Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

I love this time of year!  The apples are abundant, the leaves are turning and the kids are looking forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!  To celebrate this time of year, Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets is offering a Fall Snack Chest that showcases rustic colors and a great mix of gourmet treats.

My mom’s birthday was a couple weeks ago, and we sent her this snack basket since we weren’t able to deliver a gift in person.  She called to thank us and explained that she wasn’t able to try everything in the basket since dad hid the snack mix and butter cookies from her – apparently they were so good that he didn’t want to share!  She did enjoy the fruit candies, chips and dip.  She was even able to sit down and relax with a cup of the Vanilla Spice Tea while she controlled the remote for the night (dad’s birthday gift to her).

We visited mom and dad house last week-end and I was pleased that the gift chest was being used to store her scarves. It was nice to see that the gift was not only tasty but also contained a practical item!

Until recently, I thought that Matzoh Ball Soup was a foreign entity, something that you only ate if tradition forced you to – similar to lutefisk or head cheese.  I had no idea that it is actually a delicious vegetable and dumpling soup, filled with large chunks of vegetables and tasty herbs.  For my first experience with Matzoh Ball Soup I searched for the best soup online and was led to The New York First Company.  Since I have ordered from them before I know that they offer only the best that New York companies have to offer and I haven’t been disappointed yet.

I ordered a half gallon container of soup for $49 (which can only be shipped via 2nd day air).  The soup arrived in a large plastic container and I could immediately see big cuts of carrot and celery and the large white dumplings.  I followed the cooking directions sent with the container, and was rewarded first with a delightful aroma filling the kitchen.  The steaming chicken broth reminded me of days when I was sick and mom would cook chicken soup to make me feel better.  There’s something about the aroma of this soup that will clear your sinuses and bring an overall sense of contentment to your home – even if it’s only for a little while!

The soup was quite flavorful and very delicious.  I was worried that the dumplings would be water-logged or gummy since they weren’t served the same day they were made, but they were actually still light and delicious.  It’s great to find a company that not only produces a superior quality product but also finds a way to maintain that quality while shipping across the country.  I was so inspired by this soup that I’m actually thinking of trying lutefisk – maybe!

High in protein, low in fat and 100% natural, these jumbo sea scallops are some of the best I’ve ever tasted!  Because they are caught fresh, hand-shucked and flash frozen, the U10 graded scallops (the largest size available) have a flaky texture and fresh taste.  We ordered a two pack (each pack is approximately 10 ounces) for $45.50 and received enough for 3 meals.  The website even offers delicious recipes for their items, we tried the Scallop and Tomato Pasta and were rewarded with a great tasting meal that even our kids enjoyed!

The folks at Alaska Harvest offer 10 different types of seafood, all of them freshly caught and quickly frozen for shipping througout the United States.  The company is in control of the product from the time it is caught until the time it is shipped to you, so there is no middle-man markup and they stand behind the quality of their foods 100%.  I highly recommend both the products and the customer service from this company.

I love to sample a number of foods when we go out for dinner.  I especially like buffet-style dining so I can try a little of this and a little of that before deciding what to eat.  That’s why I particularly like the samplers offered by Gourmet Station.  Their International Soup, Bread and Cookie Combo gives me 6 unique soup flavors along with 6 mini baguettes and 6 White Chocolate Macadamia cookies.  The soups included take you on a virtual world tour:  Bistro Mushroom & Sherry Soup, Cream of Tomato Basil Soup, Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Italian Wedding Soup, Lobster Bisque and Tomato Florentine Soup.  The servings are generous and the taste are exquisite.  You can try them yourself for $69.99 plus as little as $19.99 shipping.

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).

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.

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.

Instead of the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage, try some clover-shaped pasta for St. Patrick’s Day.  Your dinner guests will be lucky indeed when they are served these colorful shamrocks with a hearty meat sauce or spicy pesto.  You can also create a new tradition by adding some of these pasta shapes to a meaty Irish stew.  The clover shaped pasta is available at Around The Table Pasta Shoppe for only $5.99.

As an appetizer, Stone Crab is hard to beat!  The succulent meat is some of the easiest shellfish to get out of the shell, and the taste goes very when paired with mustard dip.  The stone crab available at beststonecrab.com are harvested from the crab beds of Florida and the Bahamas, then cooked and flash frozen to preserve freshness.  A 3 lb gift box is available for $175 and comes with cocktail forks, a mallet and a jar of Papa Houghie’s Homemade Mustard Sauce.

For your next gourmet dinner party or romantic dinner date, start the evening with a rich Duck Liver Mousse.  The silky appetizer is made of fresh duck livers marinated in port wine and fully cooked so all you have to do is spread it on a crisp cracker or slices of french bread.  Follow up this delicious appetizer with stuffed cornish game hens, wild rice pilaf and a chocolate truffle torte for dessert.

Many websites offer Duck Liver Mousse, but I have found the best customer service at earthy.com – where 7 oz sells for $9.00 plus shipping.