A Short, Opinionated Gift Guide

These treats from California-based makers are perfect for stuffing into stockings, gifting for Hanukkah, thanking generous hosts, and sharing with loved ones

We celebrate a wide variety of winter holidays in my house, so I’m always on the lookout for delicious, fun gifts to give at this time of year. Here are the things from California-based authors, makers, and food companies that I’m most excited about right now:

Sweet or Spicy (or Aromatic) Treats
If you’re looking for delicious stocking stuffers or hostess gifts that will please anyone on your list, pick up (or order) some Saba jams. The award-winning preserves are incredibly popular (and sell out regularly) for good reason; they are richly flavorful without being overly sweet and taste distinctly of the fruits they’re made from. My personal favorites are the apricot lemon verbena, tayberry rose, strawberry rhubarb, and olallieberry nocino jams.

For a gift that will delight a good cook, order a selection of spices from Diaspora Co., which sources incredibly fresh spices directly from small farmers in India. You can choose from spices like fresh cinnamon, sumac, and pepper; mixes like their gingery chai masala and popular steak masala; heat things up with fresh ground chiles; or gift a collection of spices by buying a “pack” of your favorites—along with a spice spoon, a gorgeous chai caddie, and/or a trio of colorful tea towels.

And if you just want something your recipient can nibble on, straight out of the box, check out Date Better’s Almond Java Crunch. These medjool dates from the Coachella valley are stuffed with almond butter and espresso beans and dipped in chocolate—they’re essentially a power snack masquerading as a sweet treat. They’re a perfect boost to help you get through the busy holiday season.

Flavorful Oil and Vinegar from Native Producers
If you want give a gift that will impress while also supporting a great cause, pick up some olive oil and flavored vinegar from Séka Hills. The Yolo County company is owned by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and the proceeds from their foods and wines go toward not only supporting the community but also acquiring additional tribal lands. (The late tribal chairman, Marshall McKay, had some interesting things to say about utilizing the olives brought by Spanish to reclaim Native lands in this documentary.) And, since this year’s olives were just pressed, you can still find some olio nuovo (the green, aromatic oil that you can get during press) at Bay Area shops like Market Hall. Pro tip: The flavored vinegars make a great shrub-style mixer for sparkling water; I’m partial to the elderberry flavor, as that fruit was historically an important part of Native diets.

Cookbooks to Read and Cook From
If you’re looking for a cookbook to give this year, I would, of course, recommend checking out the book I co-wrote with my dear friend Elizabeth Poett: The Ranch Table—Recipes from a year of harvests, celebrations, and family dinners on a historic California ranch. We filled this book with lots of stories and family traditions that we hope will inspire others.

The other book I’m most excited about this year is Chími Nu’am: Native California Foodways for the Contemporary Kitchen by Sara Calvosa Olson. As I’ve written in a previous newsletter, this book is an incredible tool for learning about native California ingredients and how Native cooks approach their relationships with the land that sustains them. It’s an amazing gift for anyone—whether they cook Sara’s lovely recipes or not.

My Favorite Morning Jolt
California has no shortage of fantastic coffee companies (thanks in part to pioneers like Mr. Espresso), but for the past couple of years, my favorite wake-me-up has been the Venus roast from Cajé Coffee Roasters in Santa Barbara. The light espresso has a warm, round flavor that I never get tired of. We pick up a few bags at a time (to freeze) when I visit my family in the area, and sometimes I even mail order the beans when I’m running low.

Memorable (and Reasonable) Wines
There were two wines I tried this year that really stuck in my memory, both from small-scale California producers (and both very reasonably priced). The first was the North Coast Cosmic Blend made by Les Lunes Wine. This small winery in Richmond, California makes a variety of inventive natural wines from grapes they farm themselves (on leased vineyards), and they’re quickly becoming popular with local wine bars. The Cosmic Blend is a mix of Bordeaux varietals with a bit of zinfandel and pinot gris, in a style that co-founder Diego Roig notes is in between a red and a rosé. It’s light and juicy, balanced with just the right amount of tannin, and can be served chilled or room temperature. The goal of this wine, Roig says, is to give people a different way of thinking about a grape like cabernet sauvignon that drinkers might only associate with traditional wine styles. I’m totally hooked.

The second wine that really stuck with me was a grenache from Tribute to Grace, a winery in Los Alamos that focuses almost exclusively on different styles of grenache, from single-vineyard reds to rosés to grenache blanc and even a sparkling blanc de noir. I can’t wait to stop by the tasting room the next time I’m on the Central Coast to try their other offerings.

A Gorgeous Platter
Those who’ve been following along with my photos may have noticed that we get most of our dishes from Heath Ceramics (usually by picking up “seconds” at their factory shop). Of all the things we’ve gotten there over the years, my absolute favorite piece is our Camellia Etched serving platter. This pattern is absolutely gorgeous, and while it’s not currently on the website, I’ve seen a few items in this pattern (including beautiful serving bowls) at various Heath outlets. If you want to give someone a gorgeous, splurgy gift, call around to the Heath stores closest to you to see what they have in this pattern—or order a dinner plate (linked above); it would make an amazing cheese board.

Photo: Georgia Freedman