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GourmetGrrl Bites
GourmetGrrl.com: Food with 'tude
November 16, 2005
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Holidaze. Yes, the holidays are all about peace, love, and joy but let's face it: everyone still expects a gift. Here are some gift ideas that even Santa won't think of.

Cin Cin!
GourmetGrrl, aka Laura Holmes

GourmetGrrl Gift Guide
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Bicchieri “5 in 1” Glasses These hand-blown Italian glasses are the ultimate in cool: they stack inside each other when you’re done sipping. Wine, spirits, sherry, water, and brandy glasses are included for your drinking pleasure.
$145 from UnicaHome

Crème Brulee Set Who doesn’t want to be master of the flame? Everything the budding pastry chef needs to whip up Crème Brulee at home. Includes a butane torch, four porcelain ramekins, and a recipe book.
$69.95 from Sur La Table


Cubist Vodka Set If you drink your vodka neat then this vodka set is your calling. Call them upscale shot glasses, all six fit into a handy wooden tray that fills with ice to keep that vodka nice and cold. Now all you need is a vodka to match the glasses. (The newest designer vodka is Jean-Marc XO Vodka from France. Made from wheat, it's super smooth; $50 a bottle at most fine liquor stores.)
$45 from Red Envelope

Decanter We need another decanter like we need ... another decanter. And the thoroughly modern Ona Pitcher fits the price and sass factors.
$24 from Crate & Barrel


Food Gift Baskets We know it’s a cliché but if you send the right food basket all is right with the world. And there’s only one place that has fabulous food and amazing prices: Zingerman's. From coffee cake baskets and sweet-tooth baskets to carb-loading bread baskets and cheese samplers, there's a basket for even the pickiest auntie. Our favorite? The
Weekender, which shows your host (or your folks) that you absolutely loved staying on their couch.
Prices from $59-100 at Zingerman's

Grind Salt and Pepper Mill Your beloved will love going one-handed with these spring-action salt & pepper mills; just press down and voila – freshly cracked salt and pepper. In stainless steel, four different styles, they fit in even the tiniest studio apartment.
$19.95-39.95 from The Best Things



Herbes de Provence Growing Kit For the not-so-green thumb, all the soil and seeds you need to grow herbs on your windowsill. Lavender, marjoram, fennel, and sage will soon be blooming in cute little galvanized pots. It evens comes with a watering can. So get growing.
$65 from Red Envelope (If you’re feeling the amore and not the amour, buy the Italian herb garden instead; $25.)

Lettuce Crisper Bag For that practical gourmand in your life. With this breathable bag lettuce stays fresh for up to 10 days, so you can say goodbye to lettuce rotting in the crisper drawer.
$6 at My Bag: 866.562.0889

Le Creuset Star Champagne Opener If you’re worried about flying champagne corks this winter, then pick up a champagne opener. It helps grrls get a grip and open that bottle oh-so-slowly. It might even prevent someone from taking an eye out on New Year’s Eve.
$14.95 from Sur La Table


Martini Chiller This little beauty chills vodka and/or shrimp, depending on your mood. And it’s from Poland, where they know a thing or two about vodka, so it must be good. If the chiller gives you caviar dreams, send along the Dean & Deluca Iranian Caviar Sampler. Three one-ounce containers and mother-of-pearl serving spoons complete the experience.
Martini chiller ($18) and caviar set ($1,050)
from Dean & Deluca

Meyer Lemon Marmalade Pot Need a gift for the Brit in your life? Then this lemon marmalade set will do the trick: a pot of thick lemony marmalade that will cheer them up on a grey winter day. Because one can only eat so much lemon curd.
$42 from Napa Style


Mushroom Gift Basket Who doesn’t love a basket full of mushrooms? Any foodie will love these ‘shrooms: two to four pounds of fresh mushrooms (up to eight varieties) will magically appear from Gourmet Mushrooms, a mushroom grower in California. Just be sure you're there when they start cooking 'em.
Prices start at $57.50 from
Gourmet Mushrooms

Numi's Flowering Bouquet Tea Tea bags are so yesterday, darling. Pick up this clear tea infuser instead, and watch the tea flowers blossom in front of your very eyes. The set includes tea and a fabulous bamboo case.
$37.95 from World Pantry

The Olive Press Club If someone you love can tell a grassy olive oil from a buttery one, then sign them up for The Olive Press Olive Oil Club. They'll receive two bottles four times a year of one-of-a-kind blends, organic oils, and limited
production artisan oils produced in Sonoma County, California.
About $44 per shipment from The Olive Press

Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar For the true foodie, who has every condiment known to man, pass on the balsamic and hit the pom. Pomegranate juice is added to rice vinegar to make a light vinegar that you can toss on salads every day of the week.
$14 at The Golden Whisk

A Real Live Pony If you're going for broke, there's only one option: a miniature pony from FAO Schwarz. Imagine the delight when a 36 inch pony, complete with halter and lead, arrives on your doorstep. They'll even throw in an expert who will tell you how to care for your new friend. Alas, there is a weight limit: the pony is only recommended for those 50 pounds and under.
$15,000 from FAO Schwarz (catalogue only item)


Restaurant Gift Certificate Everyone
likes dining on someone else’s dime, so this year give a gift certificate to their favorite spot or a newly opened restaurant. But don’t be a cheapskate – you should shell out at least $100 if you want them to ignore the menu prices and enjoy the meal. The newest spots: in San Francisco, Myth, Tres Agaves, and Scott Howard are creating a buzz; in New York City, Pair of 8's, Jovia, andBarca 18 are brand-spanking new.

Riedel O Sake Set From Riedel’s O collection, a sake set perfect for the sake lover in your life. Warm or cold sake, it all looks good in these glasses.
$39 from Williams-Sonoma


Wine Club Memberships Virtually every winery in the U.S. has a wine club, and it's not just a marketing ploy. Members get access to special wines, events, and discounts and receive monthly shipments. For the wine-o who has everything, this is the gift. Some of the best are Grgich Hills' Miljenkos' Cellar Club; Ridge Vineyard's club for the Zin-lover in your life; and Robert Craig Wine Cellar's Affinity Club for your Cabernet Sauvignon-obsessed friends. The Robert Mondavi Ensemble Club is also worth a look. Prices vary wildly but start around $85 per two-bottle shipment.

Some retail shops are getting into the act, too; wine.com has tailored clubs like "Big Bold Reds" and "Wines of the World" that start around $39.99 per month, and K&L Wines in San Francisco offers members two wines a month. Sadly, they’re not for everyone; due to shipping laws wine can only be shipped to certain states. Check with the winery to see if your state allows wine shipment. (And if they don’t, write a letter to your local politician.)


Wine Preserver For that one friend who doesn’t finish a bottle of wine, there’s Private Reserve wine preserver, the second-best way to preserve an open bottle of wine (after the half-bottle method; see the Nov. 4th issue of GG Bites.) The can feels empty but is actually full of gasses
that will keep that wine fresh for a few days (the gas is heavier than the air and creates a block between the air and the vino.) One can is good for 120 uses. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
About $10 a can; available at fine wine shops and gourmet shops like Sur La Table