Admit it: You’re a sucker for a great food gift. Sure, you love the ties and the little doodads that everyone thinks you really want, but there’s something so useful about food. You can enjoy it right then and there. You can savor it for days. Why not skip the not-so-essentials in favor of a delectable food and drink gift that your recipient is sure to enjoy? Here are a few ideas to kick off the holiday season in tasty form — and they all come in at under $100 a pop. How’s that for tasty?
Olympia Provisions Salami Bouquet
Don’t mess around if you’ve got a true meat connoisseur on your list. They know the good stuff when they see it, so you won’t be able to get away with the two-bit jerky pack you scored at your local grocery store. Nope. When you’re dealing with a meat lover, you need to focus on The Real Deal. That’s where Olympia Provisions Salami Bouquet comes in useful. Available in arrangements of three or six sausages, the “bouquet” is beautifully presented and ready to delight in a festive red gift box.
Thomas Keller Teaches Cooking Techniques II: Meats, Stocks, and Sauces
Then there’s that budding chef who knows more than a thing or two about whipping up serious culinary delights. Those are the folks who savor every word from those legends in the field, making something like the Thomas Keller Teaches Cooking Techniques II: Meats, Stocks, and Sauces MasterClass a worthy investment. The 22-part video series consists of informational techniques that comprehensively walk you through every step of sautéing, roasting, braising, frying, and grilling different types of meat, including beef, chicken, pork, duck, and veal.
Kolossos Unfiltered Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil Set
Maybe you’re the type who grabs any old bottle of EVOO on the shelf. But there are purists out there who would love to set you straight if given the opportunity — and all the better if said purist is a good friend who can walk you through it gently. The Kolossos Unfiltered Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil Set contains two bottles: one mild and one bold. The former is a light and buttery blend of ripe Manaki olives, ripe apple, apricot, and pine, while the zestier blend is rich and robust, with peppery notes, nuts, tomato leaf, and green tea. They’ll love experimenting with these completely opposing varieties!
Driftaway Coffee Subscription
Do not — repeat, do not — give your favorite coffee lover a gift card to the neighborhood coffee joint that everyone on the planet knows unless they explicitly asked for it. Otherwise, you’re better off going for something a little unique and off the beaten path, like a Driftaway Coffee Subscription. Here’s what makes this such a special and obvious choice for your favorite java junkie: it includes three deliveries, each batch of which is fresh, seasonal, and sustainable. Those traits alone make it worthy! Shipped in compostable packaging, the subscription includes an 8-ounce tasting kit and two subsequent 11-ounce deliveries.
Spicewalla Kitchen Essentials Spices and Seasonings Set
In Hindi, “walla” refers to a person who does something. In the case of the Spicewalla Kitchen Essentials Spices and Seasonings Set, there’s never been a more apt description. The Spicewalla gang are all about delivering the good stuff — real, authentic, flavorful spices that capture notes you may never have thought possible. The cook in your live will appreciate each of the 18 small-batch containers inside, ranging from Kashmiri chili powder and green cardamom powder to ground yellow mustard and herbs de Provence. The clincher? The beautiful packaging, which makes a lovely addition to any countertop.
W&P The Homemade Gin Kit
For the budding bartender or the enthusiast who hasn’t quite had a chance to indulge that love of cocktail very much this year, the W&P The Homemade Gin Kit is the perfect choice. It’s all about allowing even the least experienced of mixers create delightful cocktails in the comfort of their own home. The set includes all that they need to make their own incredible gin: two glass bottles, complete with corks, a fine stainless steel strainer, a tin of juniper berries, and a tin of botanicals, enriched with rose hips, allspice, lemon peel, green cardamom, Tellicherry black pepper, fennel seed, lavender, rosemary, coriander, and bay leaf. Also included is a handy recipe card.
Frederick Arndt Artworks Mid-Century Modern Trivet
Artisanal elegance sets the Frederick Arndt Artworks Mid-Century Modern Trivet apart from anything else they own. Trivets are essential, certainly, but they tend to be a bit straightforward and forgettable. Not so with these imaginative accessories, which feature elegant wood-grain patterns that lend them each an earthy finish. They’re dramatic and elegant even when not in use, lending them double importance in the home. Who can resist a trivet that serves as a piece of artwork on the side?