Ho ho huh? Here’s a bagful of seasonally premature Good Stuff to stuff keep in mind as 2014 rolls onwards to a hopefully very festive end. With many major brands (and those wishing to be so) hosting sneak preview shows every July to highlight what’s on their nice lists for Christmas, it’s a fun if odd time to be on the consumer end of media. Anyway, I’m never one to turn down an invite to a party – even if I’m not sure if it’s half a month early or late. So, deck the hall and all that jazz as I share some of the more notable Yuletide prospects I came across this past month. Enjoy.
Everybody’s favourite local Italian has all sorts of yum lined up for your December delights including an age old Christmas tradition in Napoli new to the Carluccio’s Christmas range: struffoli, pieces of deep fried dough tossed in honey and dusted with hundreds and thousands and candied peel. Also, while at the Carluccio’s preview I had a really delicious pear and ricotta ice cream that did wonders for taking the edge off the summer heat and suggesting winter treats to come.
Affordable homewares brand Dunelm is to feature plenty of winter wonders this year. I like its sleeping fox throw pillow as a gift idea – especially with its sly recommended retail price of £5.
Come December, be sure to drop by La Maison du Chocolate (there’s a shop on Piccadilly and concessions at Harrods and Selfridges) to have a look at its Tree of Wonder – a limited edition Christmas tree comprised of 25 finely crafted dark chocolate disks, 130 dark chocolate “pine cones”, ten drop-shaped ornaments in dark or blonde chocolate with mendiant nuts (almonds from Valencia, enrobed almonds, Peidmont hazelnuts, pecans, Sicilian pistachios, and pine nuts), dark chocolate beads, gold leaf and gold threads. Priced at £700 such choco-tecture might be a bit rich for many shoppers to contemplate actually purchasing. However, the tree’s handmade Christmas ornaments sold separately for about £25 might prove more accessible indulgences.
For the first time ever, Valrhona has worked with 12 of London’s best pastry chefs to launch a dozen limited edition Buches de Noel for Christmas. Chefs include Luke Frost (Coworth Park), Denis Drame (Pennyhill Park), Joseph Wagenaar (The Andaz), John Grantham (Restaurant 61), Loic Carbonnet (The Four Seasons), Lewis Wilson (The Ritz), Cherish Finden (The Langham), Eric Rousseau (Patisserie Belle Epoque), Sarah Barber (ME London), Regis Negrier (The Delauney), Mourad Khiat (The Berkeley), Ryan Thompson (The Shangi La), and Andrew Blas (Café Royal). Guess who got to have a taste of these fanciful creations? Oh yeah! More about these beautiful buches to come but let me say now that I especially loved Cherish Finden’s somewhat unorthodox take on this traditional French dessert as well as Eric Rousseau’s decidedly festive version. All buches will be available for consumers to pre-order from the respective outlets for Christmas.
Wow. Waitrose is doing up Christmas in style in 2014. I loved sampling its Turkey Cracker, a turkey breast that’s been rolled and wrapped in butter muslin – a traditional method of keeping the meat moist – with a Christmas stuffing middle and packaged in its very own Christmas cracker-shaped box (£30). I also enjoyed trying the Pork Noix, a pork shoulder joint with a veal stuffing, inspired by a traditional Elizabethan recipe (£11.99 per kg).I got a kick out of the shop’s lobster sundaes and snowman cheesecake too … and could not get enough of its pork crackling straws.
Santa, I promise I’ve been a good boy this year!!!
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