Gifts to savor

JULIANA GOODWIN, Food columnist   –   The Baxter Bulletin

A savory gift from the kitchen is a welcome change this time of year.

I adore homemade gifts, particularly edible ones, but I get tired of sweets. After half a dozen cookies, I long for something salty which is why I predominantly dish out savory gifts.

Savory gifts are unique, practical and often healthier.

There are presents I parcel out each year — like my jalapeno infused vodka — and new additions every season. I have four recipes this week, so let’s get to the good stuff.

I am known in my family for my jalapeno infused vodka; I’ve been making it for years and it’s so easy. All I do is add jalapenos to vodka and let it seep for a few days. Then strain the vodka and package it in pretty bottles. I give it with a bottle of Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix and pickled green beans or asparagus. The recipient can drink it immediately or keep it for a cold February morning.

Another staple in my gift giving are rosemary almonds which I first tried at a Spanish restaurant. I loved them so much I came home and recreated them.

The olive cheeseball is a good hostess gift because it can be served immediately or kept for up to five days. It’s simple and delicious. Serve it with French bread or crackers. For pretty presentation, you can buy a nice plate (and leave it as a gift), make the cheeseball, surround it with crackers, add a Christmas spreader and then wrap it all up in clear gift wrapping and tie it with a bow.

My last gift is one that your friends are not likely to receive from anyone else: Dukkah. I was introduced to dukkah, which is an Egyptian spice mix that is used as a dip, in Australia. It’s wildly popular there are served at restaurants and vineyards. The mix is made by toasting and then grinding nuts and spices together. It is served with French bread and extra virgin olive oil and first you dip the bread into the olive oil and then into the dukkah and the oil makes the dukkah stick to the bread. This dip is excellent with wine and I serve it at a lot of parties and people love it because it’s so different. The dukkah should be stored in an airtight container and will last a month. You can experiment with a variety of nuts- hazelnuts and pistachios are popular. In my recipe, I use a combination of macadamia, almond and pistachio nuts. I bought a spice jar to give it away.

If none of these recipes appeal to you, then here are a few more ideas: Make a savory bread like beer bread, focaccia, or potato bread and give that away in lieu of sweet breads.

Make savory popcorn, nut mixes or your own version of Chex mix.

If you know someone who was recently widowed or lives alone, make a couple batches of soup that freeze well and then buy disposable red and green containers. Fill the containers with soup and stack them up like a tower and tie them together. The recipient can freeze the individual portions (seniors particularly appreciate this gift).

Another gift I made years ago for an elderly neighbor was a birdseed wreath (for her to feed the birds, not consume herself). I just bought refrigerated pizza dough and braided it into a wreath and pressed bird seed into the wreath and she put it outside to attract birds.

A gift from the kitchen is truly a gift from the heart. I hope you enjoy making some of these recipes.

Jalapeño Infused Vodka

1 bottle of vodka

3 fresh jalapeños

Decorative bottle or bottles for gifting

Bloody Mary Mix

Pickled green beans, asparagus or okra

Note: I usually split the vodka into 2-3 bottles so this makes 2-3 gifts depending on the size of the decorative bottles.

Wear gloves to work with jalapeños. Select fresh, unblemished jalapeños and wash and dry them before using.

Pour out a few ounces of vodka and make yourself a drink (you need room for the jalapeños). Slice the stems off jalapeños and cut jalapeño into fourths. Stuff the peppers in the vodka (you want some seeds as this adds heat). When done, seal the vodka and place it in a closet for 5 to 10 days. If you just want a little kick in terms of spice, five days is plenty. If you want hotter, then keep it longer. You can also use spicier peppers like habañero or Tabasco. After it has seeped, strain it through a cheese cloth (or multiple coffee filters) and bottle into decorative bottles. Package it with Bloody Mary mix, and some sort of pickled vegetable. I do not recommend dried hot peppers; I tried that once and it was a failure.

I found this green bottle at a Dollar Tree. I always look at dollar type stores before I go to craft stores because I find some great deals in dollar stores but the selection is unpredictable. The Santa costume was made for a wine bottle but I used it on the vodka.