Christmas 23

Festive recipes and a foodie gift guide

I hope you are better organised than me and have all your Christmas shopping sorted. If not, and you still need to get a few things, here are some ideas. I am very into buying things online this year and avoiding the chaos of malls. Next year I’ll aim to put together something more comprehensive. I reckon I could create multiple guides around food and equipment I love. None of this is sponsored.

Foodie Christmas Gift Guide

Go to Babylonstoren online shop and buy anything from the site. They package their gifts in gorgeous blue print wrapping paper and these are highlights:

The Babylonstoren 2024 seasonal Calendar is amazing. The paper can be repurposed as gift wrap

I love their olive oil and they make the perfect hostess gifts and stocking fillers. They are great for making easy no-knead focaccia bread over the holidays. Grab the recipe here.

Babylonstoren's last order date for the main centres is 18 December 23.

Browse all their amazing gifting from homeware to food, to scents, and more.

Greek seasoning

My friend Nicole from Terra Madre is now selling her incredible Greek seasoning in the most beautiful tins. You can get 400gm or smaller 250gram tin. They make the perfect gift. The recipe for this salt is 50 years old, from her father and is made from imported Greek Oregano and other high-quality ingredients. It is free of preservatives and is my go-to salt to cook meat, fish, and vegetables. The perfect gift to yourself and others and Secret Santa.

Shop Greek Seasoning (and see the list of outlets who stock this product)

I love practical gifts for Christmas and making up edible hampers of a few special things is the ultimate for any foodie. These are also great for Secret Santa and stocking fillers. I love to support local producers where I can.

Honest Chocolate does incredible chocolates.

I created a list of the best food shops and markets in Cape Town where you can buy an assortment of amazing artisan products.

My favourites are Giovanni’s Deli World, The Olive Branch Deli and Oranjezicht City Farmers Market.

Things I can’t live without

All of these make the BEST gifts for a foodie ever.

The Le Creuset 30cm Signature Shallow Casserole (and my recipe for Moroccan chicken & rice with aubergine which is perfection).

KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer (and the recipe for what is regarded as the best chocolate cake on the internet by Ina Garten)

My Instant Vortex Air Fryer - The best and only Air Fryer brand I would buy.

Christmas cookbook gifting

Highlights of this year’s local cookbooks are Karen Dudley’s Onwards and Ilse an der Merwe’s Al Fresco.

Wine

This is the season for cracking open a few fine bottles and I’m currently loving:

Delheim Pinotage Rose - This is the wine of the summer for me and is so easy to quaff. It’s also a versatile wine that pairs with so many dishes.

Buying a Christmas gift for a wine geek is always a good idea but you might want to hunt down the special stuff:

Stellenrust Chenin - The estate has seen huge recognition in 2023 winning the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award in 2023 for Tertius Boschoff. They got 98 points in this year’s Platters Guide for two of their wines (only 5 wines in total achieved this): the 58 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc, and the Old Bush Secret & Lies Chenin 2022. Stellenrust had a record of four chenin’s in this year’s Top 10 Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blanc Challenge. An incredible achievement. There were other awards too and you can read this comprehensive article.

Shop Stellenrus wines here.

A few festive recipes:

I will be sharing a few delicious recipes next week on Instagram so be sure to watch out. They are so good!

For snacks, I always make my best chicken liver pate with melba toast or the best crispy flatbread. Serve with a spiked sweet jelly or marmalade think gin or whisky marmalade.

I’m obsessed with my deep-filled mince pies made from a shortbread-like pastry and every year I do my mince and apple pie crumble bars. These take the effort out of mince pies and I skip the apple part and just use fruit mince if I am short on time.

Gammon cooked in a Rooibos and ginger beer broth with herbs and aromatics is the only way I cook a gammon. I do it in my Instant Pot but include instructions to do it on the stovetop too.

My best roast potato recipe is always a winner and this is my standard. (Use sunflower or canola oil if you prefer - they are almost as nice).

Confit duck legs with cherry sauce is a luxurious alternative to roast turkey and can easily be made in an Instant Pot.

My panettone ice cream bomb Alaska is the ultimate show-stopping dessert. Another fuss-free option is where the whole dessert can be made in advance, with the meringue being added just before serving. I use store-bought chocolate babka as an option rather than the pricier panettone.

My recipe for berry Eaton mess with pistachios is a perfect summer Christmas dessert that can also be made in advance.

If you have visitors in town for the season or just need some inspiration I keep My Comprehensive Guide to Eating Out in Cape Town updated.

I’ll be publishing my Best Recipes for 2023 just after Christmas so be sure to look out for that.

Find me on

Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, Pinterest & Twitter

Thank you for being here this year and for all the likes, shares, and support. Next year is set to be filled to the brim with ongoing delicious recipes (kicking off with a few healthy ones). Please like or reply to this newsletter to make sure it comes straight to your inbox. I hope you have an incredible festive holiday season and a merry Christmas if you celebrate.

Sam x