The Best Food Gifts to Buy Without Leaving Your House
by Lisa Elbert, Tastemaker in Residence - Written for Bon Appetit, found on Amazon.
The (lazy) food lover's gift guide
PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG
If the opportunity ever presents itself for me to not leave my apartment, I’ll take it. As a result, my friends and family are all recipients of gifts that have been ordered from the comfort of my couch, or more specifically, from the deep depths of Amazon. Sometimes you have to dig below the surface to find a solid gift. It’s totally worth it though because again, you don’t have to leave your house! Below are a few ideas for gifts to buy on Amazon this year, all of which are edible, gulpable, or otherwise related to the acts of eating and drinking.
PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG
ONEHOPE Wine
Some may say gifting wine is a cop out, but that’s because you can’t go wrong with it. This particular wine drew me because of the cause—I like the wine itself, but I also like to drink for the good of mankind. ONEHOPE is Rob Mondavi Jr.’s Napa Valley-based passion project: Half the proceeds from every bottle sold go to causes like Save Our Planet, End Childhood Hunger, Fight Against Cancer, and more. Also, buy California wine because our community in California needs us and drinking for the greater good is the greatest excuse to drink. Or, one of them.
Photo by Chelsie Craig
Olympia Provisions Charcuterie
I know what you’re thinking and the answer is no: Nobody is going to judge you for buying charcuterie on Amazon, especially when it’s from Olympia Provisions, Oregon’s first USDA-approved salumeria. Elias Cairo, chef-turned-charcutier, is committed to creating all-natural products with hand-sourced and hand-processed ingredients. (Watch him hilariously teach Brad how to make sausage here!) The charcuterie is shipped in an insulated cooler, and you can have it hand-delivered to your recipient's door. Show me a person who wouldn’t love a bag full of meat and I’ll show you a liar.
Buy it: Olympia Provisions European Salami Sampler Gift Set, $60
Photo by Chelsie Craig
Matcha Starter Kit
Know someone that’s hopped on the matcha bandwagon? Of course, you do, we all do. Do them a favor and up their game with the full kit-n-caboodle. This kit has everything a matcha enthusiast could ever want or need for a traditional ceremony of their own. Plus, it doesn’t involve waiting in line at a coffee shop (or leaving the house in general).
Buy it: Tealyra Matcha Tea Ceremony Start-Up Kit, $58
Watch Here - http://video.bonappetit.com/watch/pastry-chef-attempts-to-make-gourmet-cheetos-bon-appetit
Pastry Chef Attempts To Make Gourmet Cheetos | Bon Appetit
Photo by Chelsie Craig
DIY Hot Sauce Sampler
Ninety-three percent* of kitchens are home to at least one hot sauce and with good reason. Every sauce has its own way of adding complexity and vibrancy to a dish, but no one should have to settle for just one. So, buy them all! Or at least enough to do a proper taste test. Like I said, 97 percent* of people consume hot sauce on a daily basis, so you know it won’t go unappreciated.
*Not a proven statistic
Buy it:
Photo by Chelsie Craig
Gruet Sauvage Blanc de Blancs
Host gifts are tricky, especially when you only vaguely know the host. This, however, is the bottle to bring to the party. Here’s why:
Everyone loves bubbles, and the holidays are best celebrated with a glass of sparkling in hand. The Sauvage is zero dosage (it has no added sugar), so its lively acidity is just the thing to get the party started.
It’s a conversation starter: It's minimalist packaging (there’s no foil on the capsule) and the stark, black and white label is perfect fodder for party small talk.
The Blanc de Blancs pairs well with everything but is just as good on its own. You don’t need to know what’s on the dinner menu to bring the best pairing in the house.
Buy it: Gruet Sauvage Blanc de Blancs, 750 mL bottle for $20
Photo by Chelsie Craig
Chocolate!
Give the gift of bean-to-bar chocolate to the people in your life who deserve high-quality, flavor grade chocolate made from sustainably sourced cacao beans. Whether they’re a chocolate purist or just get excited by unexpected flavor combinations like Ghost Pepper and Green Tea Crunch (almost as good as green tea Kit Kats, almost), Raaka’s selection will more than satisfy.
Buy it: Raaka Virgin Chocolate, 1.8 ounce bar for $12 to $14
Photo by Chelsie Craig
Arthur Bryant’s BBQ Sauce
Show your loved ones you care with the best gift of all: A set of sauces and spice rubs from barbecue pantheon Arthur Bryant’s. This could be chalked up to my Missouri upbringing, but there’s a reason why Arthur Bryant’s is arguably one of the best barbecue spots in the country: The sauce (and the burnt ends). Also, Calvin Trillin wrote that it was “the single best restaurant in the world,” which might be a stretch, but as far as barbecue goes, it’s the truth. Plus, Harry Truman was a regular there. Bottom line, if you know someone who loves barbecue, this is an important taste to introduce them to as it’s written all over American history. Best served with Wonder Bread.
Photo by Chelsie Craig
MistoBox
This minimalist-chic box is equipped with single origin blends from Thou Mayest and Verve Coffee Roasters, as well as a ceramic mug. Any bean queen would be thrilled to wake up to this on Christmas morning (or the morning after one of the nights of Hanukkah).
Photo by Chelsie Craig
100-Piece Snack Box
One hundred days of snacks (or a more concentrated 25 for snack addicts like myself). Honestly, what more could anyone possibly want? Mic drop.