Tis the season to figure out our holiday gift lists. A friend of mine asked me last week ifI was going to put together my thoughts on suggestions for my top food-themedpresent possibilities. I had kindof sort of been thinking about doing a post about this in the same way thatI’ve kind of sort of being trying to get myself motivated to do my holidayshopping for my large extended family (hey, I just bought stamps for holidaycards so I’m getting there). Hercall was the push that I needed to get myself going.
This has been a year for me to get to know lots of great newfood things available in New York City and to meet some of the wonderful peoplebehind these items. What ishelpful for your shopping list, too, is that some of these products are alsoavailable to you via online ordering or even in your own regional stores. I’ve tried to gather as much of thisinformation as is possible, but I always defer to the brands’ own websites, asthey will (or should) have the most current details available for how to getyour hands on their products.
I hope that this list will help you to make quick work ofyour holiday shopping, at least for the foodies for whom you are buyingpresents. I have no idea what I’mgoing to get for the majority of my family members, and I can’t just bakecookies and mail them out to everyone, unfortunately. We operate a non-gift card policy, so I can’t even show upin Virginia empty-handed and expect to get those last-minute at the mall! So, without further ado, here’s my listof some food-finds that I think would make good gifts:
Edibles(non-chocolate)
Blue Crab Bay Co. (www.bluecrabbay.com)
You’re shaking your head as to why this is on a list where Ifeature mostly New York-produced items. Well, they were at the Fancy Food Feast so I’m sneaking them inhere. We don’t really get all theblue crab dishes up here, and it is one of those things that I miss fromhome. Fortunately, I can ordersupplies from these folks to tide me over until I can get down south to thefamily crabfest each year. Ipicked up some of their fantastic Crab Dip Kit and hid it in a cupboard at myparents’ house to have this holiday season, so at least I’ll be well-supplied at Christmas.
Rick’s Picks (www.rickspicksnyc.com)
Unsure if my liking them when I sampled the Mean Beans andPeople’s Pickles at International Pickle Day was just a fluke, I went back fora second round at their table at the Piglet Party this week. Mmm, yes. For your pickle-fanatic fans, you shouldgrab a couple of jars of these to stuff in their stockings. If they like heat with their brine,Rick’s also has some spicy varieties, too.
Schoolhouse Kitchen (www.schoolhousekitchen.com)
I first found their Spreadable Fruit, Mustards, and Chutneysat the New Amsterdam Market and fell completely in love with them. Wendy W. Smith, the president of thecompany, was kind enough to talk to me one afternoon about their products andtheir philosophy. To find out moreabout these items and to see some additional photos of their wares, please seemy Product Spotlight post about them. Their products and gift packs will be available at the New Amsterdam Market for the next two weekends as well as at the Brooklyn Flea Gifted market.
Spices & Tease (www.spicesandtease.com)
This is a family-run enterprise with the most gorgeous arrayof spices and tea blends. One day,I’m going to just throw the budget out the window (must get paying job first!)and buy all the combinations that they offer. In the meantime, I’ll have to sample them sparingly. They have stalls at the Columbus Circleand Union Square holiday markets, and are offering gift sets of tins. Please be aware that they only accept cash payments.
The Filling Station (www.thefillingstationnyc.com)
With several locations in Manhattan (Chelsea Market andProvisions down at South Street Seaport) as well as stalls at the holiday markets at Union Square and Columbus Circle, this is a must-stop spot for theolive oil and vinegar lover on your list. Their Blood Orange Olive Oil is fruity and smooth, not at all chemical-ly,which sometimes happens with flavored oils. Their small bottles of Truffle Oil at $10.00 per seemed tome to be a bargain, as this condiment can often be very pricy. They also have blends of salts andherbs for sale, too. The widestselection will be at Chelsea Market, but you can also stop by their stalls toget samples.
Edibles (chocolate/sweets)
Baci (www.peruginachocolate.com)
A friend of mine and I were wandering through the Bryant Park Holiday Fair on Thursday when we came across this stand. I discovered these dark-chocolatecovered hazelnut beauties when I studied in Italy and have been a fan eversince. Part of the fun of them isto take the slip of paper that has sayings translated on it and see if theywork in each of the languages printed. Sometimes these have been, ahem, ‘transliterated’ rather than translatedexactly. One day, I will get a jobcorrecting these, as well as in making Italian-to-English subtitles make sense.
Bond Street Chocolate (www.bondstchocolate.com)
I first visited this shop during the East Village Eats walkingtour. The chocolate flavorcombinations were really interesting. What grabbed my attention, however, and puts this store on my list isthe unique molded chocolates that they sell. Need enlightenment? Howabout a chocolate Buddha. Feeling alittle more heavy metal? They havechocolate skulls, too.
Co Co. Sala Chocolate Lounge & Boutique (www.cocosala.com)
This was one of the chocolatiers who knocked my socks off atthe Chocolate Show last month. They sell several different gift boxes with different flavor themes thatwould fit perfectly in anyone’s stocking, especially mine! I really loved their White Chocolatewith Sea Salt and Pink Pepper, but they have other delicious-sounding flavorsas well.
Fika Choklad (www.fikanyc.com)
Or, if someone really wants to get on my good list, I’lltake some of these. Anotherfavorite of mine from the Chocolate Show. His caramel with sea-salt crunch will change the way your brainprocesses filled chocolates. Otherflavors like gingerbread and cardamom are completely seasonallyappropriate. I still haven’t had achance to make my way down to their shop to see if his boast of the best coffeein NYC holds water.
Liddabit Sweets (www.liddabitsweets.com)
Jen and Liz make some of the most deliciously, addictivecaramels, candy bars, and flavored popcorn available (ask me about theirBourbon-Coffee-Bacon-Caramel Popcorn). They use locally-sourced seasonal ingredients to produce theirconfectionary wonders. Check outtheir website for updates on locations, as they’ve recently added a bunch of newones.
Xocolatti (xocolatti.com)
This was another of my top-ranked finds from the Chocolate Show. I thought the design wasgorgeous and appealing. What wasimportant, however, was the product, which also did not disappoint. The Sake Chocolates would be a goodadult gift to replace those bourbon or rum balls once and for all.
Drinkables
Benmarl Winery (www.benmarl.com)
Tomorrow, the New Amsterdam Market will be featuring New York State wines. I’ve recentlybecome a convert to these, especially when there are such great bottles likeBenmarl Winery’s DeChaunac Cabernet Franc to be drunk. I’m planning to stop by their stand topick up another bottle of this delicious wine with Côtes du Rhône flavors sothat I can have some on hand to celebrate the holidays.
Brooklyn Oenology (www.brooklynoenology.com)
I’ve had a couple of opportunities to visit their tastingroom, which I wrote about last month. My favorites in their wine cellar include the BOE 2009 Rosé and the BOE2005 Merlot.
Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider (wvwinery.com/cider)
This is one tipple found on Brooklyn Oenology’s flights menu, which is where I firstdrank it. I’ve had sips of severalNew York apple ciders, and this is the closest one I’ve found to the flavorsthat I really enjoy. Crisp with lots ofclean, tart apple taste, much like the ones from my home state of Virginia. At the New Amsterdam Market wine festival this weekend, I also had a chance to try some of their other products, including a fabulous Bourbon Barrel Aged Apple Liqueur. This is a drink meant to be sipped so as to enjoy all its rich, wonderful tones of caramel and ripe, juicy apple and would be perfect on a cool, winter’s day in front of a roaring fire.Inspire Moore Winery (www.inspiremoorewinery.com)
One of the wines that really impressed me today at the New Amsterdam wine festival was the 2009 Framboise from this Finger Lakes winery. Somehow, they managed to capture perfectly the sweet-tart notes of local raspberries without making a beverage that is too syrupy or cloying. This would be a great, refreshing dessert wine to have alongside of a platter of cheese and some chocolates and is something new to bring to your holiday table.
P&H Soda Co. (www.pnhsodaandsyrupinc.com)
Ever wondered what real, soda-fountain style sodas tastedlike? Well, Anton and Erica are tryingto bring them back to us. I firstmet them and tried a lime-ginger combo when I was at the New Amsterdam Market at the Ice Cream Festival. Mysecond taste of their great product was a seasonally-appropriate Concord GrapeSoda at New York Magazine’s Grub Street-Hester Street Fair. Both of these were clean-tasting andrefreshing without being overly sweet and cloying. Their site lists the markets where you can find them thisseason.
Sheldrake Point Vineyard (www.sheldrakepoint.com)
Another of the wineries that was at the New Amsterdam wine festival this weekend, Sheldrake brought several of their award-winning bottles with them for visitors to sample. I really enjoyed their 2008 Late Harvest Riesling. New York wineries, as I’ve discovered, make some amazing late harvest wines, which I enjoy for their layers of flavors. This one is no exception with lots of pear and citrus. It would be a perfect dessert wine. Their 2008 Apple Splash was also a great treat, giving my mouth a full apple flavor along with warm caramel tones. This is another wine that I could see serving as a wrap-up to a delicious holiday dinner.
Non-Edibles
Brooklyn Brew Shop (brooklynbrewshop.com)
Ever wanted to delve into the world of home brew making (orknow someone who has)? BrooklynBrew Shop has created several kits to help you get going. I’m interested to try the ChocolateMaple Porter, if anyone whips up a few bottles of that. I saw these at the Union Square Holiday Market, but they are also available locally at Whole Foods and Williams-Sonoma in thecity per what they told me.
NY Cruets (www.nycruets.com)
As I was breezing through the Union Square Holiday Marketearlier this week, this stand made me stop and do a double-take. Hand-crafted in Hungary, these gorgeousand functional olive oil and vinegar cruets would make a wonderful addition toany kitchen. I have one that Ibought in Italy many years ago and have found it to be perfect. The only downside is that mine isglass. These are made of Pyrex, sothey should be much more durable. For the moment, they are available on line and at the Union Square andColumbus Circle holiday markets.
Karma Living (karmaliving.net)
One of the challenges to bringing my lunch each day when Ihave an office job is to figure out what container to put it in. I don’t really like sandwiches, so Iprefer to bring dinner leftovers or to create some type of hot meal. Regular plastic containers just don’tcut it. Bento boxes have been oneoption that I’ve considered. Another is the tiffin concept. This stand at the Bryant Park and Union Square holiday markets mightoffer the solution to my problem.
* * * * * *
I hope that you enjoyed reading about some of myfood-oriented finds that could be solutions to your holiday shoppingneeds. I wonder what my secretSanta has decided to put in my stocking or if he will go “off the list” as wecall it!
Buon appetito!http://www.sheldrakepoint.com/index.cfm
Comments