PrintWhat's your favorite STOREBOUGHT food gift?
For a hostess gift, for example, I might take a bottle of good olive oil and a big hunk of parm instead of the more traditional bottle of wine. What do you like to give? What do you like to receive?
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15 Comments:
I have given and would like to receive a really great bottle of aged balsamic vinegar.
PerkyMac at 9:42AM on 02/01/08
all kinds of things! really nice chocolates, a bottle of interesting or unusual liqueur, candied chestnuts, olive or nut oil. when i moved into my new apartment my friends went to penzey's and filled a box with all kinds of great stuff: vanilla and almond extracts, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, marjoram... it was a wonderful present!
cybercita at 10:04AM on 02/01/08
A friend recently brought me a bottle of my (new) favorite vodka--Grey Goose Poire--and it was a LOVELY gift! I'm also always happy to receive cookbooks and/or homemade treats. Candy/chocolate stays in my house so long that sometimes it is thrown out (unopened), because I don't have much of a sweet tooth!
I love to give a bottle of wine that people don't know about (usually under $15, which thrills them all the more when they want to buy more), but more often than not, I prefer to bring a dish for the meal. It really depends on the host/ess!
Curlz at 10:06AM on 02/01/08
If I know the person likes chocolate, I always get a box of assorted truffles from Jacques Torres because he's based in Brooklyn (well, originally!) and I'm a transplated Brooklyn girl, and I like giving gifts from where I'm from.
One of my favorite food gifts to take to friends who don't live in NYC is a half dozen of bagels from Ess-A-Bagel, some lox, and a pound of good cream cheese.
charm city cupcake at 12:40PM on 02/01/08
Recently bought BF a bottle of 50 year old balsamic that was very well received. Any type of vinegar or olive oil would be a wonderful gift. Specialty items like chocolate or spices are welcome. I recently sent a friend some saffron and a recipe to use it and he was thrilled.
chiff0nade at 1:18PM on 02/01/08
I like to give truffle salt. The flavor is phenomenal on mac and cheese, beef tenderloin, roasted asparagus, almost anything you want to put it on.
eatmyfood at 1:39PM on 02/01/08
All of the above gifts sound delicious and wonderful. I recently went on a tea kick. I love to get high quality whole leaf herbal teas. Try to avoid the grocery store brands with the paper tea bags on a string. Loose leaf teas or those in a silky single pot sized sachet are much much better.
wookie at 1:59PM on 02/01/08
Thanks for all these wonderful ideas. I wish I was having a party and you were all coming (with your gifts, of course.) I'd even make the mac and cheese for the truffle salt.
elizabethw at 3:33PM on 02/01/08
Recently, I attended a party where the only thing I knew was the host liked nuts and Bloody Mary's. I purchased a hat box (cheap at dollar store, very large, cost about $3) and inside put vodka, worcestershire sauce, fresh lemons, tabasco, tomato juice, an online recipe for the perfect Bloody Mary and some nuts. I then covered it with cellophane paper that I had on hand. They thought it was professionally done - which costs a ton and mine was relatively inexpensive. I do this often and it always is well-received and other guests say they will "steal" the idea.
debsch at 6:03PM on 02/01/08
I like to give truffle salt...
And I like to receive it :D. Got some at Dean & DeLuca during our trip to NYC. If you like truffle salt, try Alderwood Smoked Salt. Had it recently at a restaurant in Tampa and what a sensation!
chiff0nade at 9:34PM on 02/01/08
Special Salts
Truffle salt, Fluer de Sel, an assortment of different salts is fun also.
Angie_Earthy at 9:47PM on 02/01/08
Homemade biscoti and several copies of the recipe. I did this once because the hostess wanted the recipe and now I don't get away without giving out the recipe for whatever type I make. Once people find out that biscoti is NOT hard to make, they want to try it themselves.
misterybus at 10:51PM on 02/01/08
I love anything alcohol related. Don't get me wrong I don't have a problem but it really nice not to have to buy it yourself. Wine it tops with vodka coming in at a close second, Kettle One of course.
tammie at 3:17PM on 02/02/08
I am going to forward all these ideas to all my firends - who always come with a bottle of wine in hand. I appreciate the gesture, but I would prefer to receive some of these other hostess gifts once in a while...
I love giving as presents unsual jams, preserves, caramels... funny, but our local Marshall's store has a nice variety with unusual food items that people find truly rare and unique. I have also given Carla's Sweets - it's a local business with carts in the middle of malls with truly great brownies, masa real and merengues... I don't eat them anymore, but I know people appreciate them.
MadelynRodriguez at 4:42PM on 02/03/08
That oil and parmesan cheese gift is genius! I'm stealing it!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 4:00PM on 02/05/08