Tag charitable giving

2012 Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies

You know it’s out there: the perfect gift. Need a little help visualizing it? We’ve got you covered. Our awesome-gift-finding radar (not available in stores) has been turned on since Halloween. Check out this list of must-gifts for friends, foodies, and friendly foodies.

For the Hands-On Foodie:
Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit – These kits were all the rage this year (unlike that phrase). Who wouldn’t want to grow pearl oyster mushrooms in soil made of recycled coffee grounds? It’s almost too easy!

Cheese-Making Kit – Our friends at the Cheese School of San Francisco are known for their informative cheese-tasting, -paring, and -making classes. Get your skills to-go with this at home cheese-making kit. Insider tip: We’ll be hosting a fun, cheese-filled Valentine’s Day couples cooking class for cheese lovers!

Wood Cutting Board – Pay tribute to the great outdoors (and its lumberjacks) with these handcrafted cutting boards. They also make unique cheese boards!

Tickets to a Cooking Class! – From Pickling at Workshop to a variety of themed group cooking classes with Parties That Cook, a fun foodie adventure is easy to find. Not sure about their schedule? Just grab a gift certificate! Done and done.

Whale Knives – These fun knives are sure to encourage chopping, slicing and dicing. “They’re just so darn cute!”

For the Techie Foodie:
Qooq Culinary Tablet – First things first: it’s pronounced cook. This tablet specializes in all things culinary. With more than 1,000 recipes and videos from renowned chefs, it’s as much teacher as practical tool to create meal plans and emailable shopping lists. Plus, it’s splash-proof for when things get messy.

iPad and or iPhone Sleeves – Help keep precious electronics clean with these touch-sensitive sleeves. We all know your friend a hot mess in the kitchen.

For the Bookworm Foodie:
Food52 Cookbook – We had so much fun experimenting with the original Food52 Cookbook, that we can’t help but have high hopes for version 2. YUM.

Tartine Cookbooks – What’s better than a lifetime of Tartine baked goods? Well, nothing really… So give your bestie the tools to make it happen!

Cookfight: an Epic Battle for Kitchen Dominance – This book features 2 Cooks, 12 Challenges and 125 Recipes to keep the lucky recipient busy until the next big holiday!

Bottega Cookbook – PTC Cookbook Club-tested and definitely approved! These delicious recipes are a treat for anyone lucky enough to be invited to dinner. Just make you’re your name makes the guest list!

For the Hosting Foodie:
Dinner-Party-In-A-Box (Vol.5) – With all the components for hosting a great snatch the latest edition of The Bold Italic’s dinner party in a box while you still can! Be sure to order yours by December 17th to ensure delivery by Christmas.

Table Topics – We’re such huge fans of ice-breakers, we couldn’t leave this off the list. Table Topics are a great way to get conversation flowing. Try this Foodie Fight Game to really kick things up a notch.

Cocktails for a Crowd – Save the host from doubling as bartender. These batch recipes will help them throw a bash everyone will remember… Or, not.

For the Charitable Foodie:
Make a Donation in their Name – Countless organizations feed, provide culinary and business skills to, or generally aid to those in need.

Charity Mugs – These adorable, limited-edition mugs benefit a variety of organizations. , from red ribbon-wrapped (helping AmFAR) and prefab house cartoons (Architecture for Humanity) to Teach for America owl motifs.

Cooking with Kindness – The ultimate gift for charitable foodies! Gather friends, family or coworkers to cook for, dine alongside, and spread holiday cheer to residents at a local shelter. Inquire today for more information!

For the Thirsty Foodie:

Coffee Shop Gift Certificate – Skip the conglomerate “shops” and go a bit more local. Try any of these coffee shops for Chicago folks, or have fun exploring your own hood for “research”.

Bottle Opener – Whether it be for its sleek design or its ability to blend in with everyday objects, your friend can always use a good bottle opener. Extra points if you pair it with their favorite local beer!

Corkcicle! – This “magic wand” of sorts has been popping up everywhere. The handy wine stopper will chill your wine while keeping it fresh in the bottle!

Community Outreach and Parties That Cook

Tis the season of giving thanks! Give thanks this year by lending a hand to your local community. Here at Parties That Cook we look at food as a shared experience. Whether it is a family gathering, corporate team building event or cooking party, we strive to build communities in the kitchen. In turn, we participate in our own community through partnerships and donations with several small business organizations and non-profits.

We are so excited for our largest charitable donation to date- Cooking for a Cause which benefits Room to Read. Room to Read aims to empower children through education by establishing libraries, local language children’s literature and schools for children throughout the developing world. Parties That Cook and Crushpad Winery invite guests on February 4th, 2010 to enjoy an evening of delicious food and wine. John Wood, founder of Room to Read, will share the organization’s story. All ticket proceeds will go directly to Room to Read. We hope to see you there!

Here’s how you can help your community this holiday season:

Give food to a local food bank. If you’re in the Bay Area, The San Francisco Food Bank has several food drop-off locations throughout city.

Volunteer your time to an organization like Little Brothers- Friends of the Elderly. This national network of non-profit volunteer-based organizations offers friendship and basic services to isolated elderly men and women in San Francisco.

Donate to your favorite charitable organization

  • $20 can feed an abandoned dog or cat for 3 weeks and $35 can vaccinate 10 homeless animals. This year in California alone, the ASPCA has been able to offer over $300,000 in grants to animal welfare organizations because of cash donations.
  • DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Teachers from across America request classroom project materials and you can give any amount or fulfill any request. DonorsChoose will deliver the materials to the teacher and kids.

Cheers!