1. Real Tomato Ketchup from Jme Jamie Oliver; 2. Macarons from Pierre Hermé; 3. Rose Vanilla Marshmallows from Whimsy & Spice; 4. Kusmi Christmas Tea; 5. Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil from Farrington Oils; 6. West Country Cheese Selection from Neal’s Yard Dairy; 7. Signature Classic Collection from Hotel Chocolat; 8. Cupcakes from The Hummingbird Bakery; 9. Watermelon Jelly from That’s my Jam; 10. Château Léoube rosé from Daylesford Organic

But oh, what a beautiful one. Kusmi, a 140-year-old company with its origins in Russia but head office in Paris, certainly makes a beautiful product. The brightly coloured, mildly baroque tins are lovely to look at, and the fact that each variety has a unique design makes you want to collect them all (hmm, someone went to Marketing 101…). If their multitude of fans are to be believed, the tea itself is delicous, too.

Which is why I’ve finally taken the plunge and ordered myself an Essentials sampler pack. I plan to use the 24 teabags (2 each of the 12 best-selling blends) to suss out which flavours I like best, and they can go on my Christmas list. Perhaps my own charmingly-styled countertop is not too far off!

It’s not just covetable foodstuffs around here, either. I like the Ampersand, Antique Key and Rainy Day Blues designs, too.

Chocolate Chili Cashew Biscotti:

Rose and Black Pepper Thumbprints:

Homemade Cardamom Marshmallows:

Honey Lavender Shortbread Cookies:

Deluxe Whimsy & Spice Gift Box:

If you’re interested in these lovely images sans calories, the couple also plans to open a photography shop, Sweet Fine Day, soon.

Welcome to the Kitchenisms Holiday Gift Guide 2009, a week-long extravaganza of cool present ideas for the holiday season. Each day has a different theme, and I try to include both stocking stuffers and big-ticket items. You’ll find a mix of new finds and favourites from the archives here, all stuff I’d love to find under the tree on the 25th!

What do foodies really like? Nope, it’s not a trick question- the answer is food! While pretty art, vintage kitchen goodies, practical equipment and handmade treasures are wonderful, they each require that the receiver actually step into the kitchen to enjoy them. Why not do away with any hint of responsibility and give the gift of taste and luxury instead? Artisan chocolate, retro sweets and homemade foodie gifts make great stocking stuffers- read on for my favourite ideas.

Those in the UK will know of Hope and Greenwood, purveyor of adorably packaged retro sweets. They’ve got a great selection of Christmas goodies, of which I especially like the Turkish Delight Kilner Jar, British Truffle Selection, Jolly Big Coin and Toffee Snowballs:

For the design-centric chocolate lover, I like the London startup Curious Chocolate. With labels printed on graph paper and lettering inspired by vintage letterpresses, it looks as good as it tastes. Dark is classic, but I’d go for the Crystallized Ginger:

Not all edible gifts have to be sweet- last year I was lucky enough to find a spice kit from Epices de Cru in my stocking. This Montreal-based company sells spices from around the world, all of incredible quality. The Spices 101 is a no-brainer, but I’ve got my eye on the Thai and Indonesian Kit:

Foodzie is the Etsy of the foodie world; thanks to this site, small artisan producers have access to the global marketplace. Maybe it’s just because it’s movie night around here, but I think this 5-box Popcorn Sampler from San Francisco-based 479° Popcorn would make a great gift:

Jams, condiments and preserves are a classic gift, and Foodzie shop Quince and Apple has some beautiful looking ones. This Shallot Confit with Red Wine would be my pick:

If you’re the crafty-and-foodie type yourself, why not try something homemade? Martha Stewart is always a great source for gift ideas, for both recipes and packaging. I love the look of these Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies in a jar:

Apples by Ti.mo:

one hundred and ninety five from Miss Baker:

cranberry sauce by sean dreilinger:

farmer’s market haul by rachellake:

red pears from Cpt. Obvious:

Nuts & Berries by Delkarm:

These lovely meal shots, titled working breakfast and end of the day, are from the Food photoset of rachellake. I’m also loving Rachel’s blog and Etsy shop.