Best Gifts for Foodies

Nine Delicious Presents — No Fruitcake Allowed!

BY Shelby Hodge // 12.05.16

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Little could be more pleasing to anyone (other than those with shellfish allergies) on your holiday list than a lobster seafood feast. Goldbely taps the Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company for dinner for two. Included are two lobster tails, a dozen mussels, eight shrimp, eight sea scallops, and two ears of corn are all drenched in an herbed lemon butter sauce. $129, <a href="https://www.goldbely.com/hancock-gourmet-lobster-co/15139-maine-shore-dinner">goldbely.com</a>

ow sad we were when Teuscher exited Houston. But the Swiss chocolatier has a number of locations around the country and if you are ordering during cooler weather, all will be perfect. Our fave is Teuscher champagne truffles (my favorite gift for my choco-holic friends).

Love this gift idea from the Virginia Diner, Wakefield, Virginia, sure to please most all college sports fans. The perfect gift for Aggies, Baylor Bears and LSU Tigers. Sorry UT and Rice, no longhorns or owls peanut products on the list of more than 160 schools. But maybe . . . A box of three varieties of peanuts is $20. Order here: http://www.vadiner.com/category/Collegiate-Collection

Not exactly a pretty picture. But for the foodie/cook in your life, this is the ultimate gift — a whole lobe of fresh duck foie gras, deveined and flash frozen. Price per pound is $63.25. Order it https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/rougie-whole-lobe-of-fresh-duck-foie-gras-deveined-flash-frozen-grade-a-12492?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=google_shopping&utm_content=1712601&gclid=CNKqlIK729ACFQOBaQodtuMBGw

Texas pecans, who could ask for more? We love the offerings from Sweet Taste of Texas. We recommend the variety tin. It's filled with glazed pecans, roasted salted pecans, sugar and spice pecans, chocolate covered pecans. A delicious bargain at $30.95. You can visit the store near the intersection of I-10 and Beltway 8 or order here: http://bit.ly/2fXheiy

Late each fall, white truffles are harvested from the forests of northern Italy, sending aficionados into a swoon. While a pasta with white truffles will cost you around $110, you can gift your gourmet friends with their very own from D'Artangna, priced at $224 for an ounce. That and a bit of truffle oil make for a spectacular gift. Order them here: http://bit.ly/2gW4J6y

The honey-glazed whole ham is the ideal gift for friends who entertain. This ham, feeding 16 to 18, is $90 from Neiman Marcus. Add green beans with almonds, au gratin mashed potatoes, carrot souffle and bread puddnig with orange sauce and you have dinner for $420. No cooking skills required. Order here: http://bit.ly/2g0AFCd

If you love me, you'll send me caviar for Christmas. While everyone knows Petrossian, there are other sources such as Caviar Express which is currently having a sale with a 4.5 ounce tin of Russian Ossetra marked down from $650 to $495 with free overnight shipping. Check out the website for a number of December bargains. http://bit.ly/2gpZet7

Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from you very own oven but there isn't always time. You don't need it with the confections from Christie Cookie Co. in Nashville, Tennessee. Their macadamia, white chocolate cookies are as good as mine. And I'm a killer cookie baker. The $34.99 tin is filled with chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and the macadamia nut treats. http://bit.ly/2fXsU4y

Little could be more pleasing to anyone (other than those with shellfish allergies) on your holiday list than a lobster seafood feast. Goldbely taps the Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company for dinner for two. Included are two lobster tails, a dozen mussels, eight shrimp, eight sea scallops, and two ears of corn are all drenched in an herbed lemon butter sauce. $129, goldbely.com

How sad we were when Teuscher exited Houston. But the Swiss chocolatier has a number of locations around the country and if you are ordering during cooler weather, all will be perfect. Our fave is Teuscher champagne truffles (my favorite gift for my choco-holic friends). $80, teuscher.com

Love this gift idea from the Virginia Diner, Wakefield, Virginia, sure to please most all college sports fans. The perfect gift for Aggies, Baylor Bears and LSU Tigers. Sorry UT and Rice, no longhorns or owls peanut products on the list of more than 160 schools. But maybe . . . A box of three varieties of peanuts is $20, vadiner.com

Texas pecans, who could ask for more? We love the offerings from Sweet Taste of Texas. We recommend the variety tin. It's filled with glazed pecans, roasted salted pecans, sugar and spice pecans, chocolate covered pecans. Visit the store near the intersection of I-10 and Beltway 8, or order online. $30.95, sweettasteoftexas.com

Late each fall, these white truffles are harvested from the forests of northern Italy, sending aficionados into a swoon. While a pasta with white truffles will cost you around $110, you can gift your gourmet friends with their very own from D'Artangna. That and a bit of truffle oil make for a spectacular gift. $224/oz, dartagnan.com

The honey-glazed whole ham is the ideal gift for friends who entertain. This ham, feeding 11 to 13 people, is $90 from Neiman Marcus. Add green beans with almonds, au gratin mashed potatoes, carrot souffle, and bread puddnig with orange sauce, and you have dinner. No cooking skills required. Full meal, $420, neimanmarcus.com

If you love me, you'll send me caviar for Christmas. While everyone knows Petrossian, there are other sources such as Caviar Express, which is currently having a sale with a 4.5 ounce tin of Russian Ossetra marked down from $650 to $495 with free overnight shipping. Check out the website for a number of December bargains. $495, caviarexpress.com

Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from your very own oven, but there isn't always time. You don't need it with the confections from Christie Cookie Co. in Nashville, Tennessee. Their macadamia, white chocolate cookies are as good as mine. And I'm a killer cookie baker. The tin is filled with chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and macadamia nut treats. $34.99, christiecookies.com

Editor’s note: PaperCity’s counting down to the holidays with ultra-curated and distinctive gift guides. Today, Society and Lifestyle Editor Shelby Hodge declares ‘No More Fruitcake’ and offers nine delicious detours from the typical holiday gift-giving with good taste.

Corsicana Fruitcake is, of course, delicious. But it’s old hat when it comes to lavishing luscious calories on friends and loved ones during the holidays. As something of a foodie and a gal with a sweet tooth, I’ve cooked up a host of edible gifts that will win the hearts of all those on your gift list.

After all, food is love.

Check out the first gift guide in this series as well — home design editor Anne Lee Phillips’ breakdown of the Best Gifts for Hostesses.