Make your foodie friends feel the love this holiday season with a few thoughtful and tasty ideas! Bonus — you don’t have to pay a partridge in a pear tree — you’ll find some ideas for about $10 and even a coupon code!
Scroll for local food gifts, foodie favorite cookbooks, wine suggestions and gifts, as well as fun foodie experience ideas!
Your foodie friend will love that hot chocolate mix with house-made marshmallows above from Petite Sweets in Houston. Find it in store or call 713-520-7007 or email info@petitesweetshouston.com for more information.
Local Food Gifts
There’s nothing prettier than a beautiful box of macarons from Bakery Lorraine in San Antonio. Those boxes are back with delectable macarons in every flavor imaginable that make a stylish and chic hostess gift. Want a little taste for yourself? Get the recipe for Bakery Lorraine’s adorable gingerbread men cookies right here.
Another perfect box of goodies comes from Brennan’s of Houston. Finding their perfect New Orleans style pralines online right here.
Image Credit: Paula Biehler PR
For faraway Texans or friends who live in other states, give them a little taste of home! You’ll never go wrong with a few boxes of Cafe Ole San Antonio or Texas Pecan Medium Roast K-Cups or even a few jars of H-E-B’s That Green Sauce.
For your favorite college student niece or nephew with a serious love for breakfast tacos, enter to win one of 100 gargantuan growlers of Tacodeli’s award-winning Salsa Doña for just $25 (see above). The Limited Edition growler can be reused for refilling their favorite craft brews — for sharing with their favorite relative! The contest starts Friday, Dec. 8.
Top off the gift with a little kick of hot sauce from Yellowbird Foods in Austin. Their 5-pack sampler is just $25 featuring their boilerplate sauces that are Non–GMO, Vegan, Low–Sodium, Low–Sugar, as well as gluten, lactose, soy and nut-free.
Our friends at Taste Elevated in West Castroville also make a fantastic foodie gift for the happy hostess. Their charcuterie and panini collections make fantastic gifts for under $20. Order online here.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Fierro for Giant Noise
Need something for the beer lover? Twang in San Antonio has a beer bucket with a sampling of their signature product “Beer Salt,” as well as glasses, koozies, even a t-shirt! You can buy them for $39 online with free shipping! Order here.
It’s not every day you find tasty Thai in Texas. Pretty Thai‘s spices and sauces make the perfect gift for a foodie who likes to try new things in the kitchen! Order online here.
Good Reads
Image Credit: Becki O’Brien for Ali Miller, R.D., L.D., C.D.E.
Give the foodies in your life the gift of a good read! You’ll love the recipes from Naturally Nourished, written and developed by the amazing Ali Miller, R.D., L.D., and C.D.E. (Certified Diabetes Educator). Miller leads a Houston-based functional nutrition practice and created an online community for people seeking to improve their health by eating better. Get 20% off Naturally Nourished: Food-As-Medicine For Optimal Health by using the code “HOLIDAY20” on her website. You can also get the recipe for her deliciously indulgent Avocado Chocolate Mousse — rich in antioxidants, folate, Vitamin E — you see above right here!
Following our New Orleans Edition of Goodtaste with Tanji, I’m gifting Mr. B’s Bistro‘s cookbook to everyone I know! It’s filled with those iconic recipes you’ll only find at Cindy Brennan’s longtime New Orleans Restaurant. Want a little taste? Get the recipe to their luxurious Creole Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey sauce here and their legendary BBQ Shrimp here. Buy the cookbook online here. (And don’t forget to watch all the fun from our episode here!)
When it comes to experiencing the flavors of Austin, look no further than Paula Forbes’ new cookbook The Austin Cookbook: Recipes and Stories From Deep in the Heart of Texas. Remember those delicious Huevos Rancheros from Joe’s Bakery we just showed you a few weeks ago? Forbes is the woman who helped get the family-secret recipe on paper! It’s available for pre-order right now here. Want those Huevos Rancheros right now? Get the recipe here.
For the Wine Lover
You can’t go wrong with bringing a bottle of wine to a holiday celebration — my opinion is, “The more bottles, the merrier!” Champagne and sparkling wines are an obvious choice but you don’t have to spend a lot for a big effect! This year, Voga has a gift set of its beautiful bottle in mini sizes that come two to a set for just under $10. Get a few more sparkling wine ideas right here. I also have a few new holiday wines for you from H-E-B that come in right under $20! Get them here.
Give your bottle of wine a personal twist wrapped up with some of your favorite homemade cookies. Here’s a few new cookie recipes for you here.
Giving the gift of a gadget? The Coravin wine system allows you to pour your favorite wine by the glass, without pulling the cork — really! It’s great if you want to sample just a little taste of a wine or just pour yourself a glass without spoiling the wine. You can preserve your wine over weeks, months, and even longer if you want! I picked mine up at Kuhl-Linscomb in Houston and demonstrated how it works on Houston Life right here.
Foodie Experiences
Sometimes the gift of an experience is really better than anything that you can buy in a store. Think about booking a one-of-a-kind dining experience at a local restaurant that lets you see all action inside with a fun chef’s table or open kitchen! Artisans Restaurant in Houston is built so you can see the masterful chefs at work. Watch the show this weekend on Goodtaste to see how it works! More details and show times here.
One of our especially favorite foodie experiences is the Truffle Masters. On Jan. 29, join renown chefs as they face off to make the most delicious foods with truffles. It’s always a great time — one your foodie friend will absolutely love! Get tickets here.
You’ll love the Holiday Brews on the Bayou at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday, Dec. 9, where you can sample 12 craft breweries and listen to jazz at the museum. Get details here.
Tickets aren’t for sale just yet, but you can get details on when to buy tickets to the Austin Food + Wine Festival at their website. Make a cute coupon redeemable for a weekend of food, wine, and festivities at this signature Austin event. More details here.
There’s nothing like a tasty holiday brunch to celebrate — consider taking out your loved one for an unique dining Christmas dining experience at a favorite restaurant. Fonda San Miguel‘s Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve brunches (above) is filled with all the holiday favorites. Make your reservation by visiting their website here.
Stay tuned for a list of spots serving food on Christmas and New Year’s Eve!
For more delicious recipes and fun food and wine pairing ideas, subscribe to my newsletter
Leave a Reply