Pam's Posts: Thrifty Treats, Delivered to Their Door - List

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/dining/03gift.html?ref=arts

I wasn’t going to post this from the NY Times, thinking it true overindulgence to share a list of Christmas mail order foods – as if we all don’t get enough to eat every day, let along at Christmas.

But…
Oh my, as I read the list I began looking for proximity and if the goods would last the shipping time between there (always far) and here (Hawaii’s at least 5 hours plane ride and 2300 miles from anywhere else in the U.S.).

Here’s the Times list. My wishlist in red- just in case you’re interested.

1. BETZ BAKING Post Office Box 15, West Chesterfield, N.H., 03466; (603) 256-8625, betzbaking@yahoo.com. Beth-Ann Betz offers a delicious plum torte, the recipe for which has been in this paper many times, $42.95 with shipping, upon receipt of a check or money order made out to Betz Baking (Dec. 15).

2. CALLIE’S CHARLESTON BISCUITS Charleston, S.C.; (843) 577-1198, calliesbiscuits.com. A dozen of these savory handmade cheese biscuits are perfect hors d’oeuvres, whole or cut in half; $17.95 a dozen (Dec. 22).

3. CHEFSHOP.COM Seattle; (800) 596-0885. The ultimate accompaniments to enliven a cheese platter: L’Epicurien quince paste, 4 1/2 ounces, $8.23; Casa di a Castagna fig and walnut jam for cheese, 9 ounces, $12.99; Marcona almonds, 7 ounces, $9.99 (Dec. 16).

4. DEAN & DELUCA New York; (800) 221-7714, deandeluca.com. Cabernet-poached pear tart, with pears and frangipane in cookie crust, serves 6 to 8, $48 (Dec. 22). Two loaves of indulgent chocolate babka, $25 (Dec. 10).

5. DI PALO’S 200 Grand Street (Mott Street), New York; (866) 259-3502, dipaloselects.com. Choose between the more intensely flavored Parmigiano-Reggiano from November 2005, and the slightly milder Parmigiano of April 2006, or try both. Each is $16.99 a pound. Caprino Stagionato, a complex organic aged goat cheese with the taste of the walnut leaves in which it is wrapped, is $24.99 a pound. Sweet and peppery soppressata, $14.99 a pound (Dec. 22).

6. DONSUEMOR Alameda, Calif.; (888) 420-4441, donsuemor.com. Lemon zest adds an irresistible spark to these simple but elegant madeleines. A box of 54 is $42 with shipping (Dec. 18).

7. EFFIE’S HOMEMADE OATCAKES Hyde Park, Mass.; (617) 364-9300, effieshomemade.com. Like a crunchy shortbread — buttery with just enough sugar. Six dozen, $36 (Dec. 15).

8. THE GRATEFUL PALATE Oxnard, Calif.; (805) 278-9095, gratefulpalate.com. For fanatics who can never have too much bacon, a one-gallon red metal bucket filled with Loveless Cafe bacon popcorn. It comes with a packet of real bacon bits for topping, $33 (Dec. 15).

9. JUNE TAYLOR Berkeley, Calif.; (510) 548-2236, junetaylorjams.com. Luscious pear vanilla butter, 8 ounces, $14; candied Seville orange rind bottled in sugar syrup, 14 ounces, $26; Sierra Beauty applesauce, deep and rich, 18 ounces, $15. An elegant organic one-pound fruit cake, perfumed with port and brandy, $42 (Dec. 18).

10. KATINA’S GREEK CAFE Overland Park, Kan.; (913) 523-4557, katinasgreekcafe.com. Tiropitas with feta, cream and herbs, and spanakopitas with spinach and feta, made the old-fashioned way: plump, buttery and rich; 24 of either or a combination package, $48 (Dec. 20).

11. MARKET HALL FOODS Oakland, Calif.; (888) 952-4005, markethallfoods.com. Ricciarelli almond cookies, an almond fest in a marzipan cookie, perfumed with orange, a dozen for $15; Dolce San Lorenzo — unlike so many dried-up versions of Christmas cakes, this traditional Ligurian pan dolce is moist with figs, raisins, walnuts and almonds. One pound plus, $30 (Dec. 16).

12. PEARSON FARM Fort Valley, Ga.; (888) 423-7374, pearsonfarm.com. Who knew pecans come in different varieties? The most deeply flavored are Natural Desirable pecan halves; two-pound tin, $24. Toasted and sea-salted pecans are just right for snacking, and cinnamon roasted would be great on French toast; two-pound tins, $30 (Dec. 16).

13. RED TRUCK BAKERY Orlean, Va.; (540) 364-1883, redtruckbakery.com. A creamy Gruyère and onion quiche is $22. The stollen, full of almond paste and fruits, in a sugar coating, is $14. Mincemeat pie, above, caramel pumpkin pie and sweet potato pecan pie are $24 each, in an aluminum pan (Dec. 17).

14. STONEWALL KITCHEN York, Me.;(800) 207-5267, stonewallkitchen.com. Layered cream cheese biscuits are probably more tender than homemade, $24.95 a dozen (Dec. 17).

15. VIRGINIA CHUTNEY COMPANY Washington, Va.; (540) 675-1984, virginiachutney.com. Clare Turner, an Englishwoman who grew up in East Africa, has merged her country’s chutney wisdom with Southern recipes. The results are full of fruits, instead of gooey syrups. For the Christmas bird, there’s cranberry chutney; for everything else, sweet peach chutney or hot peach chutney, 10-ounce jar $6.95 (Dec. 17).