Another year is coming to an end and we have sampled our way through the year! It is our mission to taste as much as possible (it’s tough but someone needs to do it) and report back to you – our readers. We accomplish this through samples that we are sent, attending food trade shows, tasting events, traveling and visiting farmer’s markets, artisanal producers and more. We love to share our favorites so you too can become addicted to these wonderful products, all of which are excellent Gift Picks for your holiday gift giving. It’s holiday time and the giving should be easy...(we all know good food is always a perfect choice!)

Exceptional coffee makes a great gift for a wide variety of people. Giving a coffee aficionado a special coffee will make their holiday complete.

J Martinez’s sources single estate coffees. Their Coffee Society membership will surprise the recipient regularly with a very special selection of coffees Or a gift of their exclusive Jamaica Blue Mountain (Clifton Mount Estate) Coffee is one of life’s “affordable luxuries”. We have had the privilege of tasting this and it will impress the coffee lover on your list. $50/16oz

Café La Semeuse’s Soleil Levant, Certified organic fair trade coffee, combines their good taste with good conscience. $9/8.8oz Their decaf is one of the best we have tasted $8/8.8oz Throw in a few bars of their Moco – Coffee filled chocolate bars, they are Swiss made using their coffee – a real treat! $4/bar

Consider combining one of these wonderful coffees with an exquisite coffee cup. This work of art will provide many happy mornings to its recipient.

Etabletop is a unique resource offering the very best in tabletop design. Their Café au Lait Cup will brighten any day. $45

No one ever outgrows loving peanut butter. We have found a few creative souls that have dedicated their lives to PB. What a fun idea to give the gift of PB!

PB Loco –We have sang the praises of this incredible peanut butter since our very first spoonful. The all natural flavor combinations are amazing. We are HUGE fans of all the flavors but if pressed our favorites would have to be Peanut Butter with Dark Chocolate and with Jungle Banana. They recently added a few new flavors which we have yet to try but based on past experience we are very sure they are all incredible. Try their “Eat Your Heart Out” custom gift box $20.85

Peanut Butter & Company – From a cozy little shop in Greenwich Village, NY! Their 6 pack makes a wonderful gift for a PB lover. Six varieties cleverly package in an attractive six pack with a their Peanut Butter Cookbook! $45.00

The gift of a fine Olive Oil is appropriate for anyone that enjoys the better things in life!

Olio & Olive Primo Olive Oil - The Extra Virgin Olive Oils that they offer are use in many top restaurants & hotels, and we found out why when we tasted them. Select one of their varieties ( we loved the strong fruit flavor of Primo $30 or splurge on a gift set of all six bottles $98.00

For the Cook on your list:

Tulocay’s Made in Napa Valley “Complete Gourmet Pantry”. It includes their new beautifully photographed Gourmet Every Day cookbook with 188 quick & delicious recipes beautifully gift packaged with 12 of their most popular pantry items. We are big fans of their products and have always been amazed how easy it is to make a great dish using one of their marinades or sauces. $140.00

For the Cheese Head:

Murray’s Cheese - Murray’s proprietor Rob Kaufelt has just release his new Cheese Handbook – this is a terrific read & its pocket size makes it very convenient to take cheese shopping! It is a very informative guide written in a fun & interesting style.

Cheddar & Chutney - A real English farmhouse cheddar is real treat. (it is one of the Top 10 Cheeses to Eat Before You Die in The Murray's Cheese Handbook.) They paired this one from Mary Quicke's farm with a Black Sheep Ale Chutney. Makes a great hostess gift. $25.00

Antipasto Gift Set - This gift is packed with Italian goodies: imported vegetable antipasto, a peppery Tuscan-style sopressata & crispy, crunchy taralli. These treats will complement the young Pecorino Marzolino from Siena, the sharp Provolone, the classic Parmigiano-Reggiano and the spicy, rustic Gorgonzola Mountain - the perfect gift for a food lover! $70.00

Beecher’s Anniversary Collection - Arranged in an old-fashioned galvanized tub a collection their handmade Flagship cheeses & cracker - It's the only way to taste Beecher's latest creation, American Cheese Society's award-winning Flagship Reserve, a one-year aged, natural rind cheese made using the traditional cloth-bound aging method $49.95 (includes 2-Day shipping)

Chocolate always makes a perfect gift. Here are our picks for chocolate in a variety of forms!

Cocoa Connoisseur was created by Danilee Coleman’s desire to share her passion for hot cocoa! She travels the world to find all the best and has made them available from her website!

We went crazy for the Omanhene Peppermint Hot Cocoa ($6.50) and Ibarra Chocolate ($3.85) or try one of her lovely gift baskets.

Dolcielo – These brownies are unique & intense and beautifully packaged. The marriage of the fruit & liquors is genius. Assortment Gift Box of 6 (all five flavors) $30.00

Poco Dolce - This chocolate is for the purist. Outstanding dark chocolate tiles with sea salt. Simple & delicious. Highly recommend for the dark chocolate lover. Box of 16 $32

Wiseman House Chocolates - Amazing handmade truffles and over the top toffee. Box of almond toffee $22 Their gift boxes/ribbons are exquisite.

Start a tradition of sending honeybells – they are only available once a year.

Sun Harvest Honeybells -
Fresh Citrus for Florida brightens a cold winter like nothing else. We recommended the honeybells last year and they make our list again. If you have never experienced a honeybell you can’t imagine the sweet flavor & the juice! It has becomes an annual tradition for everyone who tastes them – what a great gift. 1/4 bushel is $39.95

Sun Harvest will send a jar of Honeybell marmalade announcing the gift to come. In early January, they ship the Honeybells fresh from their groves Why settle for supermarket fruit when you can get fresh Florida citrus direct from their groves?

Give a New England Classic – Lobster dinner for two from Lobster Trap’s Lobsters Online. What a great surprise to send around the holidays when everyone is tired of turkey!They will send 2 fresh select grade 1.25 lbs lobsters, and a 20-ounce tub of the famous Lobster Trap Restaurant creamy New-England style chowder made with freshly dug clams. They complete the treat with a lobster cracker, fork, lobster bib, placemat. $48.00

For the Beef Lover on your list:

La Cense Beef - Produced from Black Angus cattle born and raise on the La Cense Ranch in Montana. Their cattle are true 100% native grass fed. The La Cense ranch utilizes a sustainable approach to ranching to protect the environment. Their cattle is raised in a humane, stress free environment – dry-aged for 19 days, hand cut and trimmed. This beef embodies a true beef flavor but with a cleaner taste. It is a lean lightly marbled beef that is lower in fat than grain-fed beef. Give their Holiday Gift Pack which includes 2 Ribeyes, 2 Sirlion, 1 London Broil & 4 Steak Burgers. $76.00

This is a unique gift idea especially for someone missing home cooking !

Grandmas Chicken Soup – There is no question that their soup is fresh & homemade. Full of chicken, veggies and noodles (or matzo balls) and flavor! Nicely packaged. They offer a nice gift idea of soup once a month for 6 months $148.00

The holiday season can be overwhelming, selecting gifts for everyone on your list is a daunting task. We hope we have lessen the stress of the season by providing these wonderful gift ideas. Many of our picks would also be wonderful additions to your holiday tables! Each one has been hand selected by Food411 editors for our readers. Surround yourself with great foods and friends & family and above all RELAX & ENJOY!