Gifts for Foodie Couples Who Cook and Pour Together
One way to give a gift to a couple who cooks together is to give them an evening: the ingredients for one dinner, one tasting or one round of drinks that the two of them make and share.
The sets below follow four shared habits: a pasta night, a tinned fish tasting for two, cocktail hour and a slow breakfast. Each item has a note from its maker or its listing, with the listed price and a table at the end.
For a pasta night
Rustichella d'Abruzzo has made pasta in Penne, Abruzzo, since 1924, according to the listing. Its Pasta alla Chitarra is like a spaghetti with a square section, named after the stringed tool used to cut it; the listing gives a cooking time of 9 to 11 minutes (shop Rustichella Pasta alla Chitarra, $10.00).
Pair it with Rustichella's Arrabbiata, which the listing describes as tomato pulp slowly cooked with extra virgin olive oil, chili pepper, garlic, onion and salt, a spicy sauce from Rome and Lazio, served at room temperature or warmed over a low flame (shop Rustichella Arrabbiata, $15.00, 24 oz). Add a bottle for the table: Graza makes Drizzle from Picual olives grown in Jaén, Spain, harvested in October, and calls it a finishing oil, made for eating, never heating (shop Graza Drizzle, $17.00).
For a tinned fish tasting for two
A tasting for two can be two tins and a sauce. Ramón Peña's Silver Line mussels are grown on floating rafts in Galician estuaries, hand-fried and packed in escabeche, according to the listing (shop Ramón Peña Mussels in Pickled Sauce, $13.99, 110 g). José Gourmet, a Lisbon conservas brand launched in 2008, packs small mackerel in olive oil (shop José Gourmet Small Mackerel, $9.49, 90 g).
Espinaler in Vilassar de Mar, near Barcelona, created its sauce formula in 1952; the maker describes it as vinegar, red paprika, black pepper and selected spices, and the listing says it was made to go with Spanish conservas (shop Salsa Espinaler, $6.49, 92 ml). See also how to host a tinned fish tasting.
For cocktail hour
Luxardo has made its maraschino cherries since the company was founded in 1821. They are candied Marasca cherries in Marasca cherry syrup, and Luxardo suggests them as a cocktail garnish and on ice cream (shop Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, $19.50). Angostura aromatic bitters are made to the same recipe since 1824, 44.7% ABV, in a 4 oz bottle (shop Angostura Aromatic Bitters, $12.99).
Raft's Citrus Rosemary syrup is made with organic cane sugar, orange juice, lime juice and rosemary, and the listing pairs it with gin, vodka, tequila, sparkling wine or soda water. Raft suggests 1 tablespoon per 4 to 5 oz cocktail or per 6 to 8 oz of soda water, about 16 servings a bottle, per the listing (shop Raft Citrus Rosemary, $16.00, 250 ml).
For a slow breakfast
Mariage Frères, in Paris since 1854, describes Marco Polo as a fruity and flowery black tea with fragrances of Chinese and Tibetan flowers. The maker's brewing guide is 2.5 g of tea for 20 cl of water at 95 °C, steeped for 5 minutes (shop Mariage Frères Marco Polo, $33.00, 100 g).
Add a jar for the toast. BRINS makes its Lemon Saffron Marmalade from thin-sliced whole lemons simmered with saffron threads, and lists lemons, cane sugar, pectin, sea salt and saffron (shop BRINS Lemon Saffron Marmalade, $10.00, 7.5 oz).
Gifts for foodie couples, by set
| Set | What goes in | Total at listed prices |
|---|---|---|
| Tinned fish tasting | Ramón Peña mussels, José Gourmet small mackerel, Salsa Espinaler | $29.97 |
| Pasta night | Rustichella Pasta alla Chitarra, Rustichella Arrabbiata, Graza Drizzle | $42.00 |
| Slow breakfast | Mariage Frères Marco Polo, BRINS Lemon Saffron Marmalade | $43.00 |
| Cocktail hour | Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, Angostura Aromatic Bitters, Raft Citrus Rosemary | $48.49 |
Prices follow the listed price on each product page. Products ship across the continental U.S. from theambrosianpantry.com.
Short answers
What is a good gift for a couple who loves to cook? The makings of one shared meal or ritual, such as a pasta, a sauce and a finishing oil, or three tins and a sauce for a tasting.
What goes in a tinned fish tasting for two? Two or three tins, such as mussels in escabeche and small mackerel in olive oil, plus a sauce like Salsa Espinaler, bread and crackers.
How should Marco Polo tea be brewed? Mariage Frères gives 2.5 g for 20 cl of water at 95 °C for 5 minutes.
The shop is at 263 Josephine Street in Cherry Creek, Denver.
