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DigsMagazine.com.
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good
enough
to eat
edible
holiday gift ideas
by Christina Da Costa
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For
many of us, the month of December equals crazy crowds, screaming
children, endless repetitions of "Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer," mall Santas, gift receipts, overdue credit card bills
and mounting stress -- all for the possible gratitude of mediocre gifts.
If you do your shopping on the internet, you can skip all of the crowds,
but you're still left with the bills, along with the specter of identity
theft. How does the smart, savvy and cheap gift-giver navigate these
holiday perils? By making gifts at home. Specifically, food gifts!
Homemade food gifts can be
used up in the months after the holidays and appreciated by anybody who
eats. You can avoid the carpal tunnel from endless mouse-clicking in
search of random gizmos that your dad doesn't really want; if he likes
mustard, he will love the Beer & Herb Mustard you make for him. For
the other salt-fiends in your life, make the Best Nuts Ever (below)
and the Easy Tapenade; better yet, include all three savory treats in an attractive
box for a gourmet gift. Some people like their gifts sweet, so whip up
some Vanilla Sugar,
Chocolate Truffles or
(Chocolate Dipped) Biscotti on
a Saturday afternoon, and relax during the rest of the holiday season.
Sure, some of these recipes do take some time and effort (especially
when it comes to canning), but at least you won't be dealing with
strollers bumping into your calves. Best of all, you never have to worry
about whether or not someone already has what you're giving -- these
gifts are entirely unique, and delectably consumable.
the savory
 best nuts
ever
This
recipe was so closely guarded that an arm-wrestling match had to ensue
on my nut-strewn dining room floor before the original recipe-keeper
would give it up. These nuts are that good. They keep for about a week
in a tightly-sealed container, but they never last that long.
ingredients
2 cups each of unsalted cashews and pecans
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
½-1 tsp. of Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce (use your judgment on the
spicy factor)
2-3 tsp. of yellow curry powder (same comment on spicy)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
sea salt and raw sugar for topping
1 Heat oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with tinfoil; don't be
skimpy with the foil, as this recipe produces some caramelized
gooeyness.
2
Place raw nuts in a big bowl. Combine butter, honey, maple syrup and
hot pepper sauce in a small saucepan. Heat just until it melts together
and stir until smooth and well combined. Remove from heat and stir in
salt and spices. Let cool for a minute or so and pour over the nuts,
tossing to get everything evenly coated. Taste a nut and see if you need
more spice, honey, salt, etc.
3
Spread nuts on your prepped baking sheet and pop in the oven for 40-45
minutes. Check on them periodically to make sure they don't burn; stir
them a few times so all sides bake evenly. Remove and place in a bowl,
and break up large clumpy bits with your hands, keeping the smaller
clusters intact. Sprinkle with raw sugar and some salt (if needed) and
mix around some more. When cool, place in nice cellophane bags and give
to friends. The mixture can keep for about a week if sealed well.
Include recipe or withhold it for your own private gloating.
bop
along this-a-way
--------------------------->
lounge . nourish
.
host . laze
. home .
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