Give the Gift of Food & Drink

I hate to break this to you, but Christmas is in 11 days.  If you are like me (a blonde, cheese loving, wine drinking, cat obsessed new yorker), you are just waiting for that holiday break.  Every day that passes is a day closer to the holiday, a day closer to a little taste of freedom, relaxation, and binging on food, drink, and family.  But, if you have not finished your Christmas shopping, then every day that passes is another day you did not go shopping.

I would like to help out.  I have a few gift suggestions to pass on, mostly related to food and drink, but a few transferable ideas as well.

The wino:  Do you know a wino?  I know several.  I call them my best friends and closest family members.  Giving the gift of wine is a great gift indeed.  Here are some options within the wine category:

1.  Go to a nice wine store.  If you live in the city, I recommend Astor Wines or Chelsea Wine Vault.  Speak with a staff member.  If you are at Chelsea Wine Vault, ask for Krista and tell her Kerry sent you.  Tell the staff member that you are looking to give the gift of wine!  If you indicate a price range, and maybe a country, they can help you pick something out.  I recommend finding a wine that has an interesting story.  You can literally say to the staff member "can you find me a wine that has a little interesting tidbit I can share when giving it?"

2.  For red wine drinkers, I recommend Wine Away, a wine stain remover.  This is not a sexy gift by any means, but it is totally practical.  http://www.wineaway.com/

3.  Go back to the nice wine store.  Ask them for a recommendation on a bottle that is good to keep in a cellar, and ages nicely.  You can give someone a bottle of wine that will be good to drink in a year.  You can tell your gift receiver that you bought them a bottle to share over Christmas 2012.

The beer guzzler:  Do you know any beer guzzlers?  I know several.  When you go shopping for beer, you select a six pack and go home.  You decide what you are in the mood for, grab the 6 pack off the shelf, and pay.  Right?  Wrong!

1.  Go to a great beer store.  I recommend Whole Foods Beer or Good Beer in the East Village.  At Good Beer, you can make your own six pack.  You can select 6 different beers.  How fun is that!!!!  Or, at Whole Foods Beer, you can get the 12 pack party pack.

2.  Also at awesome beer stores, you can get bigger bottles of beer.  For big group gatherings, larger format beers are pretty great.

The food lover:  Do you know any food lovers?  I know several.  Now, you have to be careful with food gifts.  Food gifts are the gift you give that some people say "oh great. more food. what am I supposed to do with this?"  The best way to give a food gift is to make sure it is personal.  Hey there giver of generic box of mixed chocolates that don't come with a chart that are really only so-so and you eat too many because you don't know which one is which- you are what make weight watchers and jenny craig boom with business in January.  Be THOUGHTFUL!  Options:

1.  When I came home from work last night at midnight (work in a restaurant), I had a fedex package.  I opened it up and read the card from my college roommate, Dianna.  And then I opened the box.  It was a box of shortbread christmas cookies.  I basically cried.  I was not expecting it AT ALL!  Someone went out of their way to mail me delicious cookies.  That is a food gift that is both delicious and heartwarming.  And now, if I share these cookies (we will see about that), I can tell people "my college roommate baked these and mailed them to me from DC. isn't she the sweetest?"

2.  Delicious cheeses and jams are also a nice gift.  I mean, I consider cheese a gift, every day of every year.  I think delicious cheeses and jams are a good gift because the receiver can put those gifts out at any holiday celebrations.  You have given them a great cheese plate starter, or post dinner treat, and eliminated additional shopping for their holiday gathering.

The reading lover: So, here comes my suggestion that relates to food, but is also generally applicable.  Give the gift of a magazine subscription!  That gift gives all year long.  Give a subscription to Food & Wine Magazine or Bon Appetit.  But if they do not like food magazines, a magazine subscription is generally a great gift!

Happy gift giving!

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl