{Book-Based Basket} Special Ingredient Gift Basket (Vanilla Table)

In case you missed the intro last month, I’m doing something a little different this year; each month I’m highlighting a different gift basket theme based on a book. This month’s basket uses Vanilla Table as its focal point; you can find my review of the book here.

Vanilla Table Gift Basket

The general idea here is to give a cookbook, and accompany it with some of the key ingredients highlighted in the cookbook. This can be especially effective if you choose a cookbook that specifically highlights one particular ingredient or group of ingredients, like chocolate or herbs — or, in this case, vanilla.

Vanilla

Vanilla is a pretty interesting option because it comes in so many forms, and there’s such a wide range of quality. You can make this basket as simple or as gourmet as you like, and you can adjust the scale (and expense!) to a pretty significant degree.

You can include vanilla extract (the real stuff, please!), powder, and/or beans. For a fairly inexpensive gift, just choose one. Rather than doing up a big basket, you can even just tie the vanilla on.

If you want to go a little fancier, you can include a selection of vanilla types — either a “gift set”-type thing, with powder and extract and beans, or different types of beans or different types of extract.

If you want to keep it “homey,” or if handmade is important to you, you can make your own vanilla extract. Here’s a recipe you can use:

http://tidymom.net/2012/recipe-for-vanilla/

An internet search will turn up lots of options for pretty printable labels or, of course, you can make your own. Apply them to some pretty jars or flasks, and you’re all set. Beanilla and Vanilla Products USA both sell a wide selection of beans.

Or, if you want to buy vanilla beans in bulk but give the beans themselves, you can try flasks or cigar tubes like these for a snazzier presentation. (Be sure to check the length to make sure your beans will fit! “Test tubes” are also an option worth looking into for this.)

You could even put together a make-your-own-vanilla-extract kit and include that with your book instead of the completed product.

Finishing Touches

Especially if you’re going the simple route, and only including a single vanilla product with your book, you might want to add some finishing touches. The overall packaging (ribbon, basket, etc.) will add something, of course. But one extra special touch that can add a bit of polish to a book-based gift basket is a related bookmark. This bookmark was graciously supplied by Claire Burke, and I think it’s a beautiful complement to the book and vanilla beans.

(One thing to keep in mind: a bookmark is small enough that it isn’t overpowering, but in general I wouldn’t recommend mixing artificially-scented vanilla products and food products. A basket, for instance, with vanilla lotion and a vanilla candle probably should skip the food. You just don’t want the scents to flavor the food. Yuck. The bookmark seems to be all right, though, because it’s small.)

Vanilla Table: The essence of exquisite cooking from the world’s best chefs