet dishes, both hot and cold, and every step is well-illustrated. There are even useful chef’s tips, like how to make olives less salty, and covers everything from basics like rice and bread through to a very scrummy chocolate cake.

Kids' Kitchen

2. Kids’ Kitchen by Fiona Bird – we’ve been playing with this one recently, as Fiona and her publishers kindly sent us a copy. I like the format: individual wipe clean recipe cards, plus some how to cards as well. The colour coding helps them work through all the five major food groups of the Government’s healthy eating initiatives, covering fruit to grains, veg to oils. The steps are clearly written and easy to follow, and the results have so far been delicious. And all the kids I’ve had in the kitchen have loved having their own card to work from and I love being able to wipe them down! I think this is an innovative and interesting approach to kids cookbooks, and worth a look.

3. The River Cottage Family Cookbook – I think this is probably my favourite book for cooking with MGG. I love the explanations of the basics of cooking, of helping kids to understand why things work and how. MGG loves the Victoria Sponge recipe, where you weigh your eggs and match everything else up. This is probably a great book for sevens and over, and will probably be a book they dip in and out of for years.

Family Food

4. Family Food: A New Approach to Cooking by Heston Blumenthal- this one must be for the molecular gastronomes of the future! Actually, it’s a lot less  contrived than you might think, but will still appeal to the slightly more geeky cook. We have cooked less from this one, but MGG has enjoyed doing things like making cartouches for sauces and things. It’s worth having just to marvel that this is the first cookbook that Heston wrote, as I don’t think many of us would have thought that family cooking would have been where his writing started out.

5. The Gastrokid Cookbook: Feeding a Foodie Family in a Fast-Food World- this is a great all round book, both for cooking with, and for, kids to help expand their food horizons. The recipes are tasty, quick to put together and guaranteed to generate clean plates all round! I also lover their courgette hummus for being antoher way to get rid of the courgette glut at the end of the summer!

I honestly don’t think it matters much what you cook with kids, as long as you keep it fairly simple and quick, as they tend not to have great attention spans. Small cakes always work well for me as you get two bites of activity: one to make them and one to decorate them! Go on, go mad with the sprinkles! Don’t rely in your local Sainsbury’s, order now from somewhere like Splat or Cupcake Style. Of course they’ll be on sugar overload, but isn’t that what holidays are for?

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Just having a quick virtual browse round to see what’s new for Spring for the foodies, and here’s just a few of the things that have caught my eye:

Gluten free fishcakes

* From The Fish Society, a tasty treat for those needing a gluten free diet. Norcakes are fishcakes from Norway that have seen neither potato (so you get more fish) or a breadcrumb (so you get no gluten). Great sounding flavours, either Pollock & Lemongrass or Salmon & Dill. Perfect standby comfort food for me.

* I love TheDrinkShop.com, it’s such a great source of such a huge variety of different drinks, the stuff you don’t necessarily see in the supermarket. They’ve just listed SW4 Dry Gin, which I have yet to see on sale round here, or make it into my glass, but it sounds great. And I’m intrigued by the Bitter Truth Pimento Dram, which is pimento and rum. Could make for an interesting evening!

Light my Fire, with chocolate

* Always a sucker for chocolate, I like the cheeky bars that Jamie Oliver is doing, which include Light My Fire (dark chocolate with mandarin and ginger) and Get Fresh (dark chocolate with a hint of mint). The flavours are nothing new, but the chocolate is 72% cocoa solids, as well as organic and fairtrade, so on top of that to have great looking packaging is a real positive. Cheer someone’s day up, any day, with one of these.

* I know this won’t tick the local box, but it is seasonal. Natoora have Wild Pink Radicchio in from Verona, which they say is very nice grilled, and I would be tempted to try it in risotto, having made one before with “normal” radicchio. I am expecting this to be slightly less bitter than the red version.

* The Eden Project is one of my favourite places, but it’s a bit of a drive from here in the East Midlands. Pleased to see their online shop suddenly looking really snazzy and interesting with some great things on it. For the foodies, then there is the Olive Lovers Gift, which has an olive sapling, and a jar of their own marinated olives. This is going to be one of those taste good, do good gifts, going to support the ongoing work at the Project. They’ve got some great chicken houses too, if keeping your own is on your to do list this year.

So just a few new things that have caught my eye, that I’ll be storing away as ideas for great gift ideas for someone, at some stage, this Spring. What’s caught your eye? I’d love to know.

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Chocolate has had a reputation as an aphrodisiac all the way back to at least Montezuma, if not further, so it seems only appropriate that there is a lot of the stuff being given at Valentine’s Day. For those that a half pound box from Tesco is going to leave you very much out in the cold, here are some romantic and yet incredibly tasty choices.