Gift Guide: Gifts for Food Lovers

As a self professed food lover, I'm always coming across items that I can easily see fitting in my home and kitchen. I've collected a few of my current favorites to help you figure out what to buy the foodie in your life this holiday season.

1. Nopi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully - Newest cookbook from the incredible Yotam Ottolenghi and the head chef of his high end London restaurant Nopi. Recipes are supposed to be more challenging than previous books but well worth the effort and its the perfect way to for foodies to test their chef skills at home. Plus, it's pretty.

2. Indie Ingredients 3 Month Subscription Box from Mouth - I'm not sure what part of this concept is more exciting, getting a package in the mail everything month for three months or getting new ingredients to test out every month for three months. Pretty much my dream present and a great way to find new food favorites.

3. Horchata Soap by Etta + Billie - Anyone who loves food enough will definitely want to have reminders in every part of their daily routine. Bathing in organic rich rice milk based soap that smells like sweet cinnamon sounds like a great way to start the day. Bonus: It's great for the skin too.

4. DIY Chevre Kit from Belle Chevre - Best kind of DIY kit out there because you get to consume the fruits of your labor and share it with others.

5. Banh Mi Sandwhich Print from Drywell Art -  Any true food lover must have food art. Alyson's unique take on food diagrams are detailed, interesting and beautifully done. Perfect for decorating your entire kitchen, or living room, or where-ever.

6. California State Cutting Board from A Heirloom - Perfect present for pretty much anyone. Cutting boards acts as a serving platter or a fun way to prep dinner. All 50 states available.

A few more gift ideas, sans photos:

7. Fancy Cheese Knives - these are pricey but so beautiful.

8. Cork Tea or Grain Canisters by Melanie Abrantes - These would look pretty stellar in a kitchen.

9. French Ceramic Butter Keeper - fluffy spreadable butter that lasts for days, sign me up!

10. San Francisco Lovers Tea Towel by Noteify - a foodie can never have too many tea towels.

In the Kitchen: Summer Tomato Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette

Summer is one of my favorite food seasons because of all the fantastic produce, especially the tomatoes. Thank goodness my CSA, Eatwell Farms, has some killer tomatoes (and plenty of them). I found this great salad that combined some of my favorite flavors. Don't be scared by the anchovy in this salad, the saltiness and umami are great with the tomatoes and fresh basil (even my husband liked it and he is fairly anti-anchovy). I'll be making this one while the fabulous summer tomatoes last.

Ingredients:

SALAD
-1 1/2 lb. fresh in-season tomatoes (I used cherry and
-1 large shallot (or small onion, preferably red) thinly sliced
-sea salt and freshly ground pepper
-handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped (finely or coarsely depending on your preference)
-a few fresh basil leaves, torn or whole if small

VINAIGRETTE
-1 garlic clove
-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
-2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
-4 to 6 anchovy fillets, packed in oil (I did 5)
-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-handful of fresh basil leaves

This is adapted slightly from The Newlywed Cookbook by Ryland, Peters & Small (no I'm not a newlywed anymore but this book still has some great recipes, including their panzanella salad).
 

Directions:
Start with the vinaigrette. Place all ingredients except olive oil and basil into a food processor or blender and blend well. Add in oil, a bit at a time and continue to blend. Next blend in the basil chop until desired consistency is reached (I went a little overboard but I love the bright green of the dressing). Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Slice tomatoes into halves, quarters or eighths depending on their size, arrange on a plate or shallow bowl. Add shallots or onions and season with salt. Drizzle vinaigrette over tomatoes and onions, then sprinkle with basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Holiday Gift Guide - For The Food Lover

Got a food fanatic in your life? Yeah you do. An always appreciated gift for the food lover is a gift certificate to a local restaurant or bar, preferably a special occasion place. Need some other ideas? Here are some of my favorite food and drink products that I wouldn't mind seeing under my Christmas tree. 

1. Almond Crack by Nosh This. Award-winning butter toffee with local California almonds, made by San Francisco local Kai Kronfield. It's habit-forming. (photo: Food 52) $3.50 to $14.

2. Waterproof Waxed Canvas Lunch Sack from Kauffman Merchantile. Stop brown bagging it and get classy with this reusable, indestructible bag. $48.

3. Hasami Black Mug at Umami Mart. This is my favorite mug. I use it to the exclusion of all other mugs. Perfectly proportioned for a 8 oz cup of coffee. Top it with the optional wood cover and your coffee will stay hot. I really really love this mug. $24.

4. The Original Bacon Kit. What's better than  bacon? Nothing. $23.

5. Subscription to Lucky Peach Magazine. My favorite food magazine, full of art, long-form essays, recipes, and more. A little edgy, very informative, sometimes quite esoteric. It's awesome. Buy a gift subscription in December and you can get chef/editor David Chang to make a personal call to the gift recipient! Weirdness. (photo by Food52). $28.

6. Oishinbo comic books. For super Japanese food nerds only. Oishinbo is one of the longest running manga in Japan, and it is all. about. food. A collection of the comics have been translated into English, and bundled into subjects like Izakayas, Sake, Ramen & Gyoza, and more. They are hilarious, beautiful, and really damn informative, and would make a quirkly and unexpected gift. $12.99.

7. Old Fashioned Cocktail Set from Umami Mart. This set is baller. A really impressive set to give to the special cocktail fanatic. Two old-fashioned glasses, a mixing glass, spherical ice cube tray and a lovely mixing spoon. I can vouch for the quality of the mixing glass. $99

8. Salumi Calendar by Drywell Art. Yep, one of my own. I just really have a fondness for this ode to cured meats. $30.

9. Earl Grey Soap by Etta+Billie. It was hard to choose just one of Etta + Billie's culinary inspired body products, but this is a winner. Collaboration with SF local tea company T-We. $11.

10. Avocado Food Hugger. This one is one my list for Christmas. I think it is an ingenious way to save that half of an avocado without browning and without wasting plastic wrap or a baggie. $10.