Even more gift ideas for the foodie in your life

Cape Gazette Associate Editor Jen Ellingsworth and her team are the talent behind the booklets that you occasionally find in your weekly newspapers. She and her intrepid crew faithfully crank out these mini-magazines that cover jazzfest, high school graduations, home and garden topics, and so much more. As her trusty copy editor for these supplements, I think the one with which I have the most fun (note the proper positioning of the preposition…) is the ‘Tis the Season Christmas supplement that subscribers found in this Tuesday’s Gazette. It’s also contained in the newsstand issues today and online at www.capegazette.com/node/170222 just in time for tonight’s Rehoboth tree lighting. 

As her copy editor, I get the (dubious?) distinction of making sure that the proper number of Fa La La La Las (no apostrophe!) are printed in the Christmas Tree Lighting singalong section, and that Santa Claus (not Senta Klaus) is indeed coming to town. But this year the real fun began when she asked me to advise her readers on the best gifts for foodie friends and family. So I invite you to take a look at my Festive & Flavorful article (it’s on page 62 of the booklet). 

After putting the finishing touches on that Pulitzer-worthy commentary, I realized that there were still things out there that I … oops, I mean your foodie friends and family … would love. So today’s Gazette column is a supplement to that supplement, with even more culinary artifacts that I know your favored fresser craves under the tree. 

A short ride out to Patty’s carryout and catering in Georgetown will be rewarded with a treasure trove of unusual gifts for your tasting loved one. Ask Ms. Jacobs for a bottle of Cloister Chipotle Pepper-Infused Honey (I drizzle it on fried chicken!). And a couple bottles of Rufus Teague’s Touch O’ Heat BBQ sauce will make your cherished carnivore smile. 

If your range includes the town of Milford, I suggest a couple of packages of Diana Picnic Vainilla wafers from Gigante grocery store near Abbott’s Grill. These El Salvadorean treats bring a whole new meaning to crispy. Since you trekked all the way out there, a couple bags of Takis Fuego Hot Chili Pepper & Lime Corn Snacks also make the perfect stocking stuffer for the capsaicin fan in your life. 

Closer to home, venture into the culinary amusement park that is Kitchen & Co. This Lewes staple is the know-all and be-all for foodie must-haves here in the Cape Region. Surprise your home cook with the Breville Smart Oven 800. I have two and I love them both. A bit easier on the wallet is a selection of unusual kitchen tools: The must-have pineapple corer, or a serrated grapefruit-sectioning spoon, a one-pass avocado slicer (how have you made it this far without one of those!?) or a cute spiraled honey-dipper tool that you can use for the honey you bought at Patty’s. If there’s still room in your wallet, pick up a set of multicolored, flexible cutting boards (red for meat, green for veggies, yellow for chicken, etc., etc.). You cooks out there know why we keep those things separate! Outdoor grilling aficionados will love a grilling basket that keeps chopped veggies on top of the fire rather than down in it. 

While kids have sugar plums dancing in their heads, foodies are dreaming of Harry & David’s Emporium of Things You Never Knew You Loved: Baklava. H&D’s cheesecake. Those ridiculously good Royal Riviera Pears. The decadent chocolate-covered cherries. Moose Munch (we professionals know exactly what that is). And there’s no place like the refrigerator to hide a Christmas morning gift basket. Our very own H&D resides in Tanger Seaside Outlets. 

This list could go on and on, but alas, my allotment of ink cannot. So get out there and please your preferred palate with delightful dining accessories. Nothing beats a gift in good taste.