We continue our KW: Holiday Gift Guide with some awesome cooking-inspired gift ideas from Courtney!
1) In case you don’t have a fantastic local gourmet foods purveyor, any intrepid chef à domicile would love this cassoulet kit from NJ-based fine foods purveyor D’Artagnan. It includes just enough of everything you need without having to buy all of the ingredients. (And, yes, I’ll take it with the bowl s’il vous plaît.)
2) To go with the delicious cassoulet, of course you’ll need some wine. Plonk Wine Club offers subscriptions services and specializes in “artisinal, obscure, and affordable.” Specializing wines that are small-batch an sustainably grown, this club is a gift that will last – and be appreciated! – all year long!
3) My dad and I are the main family cooks so a few years back I got him a gift subscription for the small quarterly food magazine, The Art of Eating. Editor Edward Behr is passionate about food, food history and ethnography. In his words, “The Art of Eating is about the best food and wine — what they are, how they are produced, where to find them (the farms, markets, shops, restaurants). Sometimes we present the most cutting-edge cooking, but more often than not the best food and wine are traditional, created when people had more time and food was more central to happiness than it is today.” It truly is a great publication.
4) If you kind of like cooking, but hate all the prep work, the secret to your happiness may lie in your choice of tools and their quality. A good knife is the secret to making cooking a pleasure! Fusionwood Knives from New West Knifeworks are truly a nationwide product. The blades are made in WY from US Steel and the handles are fabricated in VT and shaped in MA!
5) If you want to give a delicious gift that is also great for you, many cities, large and small, offer up fresh produce all winter long at local farmers markets, and many offer gift certificates! Who knew? This is, I guarantee, a fantastic gift for anyone who loves good food and cooking. If you want something more substantial, look into a CSA in your area – you’ll be amazed at what you might find! A few in the Philadelphia area we recommend are Lancaster Farm Fresh and Shady Apple Goats.
