Last Christmas, a chef I regularly work with admitted he hates homemade gifts. Needless to say, I was aghast; who doesn’t love a homemade edible gift?! Perhaps he has been scarred by endless jars of hedgerow jams and allotment veg chutney over the years (although I’m not sure I could ever get sick of homemade chutney, especially if it is one of Chetna Makan’s recipes). This chef is a dear friend, so I have done what any good friend would do and, ever since, have given him a homemade gift each time I’ve given him a present. It got me thinking about edible gifts, what constitutes a good one and why I love them so much.
I’ll start with a disclaimer: I adore Christmas. I’m talking light-up earrings, carols around the village Christmas tree and Felicity Cloake’s mulled wine on repeat – I love it all. However, I do get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that appears at this time of year. Do we need more stuff? Family and friends will ask me: “What do you want? What do you need?” There is, in fact, very little that I need, and what I actually want is the recipe for your infamous chocolate cake or your granny’s recipe for her slow-cooked ragu. (Clearly I’m not the only one, given the success of online sensation Pasta Grannies.) Or perhaps a bottle of that premixed margarita you made last time I visited your house. To be honest, you could bottle up any of these pitcher-style cocktails and I’d be thrilled. I love it all.
One of the standout gifts I received last year was a box of biscuits made by a friend and her 80-year-old father, who was a well-known baker within the Cypriot community in the 1980s. And this is something I still do with my grandma. One of my favourite times of the festive season is when we make mounds of kourabiedes, melomakarona and other Greek bakes (just like these koulourakia or tahinobiskoto) with her, to give as gifts. They’re delicious – plus, I get to bake with my grandma.
What if you don’t have your own traditions for edible gifts yet? In this Saturday’s Feast magazine and on the site you’ll find plenty of showstopping recipes that are perfect for gifting. If you are going to a friend’s for festive drinks, then keep an eye out for Mark Diacono’s shrubs and cordials. And if you’re staying at someone’s house and want to give them a little treat, be sure to take Tamal Ray’s croissant butter with you for breakfast the next day.
So, while there are a few bah humbug people out in the world (like my chef friend, who I shan’t name and shame), I bet most people would be thrilled to receive a homemade present. Because, surely, what is better than the gift of someone’s love and time, especially when it tastes so darn delicious?
My week in food
Kale safe | I recently hosted a charity supper club with my friend Ravinder Bhogal, where we raised almost £10,000 for three important baby-loss charities. One of the dishes we served was Ravinder’s crispy kale chaat. Kale leaves dipped in a spiced batter and deep fried, then served with cooling yoghurt, sweet and sour chaat dressing and crispy toppings. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. It’s on the menu at her restaurant Jikoni in London, and she includes the recipe in her book Comfort and Joy.
Seasonal scent | Bergamot may not be “new” but it is in season. I love to turn this deeply fragrant citrus fruit into a liqueur (a bit like a limoncello) and use it to make homemade loukoumia, or turkish delight. Both are fantastic for gifting, by the way.
What I’m watching | I have only just started watching Martha, the food documentary du jour. And, oh boy, it is fabulous. The Netflix documentary is all about the rise (and fall and rise) of the American homemaking billionaire Martha Stewart. It covers everything – her marriage, her legal woes, misogyny, affairs … I’m already excited to curl up on the sofa this evening and finish it. With a slice of perfectly made pumpkin pie, or something else as distinctly American as the lady herself.
This is an extract from our weekly Feast newsletter, written by Georgina, Yotam Ottolenghi, Meera Sodha, Rachel Roddy, Felicity Cloake and others. Sign up here to get it free to your inbox every Thursday.
