Are you a procrastinator? Well, you must be, if you’re reading this.
And I’m writing this, so what does that say about me?
Here are my suggestions for great gifts, reasonable price ranges, last minute but need to get them something… yes, most of them are not physical items, but it works. Trust me.
1. Recreational cooking classes at ICC, ICE, or Cook & Go –
International Culinary Center (formerly French Culinary Institute) or ICC offers a wide range of fun classes. I recently attended a press class – bread baking with Jim Lahey – and was quite impressed with their facilities. It was a lot of fun and the student helpers are knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Check out gift certificates here.
Institute of Culinary Education or ICE also offers a wide range of classes. I took one in October with my best friend (“All About Mushrooms”), and while I had some issues with certain things, overall it was a great experience and I recommend it for those with less cooking experience. Or take a more advanced class that is labeled as such. (Though that wasn’t my biggest issue – it was how cold the room was, even while we were cooking, and how quickly our food got cold as a result. Boo.) Gift certificates can be purchased here.
Cook & Go offers cooking classes, but with a different slant: you cook small portions/for one. There are some unique challenges posed when you try that – namely, when you bake for one, downscaling isn’t a simple matter of math. But I enjoyed my experience when I recently attended a blogger event there, and while there are a few issues that didn’t work for me, I think a lot of people would enjoy the concept. Gift certificates can be purchased here – and bonus, enter this code for 15% off: BPIBLOG.
2. 1800baskets.com offers some gift baskets now that are more “foodie” oriented than previously. I actually love gift baskets, because they’re always filled with things I wouldn’t buy myself – okay, or stuff I buy when no one else is looking, like summer sausage and spreadable cheddar cheese… yum… ahem. But I do like eating those things. However, the good people behind the site realized that the younger demographic who is perhaps a bit pickier about what food items they’d like to consume might like different gift baskets, so they started a line called Market Box. They’re in the $40-50 range, so totally reasonable as well. And you can pay extra shipping to make sure it arrives by Christmas Eve, but your friends probably already know you’re a procrastinator, so just send it at your leisure. Plus, get $10 off orders over $49.99 by using promo code THEMARKETBOX10 (all one word).
3. Lots of high end restaurants now offer gift certificates that you can email directly to the recipient. That means you can do this in your pajamas on Christmas Eve, probably even Christmas morning since it’s all automated. I’m a huge Daniel Boulud fan as well as AltaMarea Group… and someone in my life IS getting a gift certificate to one of these places, but I’m not saying who 😉
4. One of my favorite bakeries, Francois Payard Bakery, offers plenty of goodies that can be shipped around the country. Check out the site for more details. (Psst, I have my hopes set on some of those savory macarons… swoon.)
5. Last but not least, let’s be real: while your favorite foodie loves eating, perhaps they have other interests. A gift certificate to Amazon.com is ALWAYS welcome. I can use it on a cookbook, utensils and implements, or on something completely outside my food-desires.
Hope this helps all you late birdies!!!
Happy holidays to everyone! Regular – and I mean regular – posting will resume after the New Year. In the meanwhile, I posted every single day this week, so you have plenty to read and comment on 😉
xoxo!!!
Please note that I have had a relationship with some of the above-mentioned companies and/or their PR firms, but I was in no way obligated to post this, nor did I receive any form of compensation whatsoever. These are all things I’d be happy to receive as gifts or would – and in some cases, have – given as gifts.
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