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The Manual Holiday Gift Guide: The Foodie

By Ann Binlot Published August 6, 2021

For the Foodie Who Is Short on Time: Blue Apron
This subscription meal service does all the shopping and measuring for him, so all he’ll have to do is cook.
$9.99 per person, per meal, at blueapron.com

For Salt Lovers: Chef Salt Fab Premium Holiday Collection
This kit will make sure their food is always perfectly seasoned.
$30 at fab.com

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For the Morning Person: Galaxy Desserts Morning Buns
What better way to wake up than with a warm gooey morning bun?
$44 at williams-sonoma.com

For the Home Cook: Glass Herb Keeper
This will make sure herbs stay fresh for a long time, so that their meals will be full of flavor.
$19.95 at crateandbarrel.com

For the Guy Who Eats Avocado Toast: Harold Import Company Avo Saver
Avocado toast was one of the trendiest food items last year and this handy contraption will help you keep them fresh.
$7.43 at amazon.com

For the Spendthrift at the Bar: Personalizable Leather Wrapped Flask
He’ll always have a swig ready so he won’t have to spend big bucks at the bar.
$29.95 at gifts.com

For the Aspiring Mixologist: Craft Cocktails
This recipe book will teach them everything they need to know about mixing the perfect craft cocktail.
$35.08 at amazon.com

For the Cheese Obsessed: Bedford Cheese Shop Regional Box
This box will have a fine selection of cheeses from all over the world.
$45 at bedfordcheeseshop.com

For the Oenophile: The California Wine Club Signature Series
They’ll have a new bottle of fine wine every month thanks to this subscription service.
Visit cawineclub.com

For the Fine Foodie: Savory French Macarons
Foie Gras, Black Truffle and Roquefort macarons will be sure to blow their minds.
$19 at richart-chocolates.com

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…

Food & Drink

A beginner’s guide to sweet red wines: Why they’re more exciting than you think

It's not just for red meat anymore

Glass of red wine with fruit and ice on table

When it comes to wine, it's really more about the exceptions than the rules. You could be forgiven for thinking that a glass of red should be robust like a Bordeaux or earthy like a California cab. At any rate, it should be "dry," right? Oh, no, budding wine enthusiast. I'm here to tell you about some red wines that are literally toothsome. It all started when I had my first glass of a fizzy, sweet Lambrusco, along with an Italian dessert pastry featuring dark chocolate and burnt meringue, and life got noticeably better.

Let's start with the basics: What makes a wine sweet? The answer is simple -- the amount of residual sugar left after fermentation. Grapes tend to be sweet, after all, and yeast eats sugar to produce (among other things) alcohol. By stalling the fermentation process (or back sweetening the result), a wine can taste sweet, regardless of whether the grape varietal is red or white. (There's also a thing called "noble rot," scientifically known as botrytis cinerea. Although it's a fungus, it imparts a distinctive sweetness to wines and therefore we love it.) Let's visit the wonderful world of sweet red wine.
Sparkling sweet reds: It's a thing

Food & Drink

The ultimate guide to understanding different types of espresso

Every type of espresso you can order

espresso cup

In the early 20th century, Italian businessman Luigi Bezzera first invented the espresso shot that we know today (and I'm sure glad he did). Since then, many coffee lovers and baristas have experimented with other types of espresso that extend beyond a traditional Italian shot. From a long espresso to a short shot, understanding the various types of espresso can make it easier to customize and perfect your next coffee shop order. Here's everything you need to know about the different types of espresso you can order and how each variety is prepared.
Understanding types of espresso

I spoke with Giorgio “Gio” Milos, a master barista at Illycaffe and professor at Illy's Università del Caffè, to learn how experts in the coffee world view the various types of espresso. "All variations of espresso are simply preparation methods for coffee," he said. "Espresso is one of the most complicated methods and requires attention and understanding of the parameters."
Regular shot of espresso
A traditional Italian espresso is made with a blend of different coffees to create a balanced flavor. Milos said that a standard shot of espresso (one ounce) is brewed with 7 to 7.5 grams of fine ground coffee extract under pressure for about 25 to 30 seconds. He describes this as "the heart of coffee."
Doppio (double espresso)
"A double espresso and a doppio are the same thing," said Milos. "Doppio means double in Italian. It is simply two espressos served in a single cup. Double the volume. Espresso machines have a filter to prepare a single or a double."

Food & Drink

What steak is the most tender? A guide to the softest, juiciest cuts

The most tender steaks ranked: Best cuts and cooking tips

Cutting in slices flank steak on wooden cutting board

Steak lovers know that each cut has something to offer, but some cuts are much tougher to work with, literally and figuratively. My first time working with a chuck cut was disastrous because I didn't know that I had to cook it low and slow to make it tender, so I was doomed from the jump because of the cooking technique that I chose. Recognizing these differences between cuts and knowing how to gauge meat tenderness is critical. Some steaks are rich and beefy, while others are prized for their buttery tenderness.

If you’ve ever struggled to slice through a tough piece of meat, you know how important it is to choose the right cut—especially if tenderness is your top priority. So, what steak is the most tender? Let’s break it down, exploring the best cuts, what makes them so soft, and a few expert tips to get optimal tenderness every time you cook.
The undisputed champion: Filet mignon (tenderloin steak)