Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

If Thanksgiving is more of a scaled-down affair at your house, consider this delicious alternative to the standard turkey and stuffing feast.  Skinlesss, white meat chicken is wrapped around a tasty dried cherry and sage stuffing that mixes with the natural chicken juices when cooked.  This dish is simple to prepare, attractive to serve, and combines two of the main components of a traditional Thanksgiving meal in a modern way.  This Chicken Ballotine serves 4-6, and can still arrive in time for Thanksgiving for just $31.95 plus shipping.

Two years ago at the office holiday party, one of our vendors sent a 10 lb, spiral-sliced ham.  All we had to do was heat it and slice the tender pieces off the bone.  The Honey Baked Ham Company has a secret recipe glaze that they coat each ham in, so when we cooked it the glaze turned crunchy and soaked sweetness into each piece.

Started in 1957, the Honey Baked Ham Company has grown from a single Detroit store into a nationwide chain serving up holiday-style goodness to families year round.  The founder of the company developed a unique curing and cooking procedure that produces a tender, juicy selection every time.  He also was the first to spiral slice his ham, giving it a fancy appearance and making it easy to cut perfect servings for every member of your family.  For this year’s holiday gather, I suggest the 10 lb, spiral-sliced half ham, delivered anywhere in the continental U.S. for only $95.95.

Impress your significant other by preparing them a Parisian-inspired gourmet lamb dinner - featuring a juicy, tender lamb shank glazed with rosemary & mint sauce, and served with a side of creamy spinach & artichokes.  You can also choose the remaining parts of your four-course meal - including a bread, soup, dessert and a beverage (either coffee or tea).  They will never have to know that you didn’t spend hours making this yourself - the entire meal can be ready to eat in 30 short minutes!

For $89.95, Gourmet Station will help you create the perfect gourmet meal, will include floating candles to highlight your table, after dinner mints, even tips on the perfect wine to accompany your dinner.  I have saved this website to my favorites, and very carefully instructed my husband on the details of ordering so the next time we have a “date night” and it is his turn to cook, he will know what to get for dinner!  The choices and combinations on this website sound exquisite, and I can’t wait to try their Margarita Cheesecake.

The meal choices range from Parisian to Cajun to Americana, and you can mix and match with their simple ordering grid.  Shipping is a very reasonable $19.99, and the gourmet blog associated with this webpage offers great dinner party tips.

I will be the first to admit that my cooking skills are a little “hit or miss”.  I have to be in the right mood to cook, and even then the food doesn’t always cooperate with me.  So to still be able to serve a great meal on the nights that I would consider a “miss”, I signed up for the Twelve Month Dinner Sampler from Home Bistro.  We have only received the first 2 month’s meals so far, but I have been very pleased!  Each month centers around a different theme (poultry, pasta, seafood, New England, etc) and contains 8-10 generous servings of a gourmet meal that’s ready to heat and eat.  The first month we recieved 4 different poultry dishes, the second month had 5 of the Chef’s Favorite dishes, and next month we can expect 4 beef dishes.  We are billed $88 per month (plus $19.95 S&H), so for less than the price of eating at a gourmet restaurant we can enjoy gourmet quality meals in the comfort of our home!

Considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, the magic of the internet has made gourmet foods such as frog legs available to those who don’t live near a 5 star restaurant!  My girlfriend recently threw a going-away party for her sister, who was moving to New York for graduate school.  Her sister is a bit eccentric so my friend wanted to highlight her sister’s style with a memorable dinner party.  She ordered 5 lbs of frog legs from Linton’s Seafood, and prepared them by first searing them in olive oil then baking them for 45 minutes.  They were served with a wild rice and mushroom pilaf, steamed asparagus and poached pears.  The guests raved about the flavorful taste of the frog legs, many claimed they were similar to the dark meat of a chicken, with a slightly stronger taste.

My girlfriend was very pleased with the results of her dinner party, she is already planning a coming home party for her sister with octopus as the main course!  She said Linton’s Seafood  website was very user-friendly, and the price of $54.99 for 5 lbs of frog legs was the best she found.

Whether you’re hosting an elegant dinner party, an upcoming holiday meal or a plain old Saturday night, add these gourmet roasts to your table and watch everyone’s reaction!  Offering only the best Kansas corn-fed beef, Kansas City Steaks has long been a favorite of my extended family.  We have enjoyed this Prime Rib Roast and Chateaubriand for a number of get-togethers.  The site also gives tips to prepare each roast perfectly, and suggests a wine that will compliment the flavor of the meat.  For $139.95 plus shipping, you will receive a 4.5 lb Prime Rib Roast and two 2 lb Chateaubriand roasts (which is filet mignon in roast form), along with Kansas City Steaks prime rib rub and steak seasoning.

Growing up on a dairy farm, steak wasn’t really considered a delicacy.  Now that I have to purchase all our meat, steak is a rare dinner item - especially since the boys would rather have pizza rolls!  However, I splurged on these Boneless Strip Steaks for a special anniversary dinner and we weren’t disappointed.  We grilled these steaks to a perfect medium rare, and enjoyed them with a baked potato and some steamed vegetables.  The steaks had a rich flavor, with just enough marbling to make each bite tender and juicy.  Certified Angus Beef seems to have a stronger flavor than the steak I remember as a child, but I loved that the steak needed absolutely no seasoning.  In fact, it was almost a crime when my husband covered his with steak sauce!  Luckily, I ordered a pack of 8 - 8 oz. steaks (priced at $89.95) so we have a few more to enjoy later.

Another one of my fall favorites is a warm stuffed chicken breast with the delicious aroma of baked apples!  These stuffed chicken breasts are filled with a mouth-watering combination of apples and almonds that combine perfectly with the juicy and tender chicken.  Compliment with fresh baby red potatoes and a steamed vegetable medley for an unforgettable evening meal!  A package of 10 - 8 ounce portions is available for $64.95 from Schaul’s Signature Gourmet Foods.

My girlfriend loves sushi, but I have always been scared to try it.  She convinced me to purchase this sushi-at-home kit for $25.  I received everything needed to create my own sushi except the seafood.  So I invited my girlfriend over, got some fresh salmon, and had a girls’ night at home with fresh sushi.  It was actually delicious, and I will no longer turn down invitations to our local sushi restaurant!  The kit contains everything from chopsticks to Japanese rice, and includes instructions for sushi first-timers like myself.

Kit Contents:

• Yamasa Soy Sauce (12 oz)
• Urashima Nori (10 sheets)
• Nishiki Premium Rice
• Mitsukan Powdered Rice Seasonings
• Powdered Wasabi
• 10 packages of ginger
• Sushi Press Mold
• Sushi Rolling Mat
• 5 pairs of chopsticks
• Rice Paddle
• Sushi Instructions

Celebrate your next special occasion with an authentic Hawaiian Luau flown directly to you from the Luau King in Hilo, HI. Featuring fresh Hawaiian foods and flowers, as well as decorative party supplies, you will receive everything needed to throw a Luau for 6 guests.  The gourmet food includes 6 - 5oz servings of Lau lau, 12oz Kalua pig, 12oz Kalua turkey, 14oz Lomi lomi salmon, 2 - 10oz Portugese Sausages, 16oz Poi, 1 large fresh pineapple, 10oz Chocolate macadamia nuts, 4.5oz Roasted macadamia nuts, 12oz Frozen guava juice concentrate and 2oz of Hawaiian coffee.  Party supplies:  1 Aloha print tablecloth, 3 shell leis, 6 parasol drink toppers, 6 sword picks, 6 coconut-shaped drink cups, 6 tropical drinking straws, 6 paper plates, 6 spoons, 6 Lauhala placemats, 1 scenic Hawaiian poster, 1 pineapple-shaped serving dish, 1 Hawaiian music CD, 1 Hula skirt, 6 fresh orchid leis and assorted fresh tropical flowers (enough for a small arrangement).  Overnight shipping is included in the $369 cost.  This flavorful feast will create a memorable experience for your guests, second only to flying to Hawaii themselves!