What better time than the holidays to splurge on tasty treats for your friends and family. And while we all want to be Martha Stewart this time of year, even the most earnest kitchen craftiness can sometimes end in tears and fudge-covered disaster.
Check out some tasty local goodies from local purveyors (mostly) as well as food-centric events to drive away those ho-ho-hungries.
Edible Gifts
Hot Chocolate: Sonoma Chocolatier’s David Gambill is a guy who’s intense about chocolate and chocolate-making. He frets over the flavors of each truffle, handmaking them with Scharffen Berger chocolate and a heady mix of flavorings including ginger caramel, chestnut, dark chocolate mint, mole, black tea, Chambord, sage and blue cheese (stay tuned for more on this) and rosemary goat cheese. 6988 McKinley Street, Sebastopol, (707) 829-1181.
Squeal of the Month: John Stewart’s Black Pig Bacon may be getting national buzz, but you can say you were among his early supporters with a subscription to the Community Supported Bacon Club. For $110, you get a 120z pack of his local bacon each month. Not to mention serious bacon cred. (You can also just buy a single pack for a meaty stocking stuffer at local Pacific Markets). Plus, well, you’re part of a bacon club…and how cool is that? http://blackpigmeatco.com/getsome.html
Nothing says love like a side of beef. The Sonoma County Meat Buying Club sources local meats North Bay producers, then delivers them to you each month. Throughout December, you can get a sneak peek “Holiday Box” with with a trio of meats: beef, lamb, goat, pork, veal or chicken for $50. Go to http://groups.ucanr.org/LocalMeatProd/ for more details.
American Cheese: Master of Cheesiness, Clark Wolf (who’s a local food force), has three cheese collections available through the gals at Cowgirl Creamery. Each includes some local treasures as well as out-of-towners culled from his “American Cheeses” book, released last year. Find them online at http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/Buycheese.asp.
Holiday Edition Cupcakes: I know, I do this every year, but they’re so CUTE! Mini masterpieces of confection, Sift Cupcakery releases its annual holiday dozen with tiny snowmen, Christmas trees wreaths, santas and penguins each December. 7582 Commerce Blvd., Cotati, 792-1681.
Gourmet Mushroom Basket: Button mushrooms are so 1984. One-up your snobby food friends with your very own Chef’s Basket of gourmet ‘shrooms from Sebastopol’s Gourmet Mushroom Company Fedexed to your door. Snap! www.gourmetmushroomsinc.com/gifts-baskets.htm, 707-823-1743.
Slippery when wet: Cheap olive oil in fancy bottles is a holiday travesty. Stop the madness and give the gift of insanely good, locally pressed olive oil from one of country’s tip-toppiest producers. I love the four bottle mini-sampler with several single varietal oils (from light to robust) and drizzle the lime-infused oil on everything not nailed down. theolivepress.com, 800.965.4839.
Hello ‘Cello Limoncello: Locally made Limoncello with a burst of sunshine and a heady dose of distilled grape spirits. Tastes like the Amalfi Coast…but, um, better. Available at Traverso’s and Petaluma Market or online at hellosonoma.com.
10-Salt & Spice Box: For the chef that has everything, Michael Chiarello’s “artist’s paintbox for flavor” with 10 flavored salts and spice rubs. The box is imported, but the Bottega Chef gets cred for being a local. As a convert to the church of flavored salts, you’ll find hundreds of uses for things like “citrus rosemary gray salt”. Seriously. You will. NapaStyle.com or 1-866-776-6272.
Authentic Buche De Noel: Chloe’s is offering an authentic Buche de Noel, a traditional French pastry “yule log”. Alas, this delicious little cord is filled with vanilla sponge cake, chocolate butter cream and chocolate ganache. Meringue mushrooms and chocolate bark make this one of my favorites. Ever. The cake serves 10-12. Chloe’s French Cafe, 3883 Airway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707.528.3095, $34.75. Call ahead.
See and Do
Ginger Town: Nope, its not a place for displaced redheads. Instead, local culinary students have their whimsical gingerb
read creations on display at the Culinary Cafe through December 11. Stop by to look, grab a house-made pastry and coffee or lunch. 7:30AM-2:00PM Wednesday-Friday, 11:30 to 2pm, 7th and B Streets in downtown Santa Rosa , (707) 576-0279.
Sausage Making at Seghesio: The annual tradition of making homemade sausage continues at this Healdsburg winery using Grandma Angela’s northern Italian recipe. Lean to mix, stuff and tie-your-own links, then kick back with some wine and mushroom risotto to enjoy your hard work. December 12, $60, 707-433-3579 ext. 109.
Family Gingerbread House Making: Gather the kin to decorate your family’s own large pre-built gingerbread house with frosting, candy and powdered sugar, along with holiday music hot chocolate and cheer. $74 for groups up to 5 people. Thursday, December 17, 6:30 to 8pm, Relish Culinary Adventures, 14 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 431-9999.
On a budget
Things a little tight this year? Never fear, you can make up for your lack of green with some serious caloric generosity! Whip up a batch of really tasty homemade cookies (check out some of Sonoma County’s Best Holiday Cookie recipes at BiteClubEats.com) and put them on a nifty vintage plate or platter purchased (and washed well, please) from a local resale shop. Throw in a heartfelt note, a big bow and maybe some fresh citrus from your yard and you’re a happy Santa’s Helper.
Got some of your own gift ideas? Let me know!
Online gourmet food and gourmet gift retailers like Giftswish.com, who are specialized purveyor of gourmet foods and gourmet gifts are now finding more and ready acceptance from food lovers who are looking for the best gourmet experience either for themselves or for giving that memorable gift for every occasion. Visit here: http://www.giftswish.com/gift-baskets-gourmet-gift-baskets.html
Since I am OBSESSED with top quality olive oil, I’m going to The Olive Press for most of my gifts this year! MUST share the best there is!!!!!!
I am giving the East-Coast faction of our family Taylor Maid Farms Coffee and Tea for Christmas this year. I like that they offer seasonal coffee (the freshness really does make a big difference). Local (Sebastopol), organic, and super yummy.
Never give what you would not like to receive…or be regifted. That’s my motto.
Oh- what a great idea for an article. I’m always scrambling trying to think of local Sonoma gifts to buy- especially this time of year. Thanks for the ideas. Although, to be fair, I should probably get one for myself first….just to make sure, you know, it’s good and what not.
Last year I did almost all of my holiday shopping at The Xocolate Bar in Berkeley. This is some of the best chocolate I have ever eaten. My favorites are the cardamom marshmallows! They even have vegan chocolates.
Heather, if you haven’t checked them out you really should the next time you are in the East Bay. Such a treat!
http://thexocolatebar.com/