Francophile Holiday Gifts from Provence for the Cooks on Your List

Retail stores and shopping malls are decked with holiday decor, signalling it’s time to start thinking about gifts for everyone on your list. Fortunately, if you have cooks and food lovers on your list, you’ll find options at every price point, from a few dollars to a few thousand, and most of them come from small, local merchants, so you can “shop local.” This Francophile Holiday Gift list for foodies isn’t exhaustive, but it should help you check off a number of deserving friends and family members.

A Foodie Film Festival!

There is nothing like curling up on the couch and watching movies on a cold winter weekend. For a novel foodie holiday gift, why not wrap up 5 food-themed dvd’s for a weekend of delicious movies. Packaging the movies with a box of small-batch chocolates from artisan chocolatier Aline Gehant in Avignon will make the weekend even sweeter!

Here are some of my favourite food-related films: “Chef” (2014), “Like Water for Chocolate” (1993), “Ratatouille” (2007), “Big Night” (1996) and “Chocolat” (2000).

Say Cheese!

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love cheese. Personally, I love runny cheese, stinky cheese, hard cheese, blue cheese, French cheese, Italian cheese, American cheese (not the yellow processed stuff), all cheese!  A collection of Provencal cheeses, an attractive cheese tool set, and a beautiful wooden cheese board (if you are feeling particularly generous) make the ideal gift. You can enjoy the cheese during the holidays, and the accessories will remind you of your thoughtfulness all year long. A few suggestions: Banon, Provence’s most famous cheese; a fresh, unsalted cheese; Brousse du Rove, a raw-milk cheese; Saint Marcellin; Picodon; Tome de Provence; and any other fresh or aged goat cheese. Check out La Cave aux Fromage in St. Remy and Chez Emily Fromager Affineur in Eygalieres for good selections of local cheese.

Honey

Pre-made gift baskets are easy to find at this time of year. I prefer to assemble my own, often with a theme in mind. Provence is fortunate to have local beekeepers and apiaries. Le Mas des Abbeilles in Bonnieux offers a wide variety of choices, including Lavender Honey, Forest Honey, Acacia Honey, Lemon Tree Honey, Chestnut Honey and Rosemary Honey. Select a few- or all- add a wood honey scoop, and you have the perfect “sweet treat.

Kitchen Necessities

I used to tell my friends and family, “No kitchen appliances or utensils as gifts!” I then recognized the folly of my ways. Why not ask for those kitchen indulgences you know you want but never want to splurge on? For that matter, why not include everyday kitchen utensils on your wish list? Baking trays turn brown, spatulas develop ragged edges, wooden spoons eventually break. If it’s my wallet, I always think, “Oh, they’re fine for now.” If it is your wallet, I say, “Bring it on.”  Here are some kitchen tools and appliances every foodie needs or wants.

Wooden Spoons: Your everyday variety is available at Provencal markets,  kitchen supply stores, houseware departments and online.

Mandoline: Once you master a kitchen mandoline, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one. A mandoline lets you make precise, thin slices or julienne cuts. The mandoline is incredibly sharp, making professional-looking slices of fruit, vegetables, meat, and more. Mandolines vary greatly in price, so consider how often the recipient will use it.

Baking Trays: One can never have too many. Available everywhere. Baking trays, in my humble opinion, aren’t “splurge-worthy” unless you are a very serious baker; in that case, go for heavy-duty, full-gauge aluminum or stainless versions from kitchen supply stores. For the casual/everyday baker, go for the basics in several sizes. They will get banged up, and if you use cooking sprays, they will get brown and unattractive.

Add An Edible: Elevate your gift and make it more elegant by adding something edible and delicious. A tin of pâté, some dried wild mushrooms or a jar of fine jam.

The Gift of Travel

If you haven’t found the perfect gift yet, or you want to truly wow your favourite foodie, nothing beats a trip to Provence, France. Goût et Voyage offers 8-day/7-night, small-group (no more than 6 guests), escorted travel to Provence. The trips are designed for those who love fine food, fine wine, culture and history. Unlike so many “packaged” tours, Goût et Voyage offers an authentic, un-touristy taste of Provence filled with magical one-of-a-kind experiences.

Spice it Up!

The first time I cooked in my mother-in-law’s kitchen, I realized many home cooks don’t use, or even think about using, herbs and spices. I planned to prepare a coating for a roasted leg of lamb. I opened the pantry hoping to find the necessary ingredients – olive oil, fresh garlic, rosemary, Dijon mustard and soy sauce. All I could find was a tin of dried rosemary that had expired 6 years earlier!  A quick trip to the market saved the day, but the realization that seasoning doesn’t come naturally stayed with me.

It is easy to find fresh herbs at the market or supermarket year-round. Sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, tarragon, and oregano are readily available in the produce section and eliminate the need to dry herbs at home. Dried and ground herbs and spices are also readily available but need to be tossed when they lose their flavour and scent. It is a good practice to go through the spice rack in January and replace those herbs that have lost their potency. Good-quality dried and ground spices aren’t cheap, so they make a welcome gift or stocking stuffer (depending on your generosity) for novice and experienced cooks. Shop in the warmth of the covered Halles Avignon at Le Moulin a Epices.

Olive Oil

No Provencal recipe is complete without fine local olive oil. Le Moulin Castelas in Les Baux de Provence sells many olive oils, from the Classic AOP Vallée des Baux de Provence to the spicy Noir d’Olive (ex Fruite Noire) to Bio extra virgin olive oil. If you visit their shop, you’ll be tempted to add some of the aromatic oils, grocery items and/or olive-oil-based creams and balms to your gift package.

More Foodie Gift Ideas

Gifts: Christmas Presents and Essentials from Provence

Côte d’Azur Shopping to Get Me Through The Winter Blues Back Home @MKSeales

Gift Idea: Cooking Class at La Petit Maison du Cucuron @CuriousProvence

Christmas Ideas from Provence

A gift basket or cooking class from the Jean Martin Boutique in Maussane

From Nice: Full-Day 4x4 Alpine Escape with Local Food & Wine Tastings

Hop aboard a premium 4x4 Ford Raptor and venture far from the bustle of the French Riviera into the hidden mountain landscapes of Nice. This exclusive experience takes you off the beaten path to explore the soul of alpine Provence, where perched villages, wild valleys, and enduring local traditions await.

Book this Experience

Martine Bertin-Peterson

Goût et Voyage, LLC was founded by Martine Bertin-Peterson to bring together her lifetime passions of travel, cooking and culture. Creating unforgettable memories, Martine serves as the escort for all Goût et Voyage culinary travel adventures and serves as chef de cuisine for customized cooking classes at home in Bucks County, PA. 
 
Martine’s background and experience are as wide-ranging as her interests. She has decades of cooking experience gained through formal and informal cooking courses in the United States, France and Italy. Born in France and fluent in 5 languages, Martine has travelled to more than 50 countries across 5 continents. She has escorted travel groups throughout Europe and Latin America over the past 25+ years and for the past 5 years has focused on creating unique gourmet experiences for her clients in Provence. 

President of the Alliance Française of Doylestown, PA. Martine currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband who, along with her NYC-based daughter, are regular and willing subjects for her travel and culinary adventures.