My favorite list to compile is my holiday wish list, I mean, the foodie gift guide. This is a mix of can’t-live-without gadgets, culinary treats and silly splurges that anyone who loves to cook or eat will love.
When I was a kid, we would fight over the paper thin After Eight mints that my mom kept in the fridge. These confections are similar but better with a long history…like all the way back to King Edward VII. The dark chocolate has that perfect snap then melts in your mouth.
When you start working in a professional kitchen, most chefs will start you on a garde manger station or salad station. One of my most annoying and time-consuming tasks was plucking thyme leaves off with precision to ensure a perfect garnish. I cannot look at thyme the same and rarely cook with it to this day. This handy little gadget helps you meet in the middle of plucking leaves with tweezers and just chopping the whole dang thing up, stem and all. It has several sizes and doubles with a blade to chop.
Garnishes aren’t just for cocktails. Now that it’s chilly, I mean today, I don’t miss an opportunity to brew some rich hot chocolate or spiced apple cider. Order these teeny tiny handmade gingerbread houses that will even make your Elf on the Shelf swoon. My kids love to stick marshmallows, truffles, and soft mints on these little cocoa caribou.
Ok, hear me out because I know this looks blah. When you live, I mean work, in a kitchen, you go through a LOT of plastic wrap. That industrial plastic wrap is a LOT easier to use because it has a tiny blade cutter, not that crazy jagged metal thing on a cardboard box. Costco even makes the cardboard version, but this handy gift turns any plastic wrap into easy peasy.
My husband would consider us a “pie family.” Each one of us has a different favorite pie, so the holidays is especially pie-filled. Apple, Chocolate, Chocolate Pecan and Pumpkin can fit in this but probably not at the same time. This adorable pie dish will make you slightly less sad when you finish your pie.
These tiny little cookies are the epitome of perfection from famous French bakery Poilâne. They aren’t cheap and getting them to the U.S. isn’t either, but if you are looking for a true culinary treat for the cookie snob in your life, look no further.
These knives are hands down guaranteed to make any chef in your life gasp with joy. These are hand forged out of Damascus steel. The blades look Japanese, but the weight and balance are reminiscent of German steel. No two sets are the same, but all are beautiful.
Looking for a local gourmet gift? These elegant handmade chocolates from Atlanta’s own, Jardi make wonderful personal or business gifts. In addition to these beautiful truffles, Jardi makes hot cocoa bombs, caramels, bars and covered items like macadamia nuts and blueberries.
Every aspiring chef needs these seasonings. This seasoning salt starter pack from David Chang of Momofuku and Ugly Delicious are meant to replace boring ol’ kosher salt. Each has a specific umami flavor and an ideal list of what to put them on.
Don’t forget that gift cards are the gift that not only help a business but also bring joy to the recipient and whoever they get to share it with. Consider a virtual or in-person tasting or cooking class from Vino Venue like Entertaining with Ease or Perfect Pairings: Wine, Cheese & Chocolate. Marlow’s Tavern is giving you a bottle of bubbly with a $50 or $100 gift card purchase that you can pass on or crack open to celebrate your shopping being finished. My mom bought us an NFA Burger gift card that helped me emotionally eat my feelings through the first four months of virtual learning. Moondog Growlers has custom gift baskets and tastings and no one is going to be upset about a Novo Cucina gift card or antipasto platter from E. 48th Street Market.
