It’s time for Lisa’s List, my annual compendium of gifts to make every cook and food lover on your shopping list squeal with delight when they open your present.
Of course, these gifts don’t have to be reserved just for Christmas. They’re great for birthdays and other occasions too.
I’ve been shopping and taking notes for months now and was surprised that food items seem to be taking over a greater portion of the list. I guess that’s because we all love good eating, and the older I get the more I realize that there’s not too much more stuff I want to stuff in my house.
Well, maybe just a few new trinkets.
• Placetile Designs
The white tiles sold by this Georgia company are perfect for the cook who likes to dress up the table, and the non-cook who likes to set a pretty table for serving take-out.
Either way, these tiles make a fun gift. They are white and stylish, go with any decor, and can be used over and over, thanks to their erasable surface and the dry-erase pen that comes with each set.
The tiles come in a variety of styles, including name plates, large tiles for writing a menu on, or one of my personal favorites, erasable ceramic bottle stoppers. They’re fun for labeling decanted wines, olive oils or any bottle with a cork.
They’re also great for tying on top of a wine bottle to give as a hostess gift.
The wine stoppers are just $13 for a set of three, so they make a fun stocking stuffer.
Look for them in high-end gift shops or order at www.placetile.com.
• Chef’s Garden vegetable box
Any foodie knows that when the world’s best chefs are looking for premier vegetables to cook with, they look to the Chef’s Garden farm in Huron. But what you may not realize is that you don’t have to be a famous chef to buy there.
Now anyone can buy a box of the Jones family farm’s amazingly fresh, heirloom vegetables and they make a great gift.
This year, forget the fruit basket and send the vegetable box instead. Boxes sell for $30 for eight to 10 pounds of veggies and $45 for 15 pounds. Six-month subscriptions (think veggie of the month club) also are available. Visit www.farmerjones farm.com to order.
• Slate Board
Speaking of labeling, this slate serving board is a great way to serve and label cheese. The slate is quarried in Pennsylvania and has a protective backing so it won’t scratch the table.
You can arrange cheese on it and then use a piece of chalk to draw in the names. It’s fun and stylish with a bit of whimsy for your entertaining. It comes in three sizes that sell for $10, $20, and $30 at Crate & Barrel stores or at www.crateandbarrel.com.
• The Olive Tap oils and vinegars
I first wrote about the Olive Tap back in 2007, shortly after John Petrocelly opened his Medina business.
Since then, the company that Petrocelly and his brother operate has continued to expand, but the quality of their signature olive oils and balsamic vinegars has stayed superior.
The lemon and orange-infused vinegars and oils continue to be my favorites, but you’ll be able to pick your own. If you visit the Olive Tap, 1077 N. Court St., Medina, you can taste your way through their large selection and buy your favorites.
If you can’t get to Medina, you can visit www.theolivetap.com to order online. Their gift packs are great for the holidays and are priced between $35 and $55.
• Joseph Joseph utensils
A pair of British twin brothers founded this housewares line in 2003, and their colorful and fun designs of kitchenware seem to be everywhere these days.
I especially like their FlexiGrip Chopping Mats, which sell for $14.95, and come in a bunch of fun designs. Look for their stuff at Sur La Table and other stores that sell kitchenware or find them at www.josephjoseph.com.
• The Peanut Shoppe of Akron
Salted pecans, cashews, peanuts, and so much more. This downtown Akron icon is the perfect place to find the right holiday gift. Nuts are universally enjoyed by old and young, and owner Marge Klein roasts them up daily.
Stop by 203 S. Main St. and make selection or shop online at http://akronpeanuts.com. I recommend the Deluxe Mix, but the honey-roasted pecans are pretty good too. Most nuts sell for less than $12 a pound.
Just remember to get a little extra for yourself when you visit or your presents may not make it to their intended recipient.
• Personalized cutting board
It wouldn’t be Lisa’s List without an item that can be embossed, embroidered, engraved or otherwise made personal and perfect for the recipient.
This year’s item is a bamboo cutting board available from www.personal izationmall.com. The board measures 14-by-10 inches, and can be personalized with up to two lines of laser engraving. Bamboo is great for chopping as it absorbs little water, and at under $30, this gift is as affordable as it is charming.
While you’re browsing this site, you might also want to check out the personalized cookie jar, which sports a heart emblazoned with up to eight names of kids and grandkids. At $39.95, you may just have found the perfect gift for Grandma.
• Cookbooks
This year, there are so many books that I want to recommend, I thought about doing a list of just books. Here are some of my faves: The Epicurious Cookbook ($27.99 softcover/Clarkson Potter), lots of great recipes; Cook’s Illustrated The Science of Good Cooking ($40 hardcover/America’s Test Kitchen) for the science geek on your list; Hungry Girl to the Max! ($27.99 softcover/St. Martin’s Griffin) for your favorite skinny-mini; Cooking Season by Season ($35 hardcover/DK Books), 1,000 recipes for anyone who needs a little help eating seasonally; Lidia’s Favorite Recipes ($24.95 hardcover/Alfred Knopf) because life without Italian food is not worth living and few do Italian as well as Lidia Bastianich; and finally, Ina Garten’s new Barefoot Contessa Foolproof ($35 hardcover/Clarkson Potter) because she is the best thing on the Food Network and quite frankly should be promoted beyond contessa to reigning queen of food TV.
Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @akronfoodie or visit my blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/lisa.