Fresh peach jam in a clean jelly jar, ribbon completely optional. Banana bread in a simple Ziploc bag with a quick Sharpied message beats a pair of earrings or trinket-y souvenir any day.
I’m quick to jump in the kitchen and make my famous granola bars any time I hear someone is going through a rough patch. I deliver them in simple Kraft paper bags with a very brief note.
I’ve also been on the receiving end of some pretty brilliant food gifts. When I had my twins, we had an onslaught of food delivered to our home to help us celebrate and ease the responsibility of feeding my older kids. The dishes were as varied as they were appreciated.
There was Colombian black beans and rice and ground beef flautas, a chicken and mushroom dish with snappy green beans, your token lasagnas and macaroni and cheeses, and a chili mac dish that the kids loved. Seeing a bit of what people cook is a personal extension of themselves, sort of vulnerable in a way.
Eating is so deeply personal that there is no way to determine if the recipients will love your food or not, but it is the simple act of giving it that matters. Even the dishes that weren’t my favorite didn’t change the amount I appreciated them.
I also strongly believe in a food gift in the event of a hostess ‘thank you.’ It doesn’t require the host to pause and find a vase and arrange a bouquet on the fly. They don’t add to the clutter in the hosting house. Perhaps it’s because I have four kids, but the last thing I need is another something on my counter or book shelf.
Consumables solve this problem in the event that your recipient has a similar aversion to the accumulation of more somethings.
If you are looking for something to bring a friend, it can be as simple as something you make regularly, like a jar of your Sunday night marinara. Or, it can be something that is spiked with a little heritage, in my case a Swedish Coffee Cake, a yeasted sweet bread kissed with cardamom.
Snacks are also very versatile, and require no preparation or refrigeration on the receiving side, making them the perfect, thoughtful doorstep drop.
After years of delivering countless edible gifts for all manners of celebrations or sadness, I’ve determined that quiche is actually the most perfect package. There are a couple of reasons it works so well.
First, it can be eaten for breakfast, snack, lunch or dinner. This works so well for a new mom or anyone whose schedule might be temporarily chaotic, which is often the case when a food gift is required.
Second, it’s easily portioned. Imagine the ease with which you could say, “just go cut yourself a slice and put it in the microwave for one minute” when a child or partner voices a hunger complaint. It doesn’t even really require a plate or two hands.
Third, it’s a complete meal on it’s own — but, add some cut fruit or a salad and it checks every box. It has protein, healthy fats, fiber and some carbohydrates.
And lastly, I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like it. Just yesterday my 17-year-old son had four pieces.
Aside from my granola bars, and maybe that citrus cake from a few columns back; this is my most requested delivery.
Yes, maybe it’s my unbendable Midwestern roots that can’t resist the pull of a meal drop-off. But, unlike a heavy casserole or sugar-forward baked good — this spinach quiche is a perfectly balanced eat-alone or make-it-a-meal moment your friends, whatever the occasion, will be looking for. Add a salad with homemade dressing and a bag of chocolate chip cookies if, like me, you just can’t not.
”But First, Food” columnist Whitney Kling is a recipe developer who lives in southwest Ohio with her four kids and a cat and is developing a food memoir that’s ever-nearing completion. If she’s not playing tennis or at a yoga class, she’s in the kitchen creating something totally addictive — and usually writing about it.
SPINACH QUICHE
1 pie crust, homemade or store bought (I use Martha Stewart’s pâte brisée recipe)
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
⅓ cup whole milk
4 eggs, beaten
1 16 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
½ cup finely shredded sharp white cheddar (I use Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar)
6 green onions, just the green part, sliced
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Roll out your pie dough and press into a pie pan.
- With a hand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese and slowly add the milk.
- To this mixture add the eggs, spinach, cheese, onions, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake for about 25 minutes. The crust should be golden and the filling should be firm.
About the Author