A SPOONFUL OF CHRISTMAS

Ever since I gave my sister a spice collection as her wedding present, and subsequently started my Monday Spice Series about how I did them, I couldn't stop thinking about the magic of FOOD as a GIFT.

Now that I finished the serial, I somehow feel like those four entries were just not
enough. Not that I plan to get my little sister to re-marry, so I can satisfy my cooking cravings…. It’s just… I feel like, of all of us, foodies, WHO, once in a while, wouldn't play with the idea of giving somebody a nice jar of home-made jam, pickles or his/her favorite spice mixture?

The lack of ideas, though, could be an obstacle. This, and also the fact that giving presents is always a nice gesture of friendship (regardless of Christmas, one’s birthday or other events), made me more and more convinced that a blogging event dedicated to the ´food as a gift´ theme could be of everybody’s interest.

Therefore, I am very proud to announce the beginning of my own A SPOONFUL of CHRISTMAS food event. Christmas, now, you’re asking ?? Well, let’s have a look at the facts. We’re talking food as a gift here, so we assume that most of the gifts will be pickled or otherwise preserved. These little presents need time not only to prepare, but also to ‘sit’, so they ripe well. So, … that is why. PLUS, a round-up can serve as a nice reference in the future for creating presents as such, regardless of the reason of celebration.
Here are some facts:

1. What is A SPOONFUL OF CHRISTMAS event ?

An event designed for all the people who love to cook for their loved ones. Those, who are willing to spend some time in the kitchen in order to come up with great ideas for food as a gift.

2. How Do I Participate?

Please post an entry with a recipe for food that can be wrapped and given away as a gift. Here are some ideas:

• Chutneys, pickles and other relishes
• Jams and marmalades
• Home-made wines or liquors
• Herb and spice mixtures
• Chili sauces and other condiments
• Curry powders or masalas

… and many more. No cuisine preferred.

UPDATE: Some of you keep asking, if you can make a cake or dessert. Well, the idea is to make something that can be wrapped and placed under the Xmas tree (into a Xmas sock or whatever other traditions you have) , something that has a longer shelf-life... But I don't want to discourage you (common, it´s Xmas time :-), so bringing a cake or pudding to the Xmas table is also a very nice gesture. I will also count it as a gift....

GENERAL RULES:

1. You can post as many gift ideas as you wish.
2. The recipes can be your own creations, the ones your fellow bloggers made or the ones you ve always wanted to try when browsing your cookbooks or internet...
   
3. Posts have to be created deliberately for this event, so please, no old entries or entries from different events.
4. Create a link to this event and feel free to use the logo.

DEADLINE for all entries is 1.12.2007 (that is December 1st European style :-)

Once posted, please send me an e-mail to: zlamushka@hotmail.com with:

• your name
• your post URL
• picture of the present (any size)
  

Non-bloggers, you can also participate, just send me a detailed recipe of what you made, a pic, your name and e-mail address.

Expect the round-up within one week from the deadline....

Note: THIS is a food event dedicated to GIFTS. Presentation is almost inevitable. So, please WRAP IT UP!!! (And I don’t mean stop blogging by this. Give the jar a nice ‘hat’ or at least a ribbon.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE:

Couple of months ago, I was in a pickling mood. And I also made everybody’s all-time favorite, Mango Chutney.
Some of you might still remember the ‘fancy hat’ I made back then. It was super easy, just follow these instructions:

1. Take a little leftover material and cut out a circle (the size of the lid plus 2 cm extra).
2. Turn on your sewing machine and sew around the edges in a zig zag mode.
3. Adjust the ‘hat’ on the lid with a rubber band.
4. Sew together all the parts of the circle that has folded naturally by binding it with the rubber band.
5. Take a thick thread, wrap around the very end of the circle and sew it on the material with a thinner thread.
6. Tie a ribbon.

Voilla! A Fancy Chutney Hat!


Another nice presentation idea (particularly when making powdered gifts) is to layer the ingredients… Just like I did with Five-spice:

Anyway, I cannot wait for your entries.