If you think Santa depends solely on elves to bring holiday cheer, think again. Santa needs bakers, chefs, winemakers and food purveyors to deck the holiday table, a virtual battalion of culinarians who work for months to satisfy the gourmets and gourmands on his list.
The result: a bounty of delicacies designed to delight the taste buds; decadent and luxurious indulgences, ranging from sweet and savory to traditional and trendy; gifts to satisfy seasonal cravings and those with discriminating tastes; foods created to make the holiday merry and memorable.
Sweet Christmas memories are often built with sugar, spice and chocolate, ingredients featured at Nathaniel Reid Bakery, which bakes classic and contemporary holiday treats by Paris- trained Le Cordon Bleu pastry chef Nathaniel Reid. Chef Reid creates traditional French Buche de Noel (aka Yule Log), with a modern twist. Updating the original recipe with hazelnut mousse, caramel cake, salted caramel cream and crunchy hazelnuts, then finished with a hazelnut and chocolate glaze, it makes a dazzling finale for the holiday feast.
Beyond the cookies, consider leaving Santa a piece of Gooey Butter Cake from Park
Avenue Coffee, which ships St. Louis signature cakes worldwide. Each cake is artisan-made from scratch, baked and boxed to order.
“With 73 flavors of Gooey Butter Cake, we have one to please everyone on Santa’s list,” said Park Avenue COO Talan Cooksey, who recommends gifting seasonal flavors: Peppermint Bark, Gingerbread, Eggnog and Pumpkin, with or without the addition of caramel and pecans.
Impressive roasted meats and birds have been the star of the holiday table since Dickens penned “A Christmas Carol.” While turkeys (smoked or roasted) and spiral-sliced hams are a must for some, I prefer the kingly bone-in prime rib. Presented whole, or sliced into succulent rib-eye steaks, prime rib, along with tenderloin filets and sirloin strips, have become the gifts of choice for carnivores. Gift boxed and ready for pick up or delivery, prime ribs are available from premium grocers and suppliers such as Cowboy Ribeye Ranch, a St. Louis purveyor specializing in 42-day wet-aged Midwestern beef.
“There is nothing more luxurious than prime rib or a rib-eye steak,” said Matt Sherman, general manager at Kern Meat, restaurant supplier of USDA-grade prime beef. “Prime rib is impressive to serve or gift, and a special treat to share with friends, which is what Christmas is about.”
Speaking of meats, let’s not forget charcuterie and cheese. Instead of depending on prepackaged, mail-order from Swiss Colony, grab a basket and go shopping. Assemble your own gift basket with locally produced meats, cheeses and condiments from specialty producers, such as G&W Meat & Bavarian Style Sausage Company, or small grocers, like Smokehouse Market or Larder & Cupboard. It’s a gift guaranteed to delight locavores.
Santa also recommends visiting international food and specialty shops for imported treasures, such as oils, sauces, pasta, olives and spices – items that fill the shelves at Viviano’s on the Hill, Di Olivas Oil & Vinegar and The Wine and Cheese Place.
“It wouldn’t be the holidays without wine,” said Patty Held, Hermann Wine Trail spokesperson. “It’s the perfect addition to any gift basket. Wine makes a great gift, in and of itself. A nice bottle of wine is also a thoughtful gift to present to your host or hostess at those holiday parties.”
Santa’s holiday wine gift pick: a semi-dry to sweet red wine, given with mulling spices. Held’s recommendation: Adam Puchta’s semi-dry Hunter’s Red, or Hermannhof’s Stagswood Red, an old-fashioned wine, pressed from Concord grapes. Combined with a bag of mulling spices, the duo makes a stylish, affordable, hassle-free gift for those who imbibe. Another wine gift for consideration for wine-loving chocolate aficionados is a box of artisan chocolates given with a Missouri port.
One last suggestion for gifting the gourmet comes from St. Louis’ restaurateurs and chefs: Gift a dining experience. Perhaps a night at the chef’s table at Bugatti’s Steak & Pasta; maybe a gift card for an elegant dinner at one of downtown’s legendary tables, such as Tony’s or Al’s Restaurant – both within view of the Gateway Arch. Or for a unique foodie experience, gift a pair of VIP tickets to The St. Louis Food & Wine Experience, The Rep’s annual fundraiser, held each January. That’s a gift that supports a cause, which will definitely get you on Santa’s good list.
Corbett is the author of “The Gilded Table,” “Pushcarts & Stalls: The Soulard Market History Cookbooks” and “Unique Eats and Eateries of St. Louis.” She can be contacted at suzannecorbett@me.com.
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