The weirdest cookies I’ve ever had
But I kinda liked them. Also: a market this weekend, some new books and two products from Speciality Fine Foods Fair, plus an industry opportunity!
hello hello
I thought I’d have my full round up from the Speciality Fine Food Fair ready for you today. But a work project is taking longer than I thought and… I was ill.
I’ve been too smug about not getting sick for over a year. Pride before a fall, etc, etc. Messing with my supplements recently seems to have been my downfall. That and the back-to-school germs my daughter brought home. Fun times.
Or … maybe it was all of the people dipping their hands into the food sampling pots over two days at the food fair last week. (You have to not think about it. 🥴)
I’m 100% healthy again 🎉 and was back at another food trade show today; a glutton for punishment and for food! 🤪
While I pull everything else from last week’s trade fair together (it’s a lot!), this week I’m going to tell you about one sweet treat and one savoury snack that I saw, tried, and loved, and the rest will come later.
There are also a few other delicious things you need to know:
Toklas Harvest Festival Market this Saturday
Toklas the bakery have hosted a few markets - including one I organised ☺️ - and they’re back with another this Saturday.
The bakery has changed its opening days to Monday to Friday so if you can’t normally get there during the week then this Saturday will be a great opportunity to try Toklas’ fantastic baked goods, too. I heard they’ve got an Apple and Blackberry Hand pie, which I really want to try.
📌 9 Surrey St, Temple, London WC2R 2ND
🚆 Temple
Looking to work in food?
My friend Dominique is looking for a junior to join her food studio and styling business. It’s 2 days a week in Tottenham Hale guaranteed plus assisting her in food shoots 6-8 additional days a month. Please do pass this on!
You can reach out to Dom via her Instagram.
Books for your Shelf
The Coffee Book for any coffee lover
I’ve known Celeste Wong for well over a decade. I can’t remember how we met. For a while I was really into coffee. (Before I finally conceded defeat to my limited ability to process caffeine.)
Where I now plan travel around bakeries and chocolate, I used to plan around coffee shops and, still, chocolate. I created a self-guided coffee tour pack as part of a company I started in 2016 and closed in 2019 (if you ever want to hear about that “learning experience” you can tune into my friend
’s podcast where the tale was published on New Year’s Eve a few years ago), and I used to run a chocolate and coffee tour of Notting Hill as part of Chocolate Ecstasy Tours (I loved this tour so much!).So, it was probably something to do with coffee.
Celeste is a coffee queen. Like many aspiring actresses, Celeste became a barista. She started a YouTube channel about coffee, she’s hosted lots of coffee events, especially at the coffee festivals, and now she’s written her first book. It’s a beauty. Lots of information and stories about coffee and 70 recipes for drinks, snacks and dishes (mostly fun drinks - cocktails and all-day kind of drinks). It’s a perfect gift for anyone who loves coffee: interesting, practical and not too nerdy!
Get Coffee Creations on Amazon or Bookshop.org
And the acting career? She’s nailing that too. 💪
Sweet Seasons
Michael and Pippa James are in the middle of their book tour and I’ve had a sneak peek of their third book launching this week, Sweet Seasons, and it’s also gorgeous. Sweet recipes tied with the seasons, from what you want in different weather, to celebrations and what’s in season.
I also got to try the rye chocolate and hazelnut and brownie cookies they were selling at Sourdough Sophia’s last weekend and they are insanely good. It’s worth buying for that recipe alone.
Get Sweet Seasons here on Bookshop.org.
Don’t forget they’re signing books across the country and selling delicious things at Eric’s on Sunday 29th:
📌 20 Upland Rd, London SE22 9EF
🚆 East Dulwich
I also got a good look at Ottolenghi and his superstar female team’s latest book Comfort and I saw so many recipes I’m desperate to make, including mushroom and miso mapo tofu, butternut, tamarind and coconut stew, and cheesy baked rice with okra and tomato.
Congratulations to Yotam, Verena Lochmuller, Helen Goh and Tara Wigley. What a dream team.
Buy Comfort here on bookshop.org.
QUICK NOTE: A lot of the recipes in this book aren’t vegetarian which will please some, I’m sure, but I am pointing out because I suspect some of you reading this are vegetarian and, while there are plenty of great recipes still, I didn’t want it to come as a shock or disappointment.
The ultimate cook book if you like to throw a dinner party!
SubStack superstar
just got married and published her debut book. And it’s a stunner! Good Time Cooking is full of recipes that are perfect for dinner parties, including the casual ones. She includes tips on what you can make ahead, how to mise en place, how to scale the recipes for different group sizes, and what you can substitute. Easy peasy.Buy Good Time Cooking from bookshop.org (Amazon link is above)
mise en place
This translates (from French) to “everything in its place”. It’s a culinary term referring to preparing everything - your ingredients measured and in the right shape and size, plus all of your utensils and pans - before you start cooking.
The aim is to make the cooking process itself quicker and easier. You’re less likely to make mistakes and, in theory, it makes less mess. I’m less convinced on this last part (all those extra little bowls to wash up!).
It also gets appropriated by other industries to imply that everything needs to prepped and ready to go before you begin.
A moreish Sweet Treat
Lakrid’s Slowcrafted Liquorice
I’ve had LAKRIDS liquorice many times but I did not realise they had a slow crafted version and the difference is huge. Softer and spicier, but still gentle. I like their standard liquorice a lot, but I loved these. I particularly loved it with the coating of mango and vanilla white chocolate.
Addictive and slightly healthier Indian snacks
Tuk In Bombay Mix
Earlier this year I told you that these Indian snacks were going mainstream, based on how many times I saw them at this food trade show.
Well… the deep fried ingredients in it are probably something we shouldn’t be having often, but Tuk In have made some versions of Bombay Mix which include more nutritionally dense and varied ingredients (seeds and pieces of dried mango, for example) amongst the deep fried carbs. These are delicious and hard to stop eating, which probably means I should stop. But I don’t wanna.
In their (and my) further defence the carbs in a Bombay Mix are often made out of legumes so there is more protein than crisps…. These are gluten free, vegan and contain omega 3 fats as well as a bunch of plant foods in one handful.
Bombay Mix is the name given to an Indian snack mix that is typically a blend of dried & fried noodles (usually a mix where some are made with wheat flour and others with chickpea or other legume flour), fried legumes and fried or roasted nuts (usually peanuts) and sometimes puffed rice and curry leaves. The mixture is then tossed with a seasoning that typically includes salt, pepper, turmeric, ground cumin and ground coriander, and often chilli, too.
And finally…
The weirdest cookies I’ve ever eaten
Southeast London has got a brand new cookie bar. A short walk from Peckham Rye, this place is run by Spanish friends and they have plans to open in the future with natural wines and evening tapas. It’s a beautiful light filled space so the more excuses to spend time there, the better.
Here’s the full list:
🍪 Basil & Dark Chocolate
🍪 Hoisin, white & Ruby chocolate
🍪 Cheddar & Bacon
🍪 Brie, Pear & Pecan
🍪 Cheese, Sobresada & Honey
🍪 Coconut Mochi
and these classics, which both currently contain pecans:
🍪 triple chocolate chip
🍪 double chocolate
I made a video for the first time in ages. It took me more than 4 hours to make 🫠. This is why I rarely make them now. Maybe I shouldn’t bother with voiceovers and editing the captions, but I still think it would take me 2.5 hours even if skipped this bit.
I hope it’s useful/interesting?
(No pressure to say nice things 😅 - to be honest I’d be quite happy if you tell me to stick to writing, or just post a picture on Instagram and be done with it!)
📌 Cöödie, 100 Peckham High St, London SE15 5ED
🚆 Peckham Rye
If you’re in the U.K. then I hope you’re loving this burst of warmth! I sure am.
Tell me in the comments the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten. I’ll see you there and I’ll go first. It’s gross.
Speak soon,
Love and sunshine,
Jen xx
P.S. A reminder about tickets to the public chocolate tours during Chocolate Week! I’m so excited that Sunday 20th already has enough people to definitely go ahead.
Hiyah. New to your newsletter and Insta. But really glad I have access to your output. Nothing wrong with the video at all, but it is pretty similar to a lot of hospitality 'influencers'/posters on Reels... (and that's all good) - but would be interesting to maybe have the creators explain why they chose the flavour combos and for you to describe the taste. But great that you make them look so professional and provide a sense of the environment too. Brava! I had lavae and fried insects in Mexico + jellyfish in Singapore and a pig brain stir fry/dip in Philippines. Mixed levels of enjoyment 👀
I ate live bugs, as a vegetarian. Teeny tiny ones. But still wriggling. 🤢It was at El Bulli and I thought “it’s El Bulli, they know what they’re doing”. In this case, they did not. 🤮
I remember describing the meal afterwards as some of the most incredible, mind blowing and wonderful dishes I’d ever experienced, alongside some of the most disgusting. The rose carpaccio was also just bad. I mean?!