Lon does not like presents that are not edible. I made the mistake of buying him a sweater once. The Brooks Bothers sweater is still sitting in our bedroom with tags on it. I noticed that his family really just buys him food, for every holiday and birthday. So, what’s a good present for a foodie?
1. Vinegars – They come in an amazing array of awesome flavors like fig or pomegranate balsamic, strawberry champagne, ginger rice, etc. They are available in all price ranges too, starting from around $3 to around $45 for a good bottle of aged balsamic.
2. Olive Oil – Olive oil also varies greatly in price. For a present, you want to get an Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Some come in gorgeous bottles too.
3. Gourmet Sea Salts – I don’t use iodized salt(table salt) for cooking generally and a good salt makes a big difference. One of my favorite presents is when Lon’s sister brought us some Red Alaea Sea Salt from Hawaii.
4. Distinctive Meats – Lon’s mom once bought him ostrich meat and I love buffalo meat and wild boar. Unfortunately, these meats are not always readily available at your local supermarket but that’s what makes the present more special.
5. Expensive Spices – Most chefs would welcome some extra saffron, real cinnamon (commercially available cinnamon is not actual cinnamon), or vanilla beans.
6. Gift Certificate to a restaurant or bakery – So for this Hannukah, I’m taking Lon to Strip House Strip House, a restaurant he’s been dying to go to because he heard about their Crisp Goose Fat Potatoes. We’ll let you know soon if they’re any good.
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