Editorial TeamYou can never go wrong with a gift of deliciousness even for the most difficult person to buy for on your list! This holiday season we take a look at some wonderful foods and drinks gift ideas to pair up with every astrological sign…
ARIES Traits: honest, direct, highly competitive, knows what they want. Naturally ambition, spontaneous, courageous and have a sense of adventure:
Gift Idea: She’s probably already signed up for every holiday cookie exchange and takes that next level with pretty wrapping and personalized notes attached with sentimental thoughts from the heart. Heck, this sign also probably already owns the best gadgets like every baker’s must-have KitchenAid Stand Mixer. But for a gift, how about a new attachment for her most cherished counter top appliance? There are many available – the Pastry Beater is our current favourite! It helps to make pastry dough with less effort – great for scones, biscuits, empanadas, and more. Attach a hand write your favourite pastry recipe on a holiday card to add to her collection. Bonus points if you include a few homemade biscuits!
The perfect drink to gift your favourite Aries has be a bottle or two of 2018 IRRÉVÉRENCE from Niagara Winery, Pearl Morrissette. They bill this little beauty as “mercurial” and we can’t think of a better word to describe this funky, natural wine that showcases the wineries adventures in skin fermentation. It embodies the courage, the boldness, the willingness to take huge chances and, yes, dare we say, arrogance of people born under the sign of the ram. Like our Aries friends, this wine is also not for everyone.
TAURUS Traits: Homebody, loves to be cozy and cuddle up. Stable, calm and well-rounded. Appreciates beauty. Reliable. Loyal.
Gift Idea: Cozy is the plan and as winter settles in there’s nothing cozier than staying in our fuzzy slippers and big soft sweater with a beautiful robust cup of coffee. We love this Melitta Signature Series Pour Over Coffeemaker perfect for one. Simply pop in a #4 cone coffee filter and add two heaping tablespoons of your favourite Melitta coffee (we love the European Deluxe Roast) and pour boiled water slowly over the grounds for a delicious brew. Various colours available.
GEMINI Traits: Charismatic, smart, funny and curious. Comfortable as both introverts and extroverts. They are adaptable to any situation. Happy to discover something new.
Gift Idea: We turn to ice cream and all that is fun but also with the right ingredients can surprise and change the tone from kiddy to sophisticated. The Ninja Creami has 7 presets to create your own ice creams, milkshakes, sorbets and more. We love the ability to control the sugar and whatever else we put in but what really excites us is the endless possibilities of creating our own flavours. White Chocolate Matcha? Sticky Toffee Pudding ice cream? Ohhhh our minds are swirling! 
CANCER Traits: Drawn to stability. Likes to keep traditions alive. Love old stories. Find comfort in familiarity. Homebody.
Gift Idea: Gardening is a stalwart favourite for any true-Cancerian. Keep the hobby happening throughout the year with a Click and Grow garden pod and light set, allowing them to get a head start on spring, or garnish and enjoy fresh herbs throughout winter.
LEO Traits: Bold, loving and warm. They love the spotlight. Centre of the universe, really. They rule with their hearts. Loves a celebration and loves to be celebrated. VIP treatment but deserving.
Gift Idea: Did someone say VIP? Treat this very worthy Leo with a fabulous Festive Brunch at Cafe Boulud or Festive Afternoon Tea at d|bar, Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. Happening every weekend in December, the experience begins as soon as you enter through the doors of the luxury hotel and step into a winter wonderland. All eyes are on their guests with attentive service that makes everyone feel appreciated and welcomed. 
LIBRA Traits: Naturally looks for the beauty in everything and everyone. Externally they are sophisticated and composed even if internally they feel differently. Craves variety and adventure. Resourceful in finding what inspires.
Gift Idea: Nik Sharma’s second cookbook, The Flavour Equation, will thrill any food obsessed Libra in the house. Drawing from his background in biology, Sharma takes us on a deep dive into the science of taste, showing us how we weave our memories, our emotions and cultural experience with our sense of taste even when we are not aware of it. He shares essays, illustrations, flavour maps and almost 100 amazing recipes that support his seven tastes: brightness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, savoriness (umami) fierceness and richness. This is a must have for every home cook who appreciates the beauty in creating magical meals for the people they love that will also make them think beyond the food. This book is published by Chronicle Books and is available at all major booksellers
SCORPIO Traits: Attracted to what’s beyond the surface. Intense. Passionate. Mysterious. Infinitely complex. Fearless.
Gift Idea: This sign seeks the richer, darker side of life. A pairing of an old world fortified wine like Taylor Fladgate or a Madeira that peers deep into that Scorpio’s soul. Double up with a collection of Green & Black’s Organic and ethically sourced line of premium chocolates that will heighten flavour profiles and surely delight this sign’s constant love for the bittersweet everything in life.
SAGITTARIUS Traits: Explorers. The world is their playground. Loves the unknown. They have an endless quest for knowledge. Always looking for the next thrill.
Gift Idea: Nespresso constantly delivers some of the most interesting roasts. Their limited edition capsules (hello, Blue Mountain from Jamaica) sells out before a whisper is exhaled. If exploring is your thing this bold adventure into the coffee world may just be your ticket. Love a surprise, indulge you Sagittarius mind with the Nespresso Advent Calendar. Honestly it won’t matter which day you begin opening the little pockets (says the person three shots in).
CAPRICORN Traits: Responsible. Mature. Grounded. They desire respect not necessarily admiration. Masters of discipline.
Gift Idea: St. Remy Signature Brandy is a stand out without shouting from the top of the mountain. The new release is smooth, oaky, and confident. This new creation of Master Blender Cécile Roudaut includes a double maturation process. First in new casks and then traditional. The result is a harmony of smooth and fruity notes. Of course, when friends are around, Capricorn is the hostess with the mostest with the ability to adapt effortlessly. This Brandy is also wonderful to explore in cocktails too!
AQUARIUS Traits: Charming. Intriguing. Intelligent. Normal is boring. They love learning about the facts. Likes a little space around them.
Gift idea: Hot sauces make the world go round! We love the variety of local Ontario-made Suzanne’s Hot Stuff! If normal is boring bust up their routine with one of Suzanne’s fired up offerings, including Ghost Pepper- fuego! 🔥
PISCES Traits: Thinks everything is a dream. Romantic. Has no boundaries. Finds it easy to relate to others.
Gift Idea: PEI-native, and award-winning Chef, Charlotte Langley’s company Scout Canning offers fish fans a real reason to celebrate, sustainable and wildly fresh and then preserved, their line of tinned fish come in an array of options and seasonings, and an array of ways to eat ’em. Sign up for a subscription, or gift a beautiful dreamy board and say hello to Seacuterie!
