The vibrant green is a great reason to own this book - as are the incredible recipes

This is a funny story. I’m not sure how it will translate to the blogosphere, but I’m going to try it anyway.

What I love about food is, it brings people together. And it can push you out of your comfort zone. And it can leave you with a reputation!

I love baking, and I particularly love baking unusual cakes. Not long ago I made a chocolate and stout cake which I didn’t love, but it was fun to make. I was leafing through the amazing book Breakfast Lunch Tea from the Rose Bakery in Paris when I spied a Broccoli Cake. Now, this actually had mini broccoli trees embedded in the cake and that alone was the deciding factor in purchasing this book. I have actually been admiring it for ages but didn’t think I needed another book about baking (not like it’s ever stopped me before) so was passively resisting until I saw the florets within the cake and absolutely, without doubt, knew that I had to make that cake.

Now this is actually a savoury cake made in a loaf tin so it’s more like Broccoli Bread. And everyone loves Banana Bread (except me because I hate bananas – yes I do mean hate!) so I figured if you think broccoli is ok this will be a good cake. And it’s a huge cake – 7 eggs, 550gm plain flour, 800gm broccoli. It was intriguing to whiz it up in my sister’s Magimix (best kitchen appliance ever invented) and then I pushed the florets into the cake as instructed. It baked, was taken out of the oven…and no one wanted to eat it. The kids passed on it, the grown ups were too freaked out to try it and we gave some to the neighbours who were polite but perplexed.

Hence I will now have to put up with being teased about my Broccoli Cake. But I’m happy I made it, because I can tell the story of how I made a cake with broccoli in it and it was probably the first thing I’ve ever made, that no one wanted to eat! That shouldn’t stop you from buying this book though – when I want to redeem myself and my baking skills, I will be dipping back between the apple green covers and finding something that will have them eating their words!

The purpose of this, and most of our gifts, is to be able to present a selection of food products that work together, so you can open the box and start enjoying almost immediately. Simply add your favourite fresh ingredients and you’ve got a feast to share with your significant other or others, as the case may be!

This is a pantry filler or long table feast gift – including some of our favourite things. Pick up your favourite cheese on the way home to go on a cheese platter with Yarra Valley Product Fig & Almond paste on Sydney Biscuit Company Lavosh and Chimes Estate Kalamata Olives.  Follow up with  Turban Chopsticks White Lentil Coconut Fritters to start and Jewelled Mung which can be tweaked to suit vegetarian and carnivorous palates. If you’re not stuffed full, make up one of the most incredible and innovative finds we’ve ever made – Chocolate Mousse from Nicholson Fine Foods. I’ve been known to finish an entire pack (which makes around 700mls) all by myself. I’m not embarrassed by this because I know I’m greedy!

Serve up coffee or tea or better still, Rewind Coco Smooth hot chocolate (so rich, so smooth, so dreamy) with a piece of Rochelle Adonis White Chocolate Cranberry nougat.

Or just keep it all for yourself to enjoy at will!

When gastro porn has entered the urban dictionary, I think it’s ok to talk about it in this context. Especially when I’m about to rave about Raspberry Passion, from the kitchen of the extraordinary Peter Nicholson.

If the name and thoughtful packaging (raspberry shaped peephole – genius) doesn’t get you, the colour will, and failing that – the rich berry burst that takes your breath away when it touches your tastebuds will. Sexy? Oh yes.

What would we do with it? Drizzle it over fresh fruit, ice cream or a Victoria sponge.  Perhaps add a dash to a glass of bubbly for a Raspbellini (yes we did just make it up). Peter suggests you might “Pour on anything or anyone you love.” Mmmmm.

Is this bliss? Yes, yes. Want some now? Yes, yes, yes.

Diana Yen and Lisel Arroyo

Cue this oh-so-beautiful find. The Jewels of New York are two gorgeous gals who “…share a vision that combines the love of cooking with the beauty of everyday things.” Bespoke catering, food styling and photography, recipes, local references plus their own cupcakes and biscuits form the sort of offering we aspire to – not fitting into the mould, not required by everyone all of the time, but developing an identity that is founded on furthering many as a means to lifting us all.

Can’t believe we haven’t found a way to weave something about this city onto the blog before today. We ♥ NY.

Good weekend? Serve one up straight from a Bespoke Hamper!

Ahhh Autumn. As the days get shorter we start getting used to cooler nights, rainy days and the thoughts of changing up your usual menus. There’s something special about adapting to the change of season, and no better way to do that is to rethink what you cook, how you cook it, and how you enjoy it. Enter the good weekend hamper.

We were challenged to deliver a gift for a friend to enjoy when she had a guest from Melbourne to stay. What better way to catch up and spend time together, than with a range of delectables plucked straight from a gift box, that could be enjoyed throughout the day?

So we began with organic Fiori blend and mini jams from Chimes Estate. Layered on a sweet treat from Heavenly Delights and tucked in seed crisps and fruit paste from Valley Produce – for morning tea and an afternoon cheese plate. Everyone needs good olive oil for cooking, drizzling and dipping and we love Third Pillar for this purpose. And finally, dinner will be done in a flash with Turban Chopsticks – our all time favourite White Lentil Coconut Fritters (did you read our post about this?) and a jar of Rogan Josh.

All they needed to do was shop (certainly more fun when doing it with a friend) for some fresh bread, cheese and vegies for the Rogan Josh, and they were done. Plenty of time to chat, stir the pot and share over the weekend. You could easily take this box away with you for the weekend, or have a lock-in at home and luxuriate in doing nothing.

Perfect way to spend an Autumn weekend. By the way, did we mention this is our favourite time of year? Bespoke Gifting ♥ Autumn.

Would I lie to you? This urban legend is true.

Have you tried Turban Chopsticks? A fantastic concept to create a complete dish with freshly roasted herbs and dry ingredients all vacuum sealed in a funky foil pouch with step by step instructions on the back. All you need to do is add fresh vegetables or meat, and you’re done!

After seeing the sparkly foil and distinctive labels around, I decided to try a few packs and products in sample gifts. The same day, my sister talked about these fantastic White Lentil Coconut Fritters that her friend had mentioned, that came in a complete pack and how they sounded fantastic. And could I get my hands on some?

Then my dear friend from Perth Upmarket invited me along to a cooking class and I got try all the kits, including those fritters, myself.

OMG. Everything was amazing. To see first hand how easy it is to cook fresh, fragrant crowd pleasers was an absolute highlight in amongst my culinary experiences. Owner Mei’s processes are designed to seal in the flavours for maximum impact to make us look like stars in the kitchen with minimal effort. Everything is made on site at their Bulwer Street store – that day they had bottled about 300 jars of their specially blended Curry Powder. And don’t be concerned – the packs are very generous in their proportions, truly making good on their promise to feed ‘hungry tummies’. Two more reasons to fall in love with these products – the majority of them are gluten and preservative free, including the curry pastes.

The Green Appled Chilli Jam is a clever twist on an over-used sauce and lifts the fritters to a new level of gastro porn. And the class basically had a massive dinner with second and third helpings encouraged, rather than the ‘tasting plate’ we were promised.

Turban Chopsticks is available from Bespoke Gifting, and many other fine retailers around Perth, and hopefully for you, the rest of the country soon.

Oh, and the gift that included Turban Chopsticks packs? Received with relish!

Actually, this could be considered morning or evening delight too.

Miss behavin'? Try a Miss Behaviour Lavish Soap

Empire of Delight is a curious and luxurious range of bath and body products – our indulgence of choice when planning a dip in the tub, scrub up in the shower or when extreme moisturisation is required.

Created just south of Perth in the home Jacqui Ramsden, the ever expanding range of soaps, body butters and balms, bath bombs, scrubs, lip balm and ridiculously fun bubble dough is a little secret that we no longer able to keep.

One of our favourite customers has been heard raving to all and sundry about her Miss Behaviour soap, Energy Body Balm (“It’s so amazing, it’s really dense and firm in the tub and you think, how on earth am I going to be able to make this rub in and will I need to use the whole tub in one go, but when you scoop it out, it just melts into your skin and you’re left feeling baby soft!”), and Lip Balm with shea and cocoa butters.

The amazing quality of the ingredients make these products a standout among a sea of same old body products. Our picks? Bubble Dough – looks like play dough, smells like play dough but turns into bubbles when it goes into running bath water. You could buy it for the kids – or just keep it yourself. Deliciously Rich Body Butter in Thin Skinned is fragrance free and whipped to give an almost fluffy consistency, and it absorbs super fast so you can use it before work, and revel in the knowledge that underneath your pencil skirt (or trousers, sorry boys!) you silk like skin is ready….for afternoon delight.

Pamper hampers are available from Bespoke Gifting.  Give a delightfully indulgent gift to someone you love, and you might just get some back.

Rewind coffee selection

Here in Western Australia, we have some amazing producers. It’s our absolute delight to discover and support true artisans committed to quality product, authentic methods, food innovation and environmental responsibility.

Rewind is one such premium producer of a range of fabulous coffees and our favourite – Coco Smooth hot chocolate. Thoughtfully packaged to evoke retro kitchen canisters, that have overcome all manner of production requirements and maintained their amazing look, while safely keeping the coffees at optimal storage conditions.

Check out rewindretro.com.au and the creators of the pacakging, Studio Bomba. We’ll blog about Coco Smooth, the choice for our food gifts, very soon.

hintmint.com

We’re so in love with Hint Mints. Yes its because they are known as “the designer mint”. No we are not joking. Yes they cost a lot more than mentos. No they won’t change your life. Or maybe they will? Yes they have extraordinary flavour combinations but sadly no, they are not an Australian innovation. But they come in the funkiest embossed packaging.

Look out for the art series packaging too, in cinnamon, chocolate and your standard peppermint flavours. Visit the website for more info about the cooler than cool hint mint. Oh, and did we mention that apart from the shallow love we have for the tin, the mints are pretty hot too? And animal free.

We can’t wait to get to their new store on Glenferrie Road when next we attempt to boost Melbourne’s economy, but for the moment we’ll have to be content with enjoying their lovely emails and online store. This tea towel is part of their limited edition, 100% linen screen printed recipe  range. Great timing for Easter and Mothers Day – clever Mozi! In future Bespoke Gifting will be offering Mozi as part of our gift suite. We’ll let you know when!

You are strongly encouraged to visit www.mozi.com.au and indulge in some everyday glamour for your home.