What I’m currently consuming
A gift for your fun friends: Whitebox Cocktails
These cheeky little guys are taking my life by storm. Yes, sometimes it’s amusing to make your own cocktails, but let’s be honest, it’s even more amusing to grab one straight from your fridge. And they’re always just right. The perfect temperature, balance of ingredients - and right there, too. We now know exactly how Goldilocks must have felt. But these aren’t for breakfast, please!
Their Classic Cocktail Gift Set makes a seriously good present for those fun friends or perhaps you can grab some Pocket Negroni Crackers to add some excitement to your festive dinner table?
The lovely people over there would like to offer you a 10% discount with the code WHITEBOXMAS10, and shipping is free over £20. I love ‘em. HICCUP
A gift for your diligent friends: Papier Recipe Journals
We’re all guilty of making something delicious, then completely forgetting what on earth we did. My solution is to always have a notebook and pen lying nearby, but a far neater solution are these recipe journals by Papier. There are sections for breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus space for notes, hints and tips for each recipe. You’re basically making your own personalised cookbook - and none of the hassle of trying to find a publisher. But it’s really the front covers that are the draw here. There are hundreds to choose from, one to suit every peccadillo. They’re also customisable so you can personalise them with your giftee’s name or photo. They’ve currently got some great discounts too.
A gift for your serious friend: Knife sharpening at Kitchen Provisions
The greatest thing you can give someone who enjoys cooking? A sharp knife. Every chef will tell you the same. It’s the one thing that elevates your cooking from good to great - and slicing n’ dicing becomes more enjoyable, too. London’s ultimate cooking shop, Kitchen Provisions, knows this well. Not only does its stores (Stoke Newington and Coal Drops Yard) have the most thrilling selection of Japanese knives at every price point, but they want all your existing knives to be sharp too.
They have a few options:
🔪Vouchers for sharpening tuition (one-to-one or group);
🔪Drop them off to be sharpened;
🔪Wait while they’re sharpened
🔪And for out-of-towners, they can do it all by post for you.
🔪They also do free knife consultation over the phone, which will definitely take the pain out of trying to choose from their glorious collection.
A gift for your friends with good taste: Let’s do Lunch
Give the gift of lunch. Do you know someone who doesn’t have my book yet? You can recognise them as they’re the ones who are always complaining about eating cheese sandwiches every day. Let’s change that. This book is packed with loads of ideas to bring excitement and deliciousness to the middle of your day. The chapters are divided into 10, 20 and 30 minute recipes and there are loads of tips, tricks and quick flavour bombs to transform this much over-looked meal. AND it’s currently reduced on Amazon. I also have a few copies that I can sign and personalise with a message and send anywhere in the UK for £18 incl postage (postal strikes allowing!). Email me by Friday 16th at Georgia@georgialevy.com if you’d like one.
A gift to yourself: Pasta Grannies
If, like me, your Christmas break is made up of clicking between TV shows, here is one that’ll warm those cockles right up. Pasta Grannies, spearheaded by the legendary Vicky Bennison, is a series of Youtube videos documenting the recipes of Italy’s nonnas. We hear their stories, watch their beautiful old hands roll out pasta dough and get a (visual) taste of the most regional and authentic cooking from across Italy. There’s so much to be learnt from these women and they’re all delightful characters. One of my favourites is 91 year-old Maria who rolls out a giant sheet of green pasta without breaking a sweat - and pulls out the most incredible lasagne made with minimal ingredients. Have a watch and tell me you’re not craving lasagne after. There are two wonderful books if you want to take the nonnas home, too.
Something to fill you up
Shredded Sprouts with Whipped Stilton & Grilled Grapes
Here I bring to you my Ultimate Christmas Salad. It’s got it all: hefty crunch, a fruity hit, a creamy punch and tons of texture. It’s perfect as a starter to kick off a big, festive meal, but it’s also a great stand-alone dish using up those bits that we all have lying around at this time of year.
If you haven’t tried a raw Brussels sprout, this needs to be rectified immediately. It’s a far cry from from its cooked cousin, full of nutty, brassica flavours and its strong character means that it can easily stand up to a rich dressing.
Watch my how-to video here
Serves 4
500g Brussels sprouts, tired leaves discarded
1 large not-too-ripe pear, cored and cut into small chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
250g black grapes
70g hazelnuts, roughly halved
100g Stilton, or other blue cheese
50g soured cream
A few sprigs of chives, chopped
First prepare the Brussels by shredding them with a sharp knife or mandolin or in a food processor - the finer you can get them the less chewing you will have to do. Transfer to a bowl along with the pear and dress with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the white wine vinegar and plenty of seasoning. Toss and put to one side.
Next, preheat the grill to high. Line a baking tray with with greaseproof paper. Cut the grapes into small bunches of about 4-5 grapes, sit on the baking tray and sprinkle around the hazelnuts. Drizzle with the remaining oil and place under the grill for 5-7 minutes until the grape skins begin to split and the hazelnuts are golden (you may want to move the nuts around a bit to get some even colour). Remove and season with a little salt. Allow to cool.
Finally, place the blue cheese and the sour cream in a blender with a little seasoning and briefly blitz until you have a thick cream. Careful not too over-whip as it will become too loose.
Divide the whipped blue cheese between plates or spoon onto one large platter and top with the Brussels sprouts and pear. Spoon over the grapes and their juices and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Top with the chopped chives and serve.
Something to finish you off
Pear, Panettone & Chocolate Trifle
By Thomasina Miers
There’s no competing with the traditional Christmas pudding, but you’re gonna need more than one dessert during this period, aren’t you? Trifle is one of my favourite things to make as not only is it always a real show-stopper, but every mouthful is different and that’s the exact trait I look for in all delicious food. This is a particularly special tiramisu-inspired version that I helped create, using panettone, marsala and mascarpone in the place of sponge, sherry and cream, taking this very retro British dessert on a glamorous trip to Italy.
Serves 8-12
1 orange
150g caster sugar or honey
1 big thumb ginger, sliced
6 not-too-ripe pears (about 800g), peeled, cored and cut into 1-2cm chunks
For the mascarpone cream
4 eggs, separated – you’ll need only 3 of the whites, so set the other aside for another use
100g caster sugar
500g mascarpone
4 tbsp marsala
To assemble
About 600g panettone, very thickly sliced
3 tbsp marsala
To decorate
100g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Toasted flaked almonds
25g crystallised ginger, chopped
Zest the orange into a small bowl and put to one side. Squeeze the juice into a medium pan and add the sugar or honey, ginger and about 400ml water. Bring to a simmer and add the pears, adding more hot water, if needed, to cover them. Return to a simmer and cook for three to five minutes, until they are only just tender but the tip of a knife can be inserted easily. Cooking time will depend on their ripeness, but you want them to hold their shape.
Once cooked, transfer the pears to the bowl of orange zest. Reduce the pear liquid in the pan for 15-20 minutes until it is a syrup, pour this over the pears and leave to cool.
Next, make the mascarpone cream. In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the egg yolks with the sugar for about five minutes, until thick and pale. Whisk in the mascarpone a bit at a time, trying to avoid any lumps, then mix in the marsala. In a clean bowl, whisk the three egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir a big tablespoon of this into the mascarpone mix, then gently fold in the rest, being careful not to over mix. Transfer to the fridge for a moment.
When the pears are cool, spoon them into a large, glass bowl and spoon over enough poaching syrup just to cover. Sprinkle over a third of the chocolate, then lay the panettone slices on top. Drizzle with the marsala and a few teaspoons more of the syrup, followed by another third of the chocolate and the mascarpone. Refrigerate for at least three hours.
When you are ready to serve, scatter over the last of the chocolate, the flaked almonds and crystallised ginger.
8 ways to be Braver with Brussels
Let’s make this the Christmas where No Brussel Gets Boiled. Why would you when there are so many other delicious options?
1. Grilled. Unlock their flavour within seconds. Halve the sprouts, spread cut-side up on a tray, olive + seasoning and place under the grill until charred but with a bite. Serve on a bed of tahini yoghurt with a sprinkle of dukkah + pomegranate, a blanket of thin lardo or a drizzle of chilli oil. Like this.
2. Remoulade. I make this every year to serve with smoked salmon. It’s simple, elegant and can be made ahead. Shred sprouts finely (see my salad, above), toss them in a punchy, creamy mix with creme fraiche, Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, any mustard. Capers + parsley for jazz. Like this.
3. Gratin. The most luscious accompaniment to turkey or ham. Par boil the sprouts. Make a white sauce, add a dash of cream + mustard + Cheddar/Parmesan. Stir through the sprouts, cover with a layer of breadcrumbs, roast briefly. Like this.
4. Snackify them. Scarily more-ish. Halve them, toss in Parmesan, olive oil, chilli flakes and roast briefly. Like this.
5. Stir-fry. This is how my dad used to make them every Christmas. HOT HOT wok, shredded or quartered sprouts, finely sliced ginger, garlic, chilli, dash of sesame oil and soy sauce. The aim is get lots of nice charred bits. Like this (but darker)
6. Deep-fried. Life-changing. One of my favourite pubs in London,The Camberwell Arms, does the same version each year that everyone goes bonkers for - sprouts are deep fried until deep golden, then topped with fried breadcrumbs + thyme and pink pickled onions. A magic plate of food.
7. Braised. With pancetta, butter + chestnuts. The most killer of all combinations. Blanch the sprouts, then fry pancetta, garlic, onion in butter and stir the sprouts and chestnuts in at the end. Chopped parsley for lift. Like this.
8. Pasta. A great way to use up a handful of leftovers. Garlic, sprouts + thyme fried until golden, then cream, Parmesan and pasta water. Top with anchovy breadcrumbs. Like Ed Smith’s version here. Or the delightful Gennaro’s pancetta, garlic + red chilli recipe here.