Gift Guide 2017: Vintage Menus

I've been buying vintage cookbooks from Abebooks for what seems like ages, but I somehow missed the fact that they also sell vintage menus from all over the world.  The menus don't cost much - they average around fifteen dollars - and they're the real thing, not copies.  So if you know someone who wishes they'd been at a country hunt in England in 1889, eating a kaiseki meal in Tokyo in 1911, or feasting in Paris during the time of Toulouse Lautrec, you can find an appropriate menu here.  There are dozens to peruse and the range is enormous, so even if you're not searching for a gift, this is an intriguing way to spend some time.

They also have gorgeous botanical prints - like the one above - cut out of old illustrated books.  If you know someone who loves antique apples, pears or gooseberries, one of these would make a unique and very welcome gift.