Delicario Christmas Gift Hamper

image courtesy of Alex Scazney

There I was, reading the press release lauding the luxury brand Delicario  but thinking, oh yeah, really? I mean could this ethically sound niche online delicatessen also be professional and efficient? Well, I’m sorry to be picky but so often things fall apart after the order goes in, and then … the… w-a-i-t, the packaging and mishaps, the presentation… Hey ho, the first step was to obtain a sample and only then could I attest to the quality of the product, not to mention the ongoing efficiency.  

We should at this point bear in mind that this old duck, the editor of Frost Magazine, is on yet another diet, so yes, a soupcon of something artisan wouldn’t breach the dry bread and water regime surely. But then it all went very wrong. 

Postie brought … roll of drums, and  a ting from the triangle …  a Delicario wicker hamper  the next day. Forget the solitary jar of something, here was a cornucopia of goodies from small artisan European producers, all regulated and directed from the head office: Birch Barn  in Kent, Delicario (www.delicario.com )

Diet, what diet? As I unlatched the black wicker straps I found myself wondering if the efficiency would be matched by quality.  Well, see of yourself. Here we have Arke extra virgin olive oil. The olives are picked by hand and milled within 12 hours, in a low temperature to respect and exalt the flavours as the attached label explained. Oh how wonderful to read this about the olive oil. It could not have come from anywhere but a sustainable artisan concern. 

Then, the Sauginon Blanc, Nube ,  De Leza Garcia from Spain, grapes grown in Rioja. Oh my word, serve chilled,  breathe in the scent, taste the dry smoothness. Really, it IS just so smooth.

This we drank with Italian Pate of Artichokes. Dream with me… Subtlety of flavour to die for, and of  course, Italian, I should have known. I have been in love with all things Italian after the ticket man at the Uffizi  (I believe it was), said when I asked for an old person’s entry. ‘Ahhh, but not old, merely experienced.’ I nearly fainted with joy that someone had recognised me for what I am.

The only draw back to our little moment of pate and wine heaven was that Dick and I should have been eating it with Inspector Montalbano on his balcony overlooking the sea,  none of us speaking as we savoured every bite, and added just a spot more Arke extra virgin olive oil on the tomato salad.

Then, of course, for Madam Fatty, just one or two sweet orange/chocolatey treats made by Kucino, Italy. I sat hearing the waves lapping, watching the moon rising…

And in the morning, Mandarin Marmalade on toast, so very British, but actually Italian, tasting of mandarins, and a very finely cut marmalade, almost a puree I’d say. Delicious.

 So, bravo the hamper, with each item sensibly packed, the bottles safely swathed, and even a personalised note that came with it, Dear Margaret, the experienced woman from Yorkshire …  Well, no, not the latter.

Delicario (www.delicario.com) is a niche online delicatessen working with small-scale sustainable producers of authentic regional European delicacies with an ‘international farm to table approach’, launched by a small team of specialists working in the luxury services industry with a passion for food and travel. Steering clear of mass production, the emphasis is on sourcing natural ingredients, harvested and processed with dedication to detail, as you can tell,  by often family-run businesses and sold online as individual items, gift boxes or hampers.

The Delicario website (www.delicario.com) is  consumer friendly which with my IT expertise (nil)  is something I seldom say. It’s easy to navigate through a list of well-presented specialities including charcuterie, truffles and mushrooms, wine and champagne, paté and creams as well as artisan pasta, sauces and baked as well as sweet treats. In the dedicated hamper section, there are suggestions tailored to all occasions such as the ‘Delicario Christmas Temptation Hamper’ with Damien Buffet brut rosé champagne and Vossignoria cheese laced with truffle, Ascolano olives from Piceno and Croccantino dark chocolate from Campania.

The ‘Delicario Dinner for Two Hamper’ includes the finest Bellota Iberian ham, Calabrian Capocollo and Marettimo cheese with sprigs of thyme, accompanied by the ‘haute- couture’ of champagne, followed by pure Wagyu beef rib-eye and a full-bodied Barbera D’Alba. Dessert is of course included as chocolate lovers indulge in Piedmont hazelnut cake smothered in dark chocolate fondant. Each gift box and hamper can also be individually tailored by selecting products from the Delicario range.

Gift vouchers and personalised greeting cards offer a personal touch.

Founder Marco Rosa and his team are eager to start fulfilling orders including Christmas hampers and gift boxes at Birch Barn in Kent. He remarks, “Having the experience of working with well-known, luxury brands for over 25 years, we have seen a shift by consumers towards conscious shopping for high quality, sustainable and often organically grown goods. The secret of successful cultivation has been passed down through several generations of mostly family-run businesses. Every product has a story to tell!”

“Our mission is to bring the best European artisan flavours to the table of appreciative customers, particularly during a period when travel to new and unexplored places is complicated. This year, Christmas cheer comes in gift boxes and hampers that capture the very best of authentic ingredients to create a ‘dining out experience’ in your own home.”

About Delicario

Based at Birch Barn in Kent, Delicario (www.delicario.com) was established by co-founders Marco Rosa, Alexander Scasny and Andrew Dack as an innovative online ‘international farmers market’, selling individual items, gifts and hampers of artisanal delicacies sourced from hand-picked regional producers all over Europe. Avoiding mass production, Delicario believes in the unique spirit of natural ingredients, harvested and processed with love by small family businesses, always with sustainability in mind. Each product has been thoughtfully selected to inspire celebration and harmony in flavours around the dining table.

One day I will visit and interview the team. It really is my kind of set up, and I know it will be yours. I recommend Delcario with no reservations whatsoever. I’ve had a simply wonderful time, and am about to throw the weighing scales out of the window, Life is truly too short, for ‘experienced’ women like me to be fretting. Besides, I will take an few more turns around the sports village cycle track, on my sit up and beg, stately as a galleon, and care not if I hold everyone up. So there.

I am so delighted, as I have found the perfect Christmas gift for my four children. They will love their hampers.

Annie Clarke is a Random House author. Her latest novel is Christmas on the Home Front.

SAS Band of Brothers is very much about bringing history alive. Making WWII – a decades-old conflict, with so few veterans still with us – resonate and feel real. Bringing Remembrance home. I love the fact that my readers range from teenagers to octogenarians, and so many of the messages I receive start out with: ‘I’m was never one for reading books until I picked up your …’

I open SAS Band of Brothers in a dramatic time and place with a compelling cast of characters: a twelve-man SAS patrol, under command of Captain Patrick Garstin, speeding into Nazi-occupied France in the dark and echoing belly of a Stirling heavy bomber, about to parachute behind the lines. The narrative sticks with these twelve incredibly colourful characters on the rollercoaster ride that then unfolds – of action, courage, tragedy, raw survival and ultimate vengeance.

Likewise, I tend to read gripping history. Don’t be put off by the tome-like expanse of Erik Larsen’s The Splendid and the Vile. Sub-titled ‘A saga of Churchill, family and defiance during the Blitz’ it is just that – conjuring up a cast of characters and a sense of place that is gripping and visceral and makes for compelling reading. Larsen makes such towering figures human: Churchill openly in tears as he walks through London’s blasted streets, endearing him to Londoners …

But historic fiction can be equally rewarding. Robert Harris’s V2 conjurs up the sheer size and fearsome potency of the Nazi’s Vergeltungswaffen – Vengeance Weapons – whose and technological superiority almost tipped the scales in the war. As the massive rockets steam and snort and arrow their way from a freezing Dutch woodland towards London, at supersonic speed, a desperate plot to stop them is launched against all odds …

I’m presently reading an advance copy of Simon Scarrow’s Blackout – which published in March 2021. Set in 1939 in Germany, I’m transfixed by the scenes of Nazi party dignitaries and the Berlin glitterati stomping the snow from their boots, as they gather for a decadent winter ball to celebrate how the Blitzkrieg – the lightning-war – has crushed Poland, with most of Western Europe set to follow.

Pivotal moments in history; utterly authentic characters; a gripping plot. The perfect way to bring history alive.

By Damien Lewis

Damien Lewis is a Sunday Times no 1 bestselling author whose books have been translated into forty languages worldwide.  For twenty years Damien worked as a war and conflict reporter for the world’s major broadcasters, reporting across Africa, South America, the Middle East and Far East winning numerous awards. Several of his books are being made into feature films.

SAS Band Of Brothers continues Damien’s iconic WWII elite forces series: Churchill’s Secret Warriors, The Nazi Hunters, Hunting The Nazi Bomb, SAS Ghost Patrol, SAS Italian Job and SAS Shadow Raiders.

Frost will be reviewing SAS Band of Brothers by Damien Lewis shortly

SAS Band of Brothers  by Damien Lewis  Published by Quercus Books in hardback on 5^th November 2020 @ £20

Looking for a new phone? Why not check out TCL. Not heard of them? Well guess what, they’ve made mobiles for names like BlackBerry for years, and now they’re making their own. TCL 10 android series is their new generation, which are getting great reviews, and at £199.95 to £399.95 SIM-free, worth taking seriously. So let’s look at the TCL 10 5G and the TCL 10L.

TCL 10 5G, as its name suggests, supports 5G – which for those struggling to keep up with technology, means ten times faster data transfer speeds, reduced latency (time for data to travel to and fro) and steadier, faster network and Wi-Fi connections.

Like others in the TCL 10 series, it has a particularly large display (6.53 inch full HD+) with 91% screen to body ratio and NXTVISION, creating fabulous visuals with popping colours and super clear and striking contrasts – great for watching films and playing games, or having that special face-time conversation with grandkids during lockdown.

The camera, or should I say cameras – are particularly impressive – a 64MP high resolution quad main camera, including wide-angle lens, macro camera for super close-ups, and depth camera for professional quality photos with Bokeh (that lovely blurred effect around a portrait photo) and dual LED flash. There’s also a 16MP front facing camera, with improved low-light capabilities for brighter selfies.

Considering also the newest generation wireless connectivity for faster browsing and bufferless streaming; 128GB internal memory (expandable to an additional 256GB using the micro SDXC card slot); a great battery with fast charging capability and OTG reverse charging (so your phone can charge other devices); Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G – good news for gaming enthusiasts; and at just £399.95 SIM-free at Argos or on contract for £19 upfront and £19 for 24 months at Three this is a high-range phone packed with features for not a lot of money.

But if you’re on a tighter budget, how about the TCL 10L at just £199.95 SIM-free from Argos or JD Williams? It has many of the features of the TCL 10 5G – the same large screen; quad camera (albeit 48MP as opposed to 64MP), 16MP front camera and wireless Super Bluetooth audio sharing. It has a 64GB internal memory, expandable to 256GB using a micro SD card, and a Snapdragon 665 processor.

Both phones have MP3 and MP4 players, headphone port, contactless payment facility, and secure fingerprint scanner for safe, speedy unlocking.

Having had a chance to try out the TCL 10L, I found it light and balanced. I love the extras – the included protective phone case, and the cute 3 pin plug, which collapses down for portability. The programmable side-button is a great feature, allowing you, for example, to access the camera immediately (useful if Antonio Banderas walks across your path unexpectedly – it hasn’t happened yet), or whatever other short-cut you choose to programme, such as launching a particular app or tool.

I’m really impressed – well done TCL.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

An interesting book arrived on my desk, posing the question: ‘Have you ever wondered why some people manage their emotions more than others?’

Who hasn’t wondered that?

We all have our ups and downs as life takes a swipe at us, and this A – Z has some good ideas on how to learn to notice our emotions and work on them on a daily basis. But not obsessively, not in a navel gazing way.

It suggests preventative measures and emotional fitness.

In this book, experienced coach and trainer Clare Davis discusses 26 easy ways to increase the positive emotions in our lives and improve our emotional fitness, with plenty of practical activities to help us  put the theory into practice. He also says that there are there different types of CBD vapes which can help one with keeping their mental health in its best shape. It put me in mind of the excellent Lightning Process, which is a course  I looked in on – and let’s face it, anything that  gets our emotional fitness in place and working for us, not against us, is invaluable.

Try Emotional Fitness A – Z – it’s helpful.

Kindle or Paperback: https://www.novaassociates.co.uk/mental-health-book

 

With the big day fast approaching you may find yourself worrying about what to buy your friends and family. Now more than ever we are shopping online and it is easy to overlook books. Trust me when i say that DK offers a book for just about everyone on your christmas list.

So let’s look at some of DK’s offerings.

• A little book of self care; Self Reiki

• Chris Bavin Fakeaway cookbook

• My encyclopedia of very important adventures

• Timelines of Everyone

• The science of the Ocean

Self Reiki offers 40 step by step practices to promote inner balance and natural healing, to alleviate pain , stress and anxiety. A perfect gift for someone who neglects themselves but is always the first to help others.

Fakeaway is a cookbook with a twist, over 100 low calorie home cooked takeaway meals. With easy and illustrated instructions Chris Bavin shares recipes from Italy, Japan, China, India, Thailand and more. Ideal for those that love to spend time in the kitchen experimenting with flavours.

My encyclopedia of very important adventures has gone down a treat in my house. Full of true bitesize adventures. My children love to hear about real life pirates and explorers and enjoy the fun illustrations. A must have for any parent as there are stories to satisfy the most curious of minds, there is everything from ancient egypt, astronomical finds, animal antics and more.

Timelines of Everyone is utterly fascinating, you and your children will learn facts you didnt know about history’s most important figures some of who are well known and others are overlooked .from Leonardo da Vinci, Emmeline Pankhurst, Golda Meir, Muhammad Ali, to more recent figures like Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfry.

The science of the Ocean is not only incredibly informative but is exquisitely illustrated. Full of secrets of the ocean, facts and diagrams of all sorts of creatures that call the sea home.

All available at amazon.co.uk and bookshops

As we enter Britain’s second lockdown, efforts continue to deal with the ongoing impact on the theatre industry.

To help raise funds for our cherished performing arts industry, the Lawrence Batley Theatre will be bringing an exclusive semi-staged rehearsed reading of The Understudy to London’s Palace Theatre for two nights only from 7^th – 8^th December.

Proceeds from the play will be split between Acting For Others, the Equity Charitable Trust and The Theatre Development Trust, run by the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre.

Having previously recorded their lines in isolation, this will be the first time the actors will be performing together in the flesh as they swap their makeshift recording studios at home for the real life stage. Directed by Giles Croft, this is a stage adaptation written by Henry Filloux-Bennett and will be accompanied by Dusthouse’s wonderful animation from the play’s online adaptation.

The stellar line-up of actors currently confirmed to perform in The Understudy includes Stephen Fry, James Norton, Mina Anwar, Natalie Casey and many more as they help us celebrate the re-opening of the West End.

STEPHEN FRY & JAMES NORTON TO RE-OPEN THE WEST END POST-LOCKDOWN

 PALACE THEATRE LONDON  7^TH – 8^TH DECEMBER 2020

 Produced by the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield in association with Guy Chapman:

THE UNDERSTUDY

By Henry Filloux-Bennett, based on the best-selling novel by David Nicholls

Monday 7^th December and Tuesday 8^th December, 7.30pm

Venue                               Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5AY

Running Time                  2 hours plus interval

Tickets                               £20 -£45

Box Office                         0330 333 4813

Website                            www.understudyplay.com

Social Media                    @UnderstudyPlay, @theLBT

Writer                               Henry Filloux-Bennett

Director                            Giles Croft

Sound and Music by       Alexandra Faye Braithwaite. Annie May Fletcher and Sophie Galpin

Animation by                   Dean Kendrick and Mark Kendrick for Dusthouse

Produced by                     Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield

With further casting to be announced.

When Eva Mozes Kor and her family arrived at Auschwitz they were immediately separated. Her parents and sisters were taken to the gas chambers, while Eva and her twin Miriam, were herded into the care of Dr Josef Mengele, later to become known as ‘the angel of death’

They were 10 years old.

At Auschwitz, twins were granted the ‘privileges’ of keeping their own clothes and hair. But they were also subjected to Mengele’s sadistic and dangerous medical experiments. Forced daily to fight for survival, many died as a result of the tests, or from the disease and hunger rife in the camp.

A narrative told with beautiful simplicity, emotion and astonishing restraint, The Twins Of Auschwitz is the heartbreaking and inspiring true story of a child’s endurance in the face of truly extraordinary evil.

As a mother I am often amazed with the resilience and defiance of my two young children. They have this amazing ability to brush off most things that adults would let upset them. I can not imagine what Eva and Miriam’s mother felt when her beautiful twin daughters were ripped from her arms and their fate unknown.

Eva shares her harrowing story matter of factly  making The Twins Of Auschwitz a unputdownable book which will leave you amazed at the strong will a 10 year old girl had to survive hell on earth.

The Twins of Auschwitz is both heartbreaking and uplifting, I highly recommend this book to fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The librarian of Auschwitz and The diary of Anne Frank. This is one of those rare books that will stay with you for a long time afterwards and you will return to time and time again.

The Twins of Auschwitz available  in pb, audio and e-book.

NEW from Rosebud Preserves for this Christmas is a fabulous and intriguing range of gift selection boxes and kilner jars containing some of the company’s finest products.

From a gift pack for lovers of marmalade, to the perfect set of preserves to complement a festive cheeseboard, all the gift sets are presented in the company’s stylish mottled grey, branded boxes. Just perfect to put under the tree for someone who likes the best.

All the products are available from www.rosebudpreserves.co.uk.

The NEW gift range includes:

•     The Spirit of Marmalade Gift Box(£12.95) – This pack is perfect for lovers of marmalade and is made up of the company’s award-winning Seville Orange Marmalade and its Seville Orange Marmalade Gin Liqueur. And let me tell you, the marmalade is something to cherish. But will you be able to bring yourself to give it away. The presentation box contains:
  1 x Seville Orange Marmalade (113g) and 1 x Marmalade Gin Liqueur (5cl)
• Breakfast Classics Miniature Gift Box(£8.95) – A classic selection of four sweet preserves to enjoy at breakfast, or afternoon tea over the festive period. It contains: 1 x Strawberry Jam (28g), 1 x Blackcurrant Jam (28g), 1 x Apricot Jam (28g) and 1 x Seville Orange Marmalade (28g).
• Savoury Preserves Gift Box(£10.95) – Three appetising products that work perfectly with a Christmas cheeseboard, cold cuts and charcuterie.  It contains: 1 x  Spiced Plum Chutney (105g), 1 x Red Onion Marmalade (113g) and 1 x  Fig Chutney (105g).
• Sweet Preserves Gift Box(£10.95) – A set of three delicious preserves for use at a breakfast or afternoon tea. It contains: 1 x Seville Orange Marmalade (113g), 1 x Strawberry Jam (113g) and 1 x Gooseberry & Elderflower Jam.
• Fruits for Cheese Gift Box (£13.95) – Three unique products to pair perfectly with the all-important Christmas Cheeseboard. It contains: 1 x Apple Butter (113g), 1 x Damson Cheese (113g) and 1 x Pear and Brandy Conserve (113g).
• Kilner Jars 
• (Old Yorkshire Chutney, Seville Orange Marmalade, Traditional Piccalilli £7.50,Almond & Orange Mincemeat £8.95 Seville Orange Marmalade (410g)  Almond & Orange Mincemeat  (450).
•  – These original ‘Le Parfait’ glass jars contain four of the company’s most popular products. Great as a gift or to use on a festive table packed with seasonal fayre. Available in the following flavours: Old Yorkshire Chutney (375g). The  Traditional Piccalilli (375g)  we will pass on. Dick was a submariner, and the ordering went wrong, and cases of piccalli were brought on board instead of what they had ordered. Ooops. He can’t now face it. But I had a taste, and it is truly excellent, but then all their produce is.
• 

  Elspeth Biltoft, owner of Rosebud Preserves, says: “2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, so we are hoping that this Christmas can wipe away some of the gloom and doom and be a joyous time for family and friends.

“With this in mind we have reviewed and increased our offering of gift boxes and added a number of Kilner jars, with a selection to suit all pockets and tastes and for every meal of the day including Christmas itself of course!”

The company has been making its jams, marmalades, chutneys and jellies at Masham, North Yorkshire, since 1989. The company was started by Elspeth Biltoft and her founding principles, to source local produce whenever possible; to cook traditional recipes; and practice time honoured techniques, without the use of additives, preservatives or pectin; remain the same today.

As well as the gift sets listed above, Rosebud Preserves also has these Christmas beauties…

A Christmas tipple:

• Seville Orange Marmalade Distilled Gin Liqueur(£29.95/35cl/20% ABV) Rosebud Preserves has captured the spirit of its Seville Orange Marmalade in this uniquely distilled Gin Liqueur. It is made in a traditional copper still to create a deep, dark and warming blend of bitter orange, molassed sugar and botanically rich hand crafted gin, with a truly distinctive flavour. It’s perfect drunk neat, over ice or simply with some tonic added for a longer drink. This liqueur has been made in partnership with the Spirit of Masham Distillery, a small, craft batch distillery based in the North Yorkshire town of Masham, just a short distance from the home of Rosebud Preserves in Healey.

For your Christmas dinner:

 Cranberry & Orange Sauce with Port (£3.95/227g)

A popular twist on a classic. Traditionally prepared with fresh citrus and a measure of port. Perfect with Roast Turkey, Game or Ham.

Cranberries 72%, unrefined sugar, oranges 18%, port 3%, fresh ginger, ground cloves, ground cinnamon.

 Red Onion & Port Marmalade (£3.95/227g)

Piquant, full-bodied and richly savoury with red onions, mollased sugar and ruby port. Perfect with Blue Stilton and Cold Meats.

Red onions 62%, unrefined sugar, white wine vinegar, redcurrant juice, ruby port 5%, herbs, spices.

For Boxing Day … Well, we’ll stop here. Do go to : www.rosebudpreserves.co.uk. to find more products from this fantastic ethical local (to me, and one of my favourites) small companies.