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View Full Version : Foody Christmas pressies???


gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 02:48 PM
Right, as a bit of a money saving thing this year, to bump up the normal pressies, I was thinking of buying and sterilising a load of jars and making up gifts of rosemary salt, lemon & Thyme salt, BBQ seasonings, Flavoured oils, Preserved Lemons etc.

I would put them in the jars, make up some brown paper labels and prettyfy them country style .

If you got something like this as well as a normal pressie, would you be happy with it or think it was a cop out and prefer more bought pressies???

Luckypants
03-12-09, 02:53 PM
I was given some green tomato chutney by a mate last year, that he had made himself. I thought it was a bit ghey, but appreciated the thought and effort that went into it.

Sally
03-12-09, 02:55 PM
Always something home-made shows you put some effort into it. :)

BBQ sauces for xmas? :)
Yes please? :p I love food :D

Tara
03-12-09, 02:57 PM
i think its a great idea i got some home made chocolate cakes for my birthday and they were yummy go for it

gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 03:01 PM
Cool...I was thinking of things for each person that I know are hard to buy, like preserved lemons for Dans sister as she likes using the tagine my mum bought her last year. She loves things like that and they, the flavoured salts, flavoured oils etc will last for 12 months +.

454697819
03-12-09, 04:01 PM
providing its relevant enough they can use it go for it.

Ed
03-12-09, 04:04 PM
I think that personalised gifts are a lot nicer. I'd love some preserved lemons;)

Rai86
03-12-09, 04:10 PM
I think foody stuff is great. I made truffles for my sisters last year...they seem to like them and didnt dies of food poisoning :D Bargin

gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 04:15 PM
I think that personalised gifts are a lot nicer. I'd love some preserved lemons;)

Want me to make you some? I don't mind x

Milky Bar Kid
03-12-09, 05:48 PM
Tard question here but what is a preserved lemon???

gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 06:01 PM
Tard question here but what is a preserved lemon???

Used a lot in Morrocan/North African cooking and recipes from that part of the world.
They are Lemons that are split, packed with sea salt and herbs and preserved in jars with the salt, packed down. You let them mature for a few weeks and they are ready to use and will last ages.

Can be chopped and used in Cous Cous, can be used in tagines like this...

Can't find the picture now, but I do a chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons.....cooks for about an hour and served with cous cous.

If you haven't got preserved lemons, you can cheat and slice a fresh lemon, then heat a littl salt, sugar and water in a pan and cook the slices gently until they soften and start to break down.

cF^
03-12-09, 06:08 PM
Nowt wrong with giving out home made pressies I think! If you can't appreciate the effort put in then you're an ungrateful sod.
This year I'm giving some of my friends a bottle of my mead that I've been brewing. :drunken:

Milky Bar Kid
03-12-09, 06:14 PM
Used a lot in Morrocan/North African cooking and recipes from that part of the world.
They are Lemons that are split, packed with sea salt and herbs and preserved in jars with the salt, packed down. You let them mature for a few weeks and they are ready to use and will last ages.

Can be chopped and used in Cous Cous, can be used in tagines like this...

Can't find the picture now, but I do a chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons.....cooks for about an hour and served with cous cous.

If you haven't got preserved lemons, you can cheat and slice a fresh lemon, then heat a littl salt, sugar and water in a pan and cook the slices gently until they soften and start to break down.


Hmm, never eaten anything like that before I suppose. Sounds ok though.

gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 06:18 PM
Hmm, never eaten anything like that before I suppose. Sounds ok though.

Tagines can be really right or really wrong if they are not done properly, but are very easy and the tastes are wonderful. I'll do either the Chicken and Preserved Lemon with Olives Tagine or a Lamb Tagine for you next time you're down.......and yes, I can use beef instead of lamb if you'd like me to ;)

gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 06:19 PM
Nowt wrong with giving out home made pressies I think! If you can't appreciate the effort put in then you're an ungrateful sod.
This year I'm giving some of my friends a bottle of my mead that I've been brewing. :drunken:


Cool. Dans sister Rach has made a lot of her own beverages.....usually highly alcoholic...lol.

Milky Bar Kid
03-12-09, 06:23 PM
Tagines can be really right or really wrong if they are not done properly, but are very easy and the tastes are wonderful. I'll do either the Chicken and Preserved Lemon with Olives Tagine or a Lamb Tagine for you next time you're down.......and yes, I can use beef instead of lamb if you'd like me to ;)

YAY! I was just about to shout at you that I didn't like lamb! lol!

dizzyblonde
03-12-09, 06:24 PM
mmmm the memories of me gran making enough homemade jam for the 5000. :-) Every fruit you can grow in an English garden jammed!

Funnliy enough I'm rather partial to Kirsch cherries, something my best can get you pie eyed on, on a visit to her lovely house in France:-)

Spiderman
03-12-09, 06:26 PM
I'd much rather get a pressie made with love and care than some shop bought something.

Bluepete
03-12-09, 06:40 PM
I would hope they like the pressies, after all, some of my lot are getting home grown and pickled chillis, some are getting home meade River Cottage Glutney made with our own tomatos and some are getting my own recipe chilli sauce amongs a few other things.

Home made is the way to go. It shows you are willing to spend time and effort rather than just cash.

Pete ;)

bathwiggle
03-12-09, 08:03 PM
2 of my mothers friends always get brandied cherries each year, bar last year when i didn't have time, and got i got complaints as to where they were.

I think some people prefer them due to the effort.

gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 08:05 PM
Yeah...seems to be a general feeling here that people appreciate the effort. I win both ways, I know the people I'll do it for well enough to know what they'll like and I get to enjoy making it all as well.

Coolio x

Bluepete
03-12-09, 08:06 PM
GG, just get Channel four on. Hugh is making stuff


Pete

gruntygiggles
03-12-09, 08:08 PM
GG, just get Channel four on. Hugh is making stuff


Pete

Can't....Stretchie is watching Death Race...lol

TheOnlyNemesis
03-12-09, 08:45 PM
they do say it'ss the thought that counts and that's a lot of thought

edit:Death race is awesome

dizzyblonde
03-12-09, 08:49 PM
GG, just get Channel four on. Hugh is making stuff


Pete

ewwww i just turned over and hes got fishy fingers making my worst nightmare:(
Rollmops! euuuggh. I have a German background, and they are hiding somewhere on every table in our families houses at xmas.

I certainly wouldn't appreciate a jar of them at xmas Hugh:smt075

Spiderman
03-12-09, 08:49 PM
Can't....Stretchie is watching Death Race...lol

ch4+1...or 4 OD ;)

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 12:12 AM
Nah, missed it, don't really care. He cooks all the kind of foods I know anyway, so not that fussed. I do really like him, but also think he's in his own little world a bit.

5hort5
04-12-09, 12:17 AM
mmm - sounds nice - if you were closer I'd swap you a jar for a jar of my of plum and cinnamon jam or maybe the blackberry and apple :-)

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 12:27 AM
mmm - sounds nice - if you were closer I'd swap you a jar for a jar of my of plum and cinnamon jam or maybe the blackberry and apple :-)


Oooh, plum and cinnamon. Funnily enough, I made a stock for rabbit pie last week out of the carcass and used a cinnamon stick in that, then thinly sliced a plum and added it to the pie to be baked. People sometimes forget that it's only in the west that cinnamon is used as a sweet spice...most cultures use in in savoury dishes and the plum was lovely with the rabbit.

We'll have to organise a swap!

5hort5
04-12-09, 12:33 AM
hehe yep - well tonight some of that jam ended up in a Yellow fin tuna sweet and sour dish with spring onions, ginger, garlic, soy, lemon grass and a few other herbs and spices. mmmm very nice.

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 08:22 AM
hehe yep - well tonight some of that jam ended up in a Yellow fin tuna sweet and sour dish with spring onions, ginger, garlic, soy, lemon grass and a few other herbs and spices. mmmm very nice.


Ha ha, we had stir fry last night...pork fillet, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, soy, szechuan pepper bean sprouts and noodles. Couln't find any veg I liked though so left that out last night....lol. Stertchies taken the last of it to work for lunch. I love the thought of him heating things up in the microwave and the aromas flying around when others are sat with a chicken wrap and bag of crisps...hehehe.

I think tonight I may do my chicken, preserved lemon & olive tagine, so will post pics. It's super juicy chicken and I just do a simple cous cous with a little of the lemon that's come from the cooked tagine, so it's got a smokeyness to it and some fresh coriander.

Milky Bar Kid
04-12-09, 08:25 AM
Ha ha, we had stir fry last night...pork fillet, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, soy, szechuan pepper bean sprouts and noodles. Couln't find any veg I liked though so left that out last night....lol. Stertchies taken the last of it to work for lunch. I love the thought of him heating things up in the microwave and the aromas flying around when others are sat with a chicken wrap and bag of crisps...hehehe.

I think tonight I may do my chicken, preserved lemon & olive tagine, so will post pics. It's super juicy chicken and I just do a simple cous cous with a little of the lemon that's come from the cooked tagine, so it's got a smokeyness to it and some fresh coriander.


That stir fry sounds immense. I may have to make it tonight. If I get home from shopping in time!!

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 08:49 AM
That stir fry sounds immense. I may have to make it tonight. If I get home from shopping in time!!

Cool......I love it. If you get everything ready before you start and have the Wok nice and smoking, it's all done in under 5 mins.

Messie
04-12-09, 08:54 AM
Lots of my family and friends will be getting jars of my preserved pears with ginger or a pot of chilli jelly.
Yum

Amanda M
04-12-09, 08:54 AM
My god I feel hungry now! That tagine sounds delicious. Homemade pressies are the best :cool:

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 08:57 AM
Lots of my family and friends will be getting jars of my preserved pears with ginger or a pot of chilli jelly.
Yum

I wish I could eat pears without suffering for the next two days...lol. They sound lovely...I am a massive fan of ginger.

Messie
04-12-09, 08:58 AM
Oh dear. Didn't know pears could have a bad effect on people :(

I use both fresh and chrystalized ginger in the recipe

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 09:01 AM
I may send out some jars of my Cranberry sauce to the neighbours we are close to aswell just before christmas. Ooooh, maybe even my Ham glaze...I don't mind saying that that one really is special! Last year I had a Ham so big, I had to put it in the stock pot and simmer it for an hour and a half one side, then turn it and do the other side because it was so big. When the glaze is cooking and the Ham is then in the oven, the house smells amazing. I thought it would last at least two weeks last year, but it didn't......everytime I went in the kitchen, someone was cutting slices off...lol

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 09:05 AM
Oh dear. Didn't know pears could have a bad effect on people :(

I use both fresh and chrystalized ginger in the recipe

I love the taste, but they turn my tummy into knots...and Dan. Strange!

I think using both forms in something like that is deffo the way to go. People forget the massive difference in flavour, texture and useability that you can get from different forms of the same ingredient. Yours sounds lovely Sally!

It's like making a fresh curry....coriander seeds in the oil at the beginning, then ground coriander in the paste with the garlic and ginger and fresh coriander to finish all give a different quality, aroma and taste and bring different qualities to the end dish.

Messie
04-12-09, 09:05 AM
What do you put in your ham glaze GG? I usually mix demerera sugar and mustard into marmalade but a new one would make a change.

Be careful with the chilli oil - first lot I made I didn't realise the strength of the chillis. Even the most avid chilli lover couldn't take more than a drop. I swear it seared straight through a pizza!

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 09:16 AM
What do you put in your ham glaze GG? I usually mix demerera sugar and mustard into marmalade but a new one would make a change.

Be careful with the chilli oil - first lot I made I didn't realise the strength of the chillis. Even the most avid chilli lover couldn't take more than a drop. I swear it seared straight through a pizza!


Haha...nah, I think chilli oil for cooking purposes should be a flavour more than a heat ingredient. I like it to be medium heat so deseed the chillis, leaving them whole (well, tops off) so that the oil can be used either to cook with or to finish a plate.

The ham glaze is easy. For a decent sized Ham, use 1 jar redcurrant jelly, about 500mls port, 1 cinnamon stick and 1tsp ground cinnamon, the peel of one orange, 10 whole cloves, 5 cracked green cardamom pods and simmer without a lid until it's a syrup consistency. Take out the bits and pour on your scored and cloved Ham.

I also simmer the Ham in a mix of about 1/2 bottle of good red wine, topped up with water to just cover the ham and cram in around it, an onion (quartered), a few broken cinnamon sticks, a dozen or so cloves, a few carrots, a few sticks of celery, a couple of star anise, an orange cut in half and a dozen or so wole black peppercorns.

It sounds like a lot, but still tastes of Ham...just seems to enhance it a lot and the colour is amazing both when it comes out of the oven and when it's carved.

(I also have pot of the glaze mix, minus the jelly on the hob over christmas and keep it topped up. Simmer it for an hour twice a day and the house just smells like christmas)

lily
04-12-09, 09:27 AM
Cheryl.... There are loads of different ideas for food pressies in the December issue of good food magazine.... when I get home tonight I'll let you know which ones there are and if you want the recpices I'll email them to you

x

Messie
04-12-09, 09:35 AM
The glaze sounds delish - may give it a go. I boil first in much the same way as you.

Know what you mean about the smell of Christmas. I've got some Gluvein mix I use. I do make the wine to drink but also just pour hot water on some for the aroma

Littlepeahead
04-12-09, 09:38 AM
I used preserved lemons in my salmon and asparagus risotto - but Spidey will have to tell you if it worked as he had to eat it. I think home made presents are a great idea. I might make truffles this year. You get covered in chocolate in the process but that's half the fun!

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 09:54 AM
Cheryl.... There are loads of different ideas for food pressies in the December issue of good food magazine.... when I get home tonight I'll let you know which ones there are and if you want the recpices I'll email them to you

x

Thanks Hun....I already have it. I know what I'm going to do for everyone as luckily I know what they like...lol.

The glaze sounds delish - may give it a go. I boil first in much the same way as you.

Know what you mean about the smell of Christmas. I've got some Gluvein mix I use. I do make the wine to drink but also just pour hot water on some for the aroma

Mmmmm, I had to do a ham last week for Thanksgiving next door and it was lovely to have that smell a bit early!

I used preserved lemons in my salmon and asparagus risotto - but Spidey will have to tell you if it worked as he had to eat it. I think home made presents are a great idea. I might make truffles this year. You get covered in chocolate in the process but that's half the fun!


That sounds lovely so I'm sure Spidey will be more than glowing in his praise for it. They work really well with so many things. It's like slow roast garlic, the flavour completely changes and adds something very different to a meal.

Littlepeahead
04-12-09, 10:30 AM
I have asked the Lord's head chef to source me a fillet of beef for Christmas dinner. He said he will. Then sent me a photo of him on the farm hugging a big woolly cow and asking if one of those would do? Now I know meat comes from animals - I'm a farmer's granddaughter - but don't send me a photo of a cute cuddly moo cow then present me with it chopped up for dinner!

gruntygiggles
04-12-09, 10:39 AM
I have asked the Lord's head chef to source me a fillet of beef for Christmas dinner. He said he will. Then sent me a photo of him on the farm hugging a big woolly cow and asking if one of those would do? Now I know meat comes from animals - I'm a farmer's granddaughter - but don't send me a photo of a cute cuddly moo cow then present me with it chopped up for dinner!

Haha, I used to breed pigs and was always a ok with it because they lived til 9-11 months which is a lot longer than most pigs and they had 24/7 free run over 5 acres and a big open barn with fresh straw and good, slow growth feed. It was the most fabulous meat, they were British Lops which is a rare breed. I could never have the heads back from the abbatoir though...I knew them all, so couldn't quite handle that!

Last time I had a whole beef fillet, I cut fillet steaks from the end, used the centre fillet for a beef wellington and then roasted the Chateaubriand for me and my dad.....ate it with a spoon as with the wellington. Proper juicy, melt in the mouth like butter meat. You lucky thing getting one fro Christmas! Chateaubriand is, I think the best cut of meat in the world if it's cooked right. Because it's the thick end of the fillet, it has more fat and good marbling and one chateaubriand will only feed two people as you just can't stop eating it...lol