The holidays are fast approaching. Hanukkah is just around the corner (sundown, December 4th) and Christmas will come and go faster than we all think. If you’re not celebrating those holidays, a small token for the New Year or holiday party might be a nice gesture– Or maybe just a thank you for neighbors watching your pets.

While I am more partial to giving (and receiving) homemade gifts, there are many people that just don’t have the time. Here are some foodie-minded items that will bring out a smile this gift-giving season.

Homemade
*Cookies and other sweets are always delicious. Try peppermint rocky road cookies, peppermint bark, apple spice cake, cardamom streusel cake, a mixed cookie selection, chocolate fudge cookies or cranberry macadamia white chocolate chip cookies. Just buy an old holiday themed cookie tin (ebay?) and gift away.
*Spice rubs. A small jar will fit your favorite homemade spice combination for others who love to cook.
*Drink Mix. Are you a deft mixologist? How about mixing up a base concoction of your famous brew with a direction tag like “just add rum for holiday cheer!”
*Jams and other preserves. Did you go ape with the bounty of fruits and veggies this summer? Why not gift some preserves to your friends? Nothing says love like some summertime tomatoes, pickles, green beans or fig jam. Why not pack along your favorite recipe using the product?

Books
From food-lit to wine bible there are many great foodie offerings in the literary world sure to please any foodie.
*The more politically conscious on your list will love The Whole Soy Story, by Kaayla T. Daniel, Food Politics, by Marion Nestle or Seeds of Deception, by Jeffrey M. Smith.
*Can’t make it to Paris this holiday? Gift the markets instead with Emile Zola’s, The Fat and the Thin
*To help the oenophile along, try The Oxford Companion to Wine, by Jancis Robinson (Editor). Or, for the budding wine enthusiast Educating Peter, by Lettie Teague (review) is a great start. Even more basic and a little lighter is Hip Tastes, by Courtney Cochran.
*As for cookbooks, any chef or aspiring chef would love to add The Cook’s Book, with over 7 fabulous contributing chefs to their collection (review).

Other
If you cannot make something for the holidays, ensure others are properly paid for the effort they exert to bring you your goods. There are many Fair Trade websites that now sell great home gifts from bamboo bowls to recycled glass plates. If Fair Trade is too much to ask, at least ensure you’re keeping the Earth alive by buying sustainable products.
*The Local Harvest store will help you to buy local or help you support organic farmers whether buying oranges or sheep pelts.
*World of Good has Fair Trade and Earth-friendly furnishings, clothing, books and jewelry. Their hand-woven rattan to the core baskets would make a great fruit bowl and their placemats would accent any table well.
*Viva Terra offers home furnishings, gourmet chocolates and clothing that is Earth-friendly and sleek. I especially like their slate cheese board and organic tea set in a fabulous box.
*Green Home is a one-stop shop for bath and cleaning products, art supplies, clothing and more. Their stainless steel lunch carrier is great to carry hot and cold lunches and their bamboo utensil set is a lightweight alternative for picnics.

My mother forwarded me a query from a friend of hers a few days ago. The dilemma: Bring a whole (non-pureed) sweet potato dish to the Thanksgiving party. What should she bring?

What is interesting enough to amaze, savory enough to sustain, and addictive enough to ensure it is your dish that is licked clean, with guests (and host) begging for your secret recipe?

Were fries considered whole enough? Fries, baked or deep fried are always a delicious treat and fabulous alternative to the standard sweet potato puree. One of my favorite unusual flavored sweet potato dishes is baked cumin sweet potato fries with a lime dipping sauce. They are an addictive finger friendly food.

A standard baked sweet potato would be equally delicious (though not too inspiring). Although, if one is able to find the uber sweet purple sweet potatoes, which are grayish-white on the outside and deep purple inside– they would make a totally surprising puree or fry. One can often find them in Asian markets, or more high end grocery stores. They are definitely worth a try and will bring amazing color and conversation to the table.

What I suggested was in the sauce. Baked, fried, whole or sticks you will win your table over with sauces. A trio (or more) of sauces for guests to sample will set the stage for experimentation. Whether treated as a dipping sauce for fries, drizzled over top, or dolloped into the center of baked potatoes, guests will love mixing, matching and finding their favorite (possibly more unusual) accompaniments to a standard Thanksgiving table staple.

Here are some of my suggestions, though the possibilities are endless. Just let your mind wander:

Molasses Butter Sauce. Use light or dark muscavado sugar (you can get it at Whole Foods or other specialty/ gourmet stores). 1/2 cup butter (at room temp), 3 tablespoons muscavado sugar, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt (1 tsp cayenne, optional). Whip the ingredients together, refrigerate then put a dollop inside each sweet potato to serve. For fries, melt and drizzle over top.

Balsamic Reduction is good for whole baked or fries to drizzle over top. Just reduce balsamic vinegar for 2-3 hours over medium heat until it’s a thick syrup. You can do the same thing with an inexpensive port wine. The sauce should reduce by about 3/4. (Good over steak too.)

Maple Syrup Sauce is excellent. Mix sour cream, maple syrup, allspice, cinnamon (and lemon zest, optional) until it tastes good. The result should be slightly thick, similar in consistency to ketchup. Drizzle over top, dollop in a baked, or use as a dip with fries.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce (probably best for whole potatoes). Cook 1 bag fresh cranberries w/ juice of 1 orange plus 2 tablespoons orange zest and 1 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1 tsp salt. Boil down so cranberries break apart. Add some sugar if too bitter. This would be good scooped in.

Maple Molasses Pecan Sauce. Warm pecans w/ 2 Tbl muscavado sugar and 3 Tbl butter on medium heat. Let butter and sugar melt, (making caramel) to coat the pecans. Mix 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 Tbl maple syrup and 1 Tbl muscavado sugar. Fold in pecan-caramel (can even leave slightly streaked). Add dollop to potatoes or dip.

Warm Goat Cheese Sage Sauce. Melt 3 Tbl butter w/ 1/3 cup goat cheese, 1 Tbl maple syrup, salt to taste. Once melted, fold in 2-3 Tbl fresh chopped sage and 3 Tbl crushed walnuts (optional). Can serve warm, drizzled over potatoes or place in a ramekin and allow to solidify on fridge and add a dollop once cooled. You can make a similar sauce w/ blue cheese/ gorgonzola doing the same thing, minus sage, w/ pepper and nutmeg.

A few more I have thought of since providing the recipes…

Cardamom Sour Cream Sauce. Mix 1 tablespoon fresh ground cardamom seeds (crack shells of green cardamom pods to extract seeds) with 2 cups sour cream or creme fraiche, 1/4 cup honey and 1 teaspoon salt. 1/4 cup candied orange zest (optional). (Orange zest: thinly mince peel or zest an orange. Boil for 1 minute, drain then boil for 5 minutes in 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water, drain.)

Blueberry Pomegranate Goat Cheese. Boil 2 cups blueberries in 1 cup pomegranate juice (or 1 cup Riesling and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses) until slightly thickened, 30-45 minutes. Reduce heat, add 5-8 tablespoons goat cheese (depending on desired thickness of finished sauce). Stir until goat cheese melts and remove from heat. Place in ramekins and chill to set or serve warm.

Citrus Sour Cream Sauce. Mix 1 cup sour cream with juice of 1 lemon plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoons orange zest, 1 teaspoon salt.

When I was younger, I eagerly hacked up pumpkins for Halloween. If I took knife to flesh too early and the dear thing rotted, I would whittle away again. Those pumpkins would remain on our front porch until they deflated into sad puddles of mush (or the raccoons ate them).

Lately, I cannot bring myself to carve pumpkins. Shortly after I began this blog I found the most perfect of pumpkins. Enormous and ideally symmetrical, it sat on our dining room table for months. I could not bare to throw it out. Finally, no joke, in June, I decided it was no longer seasonal to host the pumpkin.

This year, I am proud to say I sliced and diced that little orange globe sooner than I thought I would be able to.

I eyed my little pumpkin, barely larger than a softball for a few weeks contemplating its end. I knew this little guy would only last a few servings. Whatever I made, it had to be good. Because the chill has finally hit the air, I had a craving for soup.

It is no secret I love soup. I like to make it in big batches and store it in single serving containers for a cold day. Soup, yes, that was easy, what flavors will marry pumpkin in a unique and delicious taste? Coconut!

I know, it’s sort of a bizarre jump to make. I was thinking roasted pumpkin and toasted rhymes and well, what is best toasted? Coconut. Naturally. It is also easier to make this jump knowing a can of coconut milk has been sitting idle in the cabinets.

The coconut in this soup is subtle, yet adds that certain unknown that baffles eaters. Just what is it? And why is there cilantro in this soup?! It would make the perfect addition to the Thanksgiving party and best of all it is super easy to make– and fast.

Coconut Pumpkin Soup
Serving size= 6. Active time= 10 minutes. Cook time= 15 minutes.
1 medium cooking pumpkin (other winter squash would work too: acorn, butternut)
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1-15oz can coconut milk
salt/ pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish

1) Ready a food processor with a grater attachment. Slice the pumpkin into 1/4s, remove ends. Remove pulp, set aside to toast for a garnish. Use a vegetable peeler to remove skin and grate in food processor. Grate onion and garlic.
2) Heat butter or olive oil in a sauce pot over medium high heat. Once warm, add pumpkin, onion and garlic. Saute 5-7 minutes, until onions sweat and pumpkin darkens in color, stir occasionally. Add curry powder (if using) and salt.*
3) Add chicken or vegetable broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Using a blender, immersion or standing, puree the soup until a smooth, even texture is reached.
4) Salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds as garnish.
*Note: While onions, garlic and pumpkin are warming, rinse and dry pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle w/ salt and shredded coconut (optional). Toast on medium-high two times in a toaster oven, until slightly browned.