 Give exciting ingredients to food-loving friends who cook, and you may be invited back to enjoy what they create with them. Above, saffron-flavored pashmak, a Persian spun-sugar floss, is a gourmet version of cotton candy that can be used to decorate elegant desserts. It is available in several flavors from Pariya Food.
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These selections were chosen by CAITLIN BARRETT , who is on the editorial staff of THE NIBBLE™.
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November 2005
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Special Ingredients For Great Palates
Favorite Products For Kitchen Magicians
Many people who love fine food also love to cook. Here are some of our favorite ingredients and accompaniments.
- Prices and item availability are verified at publication but subject to change over time. While we do our best to keep information updated, if you find changes before we do, click here to give us the 411.
- In most cases, shipping and taxes are additional.
- How about a free gift for yourself, first? If you’d like our “Top Product Pick of the Week” e-mailed to you each Tuesday, click here to sign up for our free newsletter.
Gift categories include:
Oils & Vinegars |
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Pacifica Culinaria
Avocado Oil
Many people aren’t even familiar with avocado oils, let alone these incredible infused oils from Pacifica Culinaria. They can be used to grill, sauté, sear or just drizzle on a dish as an anointing oil. Some of the flavors include Blood Orange Avocado Oil, Key Lime Avocado Oil, Coastal Lemon Avocado Oil, Roasted Chili Avocado Oil, and Provençal Herb Infused Avocado Oil. We like to stick them in gift baskets or buy three or four, wrap them in tissue paper and present them in a beautiful box.
PacificaCulinaria.com |
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Boyajian
Sampler Boxes
Boyajian’s wonderful infused oils are available in one-ounce samples. The Mini Baker Box is perfect for the bakes on your list. It contains their top-quality Almond Extract, Anise Flavoring, Peppermint Flavoring and Rum Flavoring. We can’t live without the vinegars in the Mini Vinegar Box contains Raspberry Vinegar, Sweet Plum Vinegar, Garlic Vinegar, and Ginger Vinegar. The Mini Asian Oil Box contains everything needed to kick up homestyle Asian dishes: Asian Chili Oil, Fragrant Peanut Oil, Spicy Sesame Oil, and Toasted Sesame Oil. The Mini Olive Oil Box has Basil Oil, Garlic Oil, Lemon Pepper Oil, and Roasted Chili Oil—perfect for salads, bread dippers, or adding depth of flavor to variety of dishes.
- Mini Baker’s Box
$12.50
- Mini Vinegar Box
$6.95
- Mini Asian Oil Box
$7.50
- Mini Olive Oil Box
$6.95
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Above, Mini Olive Oil Box. Below, Mini Baker’s Box.
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| Salts & Seasonings |
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Victoria Gourmet Culinary Salts of the World
While giving loved ones a trip around the world might be a little out of your price range, this collection of salts from Victoria Gourmet will certainly give them a taste tour of several culinary destinations.
These gorgeous salts are perfect for finishing dishes. They add texture, flavor and even color. The Culinary Salts of the World set also comes with a beautiful handmade Maple wooden salt tray.
- Culinary Salts of the World
$50
VGourmet.com |
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| Spices, Herbs, Dried Fruits & Berries |
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Sur la Table
Nutmeg Mill
Ground nutmeg from a supermarket canister doesn’t compare to the flavor and aroma of fresh nutmeg. This attractive nutmeg grinder makes a great gift and even comes with with five fresh nutmegs so gift recipients can start spicing up dishes right away.
Click here to purchase. |
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Iranian Saffron
A full ounce of saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world, is enough to flavor many dishes. This saffron comes from the Iran, where high-quality saffron is prized and the decorative tin stores it beautifully. It is 100 % Crocus Sativus, the flower whose pistils provide the rare spice.
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Pariya Foods
Indulge sophisticated palates with these uncommon ingredients from Pariya. Create a gift of several boxes of their unique Persian ingredients like stunning green raisins, rose buds, white mulberries and their very exotic barberries. Those on your gift list with a cultured sweet tooth will fall molars over heels for Pariya’s unique treats like rose-flavored Persian “Fairy Floss,” Persian Honey Toffee and the Raahat “Rose & Pistachio Coconut Delight.” Each item is extremely flavorful, very special, and unlike anything most people have seen before. Among our favorite products.
- Prices vary by product, check website for details
PariyaFood.com
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Potting Shed Creations, LTD.
These Garden-in-a-Bag™ herbs are an easy way to start herbs on your windowsill at any time of year: basil, chives, dill, oregano, strawberries and even tomatoes will root and can then be transplanted to a larger pot. As a bonus, many of the Garden-in-a-Bag™ selections are organic.
- Garden-in-a-Bag™
Prices Range from $6.95 for herbs and strawberries to $8.95 for tomatoes.
PottingShedCreations.com |
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| Sauces |
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Vino de Milo
Tomato Sauce Gift Box
The fact that we would even consider giving someone a jarred tomato sauce as a gift says a lot about how special it is. In fact, it’s the best line of sauces we’ve encountered to date—we could eat them from the jar without ever making the pasta, chicken or lamb. The Italian Works 1 gift box features one jar each of the Mediterranean Pinot Grigio, Portobello Shiraz, Tuscan Merlot, a set of four wine charms and a recipe book.
- Italian Box 1 Gift Set
$45
VinodeMilo.com |
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| Produce |
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Melissa’s World Variety Produce
Exotic Fruits & Vegetables
Harry & David is the “brand name” in fruits by mail, but Melissa’s has the really interesting goods. You’ll be fascinated just looking at the fruits and vegetables on their website, and any foodie would love to receive a box. They have their own “fruit of the month” or “vegetable of the month” club, of course. Most people have never had a regular persimmon ( the “Apple of the Orient”), much less one of these special yellow cinnamon persimmons (wonderful plain, in fruit salads and desserts, and stuffings).
- 28-Piece Persimmon Box
$26
Melissas.com |
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© Copyright 2005-2008 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their individual owners.
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