Gourmet Gift Baskets and Gourmet Food Gifts
A gift basket can benefit greatly from the addition of gourmet food. The word gourmet was originally a term given to someone with a sensitive or discriminating palate, but it has come to encompass all food/beverage items with upstanding quality–especially fancy meats, cheeses or fruits.
Many people think that gift baskets are impersonal because they include common items found at any old grocery store. Unless they are pre-made, a gift basket can include exotic items that a person wouldn’t ordinarily buy, but would appreciate receiving from someone else. Instead of the standard apples and oranges–gourmet ingredients can be a pleasant surprise for a friend with discriminating taste. Fancy wines and champagne also add a touch of romance that gift baskets are rarely known for.
Firstly, gourmet gift baskets don’t have to be boring. Arranging them can be an artful outlet to combat the pressures of picking out the right gift. Hours in a shopping mall or department store are bound to be tiresome, so it’s good to have some down time to artfully arrange a basket that’s both personal and creative. There are many items that, when arranged correctly, can complete a package that the recipient may feel guilty taking apart.
Even though gift baskets are still considered among some of the most popular gifts, it’s still important to think of the recipient’s dietary needs. Many people have food allergies, especially nut-allergies. While it’s not forbidden for diabetic people to eat chocolate, one should be sensitive about the amount of sweets going into a diabetic gift basket. Also, be mindful when giving gourmet meats such as foie gras or caviar. Foie gras is produced through force-feeding a duck or goose until the liver cannot handle any more – and this is considered to be “cruel treatment” by many people. Vegetarians usually don’t appreciate getting meat of any kind, no matter how gourmet it is.
Making a gourmet food basket is fairly simple. Begin by picking two larger objects; these are the first items that the recipients will see. Sparkling cider or wine bottles work are fantastic for this.Put tissue or Mylar sheets into the holiday gift baskets and then put newsprint over the tissue. Put crinkle or fake grass over the newsprint so that none of it is visible. This will create a seal in case any of the contents begins to leak – an unprotected basket won’t do anything to keep it from dripping all over.
Next, arrange the items in the gourmet food basket from largest to smallest. Put the large items (the bottles) toward the back and begin to counterbalance the basket with various gourmet meats, cheeses, or fruits (pomegranates, fancy chocolates, smoked salmon, or brie cheese are some examples). Wrap the package up in a clear plastic and tie it up at the top. Some people use a heat gun to shrink the plastic around the basket, but this is not required.
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