Читать книгу Edible Gifts - Jane Lyster - Страница 6

I like to use the best quality materials and ingredients, as I believe they can help to make the cooking and wrapping easier. It also makes the gifts seem a bit more special. That’s not to say that secondhand bits and bobs that you find and collect on the way are unworthy. It’s more about using exactly the right grade of flour to make pasta making a bit easier, or choosing a quality pencil that will keep its point for longer. A full range of materials at your fingertips really does cut down wasted hours at the shops, so being prepared is always useful. I always keep my kitchen cupboards stocked with a range of flours, sugars, good-quality chocolate and olive oils and I’ve always got fresh butter, eggs, lemons and fresh herbs to hand – so whipping up a batch of biscuity treats is never a problem.

Materials for decorating and wrapping are probably ones that you already have lying around the home but it’s always good to be on the alert for useful finds. It’s that magpie thing. The collector in you should be able to recognize the potential in the discarded item. Think of buttons and beads which can be stitched or glued over the surface of the lid of a box to make it extra special; odd lengths of ribbon to be wound around bottles, jars and hold together bundles of just-baked breadsticks; paper that was wrapped around a gift given to you, that you have carefully unwrapped, folded and stored for another day just as your grandmother would have done. Then there are fragments of lace and cloth from a past era, which give a homely, vintage feel. These are the treasures that you can’t buy. A trove of trinkets takes a while to gather, but these odds and ends are worth their weight in gold. Being individual and different from the norm is what makes your gift unique.

Materials for wrapping and decorating

Rolls of coloured cellophane and cellophane bags

Wrapping paper

Coloured tissue paper

Coloured ribbons and fabric scraps

Balls of wool

Stencils

Paints, coloured pens and pencils

Varnish

Beads, buttons, sequins etc