Holiday Bites 2017 - Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Food and Travel Lover

The holidays are upon us once again, and this year there are so many creative food themed gifts for the foodie / travel lover in your life! 

1.  For the Lover of Seafood to Wear Heart on Sleeve Chain / Finger 

Amazing artists who are also ocean lovers have poured their passion into incredible handcrafted jewelry pieces so that your favorite seafood lover can literally wear their love of marine creatures around their necks, fingers etc.

Here are some of my personal favorites - and yes I snagged these for my collection already:

Sea urchin ring with exquisite level of detail:

Buy from: Cirer on Etsy  $121.08 (currently on sale for $102.92)

Oysters (and Scallops and Mussels) sterling silver / 14K Gold pendants inspired by real life beauty of foodie favorites.

The oyster pendant shown is made from a real seed oyster from Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farm in Cuttyhunk, MA. Flip the shell over to reveal a hidden freshwater pearl! Also available in a larger size, and with the second half of the shell.

Buy from: Laura Blanc Jewelry from $100







2.  For the Fashionista and Haute Cuisine Enthusiast

Love this metallic, fun glittery Finer Things Caviar Coin Purse from Kate Spade, with a spoon zipper pull!

Buy from:  Kate Spade $98

[Deal alert: get 3% cash back by going through eBates first (free to sign up)]





3.  For Pun Lovin' Sushi Lovers

Edible: For LA locals:  California Roll cake inspired by Dominique Ansel's newest bakery location that just opened at The Grove LA!  Made with avocado mousse, vanilla lime mousse, honey gelee and almond biscuit.

Buy from: Dominique Ansel Bakery (LA location only @ The Grove)

For some, anytime is sushi time.

Buy from: eBay $154

[Deal alert: go through eBates first to get up to 2% cash back]

Non-edibles:
Socks.  Printed and shaped like sushi - not just sushi print, but they roll up to look like an actual sushi roll.

Buy from: The Grommet $12.95 per pair

Sushi gummy candy bento box

Buy from: Amazon $11.25 or Tokyo Central


4.  For Jetsetters / Wanderlusters

Travel lovers know what it's like to be caught without Wifi  / cell service in a place where you don't speak the language and need to find your way around.  The brilliant minds at Iconspeak have created awesome wearable solutions: tees and tote bags pre-printed with easily recognizable icons customized to popular travel destinations.  Need to find the Colosseum, or the nearest glass of wine, or the closest WiFi hotspot, while in Rome?  No problem, just find a friendly face, point to the appropriate icon and commence local engagement/ travel memories, a semi-lost art in the age of tech addiction.

Buy from: Iconspeak $22 for tote bag



5.  For the Home Chef and Lover of Puns

Have a little fun especially for Italian food lovers, gift them kitchen accessories shaped like their favorite pasta shapes so that they can have literally every aspect of their kitchen infused with their favorite food while creating their  masterpiece meals!  Set includes silicon Farfalloni pot grips (2 units), 1 Ravioli spoon rest, 1 Penneli garlic peeler, &3 Mafaldine elastic bands.


Buy from: Monkey Business  $39.99 (or from Eataly where you can also pick up fresh or gourmet dried pasta to go with the pun pasta accessories :))

Then go full-pun and pair the gift with a greeting card from Etsy.

Buy from: Etsy $4.50+

6.  For the Wine / Cocktail / Sweets Enthusiast 

Serious drinkers and DIYers: let them age their own spirits in mini oak barrels that add instant klout to any desktop. Size matters too: not just about the fun look, the smaller sized barrel accelerates the aging process, so that your recipient's choice of spirit will age up to 10 times faster. Oak is beloved of distillers because it imparts flavor to spirits through three main compounds resulting in vanilla and marzipan-like flavors, buttery, coconut notes, and astringency and spice.  Handmade by coopers in Manassas, Virginia. Ages 21+.


Buy from: Uncommon Goods $130 for 2L barrel with rum & whiskey making kit and personalization

Up the game even more with glasses beautifully etched with maps of their favorite (drinking?) cities from Chicago to NYC to LA (~24 city options at last check!). 

Buy from: Uncommon Goods $14

Novelty options: Get them in an island state of mind whether they are spending the holidays in the depths of northern winter or somewhere with lots of sun, sand and sea.  The Pineapple Lover set includes a cocktail shaker, 12 oz. tumbler, set of shot glasses, bottle opener all in pineapple shapes (gold, silver or copper options) and metal straws.

Buy from: WP Design $160

[Deal alert: save 25% sitewide with code: HOTPOTATO]

Fun themed chocolates handcrafted in Texas:

• (2) Martini Glasses in dark chocolate filled with salted caramel
• (2) Caviar Canapés in solid milk chocolate
• (2) Olives in milk chocolate filled with chocolate nougat
• (1) Vodka Bottle in white chocolate filled with chocolate caramel + sea salt
• (1) Lemon Slice in solid white chocolate
• (1) Word Tile in solid white chocolate

 Buy from: Maggie Louise $38

Or for a sleeker boxed set gift, check out Sugarfina's "But First, Cocktails" candy bento box including eight fun flavors in beautiful packaging:

• Brut & Rosé Champagne Bears® 
• Peach Bellini
• Champagne Bubbles
• Jamaican Rum Snowballs
• Paloma Sours 
• But First Rosé Roses
• Bubbly Bears®
• Martini Olive Almonds

Buy from: Sugarfina $65

If they are more solely devoted to bubbly: gummy bears made with Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne in two beautiful flavors: classic Brut and fashionable Rose would be a fun twist gift. Named "the perfect party favor" by Cosmopolitan magazine. Non-alcoholic.

Buy from:  Sugarfina starting at $8.50 for small cube to $45 for 2.5lb bulk bag that you can pick into your own gift packaging

Or step it up with a Sugarfina x WP collab Champagne Bears Cocktail Kit so that your favorite jetsetter can get their dose of bubbly up in the air first class style no matter if they're actually in coach.

Kit includes:
• Small-batch elderflower syrup
• Sugarfina Champagne gummy bears
• 0.5-oz. jigger
• Bar spoon
• Linen napkin
• Recipe card
• Stainless steel storage tin

Just add alcohol (not included - maybe hit up duty free at the airport before boarding)?

Buy from: Sugarfina $24 or Sur La Table $25
 

[Deal alert: sign up for eBates (free) and click through their Sugarfina links first to get 2.5%-5% cash back on your purchase] 

Stocking stuffer option: Cocktail lip balm Stewart & Claire, a trio of tasty cocktails to kickoff the holiday season:

Negroni: originally created as a limited edition for Campari: spiced orange and juniper-scented lip balm that does the Negroni justice.

Old Fashioned: cedar, bitter orange and a touch of vanilla, cinnamon and black pepper

Tiki: virgin coconut oil with a little mandarin essential oil: vacation in a tube.

Buy from: Stewart & Claire  $23 (or find at Paper Source stores)


7.  For Fruit Lovers

Serious gift: taste the sunshine in each handcrafted bite of pate de fruit made from all natural fruits from amazing chocolate and confections master Christopher Elbow. Flavors are seasonal but may include:  raspberry, apricot, blood orange, strawberry, black currant, blueberry, passion fruit, mango, morello cherry, green apple, white peach, pear, coconut, kiwi, and pineapple.

Buy from: Christopher Elbow $24

Novelty gift: Get through the winter with fruit scented lotions / skincare and lip products that are housed in fun fruit shaped containers like this mango butter (they also have banana, apple, peach etc.)

Buy from: Tonymoly $12 for hands & feet mango butter







8.  For People Who Literally Live for Tea Time

For tea lovers who are so serious they need to jetset with their own accesssories: travel tea set with bamboo tray, gaiwan, server, and four tasting cups and stainless steel tongs plus padded zipper pouch for easy carry during travel.

Buy from: Red Blossom Tea $120

For tea drinkers of the more punny variety: Pair tea with literature in the punniest way with book shaped tea tins emblazoned with titles from Anise in Wonderland to Matcha Do About Nothing to The Picture of Earl Grey!

Buy from: NovelTeas $29 













Lovepop Cards

https://www.lovepopcards.com/products/gingerbread-house-christmas-card


Felt Toys dim sum




World Power Adaptor Tumi
Buy from: Tumi $

Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop - Blast from the Past on a Saturday Afternoon in Sherman Oaks

Maybe it was because tomorrow is Easter, candy is being pushed from all directions, and even with an incurable sweet tooth, I have a Peeps hangover before my lips ever touched one.  Maybe because I just scored bags of amazing locally produced small batch treats from Artisanal LA last week.  But I haven't had a desire to visit candy / sweets stores recently. Until today - walking down Ventura, my feet involuntarily screeched to a halt when I came across a barely noticeable storefront - lodged in an unassuming space between a hair salon and Indian restaurant - that also peddled mass produced candy, yes, but on closer inspection revealed a cavernous treasure trove of sugar-packed nostalgia.

One step inside and I felt like I was in a theme park - a dream for kids of all ages, a place designed to induce whiplash not only with its featured attractions: soda and candy, but with every detail crafted carefully to give guests an immersive experience. 

Everywhere I looked, I saw something that brought back sweet memories (had to do it!), or piqued my interest by introducing me to something new - from the little pills of fizzy candy that comes in little plastic soda 'cans'? To those sugary dots that come on sheets?  (And for 13 Going on 30 / incorrigible chick-flick fans, Rocket Fizz sells Razzles!!!) To Turkish taffy.

They also had row upon row of bottled sodas from standard orange to sassaparilla to black cherry flavors. 
All surrounded by walls lined with cool vintage 'tin' signs featuring tongue-in-cheek updates of Hollywood hits and iconic posters from the 20s/30s, to comic superheroes.  While Beach Boys tunes form an audio backdrop.

It was so much fun to glance through all the treats scored from around the world as well - there were Australian Style Licorice (in flavors from blueberry to green apple); Japanese treats familiar to 'kids' who shop at Asian markets around LA, but may be a novelty to everyone else: Kasugai fruit flavored gummies and all flavors of Pocky chocolate covered pretzel / biscuit sticks; and previously mentioned Turkish taffys.

You can also hit up the self-serve candy bar, and make your own custom bag of taffies and other individually wrapped candies.

I loved seeing some of my favorites from the UK (that formed their own food group as part of my self-prescribed 'perfectly' balanced diet as a kid):  Crunchie (chocolate dipped honeycomb bar $1.69), Toffee Crisp ($1.69), Smarties (Britain's answer to M&Ms) - and Polo mints!  Some new discoveries recommended by the shopkeepers were Violet Crumble ($3.99) and Kit Kat Chunky ($1.39). 

There were so many varieties and brands of soda that it was almost overwhelming!  I made a mental note to remember the Root beer sampler (10-pack $17.99) as a nice, unique gift set for a friend when her birthday rolls around. 

Aside from nostalgic / gourmet sodas, there were also novelty ones, from Sopranos branded soda to "Gamer" soda (bottle full of win? ;)) - not sure what these really involve, and not into tasting them, but thought they were a fun part of the overall collection.

There were even Jelly Belly flavors like Crushed Pineapple, French Vanilla and Strawberry Jam (had no idea Jelly Belly made soda - they need to make a pina colada soda!)

Speaking of novelty, there were also some unusual candies that were fun to see, like "Ant Candy" - yes, sugar candies shaped like ants.  Red ants.

While at the cashier, I noticed they also had other fun non-edible but food-themed novelty items - like Bacon Strips - bandaids printed to looke like pieces of bacon!

Overall, a fun time at the Rocket Fizz - will definitely be coming back next time I need a sugar fix / dose of nostalgia!
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Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop
14613 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Ph: 818.981.9009

(Other locations in CA, NV, NE and AZ - check website for details)

Website: rocketfizz.com/
Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/rocketfizz

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Teuscher Marrons Glaces - A Luminous Holiday Love Affair

Just before Halloween, Teuscher Beverly Hills announced the arrival of Marrons Glacés in their stores, for a limited run of several weeks.  Already a huge fan of Teuscher's amazing, luscious Champagne Truffles (if I had the opportunity to choose my last bite on earth, at this moment it would be a tie between a Laduree macaron and a Teuscher champagne truffle) - I was excited to see if their latest treat would live up to the hype.

Marrons glacés are candied chestnuts made by immersing and heating peeled and blanched chestnuts in a syrup solution, then drying them. A European delicacy that is particularly popular in France, especially during the holiday season (eaten on its own or as garnishes on desserts) these little bundles of joy originally gained fame in the Palace of Versailles under Louis the XIV.


A true marron glacé apparently takes several days to cook from start to finish, making it an expensive delicacy - one of these gold-foil wrapped chestnut treats at Teuscher Beverly Hills costs $5.25!

So, two was all I could afford at a time - but they were delicious, with just the right amount of subtle sweetness, and the chestnut was so tender that it falls apart on contact (ok, so you're supposed to eat it in one bite, but I was trying to make it last longer). 

And I leave you with a photo of a sunlit Marron Glace - the light really brings out the gorgeous semi-transparent amber / caramel colors in the treat.  This is one I will be looking forward to next year as another new personal holiday tradition!

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Teuscher Chocolates Beverly Hills
9548 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Ph: 888.443.8992
Website: teuscher-bh.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/teuscherBH
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