Who can put a price on family bonding, memories, and health? Give the gift of all three this holiday season with these Return to The Table family dinner-themed gifts.
These gift ideas will spark curiosity in children and help parents make easy, wholesome, and exciting family dinners. A winning combination.
Making French Crêpes is a fun and meaningful family activity. Crêpes are not only delicious, but they are also a secret weapon for easy dinners. Crêpes freeze well and warm in the oven for two minutes. Dinner doesn’t get much easier than that.
Give the gift of a traditional French crêpe pan. This pan will produce crispy and perfectly browned crêpes and will last forever. Add Italian hazelnut spread, and you’ll give a gift everyone will talk about. Click these links to find your gifts and share the secrets to making the perfect French Crêpes. . Crêpe Pan with Italian Hazlenut Spread
A crêpe pan will be a favorite for the young and old and will help you create family memories for years to come.
A jar of pasta sauce and spaghetti is a family dinner go-to and can help your friends make their pasta night better than ever. Give the gift of an assortment of premium quality pasta in unique shapes and sizes, all crafted in Italy.
But don’t stop there. Share a few classic 5-minute Italian pasta recipes such as;
Pasta Carbonara
The better buttered noodle. Made with butter, truffle oil, and Parmesan cheese
The authentic Pasta Alfredo recipe from Rome made with only eggs, butter, and fresh parmesan cheese.
Burro e Salvia - Sage and Butter
Parents will thank you all year long and the kiddies will never want a box of mac and cheese again when they taste the difference.
Print out your favorite recipes, roll them into a scroll, and tie them with a ribbon. Pack the recipes with the pasta and a bottle of truffle oil, and you will gift an exciting new way to do pasta. Shop for your pasta collection here.
Add a pasta bowl and Sicilian oregano to spark more kitchen inspiration.
French syrups are a staple in France, and they always spark enthusiasm. We use them to make "sodas," cocktails, and mocktails. That they are refreshing and hit the spot is reason enough to keep them in your kitchen.
As well as being delicious, they are also cost-effective, convenient, and of better quality than many other drinks and sodas. Click here to Shop the flavors, and learn more about why French syrups will make an exciting and appreciated gift.
Give the gift of kitchen inspiration and cooking classes with world-renowned chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsey, Alice Waters, Ronald Kellner, and Dominique Gren. Gift a yearly membership to Masterclass and learning with 180+ classes across 11 categories.
This gift is perfect for the advanced home chef as well as the beginner in the kitchen. To become a great cook, learn from the best. Even if a recipe is more complicated than someone is willing to try, they will learn a new technique and get ideas for ingredients and combinations.
You’ll never see a great chef using a jarred spice mix or pre-shredded cheese, so give the gift of their secrets and a whole new world of cooking. Click here for a special offer from Masterclass.
Inspiring children to get into the kitchen is easy with this child-safety crinkle-cut knife. It is a simple gift with enormous benefits.
When children have this knife, they will be motivated to assist in the kitchen. It helps to develop their fine motor skills, and being involved in food preparation gets them more interested in food and trying new things. Hand wash this knife, and it will last for decades. You can find this gem here.
Every Christmas, I give my family a gift. The kids get to open it, of course, but it is a gift for the whole family to ignite a fun family activity or create a family tradition and heirlooms. Here are some unique Return to the Table themed gifts for you to offer your family.
Raclette is a traditional French and Italian dish served in the winter months. It is most appreciated after a day of skiing in the mountains. It is comforting and divine, and the best part is there is hardly any cooking involved. All you need is a raclette grill and a few simple ingredients—an assortment of charcuterie such as bresaola, prosciutto, capicola, ham, and salami; boiled potatoes, and raclette cheese.
The raclette grill has two heating units, one on the top—the grill, and one below. It comes with trays which are placed on the lower part with a slice of raclette cheese to melt. Once the cheese is melted, it is poured over the potatoes and enjoyed with the charcuterie. Other ingredients to serve are vegetables and cornichons as a crisp garnish.
Serving Raclette is an impressive and simple idea for entertaining and one of the easiest and most remarkable family dinner ideas. Click here to find your Raclette Grill.
Start a family tradition and give everyone in the family their own knife. The Opinel knives with a rounded tip and safety lock are starter knives for children. It is a tradition to give every child their own personal knife, and when they are grown, the rite of passage is to get a Laguiole.
My husband Pierre has had his Laguiole knife for over 40 years. These will create fond family memories and become family heirlooms. Click here to read more about the importance of using a knife for a child’s development and healthy eating habits.
Using cloth napkins feels more elegant than paper and it is better for the environment. Gift your family a set of cloth napkins to add an inviting and practical touch to your family dinner table. Since the napkins do not need to be washed every day, have a system for keeping track of whose is whose. Either a different napkin design or color for each family member, or my favorite idea, a special napkin ring. You can find napkin rings here at Crate and Barrel. Crate and Barrel has an excellent selection of beautiful designs and well-made napkin rings, and they sell them individually instead of as a set.
These family gift ideas are also excellent to offer friends and relatives. And I wouldn’t hesitate to grab a few family gifts from the Gifts for Friends and Relatives list.
What do you give the person who has everything? Or the white elephant gift that is fun and useful? These gift ideas are unique and sure to spark an intriguing conversation.
The Rolls Royce of flavored olive oils, Italian truffle oil is a unique and tantalizing gift. Truffle oil is outstanding on omelets, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, risotto, and popcorn. Find your Italian Truffle oil gifts here.
Everyone who tries this garlic roller is impressed. It removes the skin from garlic in seconds and makes peeling garlic a breeze. A garlic roller is a fun and useful gift. Click here to watch it in action.
Invite someone to explore the world of French syrups and they will rave about you for months to come. Buy extra; you’ll gift these all year long. Click here to learn more about French Syrups here.
If thinking of just the right hostess gift is on your to-do list, these ideas are an exciting change from the bottle of wine or box of chocolates.
Truffle oil and Italian pasta collection
A bottle or two of French syrups—Cassis and Pamplemousse Rosé are top picks for cocktails and mocktails.
A Crêpe Pan and Italian Hazelnut Spread
One of my favorite hostess gifts is a fresh rosemary plant. More useful and just as beautiful as a bouquet of flowers, this gift keeps on giving. The addition of fresh rosemary up levels any dish, and the rosemary leaves can be dried and enjoyed all winter long. Look for a fresh rosemary plant in your local grocery store or at winter farm markets.
Give a Return to the Table themed holiday gift. It’s a winning decision.