Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Either to give or get - for parties or dinners. I need some new ideas.

I got the Messermeister serrated peeler once, and gave that for a while.

Could be cooking related or not.

In Switzerland hostess gifts are just about mandatory. Usually it is a bottle of wine (man) and some flowers (woman). But to branch out: I got a Kuhn Rikon spice grinder that I love. I have been into flavored salts lately, not Crazy Mixed Up Salt or Lawrey's (sp???) but salt that has one distinct flavor. Someone gave me fennel salt and it is great for sprinkling over fish or salads or even on your finger after you licked it a little so it sticks. I have given a few out. I also really love scented candles from Party Lite. It is a Tupperware party kind of thing but the quality of these candles is fantastic. They do something called a kitchen candle that really neutralizes any odors. I buy a bunch at the party and then give away a couple candles with a votive glass. I also posted a recipe for a flavored oil that I have been giving on the Fuzzy Indian thread. I also really like pretty paper napkins to give and get. And Penzey's, I repack the spice mixes and give those too. And flowers are never bad (nor wine).

What I have more than enough of is quince jelly. 3 people gave me quince jelly and we are not a jelly family. If you have any good tips on how to use quince jelly I would be more than happy to receive.

Mary

I've been giving Cucina kitchen spray, the ginger/lemon scent. It's terrific for getting rid of kitchen odors and it smells terrific. I order it on line.

Fitzie

I listen to a lot of audio books in the car, and just finished listening to Big Russ & Me. (God, I miss Tim Russert...no disrespect to David Gregory.) One of the life lessons Tim learned from his Dad is "when you talk to people, speak their language." This is how Tim got the private mass with the Pope back in the 80s for the Today Show. He wrote then Pope John Paul II a letter and had it translated to Polish, and promised to bring the boy's choir from his friend's parish in Philly. (Longer story than this, but hey, you get the idea.)

Net, net, to me the best hostess gifts are ones that reflect something about the hostess. And, that may very well be something like flowers, but in other cases it might be something like FoodSaver bags.

Amy

I agree Amy. Knowing what NOT to give is also a talent. My mother-in-law gave me a collection of small amounts of spices in a beautiful wooden box which was lovely but I have just about every spice known to man. I also used to have a gift basket business so I suddenly was getting tons of gift baskets... I found that rather odd.

Mary

I live and socialize in an area where they don't let you in across the county line unless you're in your 60's or 70's or beyond! (except me, of course) Hostess gifts here have deteriorated to "I'll bring the wine". I think everyone figures we don't have enough time left to spend it frivolously!

The problem is, with few exceptions, no one actually knows anything about wine. So we see a lot of stuff that was BOGO at the supermarket. And everyone expects you to open their wine for dinner.

This year for dinner (yes, I made turkey), I bought 4 bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau, thinking it would be a nice pairing. I ended up with a Cab and 2 different Merlots, all of which got opened and left to 'breathe' (the word breathe has entered the lexicon without any real understanding of the concept.) So for dinner, we just passed around bottles of different stuff, and topped off glasses that were not yet empty with whatever came around next .

Maybe I can lead the way in reviving the tradition of hostess gifts. Sigh.

If its a holiday dinner, I try to bring something related to the occasion, but most of the time, I will bring jam that I made from something in my garden. Sometimes in the summer, I will cut a bunch of fresh herbs and make a little nosegay with a ribbon. When I have the time, I might head to an antique store and look at some candles...this year I got lucky and found some different sized antique turkey candles and brought them on Thanksgiving. When I spot something like that, I will buy as many as possible and just keep them on hand.
ilene

Having had the privilege of being in Ilene's garden, let me tell you, I'd love anything from it. Her user name is no accident.

Amy

Thanks, Amy....you are long overdue for a return visit.
ilene

I read about this idea in either wowOwow or More, but twice, I have taken leeks in a crystal vase. Sounds odd, but it turned out quite pretty, and the hostess was appreciative.