Holiday Gift Guide: Rach's Picks
Cooking Classes
Rach says: "I always say that food is love, so this holiday, give a lot of it in the form of cooking classes! Here are some tasty sessions happening around the country (or find one in your hometown at allculinaryschools.com)."
Food Face Plate
Rach says: "Get picky eaters excited about their dinner with this Food Face Plate. (Grownups will have a blast, too!) Let them push their potatoes, pasta and peas around to give Dapper Dan a whole new look -- and then watch them gobble it up!" $10, perpetualkid.com
Yum-o! Kids' T-shirts and Füri Tadpole Young
Rach says: "Little chefs will love helping out in the kitchen while wearing one of my gray Yum-o! Kids' T-shirts ($15) and using my Füri Tadpole Young Cooks Cutting Set ($35). A portion of the proceeds from both will support my Yum-o! organization, which feeds hungry kids and funds cooking education and scholarships." cooking.com
Yoostar
Rach says: "If you've ever wondered what it would be like to sit on Conan's Tonight Show couch or share a whiskey with Don Draper on Mad Men, here's the gift for you! Yoostar allows you to insert your moving image into movies and TV shows. It comes with a collapsible tripod, a small camera and a portable green screen, so you can act, film and add yourself to a scene. How cool is that?" $170, yoostar.com
Rachael Ray FoodTastic 4-in-1 Thermal Carrier with Baker Taker
Rach says: "Take my Rachael Ray FoodTastic 4-in-1 Thermal Carrier with Baker Taker anywhere. The insulated, extra-roomy bag keeps hot foods hot and cold foods cold. It’s also big enough to carry a ton of groceries or a whole picnic's worth of meals. Plus, you won't have to worry about spills: Just pop the airtight lid onto the glass dish, slip it into the thermal sleeve and go! Find out how you can win it in our sweepstakes." $42, qvc.com
Il Bisonte Wallet
Rach says: "Don't leave home without an Il Bisonte Wallet. It's made from vachetta, a vegetable-tanned Italian leather. It's an awesome travel wallet because it'll fit everything, including a passport." $258, ilbisonte.com
Dry Sausage Sampler
Rach says: "Fortuna's Sausage Co. has been making dry-cured Italian meats the same way for three generations -- and I hope they never change. The handmade 'Soupy' (or soppressata) is sold in five heat levels, ranging from sweet to nuclear hot ($17). John loves sausage, so he'll love the Dry Sausage Sampler, which comes with abruzzese, soppressata, cacciatorini, baby Genoa and hot 'Soupy.'" $60, fortunasausage.com
Sherpa Pen Case
Rach says: "Keep your Sharpie looking sharp with a Sherpa Pen Case. The hard shell will make sure that the pen's ink is fresh and bold every time you use it. It's a great gift for someone who uses Sharpies as much as I do." $30, paradisepen.com
Talking Moo Mixer
Rach says: "A Talking Moo Mixer is simply bovine! Just add milk and chocolate, push the trigger button and give your cocoa a whirl. The cow-spotted mixer will moo when you blend a drink." $13, amazon.com
The Gallery of Regrettable Food
Rach says: "Pick up a copy of James Lileks' hilarious book The Gallery of Regrettable Food and get a load of the crazy concoctions that came out of American cookbooks in the '40s, '50s and '60s. You won't believe your eyes when you see published recipes for ketchup pistachio cake, meat pie with meat crust, and baked peppers with creamy marshmallow sauce. And that's just the beginning -- there's even an entire chapter on Jell-O!" $15, amazon.com
Bedford Cheese Shop Subscription
Rach says: "A Bedford Cheese Shop Subscription is a great way to indulge the cheese lovers in your life. Each month they'll receive three cheeses, which are picked based on seasonality, quality and ripeness." $177 for 3 months, bedfordcheeseshop.com
Petprojekt Dog Toys
Rach says: "Furry friends will love sticking their teeth into these hilarious Petprojekt Dog Toys. The squeaky Turkey Leg, T-Bone and Mackerel look like they came straight from the supermarket." From $8, otomik.com
Pan Am Bag
Rach says: "Whether you're flying the friendly skies or meeting friends for lunch, a Pan Am Bag makes an outfit look first-class." $110, panambrands.com
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Fused Dome Ring and Fused Floral Necklace
Rach says: "Give the gift of style with a Fused Dome Ring ($110) and Fused Floral Necklace ($220) by Belliza Knight Jewelry. Look closely and you'll see that they're made from sections of vintage wine trivets from the early 1900s. Each piece is handmade and cut from different trivets, so no two are alike." belizaknight.com
Magno Wooden Radio
Rach says: "Your favorite music fan will get a kick out of this Magno Wooden Radio. It may look like a retro gem, but it connects easily to your iPod or MP3 player. It's also eco-friendly: The entire unit is handmade from pine and mahogany woods grown in sustainable forests." $250, momastore.com
Foods Across America
Rach says: "Send friends a hometown treat from Foods Across America. They have an awesome selection of hard-to-find regional munchies like the New Yorker ($80), stuffed with Carnegie Deli corned beef and Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup for egg creams. Or try their Famous Fast Food Bundle ($120), which is filled to the brim with ingredients to make authentic Philly cheesesteaks, Vienna hot dogs and Anchor Bar Original Buffalo Wings." foodsacrossamerica.com
Oscar's Smoke House
Rach says: "Oscar's Smoke House is a little taste of home for me. (They're located in New York's Adirondack Mountains.) The wood-fired smoked meats and cheeses can't be beat, and they have tons of choices to satisfy every craving. Start with a gift certificate and you can't go wrong!" From $26, oscarssmokedmeats.com
Drumstick Pencils
Rach says: "If you’ve got a budding musician in the next cubicle, give him a stocking stuffer that’ll totally rock the office. Drumstick Pencils have a standard No. 2 point on one end and a perfectly formed drumstick on the other." $11 for 2, spoonsisters.com
Tate's Bake Shop Cookie Gift Tower
Rach says: "I know what I'll be getting John for the holidays: a Tate's Bake Shop Cookie Gift Tower, piled high with boxes of their famous chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. They're his absolute fave!" $60, tatesbakeshop.com
Nuns of New Skete Cheesecakes
Rach says: "There's something truly heavenly about the Nuns of New Skete Cheesecakes. They're baked by the nuns and come in yummy flavors like Eggnog, Key Lime and Kahlúa (my fave!). If you can't decide which one to get, try the presliced sampler ($44) with four flavors in one cake. And don't forget to order their new cookbook, Food for the Soul: My ABC's of Soulful Baked Goods by Sister Magdalene."
Smiling Monkey Plate
Rach says: "It's always special giving someone a handmade gift. That's why I love browsing the unique finds at Beehive Co-op. Every item is one-of-a-kind and, you guessed it, made by hand. A Smiling Monkey Plate will definitely be on my wish list this year." $24, beehiveco-op.com
Black Pig Bacon
Rach says: "One bite of Black Pig Meat Co.'s pork and you'll be hooked. Their Black Pig Bacon is dry-cured with brown sugar for 21 days, then smoked with applewood for 12 hours. The result is salty, sweet and smoky all at the same time -- it's delish!" $10, blackpigmeatco.com
Space Cruiser Bike
Rach says: "I'm a big Paul Frank fan, so I was stoked when I saw his stylish new line of bikes. The unisex Space Cruiser Bike is very cool. Inspired by early space flight, it's actually made with the same kind of metal that was used to send Sputnik into orbit!" $380, paulfrank.com
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