5 edible gifts for foodies

Yael Grauer

It's hard to go wrong with chocolate truffles.

​It's true what they say about the way to a man's heart (or woman's heart, as the case may be) being through the stomach. Even better is delighting a food lover with something they absolutely love, but would probably not splurge on themselves. Here's five choices, all around $12-$35.

1. B.T. McElrath Chocolatier's 9-Piece Epicurean Truffle Assortment
When Godiva just won't do, local chocolatier B.T. McElrath presents nine delicious handcrafted truffles, ranging in flavor from salted butter caramel to kaffir lime with coconut and ginger to zinfandel-balsamic. The box will run you $16.99.

​2. Wine
You can't go wrong with a nice bottle of wine, so why not take advantage of Surdyk's 4 for $40 Thursdays on the 22nd and walk away with four presents?

​3. Vanilla beans
The last time I saw vanilla beans was at Mississippi Market in St. Paul, and I hesitated before shelling out $16.59 for just two dried beans. But vanilla extract just isn't the same. Using real vanilla beans creates the most amazing flavor in syrups, sauces, and desserts, and you can even grind a small piece with your coffee beans for the most amazing flavor. Used vanilla pods can be buried in sugar as well--the gift that keeps on giving.

​4. Infused vinegar
There's a lot to love at Golden Fig, and the infused vinegars are attractively packaged and a nice addition to salads, seafood, chicken, and other dishes. My favorite is the raspberry rose vinegar, which can be easily combined with olive oil, mustard, and seasonings for a raspberry rose vinaigrette. Other options include herbs de Provence vinegar, mixed pepper vinegar, and a rosemary, lemon, and garlic vinegar. A bottle will cost you $12.

​5. Sugar and Spice Basket
Kitchen Window offers a variety of gift baskets, and sugar and spice is always quite nice. The basket, which runs $35, is actually a pan loaf filled with four spices (Chinese ginger, Jamaican allspice, ground nutmeg, and Vietnamese cinnamon) from local company Wayzata Bay Spice. A recipe for spice bread is included.

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