What can we get for our friends this holiday season besides local wine from Woodinville? (Which is delicious and makes a great gift!) This year since I can’t gift “experiences” due to the current worldwide situation, I’m gifting things that get used up so they don’t clutter up my friends’ houses… things like perfume, candles, lotion, paper calendars, stationery and best of all, gourmet foods!
I have a lot of foodie friends – do you as well? Let’s look at some of my favorite finds I’ve stumbled upon this week during my online shopping forays.
(Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you)
The Bonne Maman 2020 Advent Calendar provides 24 gourmet mini fruit spreads and a honey jar. Gift it to your friends who like creating cheese boards, serving graze boards, or spooning jam onto their ice cream desserts.
Or for a bit more variety, you might like to gift the Stonewall Kitchens Holiday Sampler collection, which includes jams, mustards, and a red pepper jelly – all wonderful for your cheese and charcuterie boards!
The Plochman’s craft mustard holiday trio includes Cranberry Craft Mustard, Stone Ground Craft Mustard, and Sweet Fig Craft Mustard. Use them on homemade mini tarts, in deviled eggs, with sausages, and with dainty appetizer pretzels. The packaging isn’t very fancy, but it keeps the cost down that way too!
Speaking of mustard, I’m intrigued by this Blackcurrant Dijon mustard from Edmond Fallot. (For some other unusual and fabulous gourmet gift options, check out Edmond Fallot’s Old Fashioned Grain Mustard in Stone Jar and their Dijon Mustard in a Tin Pail for your “modern farmhouse” pals.
If you have any friends who like to drink Spanish-style wine from Washington (such as Pomum Cellars, Castillo de Feliciana and Michael Florentino Cellars) check out the Matiz Store on Amazon for spices, saffron, paella base, sauces, peppers and more.
Who is your friend who has done the most pandemic bread baking? Gift them this elegant modern Oil and Vinegar Tasting Set. It’s designed for one person to use to sample and learn about different olive oil, vinegar and balsamic vinegar flavors.
Due Vittorie balsamic vinegar would be perfect for your friend who makes their own salad dressing at home or bakes lots of bread they can dip into it later.
Ok, white wine vinegar isn’t very exciting. But if you’re putting together a gourmet gift basket, why not include a beautiful bottle of Greek white wine vinegar from Terra Medi?
Terra Medi also makes a red wine vinegar in a lovely bottle.
For your French wine and food obsessed friend, how about gifting Cidre vinegar from Normandy apples?
Black Currant happens to be one of my favorite flavors. I love it in tea and preserves and in black currant balsamic vinegar like this one from Seven Barrels. Check out the Seven Barrels shop for gourmet olive oils and flavored balsamic vinegars (I’m dying to try their Prickly Pear balsamic vinegar!)
Bet your foodie friends don’t have pomegranate vinegar in their pantry already! You can cook with it, drizzle on salads, or put it in shrub cocktails.
Speaking of shrubs, some of your friends might participate in Dry January after the holidays. Some people who are trying to drink less and detox turn to non-alcoholic shrubs for tasty drinks. These flavored vinegars from Giusto Sapore might be a fabulous gift for your shrub-drinking friends.
I had to giggle when I saw this Lambrusco vinegar – I have so many memories of loving (cheap) Lambrusco wine in the late 1980s. I’m tempted to drizzle this on my bread and salad for old time’s sake.
Torani syrups are delicious, but let’s face it, they aren’t very gourmet, glamorous or exciting. We put them in our coffee and cocktails and on snow cones, yes.. But why not gift your snooty friend some upscale syrups from 1883 Maison Routin France instead?
For your friends who like to make craft cocktails in their home bars, check out Liber & Co’s fancy tonics, cordials, simple syrups and real grenadine.
This Italian Black Summer Truffle Honey is excellent on baked brie en croute (cheat and buy the one from Trader Joe’s!) or nice as part of your cheese board. Also see their White Summer Truffle Butter for your share board.
For your friends who make cheese boards and graze boards often, see what you think of the fabulous variety of flavors of gourmet preserves in the Tiptree Preserves shop. They also offer marmalades and curds.
Or delight them with something they’ve probably never seen on a cheese board here in Washington: French Confit of Violets.
Do you have a fancy friend who takes sugar in their tea? Surprise them with these lovely French sugar flowers shaped like roses. You could also drop one of these sugar roses into a glass of Washington sparkling wine (from Airfield Estates, Maryhill Winery, Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Callan Cellars perhaps?) to make a Champagne Cocktail.
I’ll add some other nice tasty gourmet food suggestions to this post as I find them! Check back soon if you haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet!
-Carrie
