Thoughtful Gourmet Blog

Ume plum liqueur bottle in front of a purple box

I am back, with my third annual guide to the best liquid treats and fun booze-adjacent ideas that can be brought to a party or delivered to someone’s door. I sampled every item on this list. While my palate is not the same as yours, I stand behind my boozy gift ideas for 2024 as delicious and exciting options to offer anyone (of drinking age) on your list.

Christina's 2024 gift guide for food leads off with dandelion chocolate-nutcracker-bonbon-collection-inside an evergreen tree with a red bow and a nutcracker

For my 2024 gift guide for food lovers and all things food, I sourced foods and food gift boxes from the West Coast, with one exception.

Each of these 19 cookbooks, released in 2024, is a journey, a trip to tantalize your taste buds. My list is personal – I choose to focus on chefs based in the American West where I live, in New Jersey where I grew up, and others around the world whose cooking inspires me.

Our Thanksgiving table – the gluten-free stuffing is in the big bowl and on every plate

When I learned I couldn’t eat gluten anymore, I set out to mimic the flavor of Pepperidge Farm stuffing. My gluten free stuffing recipe tastes just like it.

the cover of Marcella's Italian Kitchen cookbook features eggplants and red peppers on a vine and a purple and white cover

The 1986 classic, updated and republished in 2024 with recipes from the doyenne of Italian cooking in the United States by Hazan’s husband, Victor, looks and feels much like the original.

standard gluten-free pie crust, fluted in a pie pan

Pie is a two-part dance. Like the filling, the crust must pull its weight. Whether single or double, a good pie crust – and a good gluten-free pie crust – will be substantial enough to hold the weight of its savory, fruity filling, yet be light and flaky enough to lift the pie’s character along […]

The owners of Oakland's Bay Grape – Steve Stacionis and Josiah Baldivino – wine shop tell you how.

Fear not – you can drink red wine with fish and seafood. The owners of Oakland’s Bay Grape wine shop tell you how.

Cover of Erin Alderson's cookbook, "The Yearlong Pantry."

Everyday staples transform into flavorful vegetarian meals loaded with character in Erin Alderon’s new cookbook, “The Yearlong Pantry.”