Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

I am so happy that asparagus is back in season!  I love the crisp, fresh taste and I’m so glad that my kids do too.  We recently enjoyed a delicious Easter Dinner that included asparagus for an appetizer, much like the Crispy Asparagus Asiago offered by Elegant Appetizers.  For this delicate hors d’oeuvre, fresh asparagus spears are rolled with asiago cheese then wrapped in crispy phyllo dough.  The simple components of this dish make it a hit with both young and old, and the easy preparation makes it a welcome addition to your next dinner party!  This top selling appetizer is available in bulk – you can purchase as little as 50 or as many as 200 pieces with prices ranging from $97.99 to $173.99.

My neighbors across the street have a large, wraparound deck with excellent exposure to the afternoon sun!  Since the weather has gotten warmer I have seen them on their deck more and more often, enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee.  Watching my neighbors take a midday break makes me think of tea time – what a wonderful idea!  Life can certainly get hectic, and many times it will catch up with me in the afternoon when I’m rushing to complete my projects for the day, thinking ahead to what to make for dinner and wondering what errands we have to run that evening with the kids.  A steaming cup of tea gives me a quick break and helps gather my thoughts to finish the day.

A great way to celebrate tea time is this colorful gift basket – complete with a painted ceramic mug, tea bags, snack mix, candy and cookies.  The basket is a great gift for Admin Professional’s Day, Mother’s Day or for no reason at all!  The set sells for $45 and arrives wrapped in cellophane and tied with colorful curling ribbons.

As usual, my New Year’s resolution of eating healthier and finding lower-calorie snacks has been long forgotten, but one good residual from this year’s resolution are the tasty and relatively healthy CocoaBerries that I found!  The Rubicon Bakery in San Francisco uses all natural products to create these dark chocolate-covered fruity meringue bites that contain real bits of freeze-dried fruit (either strawberry or blueberry).  A single serving size (5 bites) contain only 90 calories, and unlike most candy snacks, deliver 1 gram of fiber and 1-2 grams of protein.  I can’t choose between strawberry and blueberry – they are both decadently delicious – so I have a box of each on hand.  The whole family enjoys them, and priced at $14.99 per 3-pack (each pack includes 3 servings), the price is right as well!

The company who produces CocoaBerries is a non-profit organization that helps individuals in the San Francisco area overcome adversity by providing training, housing, employment and support for people in need.  This makes me feel even better about purchasing their excellent products!

At a gourmet food convention last month, my colleague and I thought the most ingenious products at the entire show were the edible business cards handed out by one of the vendors!  The favors were iced graham crackers, dipped in white Belgian chocolate and then covered with an edible image in the exact likeness of her business card.  The show was around St. Patrick’s Day, so our vendor had decorated her favors with green and white sprinkles to celebrate the holiday.  Each cookie was wrapped in a clear, heat-sealed bag and they were certainly the hit of her booth!  We visited with the vendor – both about her products and about her favors – and discovered that she was able to get a bulk pricing discount from Gourmet Cookie Bouquets, and ordered enough in advance to take advantage of bulk ground shipping.  The cookies tasted fresh and delicious, and our vendor had very cleverly attached an actual business card to the back of the bag, so we would still have her contact information after the cookie was eaten.  The business card cookies are available for $3.05 apiece, but if you have a large quantity order contact Gourmet Cookie Bouquets and inquire about corporate/quantity discounts.

When my sister and her husband visited Maine last year they fell in love with the local food – including, of course, lobster!  At the bed and breakfast they stayed in, the owner made a delicious Lobster Pot Pie for dinner one evening.  My sister doesn’t care to cook, but she did try to make the pot pie using a recipe she found online – and she failed miserably.  She then enlisted me to help, and I found Lobster Pot Pies already made, all she has to do is pop them in the oven for 25 minutes!  The pot pies are sold in pairs – each is a generous 7 ounce serving.  My sister and brother-in-law loved the tender, flaky lobster and rich sherry cream sauce.  Although it wasn’t exactly the same as what they experienced in Maine, this was a very close second and was much cheaper than flying back to the east coast!  She purchased the pair of Lobster Pot Pies for $49.95 plus $16.95 shipping.

If your company sponsors a yearly golf outing, this gift bag is a great addition to your prize kitty!  We bought 4 of them last summer for each member of the winning foursome, and they all enjoyed the snacks inside.  My co-worker’s brother was one of the winners, and she said he still uses the cooler almost daily for his lunches.  The sturdy cooler comes stuffed with golf-themed treats – including chocolate golf balls, “hole in one” candies, golf-shaped cookies, 10th Tee Energy Bar, Golfer’s coffee and a bottle of spring water.  The cooler sells for $48 and ships very quickly.

My husband loves to use mustard when he’s cooking – especially grilling out in the summertime.  He will spread mustard over hamburgers or pork chops so the flavor soaks into the meat as it grills.  He also enjoys spice in his foods, as does many members of his extended family.  That’s why I have ordered 4 jars of this Dijon Mustard for our upcoming family picnic – I know they will love the heat that is packed into this Dijon Mustard.  With positive reviews from my boss and his wife (they received this mustard as part of a gift set), they recommended that I order my husband a case but I told them we would start small!  Each 7 ounce jar sells for $5.35 and shipping is $9.99 for any order up to 12 lbs.

Chocolate instantly makes me feel better – part of it is the sweet and creamy taste, but part of it is also the mental stress relief it brings!  That’s why I like to have some chocolate around at all times – as part of my “stress buster” box.  The box has been empty lately, partly because of some personal stress and partly because my co-workers have discovered the box!  Since the helped empty it, two of my co-workers sent me this Deluxe Chocolate Bouquet as a way to refill the stress buster box.  The bouquet was too beautiful to take apart so I kept it on my desk for over a week, until the “flowers” started to disappear!  The remaining blooms went into the box, but not before my co-workers and I chose our favorite flavor and held a little chocolate celebration!  The bouquet was filled with gourmet chocolate flavors from Ghirardelli and Lindt – 21 pieces in all for $46.

Imported from France, this vinegar is lightly acidic (6.5%) and carries a full-bodied fruity flavor.  The vinegar is produced by La Guinelle, who is famous for offering high quality, richly flavored products.  The 100 ml bottle (approximately 3.4 ounces) will disappear quickly once you try it in a salad or brush it over fish and chicken just before grilling.  The uniquely-shaped bottle, uncommon name (Tchin Tchin is the name of a bird who visits the area where the vinegar is made) and unforgettable taste make this one of our favorite finds!  You can purchase La Guinelle Viniagre Tchin Tchin for $29.95.

Sarah, our Admin Assistant, is by far the most valuable employee in our office.  She keeps my boss on schedule with his meetings, conference calls and out of town trips; she manages our office phones, keeps our supplies stocked, helps with last-minute projects and always does it with a smile.  We would be lost without her!  To show our appreciation for Sarah’s excellent work, this year we will help her celebrate Administrative Professional’s Week with a tin of gourmet cookies from one of our favorite online retailers.  The reusable tin comes with either 6 or 12 jumbo cookies in a variety of flavors.  I know that Sarah’s favorite cookie flavor is oatmeal raisin, so I have asked Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets to send her all 12 oatmeal raisin rather then their variety.  The customer service is top-notch, and I was reassured it was no problem to request a specific flavor.

Admin Professional’s week is April 20-24, but don’t wait until the last minute to reward the person in your office who keeps everything together!  You can send this gourmet cookie gift for $45 plus $9.95 shipping.