Amazing handmade bonbons from one of the best chocolatiers in California. Three artisan cheeses at peak deliciousness delivered every month to your favorite fromage fan. A whole prosciutto made in Iowa from Kurobuta pigs raised there. These gifts would make any food lover swoon, but you won't find them in L.A.'s toniest gourmet shops -- they're only available online. We searched the Internet for the most enticing edible gifts around and turned up an irresistible selection.
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Hit 'buy,' prosciutto and coffee beans fly
This year, edible gifts available online are more delicious than ever. Save gas, skip mall, kick up heels.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday, November 29, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 27 words Type of Material: Correction
Gift guide: An article in Wednesday's Food section said a Murray's Cheese of the Month subscription included shipping. It does not; shipping costs depend on delivery location.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, December 05, 2007 Home Edition Food Part F Page 3 Features Desk 1 inches; 30 words Type of Material: Correction
Gift guide: An article in the Nov. 28 Food section said a Murray's Cheese of the Month subscription included shipping. It does not; shipping costs vary depending on delivery location.
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We were surprised to find that e-commerce seems to have gotten stuck in the last century -- some of these sites require filling in forms and choosing passwords simply to begin shopping, or they're hard to navigate. (If you're looking for Floriano Turco chestnut honey from Italy on Formaggio Kitchen's site, don't try searching for "chestnut honey"; you'll have to enter "Floriano.") Still, everything arrived on time as promised, and as delectable as we hoped. And we didn't have to go to the Grove!
How often does it pay to be lazy?
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5-pound box of Medjool dates from Hadley Fruit Orchards. Who needs marrons glaces -- the French candied chestnuts, traditional for Christmas -- when you can get locally grown Medjool dates from Hadley? You know the place -- it's where you stop for date shakes on the way to Palm Springs. The crop this season is stellar, and these are plump, sweet, rich and velvety -- really like candy. And unlike marrons glaces, they don't cost an arm and a leg. $35.95 plus shipping for a 5-pound box at www.hadleyfruitorchards.com.
Murray's Cheese of the Month subscription. Cheesemonger Murray's Cheese in New York's Greenwich Village ships out three precisely handled half-pound cheeses on the second Wednesday of the month to cheese-of-the-month members (sometimes they're special selections not available to even the locals or chefs). January's shipment includes Petit Sorcier, a wheel of raw cow's milk cheese from producer-affineur Chaput, with a pungent rind and a line of ash running through the center; Jasper Hill Farm Constant Bliss, a raw Ayrshire cow's milk cheese; and "goaty gumdrops" of fresh Bijou from Vermont Butter & Cheese Co. Available at www.murrayscheese.com; four months, $200; six months, $300; 12 months, $550, includes shipping.
