Our Favorite Holiday Gifts

One of our favorite things to do for the holidays is to start thinking about all of the great food and French related gifts we want to spread around - especially a cook book or two, which is the perfect gift that keeps on giving ! Here comes our list of favorites, but we'd love to know what's on yours! 

We couldn't love Dorie any more than we already do ! One of the hardest working and most fabulous people we know; even Julia Child has paid Dorie the compliment of "You write recipes just the way I do". This fantastic classic book contains over 300 recipes that would help draw anyone to your table. This cookbook includes some very unique recipes that are perfect to try out over the festive period to impress that influx of family and friends! 

Publisher's Weekly called this book, "a feast for the eyes and palate alike"...add this to our Wishlist, please!

We also love her newest book which is filled with different cookie recipes that would be perfect for the Christmas period.

We love everything David. Year after year David Lebovitz kicks out fabulous books, and his two most recent creations are no exception. David has a creative flair for intertwining his many different delicious recipes with entertaining and interesting stories about life in Paris. His latest book, 'l'Appart' includes recipes for every course whilst sharing his own adventures when it comes to owning and renovating a home in Paris. 

This is the perfect stocking filler!

Jennifer McLagan has always been a chef that we have admired, you may have seen her featured on our book blog before. We aren't the only ones to be singing her praises as even the Boston Globe has called her bestselling cookbook Fats, "everything a cookbook should be: wise, stylish, and delicious". 

One of her books is the perfect gift for the technical chefs out there as they explore different aspects of cooking, such as preparing meat, fish and poultry on the bone (for added flavor!)in her book Bones. Or her book Fat which explores the myths and controversy around different fats, she is a considered a champion of uncelebrated and Nigella Lawson has claimed that, "This is not simply a cookbook." You can't go wrong with any of her books, all of which you can see here! 

We absolutely adore Lindsey's blog, www.lostincheeseland.com, so we think that her new book would make a great addition underneath any Christmas tree. This book contains all the latest trends in Paris concerning wine, food, pastry, fashion, beer...so basically all the important things! It is a must for anyone who adores all things Paris. We have a whole page on our website dedicated to our favorite French reads, which is worth a look if you want to purchase a little something for the Francophile or bookworm in your life.

The New Paris is filled with stunning pictures of Paris so you can visit the beautiful City of Light from the comfort of your own home; get shopping here!

Edd Kimber's newest cookbook, Patisserie Made simple, is a delectable addition to any cooking library. He shot to fame after winning the very first series of "The Great British Bake Off" and since then has released three cookbooks. His latest book makes accessible both the craft of traditional French baking and his own modern take on pastries. His goal for this collection of recipes was to take the fear of baking and make it possible for anyone to master certain techniques and elements of French baking.

Follow this link to get your hands on one!

Aurélien Pfeifer is a born and raised Parisian who has taken inspiration for his clothing designs from the city of Paris. You can see the design of the Paris metro signs reflected in his work and he makes t-shirts, jewellery, sweaters and other beautiful designs that are eye-catching. Our personal favorite is his Saint Paul t-shirt because it is our favorite neighborhood in Paris.

Check out his website here and see if you can find your favorite quartier in Paris!

When we think of the perfect holiday decorations, we are spoiled for choice! 

One of our favorite boutiques happens to be located in Chicago, the darling POSH Chicago boutique, filled with fabulous French treasures that the owners scour France during their travels. Along with a beautiful selection of French themed decorations, we also love this place for their unique dishware, one of a kind French antique finds, and of course the wonderfully warm and charming team that work there! Check out their online shop to see their wonderful array of goodies!

We love Paris, we love macarons and we especially love pretty, shiny things so please excuse us while we gush about Glitterville Studios. Glitterville Studios is one of our favorite places to shop for unique and beautiful gifts with many of their hand-made products having a Parisian theme; such as their stunning, hand-painted and gold-plated macaron ornaments that would add a sparkle to any tree! They also have Eiffel Tower ornaments, tiaras and so many other magical items that we want...no, we need.

See their full selection of beautiful items here to find that extra special something!

We love tea here at La Cuisine; green tea, black tea, fruit tea... we love to drink them all! In Okakura's, The Book of Tea, he said “Tea ... is a religion of the art of life” and we couldn't agree more, teatime is most certainly a revered time. The perfect gift for any tea fan has to be from Mariage Frères. Mariage Frères is a beautiful, gourmet tea company that was founded in Paris in 1854 by two brothers. It offers a vast and varied selection of teas and all things tea related! You can find great quality teapots, filters and everything else needed to make that perfect cup of tea. If you are unsure which flavor to get, they sell chic gift sets and even do tea tastings!

Personally, our favourite blend is their famously fruity and flowery Marco Polo. So put the kettle on and browse their selection here. 

Another tea supplier that we think are producing some fantastic tea blends, and who have conveniently opened a new boutique just around the corner from us, are Compagnie Royale des Indes Orientales. The company is named after Louis XIV's shipping company that would travel the seas in order to bring back exotic plants, foods and of course, teas to France. The company now strives to embody traditions with modern ways through their selection of different teas. We absolutely love their Siberian Blend Tea that adds an extra zing to your classic black tea with a touch of grapefruit. Get the teapot out, it is teatime!

Call us romantique, but we believe that nothing sets the ambiance better than a beautiful, scented candle on a cold and wintry evening, which is why we are such fans of Trudon. Trudon has been making candles in Paris since 1643 and they even supplied candles to royalty at Versailles!

Now, not only do they manufacture candles with scents like old mossy walls and leather and tobacco but they also have an impressive range of perfumes and room sprays. They currently have four boutiques in Paris and also one in New York, London and Seoul. Luckily, they also do online shipping so they are available worldwide!

Jessie Kanelos Weiner is another American artist that is now living in Paris who we just can't get enough of! She is a professional illustrator and author who has contributed to T magazine and Vogue...just to name a few! You may have also seen her work before in her food coloring book. She has now opened her own Etsy shop so her beautiful prints and watercolors are now available to purchase. If you want to add a splash of the gourmet to your wall, we can't recommend her artwork more!

When it comes to crowd-pleasing gifts, you really can't go wrong with a good quality bottle of wine. We hope we don't sound completely and utterly biased when we say that French wine is the best in the world...because it is! If you want to get that perfect bottle of French wine for a loved one (or yourself, no judgement here!) then you can order wine online from the Paris Wine Company. We can't recommend them enough and a thoughtfully chosen bottle of French wine is a great gift!

Another great option for some delicious and authentic French wine is from another one of our favourite wine companies, the Winerie Parisienne. They are the only producers of wine in Paris so investing in a case of one of their wines for the Christmas period is the perfect French touch for your holiday celebrations.

What to get the Chef that has everything? We think that you can't go too far wrong with a bottle of lavender infused olive oil. A l'Olivier is just around the corner from us here at La Cuisine Paris and we never tire of trying out the latest, amazing flavours that they dreal up for their olive oils.

A l'Olivier has been serving Parisians with gourmet olive oil since 1822 and they now have an extensive range of inspiring and unique flavours that can add that extra pizzazz to your meal. They also do a wonderful range of gift sets where you can have three specialised flavours in a beautiful gift box along with lots of accessories. They even have different nut oils and balsamic vinegar beads. They provide free shipping on orders over €80...pretty please, Santa? 

If you want to add a fun, French twist to one of the traditional rituals of Christmas then we wholeheartedly recommend getting your hands on one of these gourmet advent calendars. For each day leading up to Christmas you can unearth a special, French treat such as special caramels, glazed fruits, nougat and many other traditional French goodies that will add even more excitement to the build to Christmas!

Ernest Hemingway described Paris as being a "moveable feast" and we think that the photography of Rebecca Plotnick captures this essence of Paris perfectly. Rebecca is a photographer from Chicago but fell in love with Paris many years ago and still travels back here regularly. She has ventured to all the nooks and crannies of Paris and has succeeded in capturing the numerous different aspects and ambiances that exist here. The picture shown above is one of our favorites (Afternoon Light in Montmartre) and she has so many other prints available.

Check out her wide selection here and you might find one of your favourite areas of Paris so you can move the feast to your home. If this is a gift for someone else, then it is always a nice idea to get the print framed to complete the gift!

For all you interior design fans out there, this one is for you! Square Modern was started by a New Yorker, Suzanne Flenard, several years ago with the aim of introducing Europe to the modern textile designs that were popular in America. Her collection is so very unique because she uses primarily reclaimed fabric remnants so each collection is limited edition and made right in Paris, where the artist now resides.

Have a gander at her current collection here, but remember, it is limited edition so get it while you can!

Last, but definitely not least, if you can't think of anything for your loved one then get them something extra special...a gift card for La Cuisine Paris! We have gift cards available for each of our classes, so whether the recipient wants to make some delicate macarons, crunchy baguettes, buttery croissants or explore a French market with one of our professional chefs; then we have the answer! What better gift to give someone than a fantastically French, culinary experience!?

We hope that our blog has helped you to think of some great presents for Christmas! What are you buying your loved ones? Tweet us at @lacuisineparis, we would love to hear what Santa is bringing you all this year!