Eat, Drink, Play: 12 great holiday gifts for Bay Area foodies, travelers
You could go to the mall. Or, alternatively, the website of the unnamed Bezos. But if the people on your holiday shopping list are foodies, travelers, or drinkers of coffee, tea, or spirits, we’ve got you covered.
EAT: Oyster Shucking Kit for Beginners
Make it simple for the oyster addicts in your life to feed their mollusk addiction at home.
Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marin County has created a Beginner’s Oyster Shucking Kit that includes a shucking glove, a shucking knife, and a bag of 36 Hog Island Sweetwater oysters, the stars of their briny show.
Simply instruct your recipient to visit the website and watch the “Shucking 101” video, and they’ll be slurping away in no time.
You might be wondering, as we did, what an advanced oyster shucking kit would include — an insurance policy? I’m kidding. The “beginner” label indicates that those extra-small oysters are ideal for inexperienced shuckers.
$115 at https://hogislandoysters.com/
DRINK: Tea Advent Calendar ‘Countdown to Christmas’
Here’s an excellent early-bird idea. Give the tea lovers on your list Numi’s “Countdown to Christmas” collection, which includes 24 blends, and they’ll think of you every time they brew a cup this holiday season.
Oakland-based Numi takes pride in using only organic ingredients in its teas; even the plant-based, non-GMO tea wrappers are environmentally friendly. The advent calendar includes blends for every occasion, from Breakfast Blend to Sweet Slumber; fruity favorites like Hibiscus and Dry Desert Lime; and Numi’s best-seller, Aged Earl Grey.
If you want to add a small-batch Japanese green tea to the box, Numi’s newest offerings are three savory Hojicha, nutty and sweet Kokicha, and lemony Yuzu Bancha.
Tea collection is $14.99 and green teas are $7.99 per box at Numi’s online store, https://numitea.com/.
‘Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of America’s National Parks,’ PLAY
You almost certainly have someone on your list who enjoys the great outdoors. The great outdoors, after all, comes with some pretty great indoors as well.
Author Max Humphrey casts his interior designer eye on 10 lodges, mostly in the West, in his new coffee-table book, “Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of America’s National Parks” (Gibbs-Smith, 224 pages). He and co-author Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, as well as photographers David Tsay and Rob Schanz, delve into the history, design, and furnishings of Yosemite’s iconic Ahwahnee as well as the park’s Curry Village, as well as El Tovar at the Grand Canyon, The Oasis in Death Valley, Crater Lake Lodge, the Old Faithful Inn, and lodges at Glacier, Olympic, Mount Rainier, and Zion.
This book, according to hard-working entrepreneur-investor and TV “shark” Barbara Corcoran, is a “beautiful reminder to go somewhere rustic with spotty WiFi once in a while.”
Details: $40 at your local bookstore.
EAT: Cambodian sauces and spices from Angkor Chef
As Channy Laux’s career progresses from condiment developer to cloud kitchen chef to brick-and-mortar owner, she remains committed to her mission: to share her mother’s legacy by introducing people to the flavors of their birthplace, Cambodia.
She and her husband, Kent, recently expanded their business to include Angkor Chef, a downtown San Jose restaurant that is currently in the soft opening phase. Diners can sample the sauces and spices she uses in her dishes and purchase jars and bottles for the home cooks on their holiday shopping list.
Her award-winning Lemongrass Paste (regular or vegan, used in stir-fries); Chrouk Metae (traditional hot sauce); Tamarind Sauce (a natural tenderizer; think braised short ribs); Makrut Lime Powder (sourced from refugee farmers near Fresno); Kroeung Prawlak (a Cambodian barbecue marinade); Organic Thnot Sugar (with caramel undertones); Kampot Peppercorns, and more are among the offerings.
Condiments cost $8 to $12 at the restaurant, 86 S. First St., San Jose, and $10 to $20 online at www.angkorfood.com (shipping is included). Many of the products are also available at Market Hall Foods in Oakland and Berkeley, as well as the Ferry Building’s Village Market in San Francisco.
DRINK + EAT: Whiskey Collector’s Edition
Consider Michael’s Chocolates’ spirits-infused gems for the whiskey-sipping chocolate connoisseurs in your life. They were created by Michael Benner, a California Culinary Academy-trained pastry chef and certified sommelier who decided to focus his palate on chocolate for his next act. He and his team handcraft bonbons in 17 flavors at their shop in Oakland’s Grand Lake district.
This signature collection includes Bourbon Caramel Pecan bonbons made with Lost Republic Bourbon from Healdsburg and Old Potrero Rye Whiskey bonbons made with San Francisco pot-distilled rye whiskey. The choice was made after much deliberation (and sipping). “I chose the Old Potrero in a blind tasting of whiskeys,” he said. “I had no idea it was by far the most expensive of the bunch.” However, the flavor notes were a perfect match for the Guittard chocolate I used to make it.”
Do you want something a little lighter? Benner’s Lemon Burst, the yellow-and-white domed bonbons in the case, won his first national award from the Good Food Foundation in 2018. On the finish, you’ll get a hint of dark chocolate.
Boxes range in price from $15 to $88, and are available at the shop, 3352 Grand Ave., Oakland, or online at www.michaelschocolates.com. This chocolate line is also available at Olive This, Olive That in San Francisco.
ACTIVITY: Adopt-a-Seal certificate and maintenance
With the Adopt-a-Seal gift program, the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, which has saved thousands of animals since 1975, has made it simple and affordable to support their mission.
It works like this: you choose a “past patient” to adopt, and your money goes toward the care of a current or future patient. Scan the website’s photo gallery of furry rescues with names ranging from Annette to Zachary — so many pairs of big brown eyes! — and pick one. You will receive a certificate with the animal’s photo and story, as well as the name of the recipient.
You can upgrade to a gift package that includes a plush animal for children. Consider including a 2024 Marine Mammal calendar (the cover star is Ody, a Northern fur seal) or other adorable merchandise if your recipient is an adult.
Details: $30 for a certificate and marine animal care, $15 for a calendar; visit www.marinemammalcenter.org to shop and order.
CHECK OUT ‘The Unofficial Ted Lasso Cookbook’
You are not permitted to discuss politics, religion, sports, organic produce, or parenting advice with (insert relative’s name here). Nonetheless, you must decide what to give to (insert relative’s name here).
We have a solution: who doesn’t adore Ted Lasso, the unstoppable soccer coach? “The Unofficial Ted Lasso Cookbook” (Harvest Publishing, 160 pages) was written by NorCal authors Aki Berry and Meg Chano.
subtitled “From Biscuits to BBQ, 50 Recipes Inspired by TV’s Most Lovable Football Team.” The collection includes fan favorites like Pigs in Roy’s Blankie and the homemade biscuits Lasso gives Rebecca every morning, despite their pink bakery box.
The price is $24.99. You’ll make a local business owner’s holiday brighter by purchasing this at your favorite independent bookstore.
DRINK: Holiday Gift Set from Red Bay Coffee
Oprah Winfrey — she of the season’s most fabulous gift list — has bestowed her “Favorite Things” seal on Red Bay Coffee of Oakland for the second time in four years.
The Holiday Gift Set from EO Keba Konte includes three eight-ounce bags of some of their most popular beans: East Fourteenth, a dark roast; Motherland, a medium roast sourced from the Kayanza province in the East African country of Burundi; and Carver’s Dream, an espresso-loving blend of Guatemala and Burundi beans.
Konte founded the roastery in 2014 as “a vehicle for diversity, inclusion, social and economic restoration, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability.” All beans are sourced ethically and freshly roasted in small batches.
Do you want to make it a beans-plus gift? On the website, you can purchase “Coffee: Africa’s Gift to the World” T-shirts and tote bags.
Details are available at www.redbaycoffee.com for $32.99.
BART and Capitol Corridor attire
Bay Area commuters can now flaunt their love for rail transportation. Or your feet.
Railgoods.com, the official source for BART and Capitol Corridor clothing and gifts, has a variety of shirts and socks that are ideal for wearing while exploring sites accessible by rapid transit or rail.
The colorful BART Train Face Tee, with its display of old and new trains, and the Cappy Train Socks, which come in adult and youth sizes, are our favorites. The BART System Map Flip Flops lack many stations, making them less giftable, but the new microfiber BART Eyeglass Wipe (only $2.50) shows the entire system and teases the downtown San Jose/Santa Clara extension, which we hope will be built in our lifetime.
And, no, there are no plans to use BART’s newly acquired $76 million tunnel-boring equipment. Perhaps during a future holiday season!
Purchase online at www.railgoods.com.
EAT: Yule Cake, Christmas Pudding
Christmas traditions observed across the pond are well known to all Americans who have grown up with stories from Dickens, the BBC, and the BritBox. But how many people have actually tried those holiday treats?
You can share this gift because of Kristen and Dean Scott. The couple bakes English, Scottish, and Irish sweets and savory treats all year at their Celtic Tea Shoppe in San Jose, but the classics reign supreme this time of year. The star is the Christmas Pudding, which is steamed and filled with fruit (cherries, sultanas, currants, Granny Smith apples, pineapple, plus ginger and a hint of Guinness and dark rum). At home, you steam the pudding again before serving it with hard sauce, a dollop of cream, or vanilla ice cream.
Yule Cake, a cookie-like currant and spice cake covered in a lemon glaze (the treasured recipe comes from a friend’s family); Fruit Mince in jars (for pies, a condiment with meat, or with cream cheese or ice cream); and Rum Cake, Irish Whiskey Cake, and Scotch Whiskey Cake. (Did you notice the whiskey/whisky spellings? That’s how you know this Celtic couple is genuine.)
The Scotts can be found at their shop from Tuesday to Friday, and on weekends through December 17 at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair.
Order Christmas Pudding ($30, with gift box), Yule Cake ($14), and liquor cakes ($11) in advance at https://celticteashoppe.com for pickup or shipping from 4432 Pearl Ave., San Jose.
Barware from Lake Tahoe, Mount Shasta, and Half Dome
What is an adventurer to do when the weather does not permit climbing? As they plan their next trip, encourage them to sit inside and drink from these fascinating hand-blown tumblers and pint glasses.
North Drinkware artisans mold the natural wonders of California into the base of glasses using data from the US Geological Survey. The unmistakable Half Dome, a mini-model of Mount Shasta’s 14,179 feet, Mount Whitney’s switchbacks, and Lake Tahoe with its surrounding mountains — all in incredible detail.
Each glass is handcrafted, lead-free, and dishwasher safe, and a portion of the proceeds go toward conservation efforts. For example, Lake Tahoe products benefit the nonprofit organization Keep Tahoe Blue, and Half Dome sales benefit the Yosemite Conservancy.
Details: $56 each, available at https://northdrinkware.com.
EAT: Small Batch Jams made with fruit from Andy’s Orchard
We love it when you can buy one delicious gift and help two family businesses while delighting a third, the gift recipient.
Andy Mariani of Andy’s Orchard in Morgan Hill grows the luscious fruit, which Pablo Lugones transforms and jars at his Small Batch Jam Co. in Pacifica.
Blenheim Apricot, Black Tartarian Cherry, Golden Transparent Gage Plum, Baby Crawford Peach, and Prosecco Clementine jams are available at Andy’s online store. Rainier Cherry, Bing Cherry, Cherry Champagne, Cherry Juniper, and Mirabelle Plum are all available in the Small Batch online shop.
By the way, if you’re a true friend, you’ll include a surprise, such as a box of Andy’s dried fruit confections or a jar of Pablo’s popular Boysenberry, his go-to for PB&J.
Purchase from https://andysorchard.com for $9.50 per jar or https://smallbatchjamco.com for $9 per jar.
