Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

If you are ready for the smells and tastes of summer barbeque, but it’s not quite time to dig out the grill, the order up this delightful combination of 3 smoked and barbequed meats, sure to tempt your senses!  Joe’s Barbeque Company is offering a selection of pork ribs, smoked sausage and a smoked brisket – all fully cooked and available for immediate shipping.  They will also pack in a complimentary jar of Joe’s Barbeque Sauce to add your own amount of flavor.

This combination provides enough food to feed 4 comfortably, and if you place your order in February you will receive free shipping (check out the link to Joe’s daily specials).  The combo sells for $109.95.

If my 6 year old had his way he would eat spaghetti noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese for every meal!  Fortunately for him, I will not allow that to happen – I simply have too much fun finding new foods and flavors for our family to try.  This tower is a perfect example -  I can introduce them to a variety of flavors while still serving them familiar food.  The Royal Pasta Tower contains 9 different styles and flavors of pasta, 4 sauce/topping choices, extra virgin olive oil, balsalmic vinegar and Italian seasonings and spices.  The tower is currently 50% off at Rossi Pasta’s website – you can try these amazing flavors for only $52.48.

With the temperatures barely crawling above zero lately, I’m in the mood for warm comfort foods – soups and stews top the list.  I also love seafood – especially lobster – so when I found this meal package I had to try it!  I ordered this for my Girl’s Night In that will be at my house next week.  We will be dining on Lobster Stew, Lobster Tail and Steamer Clams.  The set also includes shell crackers and picks, wet naps and bibs, Maine Sea Salt for cooking and an instruction booklet that features great lobster recipes.  I ordered the dinner for 4, which is $179 and includes overnight shipping costs.  If you are interested in this Casco Bay Lobsterbake, you get to choose 3 fresh-caught items from the following list of options:

• Lobster
• Lobster Tail
• Mussels
• Steamer Clams
• Shrimp
• Lobster Stew
• Clam Chowder
• Haddock Chowder

If your New Year’s Resolution includes trying new flavors, then this Kangaroo Loin Fillet is just for you!  Kangaroo is very high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, which makes it a great choice if part of your New Year’s resolution also includes healthy food choices.  Kangaroo is commonly eaten in Australia but is a delicacy in the US.

If you have eaten venison, the flavor of a Kangaroo Loin is similar in taste and consistency.  Kangaroo is best if served medium rare and can be quickly seared in a hot pan with olive oil.  Be sure not to cook the meat too long as it tends to dry out because of the very low fat content.  You can try a 2.2 lb Kangaroo Loin Fillet for $39.60 from exoticmeats.com.

I have to thank my girlfriend Jodie for introducing me to Paella.  She is more adventurous than I am, and a few weeks ago she convinced me to try a new Spanish dish that she made in her cooking class.  The dish is served in a large wok-type pan (called a palleras), and contained rice, shrimp, lobster, vegetables and spicy seasonings.  It looked great and tasted delicious (although a bit spicy).  Luckily, Jodie and I also shared a bottle of our favorite wine with dinner to cool the spices.  Since then I have wanted to make paella myself so I have been searching for a paella pan online.  I did find the pan, and during my search I also found that one of my favorite websites offers a Paella Gift Set – complete with wine!  Unfortunately I couldn’t order this for myself (wine cannot be shipped to Minnesota), but I thought the set was a great idea for a wedding gift.  The gift set contains the paella pan, paella rice, saffron, spicy paprika, Spanish tapas plates for serving and a bottle of Campo Viejo Tempranillo Reserva Rioja.  If you know an adventurous couple who enjoys new flavors, this gift set is a great deal at $76 plus shipping.  Just make sure that they will be home when you send it because gifts with alcohol require an adult signature for delivery.

One of my New Year’s resolutions this year is to eat more fruits and vegetables.  Of course fresh is best, but sometimes a prepared meal is more convenient.  Because of the great products I have received from Home Bistro in the past, I am looking forward to trying this Vegetable Cannelloni as well.  The pasta shells are filled with oven roasted vegetables and portobello mushrooms that are combined with spinach and an Italian three cheese blend.  Each meal includes steamed vegetables on the side and a rich shallot butter sauce with fennell and sambuca.  When vegetables look this good, I’ll have no trouble sticking to my New Year’s resolution!  The cost of the meal is $11.95 plus shipping, and you can order as few as one or as many as you like.

The holiday season gets to be quite hectic for many people – whether you are expecting a number of guests in your home or you will be traveling to celebrate with family, there is always a long to-do list and never enough time to get it done!

During this busy time, I make sure to have plenty of quick and easy meal options on hand – which includes a 4-pack of New York Neapolitan pizzas.  Offered by New York Flying Pizza, these award winning pies start with homemade Neapolitan sauce and are topped with a signature mix of imported cheeses.  My family prefers the all cheese pizza, but there are over 15 topping options that can be added – from anchovies to ricotta.  The case of four pizza pies can be shipped to you from Pappdelles NY Pizza Restaurant in Bethpage, Long Island for $73.49 plus shipping.

More than 20 years ago, Captain Tom started his lobster adventure as a part-time summer job.  After the first day he was captivated.  In time, he was able to start his own business – with a unique twist.  During the summer months Captain Tom charters lobster excursions, where customers accompany the captain on his boat and are able to haul in their very own live lobsters from the traps!

So many vacationers have enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime lobster excursion that Captain Tom has been able to start an online business shipping live lobsters across the country – mostly to repeat customers.  With some of the most reasonable prices I have found online, 2 jumbo lobsters (weighing between 2 and 2 1/2 lbs apiece) will arrive at your doorstep for $99 (including shipping).  The informative website also offers suggestions on how to cook your lobsters, as well as various lobster recipes and instructions on how to shuck a lobster.

Have a little fun with your holiday party this year with this red and green striped tortelloni!  Offered by Alfonso’s Gourmet Pasta, the stripes are actually made from dough that has been infused with fresh spinach and tomatoes.  No artificial coloring is needed to make this festive pasta, which is stuffed with a savory combination of parmesan, romano, ricotta, mozzarella and provolone cheeses along with Alfonso’s secret mixture of herbs and spices.  A 5 lb package of this flash-frozen pasta can be overnighted to you for $34.95 plus the cost of shipping (which will vary depending on your proximity to their location in Miami).

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.