2013 Gift Guide: Day Ten

An Extravagant Baking Kit

There are people who know how to give great gifts. Thomas Keller is among them. Lately I’ve waited with bated breath to see what was going to arrive for Christmas... and it's always exciting. 

Keller’s presents arrive in a gorgeous wooden box emblazoned with the French Laundry’s iconic clothespin label.  One year the box contained a spade and wonderful little packets of seeds - along with everything you’d need to get them started: soil, little pots, even gardening gloves.  Another year it was bottles of Armando Manni’s extraordinary olive oil.  

One of my favorite gifts was the chocolate tart kit that included a reusable tart pan, pre-measured dry ingredients, a Tahitian vanilla bean in a glass jar, a Vic Firth rolling pin, a Bouchon oven mitt and, of course, Bouchon’s chocolate tart recipe. There was even a small bottle of Meyer Family Port that perfectly complements the finished tart.

Keller’s now selling the chocolate tart kit, along with a number of more extravagant gifts (like his personally chosen set of knives for $900).  The boxes make quite an impression, and  it’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't be thrilled when they arrived.  Prices vary; the boxes are shipped from the Napa Valley on Wednesdays.