Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Fast & Fancy Foodie Gifts for Christmas

By Laura Medina

Best Wine for Burgers & Fries, Chateau Loudenne, http://www.chateau-loudenne.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkay1E9ZOEc&feature=youtu.be

Okay, it's down to the wire.  You're everybody's Santa Claus, whether you like it or not.

What to give that pleases everyone at the most minimal of time and effort,...food, wine, fancy sodas, and treats.  Stuff most people shy away from, for the rest of the year until now, when the holidays give them the excuse to live it up.

Searching for an one shot deal, can't go wrong with wine.

Knowing that the world has changed, especially in France where the French are dreaming about the ultimate burger and fries...and are flocking to New York and Los Angeles to hunt it down, Fredric, sommelier for Bordeaux Wine Council, at the "Discovering Bordeaux" Tasting Event in West Hollywood's Palihouse, recommend Chateau Loudenne for burgers and fries.

According to him, a burger is a ground beef.  Paraphasing him, "It doesn't matter to him if it's Filet Mignon or Waygu Beef, he always pair his burger and fries with Chateau Loudenne."

As for other dishes and snacks, Fredric said don't worry.  There is a wine for everything.  Can't go wrong with wine.

Los Angeles is ripe with quickie gourmet boutiques and shops with cafes to settle and relax while you shop.

 http://laboulangeallday.com/location.php


One-stop shop is La Boulange at 359 South La Brea Ave @4th, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Three steps up beyond the average Starbucks,  Starbucks' jewel in the crown, has a section dedicated to treats as gifts.  You can buy palmiers, solid chocolate, chocolate chip, and seasonal holiday cranberry shortbread cookies, breads, pastries, and spreads of Hazelnut and Caramel to pack in your gift basket.  Don't forget La Boulange Cafe Cookbook for DIY-ers.  You can also toss in a La Boulange gift card as well.

 Stir Market, http://www.stirmarket.com/

Stir Market at 7475 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036.

It has European snacks and pastas and sauces and fancy sodas to pack in  your gift basket.

Don't want to cook?

You can order a whole roasted, stuffed Porchetta for a potluck, at the rotisserie.

 http://www.hamptoncreek.com/just-cookies

Searching for that really cool gift that tickles our inner kid?

Get this, Hampton Creek Foods, the people behind the multi-flavored mayo, has this amazing cookie dough snack.

Remember that guilty pleasure (mind you, the French use this word all the time) of licking or secretly eating spoons of raw cookie dough, ignoring the fact it might not be safe for you?

Hampton Creek knows that.   

They invented an egg-less, raw cookie dough that you can eat straight out of the jar.

Shoot, when first introduced to it, Hampton Creek people were treating it as though it was a jar of nut butter.
When you feel like sly and lazy, those ingenious, clever "Big Kids at Heart" Hampton Creek folks make their egg-less, raw cookie dough bake-able!  Yep, you heard this scribe right.

Dollop a spoonful on the baking sheet then put in a oven, pre-heated at 350 degrees.  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.  Cool them for 5 minutes.

Yes, you can fool them by saying you made "freshly baked cookies" with zero bowls and without the mess!

Cool food gift guide for Holiday 2014. 
 










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