Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

Dating back into history, squab wasn’t always considered a delicacy.  The term ’squab’ used to represent the meat of all dove and pigeon species – including those wild birds that were hunted for their meat no matter what the taste.  However, today’s culinary term squab includes only the meat from a young (approximately one month old) domestic pigeon that has not yet flown, making the meat very tender and full of flavor.  The Squab Producers of California have been raising high quality squab for more than 60 years, shipping internationally and earning high acclaim by a number of gourmet chefs around the world.  You can experience this moist and tender poultry for yourself by ordering a “six pack” of air-chilled eviscerated squab for $77.00.  Each bird weighs between 15 and 17 ounces, and are shipped frozen via Fed Ex Priority.  The Squab Producers of California also offer a large number of gourmet recipes on their website, including Maple-Cured Squab Breast with Braised Lentils and Radicchio as pictured here.

I really enjoyed this bright spring assortment of cookies, drink mixes and a gourmet snack mix that filled the pink wire purse-shaped basket.  The light and buttery cutout cookies were hand-decorated by the bakers at Cookie Gift Baskets, then individually packaged in heat-sealed cellophane to preserve their freshness.  My favorite part of the gift pack was the vanilla nut crunch – it had a sweet and slightly salty crunch that left me wanting more!  I also enjoyed the key lime lemonade mix, which gave new twist of flavor to my favorite summer beverage.  Priced at $36, this cheery tote is a great way to brighten someone’s day without breaking the bank.

One of the nation’s largest caviar importers, Caviar Russe has earned a sparkling reputation in the gourmet food industry.  Nestled in the heart of Manhattan, only the finest smoked fish and caviar is available from this premier supplier to the nation’s top chefs.  The products can be purchased in the store or ordered online and shipped directly to you.  For a gourmet picnic or romantic evening in, Caviar Russe offers an insulated tote filled with the finest foie gras (1/4 lb), 1/2 lb smoked salmon, house made blini and creme fraiche.  They also include mother of pearl caviar spoons and your choice from 10 different flavors of fresh malossol caviar (28 grams).  Depending on the caviar you choose, the gift set ranges in price from $95 (Domestic Paddlefish Roe) to $405 (Caspian Platinum Osetra).

I definately inherited my love of chocolate from my mother.  Dad can take it or leave it, but mom is the one who taught me the art of making hot fudge, then making it disappear!  That’s why I have chosen a fitting gift for her this Mother’s Day – a beautiful wicker basket filled with a variety of Godiva chocolates.  Godiva chocolates are one of the world’s finest, and mom is going to love me for sending her flavored chocolate bars (strawberry and caramel), heavenly truffles and a gold ballotin box topped with a chocolate flower.  The gourmet Mother’s Day basket is available for $70 from Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets.

I’m really excited for fresh strawberries this summer – I get together with my sisters and we make strawberry pies, strawberry jam and strawberry shortcake, but we’ve never made strawberry layer cake.  However, with a cake as delicious as the one you can order from Very Vera, why bother making it yourself!  The decadent 3-layer cake is covered with sweet pink icing and finished with a simple floral design on top.  The layers are thick, moist and filled with genuine strawberry flavor!  Very Vera’s cakes can be seen in Oprah Magazine, and they are sure to be a hit for this Mother’s Day.  Order one for your mom for only $50 (shipping cost varies by destination zip code).

The coming of spring brings bright colors, fresh flowers and a general feeling of happiness in our neighborhood.  The kids are outside playing, the neighbors come out of hibernation, and the spring flower beds start to fill up.  Geraniums are a great sign of spring, and these geraniums even come with a sweet treat tucked inside – 8 gourmet chocolate chip cookies!  The cookies are colorfully wrapped with cellophane and arranged with artificial greenery, so the flowers can still be displayed long after the cookies are gone.  These delicious delights made a great gift for my girlfriend who was recently released from the hospital – she said this bouquet was the tastiest one she had ever received!  The cookies are also available sugar-free, both the regular and sugar-free bouquets are priced at $45 and shipping is only $10.25 if you choose ground delivery.

For a savory hors d’oeuvre at your next dinner party, this cheese torta is second to none!  The mix of tomatoes and pesto give just the right amount of flavor to the smooth cream cheese base.  We garnish ours with fresh tomatoes and serve with a variety of whole wheat snack crackers – the guests love it!  Order this 9.5 ounce appetizing spread from the Wisconsin Cheeseman for only $14.99.

Perfect for your Admin Professional, or as a gift for the entire office, this Coffee Break Basket contains some unique gourmet treats and a beautiful coffee mug for them to keep!  My favorite snack in this basket is the Italian Chocolate Espresso Cake, but there’s a number of goodies to choose from – including Dolcetti Chocolate Wafer Rolls, Latte Candy, Cafe Mocha & Chocolate Popcorn (a delicious taste combination), Brent & Sam’s Gourmet Cookies, 2 hot chocolate packets and a bag of Mocha Java Coffee.  The elegantly designed basket is tied with a mocha-colored ribbon, and can be delivered for $63 plus $11.95 shipping.

When my sons were younger I was hesitant to introduce them to juice because of my pediatrician’s warning that juice contains just as much sugar as many soft drinks, and not only would it eat away at their teeth but it would contribute to possible childhood obesity.  I wanted to give them some variety in their diet, but was also very concerned with the sugar content and potential future weight problems.  Because of this, I watered down their juice bottles and limited their juice intake to 8 ounces per day.

I’m not the only parent to have these concerns, and thankfully there is a company who offers a product that is 100%, organic, low in sugar and still tastes good!  The juice selections at FirstJuice.com contain only 12 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving, compared to 27 grams of sugar in an equal amount of 100% apple juice.  The flavor offerings are quite unique, but the combinations work very well together and offer additional nutrition by taking advantage of the nutrients found in purple carrots.

My younger son’s favorite flavor is the Peach and Purple Carrot – as soon as he sees it in the store he begs for it immediately!  My older son also loves this flavorful juice, but his favorite is Blueberry and Purple Carrot.  I have tried all four available flavors, and I cannot taste any of the vegetable – the sweet juice is quite delicious!  Many parents have actually petitioned the company to market it to all ages, but it’s currently designated as a toddler juice.  The juices are available in many retail stores, but if you can’t find it in your area you can also order online.  A 2-pack of the 8 ounce bottles (with a sippy-lid) can be purchased for $5.58.  We reuse our sippy bottles and buy the 32 ounce size for $4.99.

This week is Administrative Professional’s Week, and Thursday is specifically Admin Professional’s/Secretary’s Day.  Make sure your assistant knows how much they are appreciated by sending a cheery cookie bouquet – with giant buttercreme cookies shaped like Sunflowers!  The arrangement is available in 5 sizes and ranges in price from $28 to $82.  Overnight shipping is also available, in case you are the type of person who does things at the last minute!