Holiday 2012 Gift Guide: Gifts for Foodies

1. Parisian macarons, ~$2 per macaron. In the last two years we’ve had many new macarons shops open in Vancouver much to the delight of my tastebuds and to the chagrin of my wallet. My favorite maracrons are by Carly Wintschel. $24 for a box of 12. You can also buy macarons online, like this box on Amazon.

2. Tea Forté sampler, $21.88 for 15 pyramid infusers. This is something I would love to get as a gift because I’m too cheap to buy it for myself. I drink so many cups of tea a day that I would go bankrupt. It’s not practical as an everyday tea for non-ballers but it’s a pretty awesome tea to give as a gift. Each teabag (called pyramid infusers) stand in the middle of your cup or pot and a little leaf sticks out the top. It’s so adorable I die every time. The gift boxes come in all sizes and price ranges so there’s pretty much an option for everyone.

3.  Noble Bourbon Maple Syrup, $34.95. People who don’t watch Up All Night probably won’t get this reference, but this maple syrup is insan. I tried it at my brunch cooking course at the Dirty Apron and wow. Yum.

4. Italian Starter Gift Box, $50. Gift boxes are great and I love making my own versions. You can make your own Italian Starter set by buying each of the items separately. You’ll need extra virgin olive oil, canned tomatoes, pasta (you can also include a pasta maker), aged balsamic vinegar, pesto, and white truffle oil.

5. Cooking classes are a great gift for foodies. The only thing to check beforehand is that they are 100% hands on. See photos from my French cooking class at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts here, and brunch class at the Dirty Apron here. (Image from The Dirty Apron)

6. Breville 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven, $249.95.

7. Boylan Cane Cola, $24.99 for 12-pack of the Cane Cola or $39 for the assorted pack. I always order this soda in restaurants. It tastes amazing.

8. Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl Jasmine Tin – 20 sachets, $15.16. Now this is the tea I drink every day. The price is unbeatable and the flavor is in the league of tea many times its price. Dragon pearl jasmine tea consists of individual hand rolled pearls containing both tea leaves and flower buds. When steeped, the pearls unfurl to release the scent and flavour. Try it for yourself.

9. Salt Spring Island Chèvre, $10.99. A line of flavored soft goat cheeses that I became crazy about after sampling them at an event a few months ago. The flavors range from mild to spicy. The basil chèvre and the hot chilli chèvre are my favourites. Would make a great hostess gift as well.

10. – Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, $19.85 – Macarons by Pierre Hermé, $36.20 – I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita, $10.10. I really like the layout and format of this book. Great photos. – A Country Cook’s Kitchen: American Style Icon by Alison Walker, $23.10 – The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious – and Perplexing – City by David Lebovitz, $10.99 – The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods by Sara Forte, $14.99

11. IZZE Sparking Juice, $19.34 for the 12-pack bottle or $35.17 for the 24-pack cans. Can you tell I really like beverages? Tea, juice, soda, you name it.  My favorite IZZE flavor is Sparkling Grapefruit.

12. Stainless Steel / Aluminum soap bar (or here), $4.49. The trick to getting rid of the smell of garlic or seafood on your fingertips is to rub your fingers on stainless steel or aluminum. You could do it against your sink, of course, but as a gift you could give your foodie friend a bar of aluminum soap.

13. Dermale Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, $23.98

14. The Whisky Advent Calendar, £149.95. A different 3cl sample of whisky behind each of the 24 closed doors. One of them is a sample of 50 year old Scotch whisky. Heart shapes in eyeballs.

 Check out my other holiday gift guides here