My Christmas List for the Foodies in Your Life

A week ago Nancy inspired me. I thought I wouldn't have time in the midst of all my planning and holiday baking. It was easy though in the end to come up with a list of gift ideas for our foodies.... here they are:

• Macrina's panettone. It's listed under Holiday Breads...actually any of these are sure to tickle the fancy of your friends. Would make great hostess gifts. Just be sure they like/can tolerate a little gluten in their lives.
• Rivera pears from Harry & David. My mom sends these out to me when I don't travel back to the hometown for the holidays. This fruit is melt-in-your-mouth good.
• How about a gift box from bumble B design? A thoughtful co-worker turned me on to them. Finding one of these boxes on your door stop is a lovely thing...I promise.
• King Leo Peppermint sticks.... Besides you need them to make your own peppermint ice cream cake if you're anything like my mother. And they come in festive tins. I've found these before at Marshall's and Restoration Hardware.
• Market Spice Tea. A perennial favorite in the Northwest.
• The ultimate: Fran's Grey Salt Caramels. Oh my! If you're as lucky I am, your local grocery story carries them conveniently located by checkout aisles. And she's joined the wired and put up a shopping cart on her site. Lucky you!
• The Seattle Chinook Book. Environmental deals at a steal (price wise that is).
• Feeling charitable? Make a donation to FareStart. It's one of my favorite local charities; what better way to honor your favorite Seattle foodie. While you're at it, make a reservation for an upcoming Guest Chef Night.
• The Chef'n Pepperball. I have the Dual Grinder in stainless and I love it. But the magnetic mini-balls would make a perfect stocking stuffer or hostess gift. Besides, we Seattle-ites must stand by our local inventor.
• Seattle Time's cookie recipes. Order several copies to share with friends. Better yet, make a batch of one of these and give the recipe(s) along with your cookies.
• Homemade: anything coming from you will be made with love. It's time to make and share your mustard, pickles, cookies, spiced nuts, or family eggnog recipe (yep, we got one of 'em…stay tuned).

What about you? What are your foodie gift recomendations? Giving is the fun part, after all.

Christmas Gifts for Foodies

Nancy Leson has some great gift ideas for the foodies in your lives. I wouldn't mind any of these (except the retractable fork)...especially the cooking lessons at Le Gourmand.

See here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/restaurants/2004052727_taste05.html

Not that I have any readers, even my mother (most likely gifter and best gifter I know) can't quite figure out what the blogosphere is all about.

I especially love the purse hook. I've been meaning to Google the "dangle." My friend has one of these and I've been eyeing it for weeks each time she pulls up a nearby barstool. And now Nancy tells me that there is a glitzy option: the pursehook. I'd use it for the bars in my life though, not for fine dining.

Nancy's (yes, I do feel like she's a friend even though I've never met her. I do rely on her weekly words on food and a Wednesday without her column is a sad day) article is an idea for a post of my own....with my own foodie gift ideas. I'll see if I can compile something.

Though fair warning: I'm about to enter the maelstrom of testing the family holiday recipes and am thinking of hosting a Christmas Eve gathering with Mom and Gege's menu. And that will come first in this journey.