In the next few editions of SideDish, look to our Holiday Gift Guide for last-minute ideas for stocking stuffers, hostess gifts and palatable presents.
1) Our Picos tamale give-away isn’t their only deal on offer. Stop by the Picos Tamale Stand in the Picos parking lot and buy three dozen tamales and get half a dozen free, or buy five dozen and get one dozen free. Give a little and get a little for yourself this holiday. The stand will be open this Friday, December 19, until next Wednesday, December 24, from 10 am to 8 pm.
2) Rice Village’s Savory Spice Shop should be on your list for last-minute shopping stops. The store offers an impressive selection of specialty spices and herbs as well as ready-made gift packs, cookbooks and locally made products like barbecue sauces, jams, cutting boards and cheese trays.
3) You really can’t go wrong bringing a Chocolate Pizazz Christmas platter or gift box to your next holiday party. Festive peppermint bark, Christmas cookies and chocolate-dipped pretzels, marshmallows and Oreos will perfectly decorate the dessert table. They’re pretty tasty, too.
4) Stop in at Vom Fass in Rice Village and ask about their custom gift baskets. Fill it up with flavored oils and vinegars, spices and speciality food products. This will be the white elephant gift everyone is fighting for.
5) Give the gift of Italy to that special someone this holiday. Ann Iverson’s How to Cook Authentic Italian Cuisine with Giuliano Hazan is a hands-on, multi-course Italian cooking class offered right here in Houston in a private home. It’s the perfect gift for that person who has everything — except the taste of Italy. For February class dates, click here.
6) Another gift option for that person who seems to have everything is tickets to Revival Market’s Hog Butchering Demonstration. You will learn the classic American and European fundamentals of butchery, such as how to break down whole pigs. BYOB is “strongly encouraged,” so a bottle of bubbles and tickets to the class is a perfectly paired gift. You’ll leave the class with a selection of your favorite cured meat, so it’s a gift that keeps on giving, too. The classes are on Sunday, January 11 and 18, from 6 to 9 pm.
7) For the wine lovers at the top of your gift list, Houston Wine Merchant‘s bimonthly wine delivery service is a bountiful option. Once every other month, they will receive a box of 12 wines — three whites and three reds, two bottles of each. Have it delivered to a residence or business address. You can choose from premium wines or value wines, and you pay for the wine on a bimonthly basis. For pricing, call the store at 713-524-3397.
8) Run out of milk while cooking and still need a white elephant gift for tonight’s holiday party? Head to Central Market and grab a gallon and a copy of the The Ultimate Food Lover’s Guide to Houston. You can also find our guidebook at Bering’s (both locations), Phoenicia, Kuhl-Linscomb, Revival Market, River Oaks Book Store and Savory Spice Shop.
