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What to buy for a discerning foodie? Our mentors should know. Here’s what’s on their Christmas wish lists this year. Maybe they’ll give you some ideas.
Belinda Spinney, Senior Mentor
“I’d really like a pressure cooker because I eat quite a lot of pulses and grains. It would be really good for making stews for winter. I’d also like Josh Niland’s new book Fish Butchery. He has a really innovative way of looking at fish. His take is very different and absolutely fascinating. He does things like dehydrate the skin and caramelise it. And I would like a slightly smaller pair of Kaito steel kitchen scissors. They’re for butchery and fish prep. They’re Japanese so the blade is really good.”
Ali Young, Community and Mentor Manager
“I got a big-ticket item for my 40th birthday just before Christmas – a Kamado Joe ceramic smoker – so I can’t ask for anything else because of that! But things I’ve bought for other people that always goes down really well are ramen bowls from Sous Chef. They’ve got some beautiful ones. I always reread Nigel Slater’s Christmas book [The Christmas Chronicles]; that would make a nice gift.”
Martha Money, Mentor
“There are lots of new chilli sauces I would like to try such as White Mausu peanut rayu, Chimac Korean hot sauce and Poon’s Extraordinary Chilli Oil. I would like to add Ottolenghi’s Shelf Love, Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu and The Flavour Thesaurus: More Flavours by Niki Segnit to my book collection. I also want to learn to cook rice in a Donabe rice cooker so that would be lovely!”
Louisa Bergese, Mentor
“I’d like some books: La Grotta Ices by Kitty Travers, Bangkok Local by Sarin Rojanametin and Jean Thamthanakorn, and Baking with Fortitude by Dee Rettali. Also on the list is an Ooni pizza oven brush and rubber spatulas – there are never enough!”
