Christmas Gifts For The Five Senses No 4 - Sound & Taste!

 

Christmas Gifts For The Five Senses No 4 - Sound & Taste! A Very Merry Morning To All! I hope that you are feeling perky and ready to embrace the fact that it is December once more! Honestly, where does the time go? Well, I got my wish (my fairy godmother has been working overtime of late!), and on Monday we awoke to the 'light dusting of snow' that I had requested! And, just as I thought that this village couldn't get any lovelier, it did! We had a very indulgent Sunday afternoon and watched 'The Holiday', one of my favourite Christmassy movies, and by Monday morning it looked like we on the film set! I took a few snaps - pretty, isn't it?! The South Downs Amberley Castle St Michael's A Neighbour's Cottage I have never felt like such a 'townie' in my entire life. It's a different world in the countryside, with such a lot to master and get used to. Our log burner is beautiful (see picture) and we now have a log basket (which gives me an enormous amount of pleasure - I try not to 'style' the logs!). My first attempt at a fire smouldered for about 3 hrs but did little else, however I have now mastered it and discovered logs made from sawdust which light quickly (thank you to Caroline at Amberley Pottery, who is giving me a crash course in country life!). I am used to turning the heating on, but our village is not on the gas main so we are getting used to trudging into the garden to check if we have run out of fuel, and when we have, it is delivered in enormous bottles by two big lads with a wheelbarrow! Planning one's meals is another thing - in London, we decided what to cook each morning, but here one needs a good-sized freezer and a plan or action if one is to avoid a lot of driving. There isn't a takeaway that will deliver to us - which is probably a very good thing!  The compensations are manifold. No planes waking one a dawn, no light pollution, so the stars shine bright and sleep comes more easily. The air is clean and sweet, the views continue to mesmerise and the silence at night (no police sirens!) is wonderful. And the people - anywhere that one lays one's hat, it is always about the people and they don't get any better than the good folk of Amberley. This week there was a Christmas tasting at the village shop, the unveiling of several Christmas windows with nibbles and wine and there are a whole heap of festive activities to come. I am so sad that I will be absent on Christmas Eve, as we have a procession passing our house on the way to St Michael's Church to build the nativity, with three kings and shepherds with real sheep! You see - I'm such a townie, I am still excited by the sheep! On Wednesday I returned to London to attend the book launch that I mentioned last week (smashing!) and it was wonderful to see East Dulwich, the store and customers again. Well of course there has been a change since my departure and I can't see their faces any longer - just the eyes(!) - but that is  much better than being closed! And so we do what we do best, we get on with it, because we now know what the alternative looks like! Leaving my new home and the Good Doctor quite so soon has been difficult, but we have so much to look forward to and December is a very important time for retailers - our make-or-break month really - so one must keep one's hands firmly on the wheel!  I have dashed back to Sussex for 48 hrs as we want to buy our tree today and decorate it. The jury is still out on the choice. When Lawrence and I first bought trees we were young and idealistic, so always purchased a 'living' Christmas tree in a pot, which we used to carry over to his parents and implore them to plant in their garden after the festivities! Eventually, their suburban plot resembled 'The Highlands' and they quite understandably drew a line! So, we switched to artificial trees which Lawrence themed each year. Green with tartan bows was a favourite, there was the 'Chanel Christmas' with hundreds of different ribbons of black and white (I still have that one at the French House), we had a very gothic (and slightly unnerving) black Christmas tree, and, on one particularly exuberant yule, a 'Barbie' combo of white tree garlanded with feather boas! I was never allowed to contribute, and consequently haven't had much practice so I do like to experiment. I have tried to encourage the GD to embrace the dressing of the tree without much success, but I live in hope and think that maybe this year, as we have our first home, that may change. Then again, one should be careful what one wishes for - medics have a very particular sense of humour! Shop Now - Cocktail Set - Stainless Steel - 3 Piece - £32.00 Shop Now - Matte Gold Cocktail Shaker - £18.50 And so we come to the last of the five senses - Sound & Taste.  When I came to write, it really got me thinking about the sounds that I love. Not just the obvious (music, church bells and laughter), but those little, familiar noises that we hear every day and could identify blindfold.  I thought that is where I would begin. The sound of a cocktail being mixed is always exciting and glamorous wherever one is. The slight rattle of the shaker, the crushed iced and the swish of the liquor is celebratory and so rather perfect for inclusion here. We stock the perfect cocktail gift set, with shaker, sieve and jigger, plus a very good little booklet of recipes. Alternatively, for the glamour addicts, we have the ultimate matte Gold Shaker to add a touch of  Hollywood Regency to the proceedings! Shop Now - Garland Etched Champagne Coupe - £12.00 And then there is the distinctive clink of glasses brought together in a toast, perhaps the most celebratory sound of all. Now more than ever before, we must toast our nearest and dearest, for without them the world is grey. My choice this year is our garlanded coupe - large enough for a decent splash of Champers and glamorous to boot. Cheers! Shop Now - Brushed Steel Ice Bucket With Tongs - £34.00 The plink/fizz sound of ice cubes heading into a G&T is absolute music to the ear and our ice-bucket, replete with matching tongs, is the perfect bar accessory. Ice tongs are absolutely essential to any decent host - fingers or spoons are simply unacceptable! Shop Now - Pestle & Mortar - Marble - 20cm - £45.00 Shop Now - Striped Marble - Pestle & Mortar - £28.50 The sound of spices being ground in a pestle and mortar is joyful too. It speaks to the ritualistic side of cooking - the craft of it, the hand-made, the love that goes into the preparation of flavours. I have two; a giant one for herbs and a small one for spices. The large one is the black marble featured above - it is a thing of beauty (I display on the dresser) and works a treat! And our striped marble rather speaks for itself! Shop Now - Parole Boards - From £17.00 Is there anything as lovely as the sound of a fresh loaf being sliced? And I am delighted that the boys have come through for us once again and our 'Parole Boards' are back with us in time for the big day. As most of you will know, we carry a collection of chopping/carving boards made for us in HM Prisons by men being taught a skill before they leave (see details here). This is a project very close to my heart, for not only are these boards beautifully (hand)made in English oak and a pleasure to use, but every purchase will help someone to move forward with a stronger sense of purpose and confidence - and if that's not a Christmas message, I don't know what is! Shop Now - Salt or Pepper Grinder - £9.00 The sound of a salt/pepper grinder is unmistakable! For me, it has links to childhood and early memories of Italian restaurants (which seemed to be the spiritual home of the condiment!), with waiters brandishing enormous grinders in bold colours! While I love colours, I am not convinced that size is of any benefit, and so our grinders are petit perfection in a choice of navy, grey, white or red.   Shop Now - Rustic Spanish Garlic Jar With Lid - £14.99 And last but not least we have... 'Taste' !  What would life be without garlic? We use it almost every day at home to add that delicious, unmistakable, slightly nutty taste to almost everything that we cook. I was told, when learning to cook in Rome, that one shouldn't keep garlic in the refrigerator. I have found that various European cultures have strong opinions about cooking/eating chilled food - the French think you are crazy if to refrigerate cheese,  for Italians, it's tomatoes and I know some British chefs who attest that eggs should always be at room temperature. I do tend to listen and learn from great cooks and so I don't keep our garlic in the fridge - but then where does one keep it! I own a very small garlic pot that will hold one small clove, but frankly we get through that in less than a week so this is impractical. Enter these handmade, Spanish beauties, which will accommodate at least five, large cloves - my quest is at an end! Great colours too. My sister has discovered recently that she has a severe dairy intolerance. She has stopped eating it and her asthma has gone and her eczema is one hundred times better. We went to lunch on Sunday and she was telling me how happy and healthy she feels - that is until I selfishly ordered the cheese plate for pudding! She gazed at it wistfully and said that cheese was the only thing that she really misses. Not butter, biscuits, cakes or the thousands of other foods that contain dairy - just... CHEESE. Shop Now - Cheese Accessories - From £7.95 I have to say that I am in agreement. Our diet is almost completely vegan now, apart from this one indulgence, but my addiction is getting worse. I adore cheese and almost inhale it. For others like me, I would suggest that there is no better gift than cheese accessories. The cool, marble boards that stop the fromage from breaking a sweat in the summer or our fantastic handmade cheese boards that have been edged in gorgeous pastels hues of sky, primrose or mint and cut into cheese -shaped segments! Cheese knives in copper of gold or, finally, the perfect cheese-slice; the mark of a true devotee! Shop Now - Dual Oil & Vinegar Cruet Bottle - £11.00 I have had a great deal of gifting success with our oil & vinegar cruet. Beautifully designed, this 2 in 1 bottle gracefully adorns any work surface or dining table and adds a world of flavour to an Italian-themed, dining experience. Ideal for storing and serving both oil and vinegar for salads, bread and antipasti, the bottle features two individual pouring spouts with cork stoppers. Shop Now - Roast Dinner Kit - £22.00 And finally, our Christmas Roast and Vegan Roast Boxes with spice/herb rubs. Who could possibly resist 'Brussel Sprout Dust', 'Roast Turky Rub' or 'Pigs In Blankets Dust'? This is gourmand food, quite literally at/on one's fingertips! Great gifting for foodies, as this is fine dining without the hassle! Now, I must away to source the spruce (I appear to have gone into Panto mode - must be the season!) and I shall let you know the final decision next week. We shall probably err on the side of something classic, as our tiny house responds best to simplicity, plus I think it best to save the more outré creations for when the villagers know us a little better! One only has one shot at a first impression!  I wish you all a lovely weekend and lots of fun with the Christmas shopping!  Until next time, Michaelx