Five Great Culinary Gifts for the Gourmand on Your List

Marin French Cheese + Cheese Grotto Piatto: The welcome amenity at one of my favorite Bay Area hotels is always a small round of Marin French Cheese, so naturally I associate this delicious item with lovely hospitality. With this novel gift item, three Marin French Cheeses arrive with the Cheese Grotto Piatto, which allows for a longer cheese shelf life—up to 3 to 6 weeks for most varieties. Its breathable wood construction and humidifying clay brick recreate the ideal conditions for storing and aging all cheeses. The grotto prevents premature molding and drying out, and it’s reusable for a lifetime. About an hour before serving, simply take the Grotto out of the fridge to allow the cheese to come to room temperature— the ideal cheese storage temperature. It’s the French way, allowing for the lively, flavorful and supple textures of the included Petite Camembert (a classic with complex, aromatic character), Petite Truffle (a holiday favorite with Truffle pieces blended throughout this Triple Crème Brie) and Petite Garlic & Pepper (a new item of garlic and cracked pepper within a Triple Crème Brie.) A QR code found on the printed card included in the Grotto + Cheese bundle provides all the information needed to age the included cheeses. The price for this gift is $125 for the bundle.

Brandini Toffee: I sampled this toffee last spring at an event in the company’s home town of Palm Springs and was smitten. With a soft crunch, no stick texture, it offers just the right amount of sweet. And the brand’s origin story is sweeter. In 2006, young toffee-maker Brandon Weimer and his childhood friend had the opportunity to embark on a high school class trip to Italy. Challenged by their parents to earn half the cost of their trip, they accepted. and Brandini Toffee was born. With overwhelming support from their community, the two surpassed their funding goals within a few months and made it to Italy. Brandini Toffee has since grown into an incredibly successful full-time family business. (Visit the Palm Springs region and you’ll spot the delivery truck everywhere.) With a passionate dedication to making the absolute best toffee products, the Brandini family has maintained Brandon’s original tried and true recipe; the toffee is hand-made with grade AA creamery butter and pure cane sugar, one small batch at a time. Their Toffee Popcorn is also amazing, as are the Toffee Pretzels. The classic black and white packaging is timeless. Order here, and enjoy ½ off of a toffee tin with your first order. Use promo code WELCOME at checkout.

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Chip City Cookies: I happened upon these cookies during a visit to New York City’s Rockefeller Center, and let’s just say, one was not enough. These scrumptious cookies will add warmth and sweetness to any holiday celebration. Order a batch for your holiday cookie exchange and wow your friends, or, make someone’s day by sending a Winter Wonderland gift tin. Chip City got its start In 2017 when friends Peter Phillips and Theodore Gailas challenged each other to see who could create the absolute best cookie they’d ever tasted. Their resulting cookies were so good that the duo decided to bring them to the masses and open a cookie shop in Astoria, Queens. Chip City has since expanded into one of the East Coast’s most beloved and fastest-growing cookie bakeries, with locations across New York and New Jersey, with many more locations in the works. The Holiday Edition Cookie Bundle is a great intro and includes a choice of six individually wrapped Jumbo Cookies; each measures approx. four inches and weighs approx. 5.5 oz. Choose from: Chocolate Chip Brown Sugar, Cookies N’ Cream Sugar, White Chocolate Gingerbread , Red Velvet Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle, Dairy-Free Cookie Butter Cookie, Chocolate Chip, Confetti, Cookies N’ Cream, Oatmeal Apple Pie, S’mores and Triple Chocolate. Chip City ships nationally via Goldbelly. Order here.

Sacred Cow Granola: A visually appealing mason jar of this yummy Pumpkin Spice granola was my welcome gift recently at the lovely and charming Weekapaug Inn in Rhode Island. One taste and I knew I had to spread the word. The company story began in 2014 when Rob Armstrong, owner of Munroe Dairy Home Delivery in Rhode Island, asked his best friend and partner Maureen Maloney to create a great tasting granola. The duo came up with the yummy Sacred Cow recipe after trying tons of brands that tasted more like cardboard than cereal. The ultra-small Sacred Cow team now makes an original flavor and the seasonal pumpkin spice—each is delicious, just sweet enough and has just the right crunch. (The company is soon to launch a limited run of Chocolate Orange, but you’ll have to get to Rhode Island for this flavor.) Comes in pouches or mason jars, and while it’s primarily available at Rhode Island retailers, they ship nationwide. Order here.

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Rory’s Bakehouse: Fill your home with the irresistible, oven-baked aroma of chocolate chip cookies with Rory’s Bakehouse cookie kits. Napa-based Rory Kandel bakes and sells delicious scones, tarts, and bagels, but she is best known for her giant, buttery chocolate chip cookies that clients bake themselves at home. Her oven-ready dough balls come with individual parchments for cooking and Maldon salt for finishing. Rory’s cuisine passion started early. She grew up in a family deeply immersed in the restaurant world and fondly recalls spending hours at Smith’s Bar in Manhattan, owned by her grandfather, flipping through her mother’s extensive cookbook collection. After earning a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, and working within several high-end restaurants for many years, she found her true calling during the pandemic when she launched Rory’s Bakehouse. Her business allows customers to experience the joys of baking without the effort. Just recently, Rory was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, which has reshaped her perspective but not her drive. She remains steadfast in her goal of growing Rory’s Bakehouse into a national brand while navigating her new reality. Committed to raising awareness and giving back, she donates a portion of her profits to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, working toward a future cure. Order here.

Emma Kruch