Gift Guide
When I think about giving food-related gifts I think about three things: what could I give that is hard to find in a lot of places, what is unique, and what would I like to get were someone to give me something. Brisket at good as Snow's, for example, is hard to find outside Texas. 50 day prime dry-aged beef is hard to find in NYC steakhouses or anywhere else for that matter. But they make great gifts. Looking for something for someone with a sweet tooth? Nuubia's fingers are simply a extraordinary blend of creamy hazelnut and really good dark chocolate; and every time I put some Blackberry Patch raspberry or blueberry syrup on anything, my whole day gets better.
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It's hard to find a better curated food catalogue than Zingerman's. They are righteous folks, they know seriously delicious food when they come across it, and they sell it at a fair price. Nothing in the catalogue is cheap, but then again, good food rarely is. So whether you order cheese or olive oil or bread from Zingerman's, you can be confident you're going to be very happy when it arrives at your house. — Ed
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Brisket is Texas's best-known contribution to barbecue culture, and though you can now get slow-smoked brisket in just about every major American city, you still need to go to the source to get brisket so good it will make you cry. But if you can't make it to Texas, ordering Louie Mueller's brisket is the next best thing. The Muellers have been smoking brisket since 1949. The key here? They ship the whole brisket, which means you get plenty of the critically important fatty half. Why is it critically important? Because we all know that fat IS flavor. Phone orders only: (512) 352-6206. — Ed
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When I had these Texas beef sausages delivered to Serious Eats World Headquarters, people were skeptical. The moment they took their first bite of these supremely juicy links, though, the office became totally silent. Louie Mueller's beef and jalapeño sausages reduced the entire office to stunned, rapturous silence. And these suckers are so affordable, even with the shipping, that they're perfect for serving at parties. You just might want to hand out bibs to protect everyone's shirts. Phone orders only: (512) 352-6206. — Ed
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I must admit that I'm predisposed to like any confection that's simply called a "finger." A finger implies a certain size and scope that speaks to me. When the box of Nuubia SF's chocolate fingers I'd ordered arrived at our office, I made a beeline for the countertop that serves as Food Central at Serious Eats World Headquarters. It's a good thing, because they were gone in a minute—and with good reason. Creamy hazelnut praline mousse, surrounded by smooth and not-too-sweet dark chocolate, is my idea of a perfect finger food. — Ed