Best Food Gifts of 2017, According to NorthJersey.com

Best Food Gifts of 2017, According to NorthJersey.com

The season of stylish 2017 gift-giving trends continues here on “Design Your Lifestyle”! In this article, we feature another wonderful list of gifts for the 2017 holiday season – this time, centered around food, the kitchen and kitchen design.

The list, compiled by NorthJersey.com (part of the USA Today Network), is a fine collection of food items, pantry items, cutlery, glassware and sweets. Much like the previous list we featured, we selected Esther Davidowitz’s piece for its scope of options, selective nature and inclusivity (there’s a little something for everyone on your list). Ms. Davidowitz serves as the Food Editor for NorthJersey.com, and her expertise certainly shines here.

Try a pickle subscription as a cool 2017 holiday gift idea! (Photo credit: Wiki Commons)
Try a pickle subscription as a cool 2017 holiday gift idea! (Photo credit: Wiki Commons)

For the rest of Esther Davidowitz’s wonderful list of 2017 holiday food and kitchen gift ideas, please visit her full article on NorthJersey.com!

We’ll admit a little bias – as we’re based in northern New Jersey, this list is of particular appeal to us. Each item on the list is created by a local artisan, shop or chef in the northern NJ area. However, that doesn’t exclude the rest of you – a majority of these items are available to buy online, or to ship directly to you through the individual storefront or merchant.

The intent of this article is not only to inform holiday gift buyers, but to support local business and small businesses during the 2017 holiday season – a concept we absolutely love. As Esther Davidowitz explains in the opening to her article:

Of course you can show your appreciation with a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers, but if your host is a food lover (isn’t everyone?) consider giving a food gift. Not just any food, but rather a treat that isn’t just delicious but also made in North Jersey. This way you can nourish your host and support your local businesses simultaneously.

That’s the kind of smart, stylish thinking that we can get behind when it comes to 2017 Christmas shopping and holiday shopping in general, Esther!

Here are a few of our favorite gems from Ms. Davidowitz’s list of 2017 food gifts and kitchen gifts, as featured on NorthJersey.com.

Selections from Esther Davidowitz’s 2017 Food Gift Ideas

1. Pickle Subscriptions from Pickle-icious

We know this one made you look twice – and that’s why we love it. Never mind that Pickle-licious is well-known in northern New Jersey as a go-to for pickle lovers – the store ships nationwide and offers a variety of pickle options in 3 and 6-month subscriptions. Pickle-icious offers subscriptions in quart and gallon sizes as well. What’s not to love?

2. Essie Spice Blends, Essie Spice

Essie Spice Blends are a tremendous way to introduce yourself to the flavors of west Africa in a genuine way. Owner Essie Bartels grew up in Ghana and sources all of her core spice blend ingredients from west Africa directly. Essie’s spice blends have achieved enough acclaim to be available in northern NJ Shoprite and Whole Foods locations – so they certainly have a place in the kitchen of any adventurous, flavor-loving cook.

3. Custom Handmade Cutlery, EDGES Custom Cutlery

EDGES Custom Cutlery Sommelier Collection, 2017.
EDGES Custom Cutlery Sommelier Collection, 2017.

Avid readers of “Design Your Lifestyle” already know all about our obsession with EDGES Custom Cutlery, one of the finest unique, hand-crafted cutlery houses in the United States. Rather than talking about the EDGES collections again here, check out what we’ve said about them in the recent past!

4. Chocolate Ganache Leather Notebook, Sook Pastry

Sook Pastry’s “The Notebook” isn’t just another chocolate gift assortment for the holidays. “It’s a gift of a lifetime,” owner Izzy Yanay told Esther Davidowitz in her article. Not only do you get a beautiful assortment of chocolate ganache pieces, but you receive them in a stunning faux-leather memory box that you can re-purpose after eating your treats!

For the rest of Esther Davidowitz’s wonderful list of 2017 holiday food and kitchen gift ideas, please visit her full article on NorthJersey.com!

NorthJersey.com | Top 5 Kitchen Designs for Chefs

NorthJersey.com | Top 5 Kitchen Designs for Chefs

Laura Adams Stiansen of NorthJersey.com recently ranked the “Top 5 New Jersey Kitchens Designed for a Chef (or chef at heart)” – and we love her list!

Laura’s list of featured designers is a high-class “Who’s Who” of kitchen designers and kitchen design firms. From Peter Salerno Inc. to Ulrich, Kitchen Kaboodle to Anthony Albert Studios and Kuche+Cucina, these design firms (and their kitchen designs) have left both professional chefs and enthusiastic, serious home cooks in awe.

The contractors featured on these designs, in no order, are Kuche+Cucina, Anthony Vero, Ulrich, Jim Van Orden, and Ulrich.

Peter Salerno Inc. kitchen design featured by NorthJersey.com. (Photo: Peter Rymwid)
Peter Salerno Inc. kitchen design featured by NorthJersey.com. (Photo: Peter Rymwid)

Laura Adams Stiansen’s list of kitchen designs piqued our interest due to its attention to detail and appeal to multiple types of consumers, chefs and families. Her featured kitchen designs include “For a growing family”, “for a rising culinary creator”, and “for the master chef”.

From Laura’s introduction to this article:

Whether your family is growing from four to five or if your new hobby is creating innovative dishes with the ingredients you have on hand — having the right tools in your kitchen is important. Space, shelving and high-end appliances are all pieces that need to fit together to create the perfect kitchen.

The designers of these world-class chef’s kitchen designs were happy to speak regarding their creations.

“The best part of this project was the collaboration with the owners,” Peter Salerno stated to the author. “They are artistic, and were not afraid to go with something edgy. They listened to my ideas and asked how we could bring it up a notch.”

“I feel it’s always best that we get involved before construction begins to be certain all the client’s wants and needs can be met,” Anthony Passanante of Anthony Albert Studios added.

For more on these amazing kitchen designs created with chefs and avid cooks in mind, please check out the full article on NorthJersey.com!

Peter Salerno Inc. Featured in “Hot Design Trends” News Article

Peter Salerno Inc. Featured in “Hot Design Trends” News Article

Find Out Why Peter Salerno Inc. Is A Hot Designer in 2015

(Editor’s note: Thanks to Nancy Kearney, staff writer at New Jersey’s “The Record” newspaper, as well as NorthJersey.com and photographer Peter Rymwid for the creation of the original feature piece.)

Decorating with fresh flowers (especially lavender) is a hot 2015 design trend.
Decorating with fresh flowers (especially lavender) is a hot 2015 design trend.

Earlier this year, Peter Salerno and the Peter Salerno Inc. team were featured by The Record (one of New Jersey’s most notable and highly-circulated newspapers) in an outstanding design piece by staff writer Nancy Kearney.

The article, entitled “Hot design trends for kitchens”, focused on key kitchen design elements for transitional kitchens as well as trending design elements for kitchen updates. Nancy took the time from her busy schedule to reach out to Peter Salerno for a few quotes about transitional kitchen design and how to balance trends with a look you can love for years to come.

A quote from the article, which can be found at this original link (read it to find out more hot kitchen design trends for 2015!):

Shapes and materials are evolving, says Salerno, who has incorporated items such as leather, coconut shells, antique mirrors or reclaimed tin ceilings into the backsplash. In this way, the backsplash “becomes a piece of art,” he says.

Many thanks to Nancy Kearney, The Record, NorthJersey.com and photographer Peter Rymwid for all their contributions to this wonderful article, as well as congratulations to the other designers featured in the piece!

Want to speak to Peter Salerno personally about a transitional kitchen design for your own home? Contact Peter Salerno Inc. today by filling out the form below or calling (201) 251-6608.