Making a list, checking it twice

Whether you're creating your own wish list, or shopping for the epicure in your life, it can be quite a challenge to sort through all of the gourmet goodies on the market these days. I've combed through my favorite sites to create a collection of edible and food-inspired gifts that I know I wouldn't mind seeing under the Christmas tree this year. (I'm also a big fan of avoiding the shopping mall madness, and ordering gifts online, so I've included links for easy online purchasing.)

2009 Farmer's Market Wall Calendar

Featuring colorful vintage prints of vegetables from the 1800's, this understated calendar will help the avid gardener or fresh produce enthusiast in your life ring in the new year. You can order it online from Kate's Paperie or Anthropologie.
Give to: Your urban locavore bud who waxes poetic about the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market, but whose own tiny studio apartment allows for only a miniscule pot of basil on the windowsill.

The French Market: More Recipes from a French Kitchen
Bestselling authors Joanne Harris and Fran Warde present a deliciously simple collection of recipes that draw inspiration from the rural markets of Gascony and emphasize rustic, fresh flavors and a relaxed, tossed-together style. Gorgeously illustrated with lush color photographs, the recipes draw inspiration from large, lumpy tomatoes bursting with taste, to sun-ripened melons, to goat cheese rolled in fresh herbs, and to locally produced organic honey. This is food as nature intended. Available online from Anthropologie.

Give to: Your Francophilic significant other who still reminisces about that time you took him/her to Lavandou.

Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven
Available in an array of vibrant colors, this classic cast iron pot will never go out of style. It's a superb choice for roasting poultry and meats as well as for preparing slow-cooked specialties like chili, soups, stews and braises – on the stovetop or in the oven. It's on the pricier side, but these things last forever. Think of it as an investment in deliciousness. Sold online at Williams-Sonoma.
Give to: Your uncle, whose extra fiery Superbowl chili is the stuff of legends.

Bacon of the Month Club Membership
It's official. Bacon is enjoying a serious moment of culinary stardom, and there is no better evidence than this tongue-in-cheek-yet-totally-for-real artisan bacon of the month club. A membership will get you a year of monthly deliveries to your door, packed with a new kind of bacon each month, notes on the month's selection, recipe and wine suggestions, and even a bacon tee-shirt to wear while you, er, pig out. Available online from Grateful Palate.
Give to: Any non-vegetarian in your life. Really, who doesn't like bacon?

Wall Bottle Opener
Practically stylish wood block wall-mounted bottle opener, printed at the front with a design from San Francisco collective FluffyCo, who create nature-inspired, useful things in a sustainable way. Just in time to pop open the champagne for your New Year's party, and impress all your friends with your totally rad kitchen style. You can order it online from Urban Outfitters, and you can find more colors and styles on FluffyCo's site.
Give to: Your yupster older sibling with the sweet new NoMa loft. Bonus points if said sibling invites you to his/her New Year's party.

Zabar's Don't Be Homesick Crate
Washingtonians can't seem to complain enough about the District's lack of authentic and tasty bagels, pizza, and other foodstuffs that abound in NYC. For the Big Apple transplant in your life, Zabar's (the famed New York deli) has created a collection of delicious items to give displaced New Yorkers a taste of their beloved city, including Zabar's lox, Zabar's kosher salami, pastrami, Zabar's deli mustard, Zabar's signature sourdough jewish rye bread, plain cream cheese, an assortment of the world's best fresh-baked New York bagels, and several kinds of pastries. Get it online at Zabar's.
Give to: Your ex-New Yorker colleague who moans incessantly about his inferior Starbucks bagel, yet keeps buying it every morning.

Chanukah Olive Oil Cake
Made with toasted almonds, lemon zest — nearly a whole lemon's worth per cake — and lots of great extra virgin olive oil. Substituting olive oil for butter, it fits well with the symbolism of Chanukah, when one day's worth of olive oil miraculously burned for eight. It'd be another miracle if this cake lasted this long. Order one online from Zingerman's.
Give to: Oh, who are you kidding? Keep this one for yourself.

Foodie Fight: A Trivia Game
For anyone who loves both food and trivia, the appeal of this game is pretty self-explanatory. Brush up on your knowledge first with The Food Snob's Dictionary: An Essential Lexicon of Gastronomical Knowledge. Both this, and the game, are available online from Amazon.
Give to: Your smug foodie friend who lectures you on the stylistic differences between Bocuse and Boulud, and never misses an opportunity to note a hint of umami in everything from pho to her breakfast cereal.

Artisan Salt Sampler
Beyond sea salt: Twenty-four mini jars contain the most-sought-after salts from around the globe, including Peruvian Pink, Sel Gris de Guérande, Cyprus Black, Flower of Bali and 21 more. Presented in a handsome bamboo case with a glass door. Available from Sur la Table.
Give to: Your aunt whose home cooking always needs just a touch more seasoning.

A Meal at the Inn at Little Washington
Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the gentle farmland of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley lies a tiny town named Washington, an unlikely home to the country's most celebrated inn and adjoining restaurant, which has been hailed as among the ten best restaurants in the country. A meal at the Inn is not a frugal endeavor, and indeed, might be a bit extravagant, particularly in these difficult economic times. But, if you're looking for an extra-special holiday celebration, or ultra-romantic place to pop the question, look no further than this sparkling gem just a couple hours from DC. You can buy gift certificates from The Inn at Little Washington online, or call 540-675-3800 to speak to an inn staff member about planning a very special occasion.
Give to: The person you care about most.