No Thinking Required: Culinary Gift Ideas

Picking out clothing for people is difficult. Doling out gift-cards is ridiculously easy, not to mention unimaginative. But hardly anyone yawns when given presents earmarked for a kitchen shelf – or a rack inside an oven or fridge.

Here is our roundup of culinary gift ideas for the 2020 holidays, based on either our own wish list or firsthand experience with them.

They’re all available nationally through various forms of shipping and delivery. Check their web sites for details.

Fast pass to a famous deli

When friends last year sprung for a shipment of pastrami, beef tongue, rye bread, pickles, and cheesecake from Katz Delicatessen in Manhattan, the party guests practically lost their minds. Even without the electrifying vibe of this vintage deli at our disposal, the food stood up to its reputation of being the kind nobody outside New York City can properly replicate.

Numerous options exist. They range from matzo ball and chicken noodle soups for two ($14.95 each) to sliced pastrami by the pound ($35), whole pastrami weighing about 4.7 pounds ($83.95), a “triple classic package” featuring brisket, corned beef and pastrami ($145) and more. Shipping is free on all orders over $100.

Crazy cobsPopcorn comes in myriad varieties these days, including this type that pops right off the cob. Using Kansas-grown corn, Sunflower Food Company has engineered a way of sticking an entire cob of corn into a bag and microwaving it for a couple of minutes until nearly every kernel pops. The corn is non-GMO. We found it on Amazon under “Farmers Popcorn Cob,” where a three-pack sells for $12.99.

Our three favorite chocolatiers

1.) When we think of truffles, we turn to culinary alchemist Katrina Markoff, whose exotic chocolates at her Chicago-based Vosges Haut-Chocolat pull in a worldly potpourri of herbs, roots, fruits, and botanicals. Each truffle collection comes with a booklet of tasting notes and sourcing details. Prices range from $7 to $175.

2.) The socially conscious Jcoco in Seattle is a chocolate company bent on feeding hungry families. And there’s no better time for doing so than now. With every purchase of Jcoco chocolate bars, which come in a plethora of inventive flavors, the company donates a fresh meal to somebody in need via food banks in Washington, California and New York states. From several bars we’ve tried, our blue ribbon goes to the “cayenne Veracruz orange” and the “black fig pistachio” flavors. Prices run from $2.50 per bar to $35 for gift sets.

3.) Some people prefer their chocolate in liquid form. Hence an assortment of “drinking chocolates” that comprise part of the exquisite inventory at Eclipse Chocolate in San Diego. Owner Will Gustwiller packages various flavors of chocolate pieces into one-pound bags. The directions are simple: just whisk them into heated milk (dairy or non-dairy) and then say goodbye to your your ho-hum hot cocoa mix. The bags sell for $20 each.

What the heck?

We included this contraption that makes breakfast sandwiches mainly because of its zaniness. This isn’t to say we’d re-gift it for some mass consumer with a hoarding problem if bestowed to us. But it certainly verges into the category of “non-necessity.” The thing is made by Hamilton Beach and cooks all the components of your customized breakfast sandwiches simultaneously. Well alright, then. It sells for $24.99 at Target, Walmart and on Amazon.

Smooth, mellow oil

Lebanon produces some of the finest and fruitiest-tasting olive oil in the world. This stuff from Tazah is no exception. Contained in a 1-liter glass bottle, its acidity level is less than 1 percent, which means you can consume it liberally on breads and salads without getting stung in the back of the throat from the pungency common to many American brands. Best of all, we found it on Amazon for only $14.99.

Kosher Cooking for the 21st century

Modern Kosher by Michael Aaron Gardiner is a 208-page hardcover book that covers all the bases of contemporary kosher cuisine, plus some. Gardiner is an award-winning food columnist for San Diego City Beat and a food-travel blogger at sdfoodtravel.com.

In the book, he gives readers a historical perspective on how Jews have been cooking for centuries as they “traveled willingly or otherwise throughout the world.” Weaning from their evolving dietary laws carried along the way, he presents a compendium of globally inspired modern-day kosher recipes stemming from his own kitchen.

Such dishes include tomato matzo ball soup; coffee-braised lamb shoulder in pita; oil-poached tuna with Chettinad curry and coriander chutney; and nearly 100 more. Many of the plates are beautifully captured by culinary photographer and filmmaker Sam Wells.

Modern Kosher was recently released by Rizzoli New York. It’s available through Amazon and Target for about $40.

 

Unrivaled panettone

Sixty-eight dollars for a pannettone, you ask? Well, yes. Though if it’s any consolation, the cost includes shipping.

Even if you normally eschew this fruited Italian holiday bread, you quickly realize the ones made by pastry master Roy Shvartzapel are worth every cent. Crafted in his San Francisco bakery, called From Roy, we ordered one a couple years ago when they were $50 each. As every rich, flaky layer and helium-like air pocket slid through our mouths, we knew the price would soon inch up.

Available in chocolate or with raisins and candied oranges, Shvartzapel uses an intricate process to produce these yeast-fed beauties. You can read all about it while placing your order on his web site.

Practical with touches of pizzazz

For the organizing fanatics in your life, and assuming they like to entertain, this cheese and tapas board from Uncommon Goods holds it all—food, dipping bowls and utensils. Made of bamboo, it comes with a secret drawer stocked with three cheese knives. Even better, the board folds down to half its size for easy storage. The price is $85.

And from the “under $25” category, a set of four grilling baskets for meats, fish and veggies costs only $17. They’re made from steel wire and feature hardwood handles.

Get nutty

Pistachios find their way into flour, butter, and various gift boxes at The Pistachio Factory. The celebrated nuts are grown exclusively on an orchard in Central California, and when turned into spreadable butter, their unique, earthy flavor is pleasantly enhanced. The butters (salted or unsalted) are $11.99 for 5 ounces, and $14.99 for 8 ounces. They are free of GMOs, dairy and soy. Bags and gift packs of fresh pistachios in their shells are available as well, starting at $18.99 for 22 ounces.

(Lead photo by Wicked Monday)