How bored are you with the gift emails, gift commercials, gift ads and all-around holiday gift urgency? Well, save room for one more list, one that will please the foodie on your gift list.
Here are a few ideas for the giving season that are both local to Houston and food-related. (Are you looking for cookbook suggestions as gifts? We’ve got a few of those right here.)
The extremely popular Brazos Bottom pecan pie (Goode Co. Barbecue, $36) is big, dense and comes in a somewhat hokey (but adorable) wooden box. You could purchase them in person at any Goode Co. Barbecue location and personally drop them off to your recipients, or you could make it easy on yourself and ship them to friends and family in town and out of state directly from the website. Want to send something savory instead? Check out the selection of smoked meats that you can have shipped to any of the 48 contiguous states.
For anyone who enjoys cooking, a better olive oil in the cupboard is a small and always-welcome luxury. Unfortunately, many fancy and more expensive olive oils just aren’t as good as they present themselves to be. Olive & Vine (795 Town and Country Blvd, on the edge of CityCentre) has several dozen top-rated and award-winning olive oils on tap, which can make it hard to choose a few different oils to take home. Don’t even turn around and look at the other side of the shop — the number of custom vinegars will make your decisions more difficult yet. Olive & Vine has designed gift boxes (each comes with three mini olive oils and three mini vinegars) that spotlight flavor profiles such as Old World Italian, From Paris With Love, Smokin’ Hot and The Essential Gourmet. Prices range from $35 to $38. Pick them up in the store or order them online.
Brennan’s of Houston’s cookbook and gift cards have been collected by fans for years. Now you can send friends and family the famous take-away treat that you find by Brennan’s front door. A dozen pralines come in a pretty striped gift box, straight from Brennan’s kitchen to your gift recipient for $25. The cookies are individually wrapped in this special gift package, so they stay neat and fresh.
An explosive peanut brittle stole my heart at this time last year — the wasabi peas and sweet crunchy brittle paired together are a dream for anyone who likes both sweet and spice in the same bite. Chantal & Dragana’s Gourmandises also has a cult following for their chocolate salami, which is also made here in Houston and really does look just like charcuterie. The two women behind the confections have a selection of pretty candies available to purchase online, but you should order today — these handmade treats are made to order and need time to ship. $10 to $30
When chef Jacques Fox began making salt scrub in the kitchen at Artisans restaurant (3201 Louisiana) last year, it was suggested that he leave some in an apothecary jar in the ladies room for guests to use when washing their hands. Diners began to inquire about where the scrub could be purchased, and soon the men’s room also had salt scrub on the countertop. The scrub received such great feedback that Fox finally agreed to sell it in small jars for guests to purchase and take home. I got my paws on a small jar over the summer, and I can attest to the salty scrub myself. Made with tangerine essential oil, it leaves my dry hands soft and exfoliated. Just a teaspoon is all you need to rub well on damp hands, then rinse. Every now and then, the jar needs a little stir with a spoon — it keeps the oil evenly distributed in the coarse salt. The salt scrubs are all natural and contain only moisturizing essential oils and nourishing Dead Sea salts. Jars are 10 and 20 oz. and range from $25 to $40. Pick up a jar at the front of the restaurant, or send the restaurant a note to purchase online.
Finally, you might have someone on your list who practices yoga, which just happens to be an effective activity to combat the excessive indulgence of chocolate salamis and pecan pies. Big Yoga (3115 Allen Parkway) opened a juice bar and mini-market just a few months ago. Big & Juicy Juice Bar (in the same building as Big Yoga) is the new project from Roots Juice bar owner and operator Becki O’Brien. (Roots Juice closed earlier this year, and her fans have enthusiastically followed her to Big & Juicy.) Big & Juicy is offering more than just their signature Kale Yeah smoothie, juices and immune boosts; they’re also selling edible wares from Pat Greer’s Kitchen, paleo and vegan candies and savory snacks, and Lavande Farm body products made in Bellville, Texas. Better yet, a Big Yoga gift card can also be used at Big & Juicy, so the recipient can enjoy a few yoga classes and revitalizing post-savasanah refreshment, too.
