Link Round-Up: Not-Homemade Food Gifts

So on Monday-that-I-thought-was-Tuesday, I offered up a list of homemade gift ideas.

Here is a link roundy of some non-homemade foodie gift ideas from around the internets...

New York Times and Bon Appetit have a couple of schmancy gift ideas that I cannot really relate to.  Somehow I feel like they are mainly selected by and for well-to-do characters from a Woody Allen movie circa late '70's, early '80's.  Like I look at the NY Times slide show and just feel like I just walked up to MOMA or something from my ratty Lafayette street apartment and am now self-conscious about my thrift store faux fur coat.  But that's just me!  Maybe these things will be right up your gift list's alley!

I can relate a little better to the NYT list of mail-order gifts, which includes sources for rugelach, a blood orange mousse torte and a culinary herb basket.

Cakespy has two gift lists, one of inedible items (mainly items that will appeal to CuteOverload types, like plush felt decorative cakes with googly eyes and frilly retro aprons).  

Their gift list of edible items has tons of great sounding stuff like:

• Cupcake-Shaped Truffles
• Clairesquares - "shortbread crust topped with a thick layer of rich caramel and...smooth coating of Belgian chocolate."  Why was I not informed about the existence of this foodstuff previously?  Heads are gonna roll!
• Cupcake Mix from Sprinkles - Sprinkles is, I believe, LA's version of Magnolia bakery.  If,like me, you have found yourself oddly mesmerized by The Girls Next Door (the show about Hugh Hefner's three girlfriends), you will recognize this as the favorite bakery of Bridget, who, let's face it, is a secret fat girl trapped in a hot girl's body.
• Petrossian's Hot Chocolate on a Stick - "skewered cubes of the finest Belgian chocolate [stirred] into a cup of milk or cream."
• Lemon Pannetone by Albertengo's - "Where traditional panettones are usually studded with raisins and candied citrus, this one is made with candied Sorrento lemons."
• Vegan Honey's Vegan Dessert of the Month Club - "They'll get a vegan care package each month for three months," including things like "'Fauxstess' Twinkies or cupcakes."  Cakespy says the dessert are delicious, even if you are a non-vegan.

Bon Appetit also has a list of food books from 2007 for some gift ideas.  Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma might also be a book that bakers would enjoy.  Like, you know, bakers with blogs.  And who like to make biscotti or whatever.  (Whistles, looks around self innocently.)

Andrea Strong's Strong Buzz has a gift guide as well (scroll down page in link), with books, candy, wine, other gifts and a few interesting items:

• Rescue Tea - "The International Rescue Committee...has partnered with Caranda Fine Foods to create this collection of organic teas and eight freshly poured candles that will help the IRC deliver life-saving humanitarian work—medical care, shelter, food, water, safety and security— to displaced people around the world from Darfur to Congo, and more recently, Iraq."
• Celebrity Chef Game – this somehow makes me want to run out into traffic. Probably the awfulness of seeing the thing I’m revering – the inherent down-to-earthedness of food and cooking – transmogrified into yet another kind of celebrity culture. Look, I buy InTouch magazine, too and I write about reality television professionally, but let’s try to keep some things sacred, mmmkay?  Anyway, somebody would love this though.  
• Siggs - "stylish reusable water bottles, made by the makers of the Swiss Army Knife, that are not only good for the planet, they also keep your water cold and fresh. They come in all kinds of cool, colorful and artistic designs (144 to be precise) with 22 interchangeable tops."

I came to the Andrea Strong list via Eating Seattle, whose list is brief: Pete's Perfect Toffee.  I haven't tried this yet, but sounds like I should...um...buy it for someone else during this season of giving. 

So there you go.  Now do your part!  Remember: shopping is just a patriotic way to better the worrying consumer confidence numbers.  Or something. 

Comments

[Rube]

Dolce Italiano book headed your way, courtesy of Mrs. Rube. Biscottis better be forthcoming subsequently, if you catch my drift.

[3Bowls]

Thanks!

The internet is magic!!

I want a pony too! (looks expectantly around house for it to appear)

[Rube]

Uh, I wouldn't hold my breath, if you catch my drift.