A Spot of Tea for 200

The English Countryside themed table at the Glebe House Tour Tea

When my dear friend and neighbour Suzanne asked me to run a Tea Party for 200 people this Fall, my head caught on fire.  But in a good way.  

Suzanne is the talented chair of Ottawa's Annual Glebe House Tour and the Tea Party is held for the participants at the local community centre mid-way through the tour.

My mind raced - what a chance to roll three of my passions into one:  sharing my tea cup and table ware collection, baking for a big crowd and fund raising for a good cause. 

First step was to recruit BFF and partner in decorative crime, Sean. His expertise with staging and keen eye for design is impeccable. 

 

The English Countryside

We put our heads heads together over the summer and decided to theme each of the 6 tables after a different type of home decor. I developed sweet treats to match each theme, and off we went.

The English Countryside

(Tea Brack Fruit Cake)
 

Asian Influence

(Matcha and Black Sesame Shortbreads)

The 50s

(Apples, Orange Cream-Filled Ginger Sandwiches)

French Provincial

(Macarons, Meringues, Pâte de Fruits)

The Crazy Cat Lady

(Cat Shaped Sugar Cookies)

The Groovy 70s

(Oreos and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies)

I created special "House Tour" gingerbread caramels and we sprinkled those here and there for everyone to enjoy. 

Like a community barn raising in days gone by, local businesses donated their time and goods, neighbours were asked for favours and husbands and friends were swept into the fray and put to work. Children painted charming pictures of their homes to decorate the room.  Six delightful young women donned aprons to became "Tea Ladies" and helped with the set-up, serving the tea, and the washing up.  If there's one thing I really miss about my old neighbourhood it's the way everyone pulls together for the greater good.  We couldn't have done it without everyone's help.

The tea went smoothly except for one thing:   we didn't count on how hungry (or curious) our guests were.  Here and there people were spotted table hopping, trying each of the different sweets. Truly flattering but, oh dear - we ran out!   Clearly we must make more next year...

Where would you have liked to sit?

Black Sesame and matcha shortbread cookies at the Asian Influence Table

Little friends and Tea Brack cake in the English Countryside table

The 1950s Table

Orange cream filled ginger sandwich cookies at the 1950s Table

French Provincial Table

Pâte de Fruits and Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons at the French Provincial Table

The Crazy Cat Lady

Oh dear,  I think the Crazy Cat Lady is me!

Groovy Baby!  The 70s Table.  Oreos and chocolate chip cookies, natch!

The 70s Table.  That's my own troll doll that I played with in the 70s

Ho Ho Ho in Monaco. Eight Days Left, Eight Thoughtful Gifts.

Alessi's delightful Christmas figurine

Well, 'tis the season, yet again!

With one more week left until Christmas, Monaco will swell this weekend with visitors searching for just the right gift for everyone on their list. 

It's quite easy to find all sorts of luxury goods here and if you don't have much time, it's tempting to duck into the nearest boutique, toss the clerk a credit card for some expensive crystal thingamajig and call it a day. 

Well, if you don't have that sort of budget or you'd like to put more thought into your gift giving and support local businesses at the same time, here are some interesting and reasonably priced gifts that I personally would love to see under my tree on Christmas morning.  Hint!

I've included links and contact info so you can zip right over and check these things out for yourselves.

Even if you're not heading to Monaco to do your Christmas shopping, there may still be something on my list that you can find near you, especially if you have foodies to buy for.

Happy holidays!

1.    A Modern Crèche and Christmas Tree Ornaments from Alessi

Forget that mangy old manger with the baby Jesus in a hay strewn cradle.  Alessi, with their slick Italian designed wares has created a beautifully styled, chic crèche.  Every year they design new santons to add to the manger scene and this year's new little dog and cat are simply adorable.  They also have a line of irresistible Christmas tree ornaments. 

Top Cuisine  19 rue Princesse Caroline, Monaco 93 30 02 00
Segraeti  Metropole Shopping Center, 17, Avenue des Spélugues,  Monaco  97 77 34 30

2.    Fine Japanese Tea, Food, and Objet d'Art

GIfts beautifully wrapped, a good fortune cat and a hand made knife

HIgh quality Japanese tea and tea ware to go with it

Just behind the Monaco train station in Beausoleil is a little gem called Zen Shop Japon.

When you step inside this spotless, pretty shop, it's as though you've travelled to Tokyo without the jet lag!

Inside you'll find Japanese tea and tea ware, a huge selection of hard to find sake, beautiful scarves, origami paper, bonsai, hand made knives, and house wares.  They also have a food section with high end fresh and imported goods that you won't find in the étrangères section in Carrefour.

If you know anyone who loves green tea, especially Japanese Sencha, Gyokuro, Hojicha, Genmaicha or Matcha, you should buy it here.  They carry a brand called Tamayura  and it's some of the best and freshest I've ever tasted.

I had the good fortune to meet Tamayura's Parisien-based tea master, Mr Olivia Leclerc who was showcasing Tamayura's teas in the Zen Shop Japon booth at the Monaco Gastronomy Fair in early December.  It was the highlight of the show for me.

Best of all, the store clerk can create a beautiful gift basket and wrap your purchases like they do in the best boutiques in Japan, free of charge.

Zen Shop Japon   5, ave d'Alsace, Beausoleil  04 93 52 15 03  The shop is open non-stop, Monday to Saturday.

3.    Fabulous Kitchen Utensils from Rösle 

Shiny, durable kitchen utensils from Rösle

I bought a Rösle garlic press over 7 years ago and whenever my guests use it, their eyes light up.  It's beautiful to look at, easy to use and clean, it's dishwasher safe and crafted from high quality 18/10 stainless steel with nickel and chrome so after all these years it still looks shiny and new.  I buy them as gifts for friends and family all the time.

They cost a cool €50 but when you consider that they'll last a lifetime, it's a bargain.

My kitchen drawers are filled with Rösle's other beautiful kitchen utensils like graters, sieves, small and large mandolin slicers, all of them useful, well made and beautiful.  I love leafing through their catalogue.

Oh, and they're all guaranteed for 5 years.

Top Cuisine  19 rue Princesse Caroline, Monaco   93 30 02 00
Segraeti  Metropole Shopping Center, 17, Avenue des Spélugues, Monaco   97 77 34 30

4.    Cards, Gift Wrap and Art Supplies from Monaco Beaux-Arts

Store owners Bernadette, her husband Fabrice and their daughter Fabienne are all talented artists and I love visiting their shop whenever I need some artistic inspiration, a fine pen, or to have something valuable framed.

Fabienne has created stunning greeting cards that are works if art, suitable for framing as a keepsake. I've bought her beautiful cards to send to friends and family as a gift all their own or with a little something inside.

If you'd like to kick up your gift wrapping a notch, they have a great selection of unique gift wrapping, ribbons, Christmas cards, and craft supplies to make your own decorations.

Bernadette also speaks English and she is full of ideas and suggestions.

Let her know Jennifer sent you!

Monaco Beaux-Arts  25 rue de Millo, Monaco   97 77 16 65

5.    Neige.  Canadian Apple Ice Wine

You may have heard of or maybe even tasted Canadian Ice Wine made from grapes but this Ice Wine called Neige is made from apples.

Neige is produced in Quebec from ripe apples that have been picked in the Fall and stored until December.  The apples are then pressed and the juice is frozen.  In the cold Quebec temperatures, the water in the juice crystallizes and the sugary, intense apple liquid separates from the ice crystals.  The resulting juice is placed in steel tanks and fermented for 8 months at low temperatures and then bottled.  It takes more that 6kg of apples to make 1L of cider.

Its taste is bright, balanced, and quite different from traditional Ice Wine.  It makes an excellent aperitif and pairs naturally well with cheese.

You can find Neige from Mr Gadoury, a fine Canadian gentleman and ardent Montreal Canadians hockey fan who is the local distributor for Neige based in Nice.  This would be a cool gift for someone who would appreciate unusual and rare sweet wines.  Neige is not widely available in France yet so whomever you give it to will be ahead of the curve.

La Face Cachée de la Pomme   pgadoury@lafacecachee.com

6.   A Ukelele

Release his or her inner Don Ho

Come on, haven't you always wanted a ukulele?  With four strings it's easier to play and tune than a guitar and more portable too so you can bring it to parties along with your bongos.

If you do give one to someone on Christmas morning, he or she could probably plink out a tune before dinner time.  I found a ukelele instructional video on YouTube that's had 2.1 million hits so he or she will be in good company.

To celebrate the holidays, you can try your hand at learning Mele Kilikemaka, a traditional Hawaiian Christmas song.  I'm getting one for Hubby.

 La Flute De Pan, 21, boulevard Princesse Charlotte, Monaco   93 50 92 13

7.    Sublime Walnuts

I don't know about you but I seem to eat a lot of walnuts.  I put them in salads, eat them with cheese courses, bake with them, toast them to add to my caramels, and munch on them as is when I'm hungry.  Every year I buy about 10 kg in the shell and I crack them while hubby and I watch Downton Abbey. Cracking them myself is the only way I know of to get fresh walnuts.

The best walnuts I've ever tasted are available right here in Monaco from Gilbert, the egg seller in the Place d'Armes market and they cost only €8 per kilo.   I've tasted walnuts from both Grenoble and the Perigord, regions famous for their walnuts but I think Gilbert's are better, especially this year.  He grows them at his farm in Sospel and because it was so dry this summer their flavour is particularly sweet and intense. He usually sells out by the end of December.

To give a simple gift of walnuts more oomph, I've presented the walnuts in vase and added a nut cracker. The nut cracker I own is pictured and available in most grocery stores or on Saturdays from most French outdoor markets like Menton.  It's not chic, more "downstairs," but it's fabulous to use, especially it you have a lot of nuts to crack.  If you'd like a more glamorous nut cracker, Manufacture de Monaco in The Metropole Shopping Centre has a very elegant one with leather covered handles.  It's definitely an "upstairs" nut cracker.

If their talented dog "Happy" is there, ask if you can give him a walnut.  Happy cracks them with his teeth, separates the walnut from its shell and eats the nut!

Gilbert & Son, Place d'Armes Market, Monaco  Tuesday to Sunday, 07:00-12:30.


8.  Pottery from Monaco's Association Monegasque des Handicapes Moteurs

 

It may not be Wedgewood or Christofle but this charming and inexpensive crockery is hand made by members of the Association Monegasque des Handicapes Moteurs at their headquarters in Monaco-Ville.

No two pieces are alike so you can be sure that whatever you give will be unique.

The proceeds from the sale of their pottery goes towards supporting projects for the handicapped in Monaco. 

Now that's the true spirit of giving.

Association Monegasque des Handicapes Moteurs.  9, rue Princess Marie de Lorraine, Monaco-Ville   93 50 71 00

Merry Christmas!

Julia Child, Luck, and Legacies.

Three vintage volumes and three new ones

Five years ago on a rainy Saturday in May, I went to an estate sale in the west end of Ottawa.

After setting aside a few goodies I'd found on the main floor, mostly cake stands and glassware, I ventured down to the basement for a look see.  

While I was poking around a forlorn looking bookshelf,  I spotted a copy of Volume One of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  How was this possible?  Surely someone would have noticed it by now and scooped it up.  After all, the sale was into its third hour.  How lucky was I?  Hmm... maybe it was a trap...

With my obsession for anything having to do with both cooking, and vintage, I'd always been a fan of Julia Child's classic TV show, The French Chef.  I baked frequently from her collaborative cookbook, Baking with Julia so acquiring The Art of French Cooking was a summer mission of mine.

I carefully pulled the book from the shelf.  It was in pristine condition, as though it had never seen a kitchen.  I leafed through it for a few minutes and when I realized that it was printed in 1963 my heart started racing.  It was a fourth printing, first edition copy. 

I sought out the estate sale's host and asked him how much the book was.  He replied, "how about $5?"

I was stunned.

My expression must have come across to him as sticker shock because then he followed with, "OK, how about $3?"  I gave him $5, snuggled the book to my chest and ran, forgetting all about the other goodies I'd set aside on the first floor!

Handwritten crepe recipe I found in the original owner's book

Later that summer, I was at the Stittsville Flea Market and as luck would have it, I spotted a first edition copy of Volume 2.  That cost me $5 too.  So a meagre ten dollars later, I had a pristine copy of volume one and two and my mission to explore them was afoot! 

Over the summer, I spent hours reading both books.  By August I had mastered Vichy Carrots, Spinach Quiche, Souflée and Pâte à Choux while slowly gaining an understanding of what an enormous effort it must have been to take French recipes and translate them not only literally but culturally, for, in Mrs Child's words, "...the servantless American cook."  I can't begin to imagine the logistics of completing such an enormous project during the 1950s and 1960s, by snail mail, back and forth, from country to country, to and from her collaborators.

Thank you Mrs Child for your determination and your courageous, unparalleled and inspiring work.

I just hope that when I pass away and if someone disposes of my worldly goods in an estate sale, they charge more for my copies of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Just to be sure, I'd better go put notes in them.

A Bake Table, Some Crazy Squirrels and Hope

Safe from those Pesky Squirrels.  A Carrot Cake in a cage.

The birds were singing, the sun was shining and by 7 AM, the crowds were already thick and relentless. 

We couldn't have asked for better weather for the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale nor could the thousands of people who flooded to the Glebe to hunt for treasures.  Thank goodness all that browsing and bargaining was making everyone hungry for cookies and cakes!

I learned that the humans weren't the only ones craving baked goods.

Ottawa's Mayor Jim Watson with two of my cookies, "M" and "W."

After a week of preparation and planning, I spent all day Friday baking up a storm.  With the oven running non stop and my kitchen starting to feel like a sauna, I opened the windows to cool things down and the aroma of all those cookies and cakes apparently attracted some curious squirrels. By mid day, a small a mob of them had gathered in our garden.  I didn't think much of it until one of them launched itself at the window and stayed suspended there, it's little toe nails caught in the screen.  He was trying in vain to get to my racks of cooling cookies!

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last I saw of the pesky squirrels.  The next morning while I was setting up the bake table they were still lurking about and one of them ran into my house!  I spent the next 10 minutes trying to shoo the little bugger out with a towel!

The Mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson stopped by and I offered him two alphabet sugar cookies, an "M" for Mayor and a "W" for Watson. His aide told me that the Mayor has a sweet tooth so I'm hoping he becomes a regular customer.

My niece, the fabulous Sophia helped me set up my bake table followed by my sister Patty and their helping hands really made a big difference.

I've been holding a bake sale for so many years now that I have regulars who stop by every year to say "hi" and buy cookies, cakes and jam. It's a great way to reconnect with my neighbours and get caught up with old friends.

One thing everyone likes to buy from me is a slice of carrot cake.  When you think about it it makes an ideal breakfast.  It's full of vegetables, (carrots) fruit, (raisins) dairy, (cream cheese) and protein (eggs).  It's logical, really.  This year I prepared 4 carrot cakes but I was sold out within an hour.  Next year I I'll have to make 5!

By 1 o'clock, the crowds started to thin out and I had only a few cookies left.  We folded down the bake table and retreated inside to count the loot.

This year's tally was $1,295, all of which is going to the Nepal Youth Foundation, a charity hubby and I have been supporting for many years now.  Their Indentured Daughters programme sends impoverished girls to school for a mere $100 per year and gives them a head start towards a better life.

How fabulous is it that for a mere $250 worth of ingredients, hungry bargain hunters and an oven, the lives of 12 young girls will be changed forever for the better.

I can hardly wait for next year's sale!

A dedicated bargain hunter

Marmalade, jam and jelly

Rice Krispie Treats on a stick

Lemon Baby Cakes

Foodie Food Gifts from Italy

Well, there's one more week before Christmas arrives so you'd better shake a leg!

I love giving food gifts and since I travel often to foodie locales I always find delicious and unusual things to bring back and share with friends. Sometimes I give them the goodies directly but more often than not, I whip up dinners and invite them over for a culinary equivalent to the vacation slide show. 

Either way you chose, here are some things I discovered this year from Italy that you might like to share with your foodie friends.  That is of course if you don't become a little holiday piggie and keep them for yourself,   quite understandably.

Fiat Chocolates (Photo up top)

Here's a fun twist on the classic gift of chocolate. 

These melt-in-your-mouth layered "Fiat" chocolates by Bologna based chocolate makers, Majani were originally created in 1910 to celebrate the launch of the Type 4 Fiat. They also make a sugar free version.  I love the cool packaging.

 Amarelli Licorice

I first spotted these little boxes of Amarelli Licorice in a Depachika or Japanese Food Hall in Tokyo. They were hosting an Italian food festival and I was immediately drawn to the charming vintage images on the little tins.

Fast forward to November of this year at the Monte-Carlo Gastronomy Fair where Amarelli had a booth and as luck would have it they were offering free samples.  One taste and I was hooked.    Now I keep them in my purse wherever I go, the orange flavoured ones being a favourite.  They should know their stuff since they've been making licorice candy from licorice grown in Calabria since 1731.

If you remember Black Cat gum from childhood, Amerelli licorice will transport you back there.

Edible Gold

What could be more festive than something glittery under the tree that you can use throughout the year?  I posted about edible gold and where to buy it this summer and I think it would make a great Christmas gift.

Florentine gold producer, Giusto Manetti Battiloro has a huge range of edible 23k gold products from dust to flakes to leaves.  What could be more festive and fun than a bit of  gold sprinkled on top of desserts, cookies, sushi or anything that needs a bit of sparkle?

A Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Collection

I'm loving Acetaia Montale Rangone's Collezione di Sapori or Tasting Collection kits consisting of 3-10 of their balsamic vinegars.

It's a fun way to amuse and test your palette and with the kit of 10 samples (pictured) you also get a little bottle of their very fine 25-year-old Extravecchio and another of their 12 year-old Tradizionale.  These two are usually only available in the larger and much more costly maraca shaped bottle as dictated by the certified balsamic vinegar manufacturer's consortium,  the DOP (Denominazione d'Origine Protetta).  I'd save those for last. 

Of course a full bottle of their Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale wouldn't be so bad either since theirs is so reasonably priced.

The Brugnoli Family's Organic Parmesan

Not all Parmesan is created equal as we all know from shaking it from that green cylindrical can when we were young.  You know what I mean.

I first tasted the Brugnoli family's Parmesan last year at the Monaco food fair and it's become a bit of an obsession ever since.  They've been making their award winning Parmesan on their farm in the hilltop town of Bardi in the province of Parma since the 1960's.  Now whenever I buy Parmesan I ask for it.

It's sweet, buttery, floral, salty, and sprinkled throughout with tiny flavour crystals characteristic of  the best Parmesan.

If you're lucky enough to find a wheel stamped with the spring months of aprile, maggio, giugno, or luglio  (April, May, June or July) buy as much as you can carry.  Parmesan from these months is particularly good since this is when the herd is finally released from the winter barns to feast on spring meadow grasses and flowers thereby producing the sweetest most fragrant milk of the season.

Bergese & Paganelli Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

No one does hazelnuts better than the Piedmontese so it's natural that the Cuneo based confectioner Bergese & Paganelli, excels at creating hand made chocolates and other sweets using hazelnuts, intense dark chocolate and locally farmed ingredients.  At the 2006 Monte-Carlo Gastronomie they walked away with the Slow Food best artisanal product award. 

As luck would have it, they ship.

 

Fine Piedmontese Foods from San Maurizio Gourmet

The stunning Relais San Maurizio Resort and Spa is perched amidst rolling hills covered in moscato grape vines in a sympathetically restored 17th century monastery just outside of Alba in the Piedmont. As if that weren't fabulous enough they've just launched a line of fine foods under the label, San Maurizio Gourmet.

So what's the big deal you may ask?  Well, all of their products are made from ingredients sourced from the nearby producers and most of these ingredients cannot be found anywhere else.  As an example, their Ottofile or "eight rows" cornmeal.  Each Ottofile corn plant produces a single ear of corn with eight rows of kernels, hence its name, whereas modern corn plants produce 2-3 cobs with 18-20 rows of kernels.  The Ottofile cornmeal makes creamy, rich  polenta and perfect Paste di Meliga or Piedmontese polenta cookies.

Some of their products include tomato sauces made with local Borolo and Barbaresco wines, pastas with truffle, cookies, chocolates, wines, and limited editions of olive oil from the ancient olive trees that surround the Relais.  

Just hope that if you give any of their products as gifts, you're invited when they're served.

Goodies from the San Maurizio Gourmet

Merry Christmas to you and I hope you find pleasing goodies under your tree to share and remember.