15 FUN FOOD GIFTS FOR YOUR FOODIE FRIENDS
The holidays are all about celebrating with food, from tasty little appetizers to the giant Festive Meal laid out on the dining room table. Gifting someone with food shows thought, appreciation, and most of all, love. Feeding someone is nourishing for the soul as well as the body, and also lets the recipient know how much you were thinking about them. Rise above the tired Whitman’s Sampler and put some extra thought into your gifting game this year!
- Small Bites, Big Flavors. I can’t stop thinking about the tasty sampler Savor Set from The Caviar Co. Priced at a very affordable $50, and with enough caviar to feed a small crowd, the set comes in a cooler bag to make it look like you’re the kind of fancy person who casually carries caviar with you everywhere. There are plenty of decadent and pricey options on their website, but I can’t think of a better gift/introduction to caviar with this set. Fun fact: you can substitute potato chips for the blinis once they run out.

2. Get Cheesy. For the lactose-tolerant non-vegan on your list, give them a cool retro gift providing years of melted cheesy goodness: a fondue pot! Updated from the Harvest Gold fondue pot your mom inherited from her mom, The Melting Pot offers this sleek stainless version that comes with a set of six kitschy-clever fondue forks (my fave: “That’s What Cheese Said”). They also will ship their famous cheese fondues, as well as the various chocolate versions for decadent desserts to dip.

3. Chocolate, Obvs. As I said in the intro, you’re going to go above and beyond a Whitman’s Sampler that’s been sitting on a Walgreen’s shelf for who knows how long. Think outside the box–and then create your own with Mostly Chocolate’s Build-A-Box collection (which is way better than Build-A-Bear in every way). You can choose how many pieces, from a cute little jewel box of six to a bigger box of 36, as well as the flavors. All of the selections are as delicious as they are eye-catching, so it’s like giving several gifts in one.

4. Deliver Comfort Along With the Joy. What comes to mind if I say the words “Snowflake Cocoa Bombs”? Because the carb-tastic Eat, Drink, and Be Merry collection of rolls, cookies, and mac & cheese (or soup) from the appropriately-named Spoonful Of Comfort also comes with four Snowflake Cocoa Bombs to warm AND fill you up. The set includes mugs and a ladle, and also comes in a gluten-free version so that no one on your list is left out. Also, Snowflake Cocoa Bombs would be a cool band name, just saying.

5. Respect Dietary Restrictions. Aside from several holidays intersecting this month, there are various lifestyles represented on your annual gift list. Instead of seeing a cultural clash, reframe it as a culinary cultural collaboration. The aforementioned Spoonful Of Comfort gets extra niche with their Vegan Happy Hanukkah Soup Package. Their tasty soups would make even the most devout carnivore happy, especially with such bright and happy packaging, and you wouldn’t know the rolls and cookies are vegan. A little extra thought goes a long way, especially if you get to taste everything, too.

6. Send a Taste Of Home. As a Jersey Girl who’s lived in Portland for more than 20 years, I miss the food from New York City. Other cities can try, but the natives you know will tell you nothing tastes like the food we ate during our formative years. That’s why the “Taste Of New York” Weekender Box from Goldbelly caught my eye and made my stomach instantly want to catch the next flight to JFK, because there’s nothing in this picture I wouldn’t eat right now. With legendary bites from Greenberg’s Black and White Cookies to John’s Pizza to the pastrami kit from Zabar’s and more, it’s priced below a plane ticket and won’t give anyone jet lag (ps to my mom in Manhattan: guess what you can get me for Hanukkah this year?)

7. Believe (In Giving a Funny Food Gift)! If you know anyone who loves “Ted Lasso,” this is the most perfect gift short of being a Santa’s helper delivering presents to little kids. The famous box of shortbread biscuits that Ted delivers daily to the boss, Rebecca, can now be on their desk every day before they get to work thanks to this limited edition collab between the show and Mackenzie Limited. You’ll be in the Premier League of gift giving from now on, Coach!

8. Multitask With Tasty Treats. What’s that, gorgeous yummy cupcakes that come in cute jars that can be repurposed later? Yes, yes, and yes, please! Good luck resisting ordering these perfectly named Wicked Good Bestsellers for yourself instead of someone on your gift list–just kidding, you know I think you should treat yourself as well! Life is too short to not have cupcakes. I said so.

9. More Food, Less Work. Hosting any sized group during the holidays is a stress on even the most chipper and tolerant of people, so give them a break for breakfast with a full brunch sent to their door. This entire brunch from Wolferman’s Bakery serves 4-6 and is just one of many full meal options they offer, so find the best option for your exhausted friend who has to feed her in-laws for a week.

10. Spice Up Their Life! Every home cook loves a new gadget to make their prep more streamlined, especially if it’ll never stop working. Introducing the Ultimate Rechargeable Spice Grinder by Finamill, which was just named one of the “Best Inventions of 2024” by TIME. It comes with various pre-loaded pods for seasoning your food just right and comes in three different colors to match any kitchen decor.

11. Don’t Forget About the Kids! You know, because kids usually don’t get enough sugar and treats at this time of year. But every kid loves it when they get a gift that’s just for them–even if there’s enough to share with their little brother. The You’ve Been Elfed collection from Cheryl’s Cookies are so cute and tasty, maybe they’ll avoid the Naughty List and share them anyway.

12. Ditch That Old Popcorn Tin. The days of cheese, caramel, and overly salted (and, let’s face it, always sort of stale) plain popcorn tins that have been sitting in a warehouse since last December are over. Watching those holiday movies will taste much better after they’ve popped any of the flavored popcorn in this Movie Night Popcorn Set. Not only are the kernels colorful, they literally burst with unique flavors like Cheesy Garlic Parmesan and Fiery Hot Pepper–which might silent your night long enough for your relatives to stop fighting over whether or not “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie.

13. Keep It Classic. Aside from a very limited segment of the human population, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love the classic and chocolate croissants from Williams-Sonoma. The chocolate croissants hit every tasting note a palate could want: salty–but not too salty–with a perfectly crisp top covering the layers of sweet, chocolately, buttery, flaky goodness that melts in your mouth. They’re meant to savor slowly, but it’s nearly impossible when they’re warmed up and make the whole house smell like a Paris cafe. I say this without any judgement: how ever many you might order for friends, order at least half that amount for yourself.

14. Gift a Classic. Every recipe imaginable is available on the internet, but nothing will ever replace reading a recipe from a cookbook full of beautiful photographs. There are multitudes that fit the bill, but one that belongs in every cook’s kitchen is The Silver Spoon, which elevates traditional Italian dishes that are visual feasts as well as literal ones. There’s an Italian dish for every palate, and mastering the art of these classic recipes comes with delicious rewards.

15. One Board to Rule (Most of) Them All. I firmly believe that one of the most perfect meals is a charcuterie board. Stocked with meats, cheeses, crispy breads, and various other snacky accoutrements, there’s something about a charcuterie board (which I think is French for “Fancy Lunchables”) that makes everyone go, “Oooh, I love charcuterie!” You can put one together and drop it off, or you can order one from various resources. But whatever you do, make sure you “just happen” to be visiting when it gets delivered, because oooh, you love charcuterie!
