Editable Gifts, a Click or a Call Away

By Marian Burros, The New York Times, November 24, 1999

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WHAT started as a trickle of mail-order food sources on the Internet last year has turned into a torrent, making it difficult to sort out the delicious from the dreary.

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So this year, instead of just thumbing through catalogs and magazines and taking suggestions from friends, colleagues and perfect strangers, I have also prowled the Web to seek out the best food gifts for the holidays. With few exceptions I did not find much that is newer or better than I would have by my old methods, but my searching and test-shopping could save you time.

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Most of the 24 mail-order sources listed below have their own Web sites, but not all of them are interactive. Some simply provide a little information and direct the shopper to order by e-mail, phone or fax.

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And when they do, they are not always better than good old catalogs. Some sites take so long to navigate that you could drive to the store and be back with your purchases before you've found what you want online. Often the quality of the photos is poor.

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In ordering online, be careful when giving credit-card information. You know you are in a secure area when the URL box in your browser reads ''https'' instead of ''http.''

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And be sure to get a confirmation on your order, either on the Web site itself or by e-mail. In some of my dealings companies said they never received the order. And I never received the food.

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The Web sites are all still too primitive to deal with custom orders. If they offer a gift basket with five items and you want five different items, you will still have to phone the company or e-mail it to see if something special can be created just for you.

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Some of the sites, like ChefShop.com, which has unusual and excellent food, do not even have a place where the buyer can provide special instructions for delivery, like ''leave at front door without signature.''

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Sometimes it is not easy to find what you want. Grace's Marketplace is located at fultonstreet.com, and to find Grace's you have to click on three different places. What's more, a panettone ordered directly from Grace's is much less expensive than the same panettone ordered on the Web.

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At one Web site I kept checking a quicker -- and more expensive -- form of delivery but to no avail. I finally had to call the company, making double work.

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If you want something delivered by a certain date, always phone. If a Web site has no warehouse, the order goes to a middleman, adding time to delivery.

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In shopping I found that no single system worked all the time or was as fast as the phone. Until there is someone at the other end who can instantly answer questions, the Internet will never be better. On the other hand, if you like to order at 3 a.m., the Web is the perfect medium.

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Here are my choices of food gifts for the holidays. Unless otherwise noted, orders can be placed on the Web site, and shipping is extra. The last date orders are accepted for Christmas delivery is included.

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The oatmeal cookies from the BELLOWS HOUSE BAKERY -- are so buttery and packed with plump raisins they could pass for homemade. Two-plus pounds, $30.90, including shipping.

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P.O. Box 818, Walpole, N.H. 03608; (800) 358-6302; bhbakery@sover.net; cutoff, Dec. 17.

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Unless you catch your own, there is no better way to sample exquisitely fresh seafood than by ordering from BROWNE TRADING --. Sweet, delicate peekytoe crab is $9.50 for seven ounces; Maine sea scallops (after Dec. 1) are $25 a pound, and sushi-grade yellowfin tuna is $36 for two pounds.

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260 Commercial Street, Portland, Me. 04101; (800) 944-7848; www.Browne-Trading.com; orders: markgrobman@browne-trading.com; cutoff, Dec. 20.

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CHEFSHOP.COM -- has excellent taste: Any or all of these selections would make someone happy. The English Biscuit Sampler, containing Duchy biscuits bearing the stamp of Prince Charles, is $18.99 for one seven-ounce box each of ginger, almond and lemon flavors. June Taylor's Mostly Marmalade Basket contains one jar each of delightfully tart organic grapefruit and Meyer lemon marmalade (11 ounces), blood-orange marmalade and Santa Rosa plum Conserve (8 ounces each) for $32.99. The Peanut Sauce Basket holds two 11.5-ounce jars of Vong spicy peanut sauce, for $19.99. And LuLu's Gift Basket for the Cook, by Restaurant LuLu in San Francisco, contains one each of a smoky romesco sauce, peppery roasted tomato harissa and intense olive tapenade, each in a six-ounce jar, plus one each of the restaurant's delightfully perfumed white truffle and lavender honeys, in nine-ounce jars, for $44.95.

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1435 Elliot Avenue West, Seattle 98119; (877) 337-2491; www.chefshop.com; orders: shopkeeper@chefshop.com; cutoff, Dec. 15.

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CHEESECAKE MOMMA -- makes organic cheesecakes for people who didn't think they liked cheesecakes. The berry, pumpkin and espresso, all with cookie crusts, are not too sweet but exceptionally creamy. A six-inch cake is $32; a nine-inch cake, $47; both include shipping.

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200 Henry Street, Ukiah, Calif. 95482; (707) 462-2253; momma@pacific.net; cutoff, Dec. 16.

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For sheer indulgence no one beats D'ARTAGNAN --. Its goose liver terrine, silky and rich, comes in 9.5-ounce or 1 1/2-pound sizes at $75 a pound. A 3.5-ounce container of butter thickly studded and perfumed with black truffles is $6.50. Nine ounces of the perfect breakfast sausages made with chicken and dried apples is $5.95. Orders over $200 are shipped free.

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280 Wilson Avenue, Newark 07105; (800) 327-8246; www.dartagnan.com; orders:christine@dartagnan.com; cutoff, Dec. 20.

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A tea cake made with Meyer lemons and buttermilk from DIVINE DELIGHTS -- would be just right after one of those overindulgent holiday dinners. A two-and-a-half-pound cake is $31.50, including shipping.

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24 Digital Drive, Suite 10, Novato, Calif. 94949; (800) 443-2836; divinede@wenet.net; cutoff, Dec 20.

For the jaded palate, the FANCY FOODS GOURMET CLUB -- is offering smoked salmon either pastrami-style or flavored with pesto, each $20 a pound.

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330E North Stonestreet Avenue, Rockville, Md. 20850; (800) 576-3548; www.ffgc.com; orders: ffgc@ffgc.com; cutoff, Dec 12.

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Panettone is the traditional Italian Christmas yeast bread, and GRACE'S MARKETPLACE -- offers one that is very fresh, sweet and filled with raisins and fruit. On the Web site, a 1 pound 10 ounce panettone is $19.95; ordered directly from Grace's, it is $12.50.

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1237 Third Avenue (71st Street), New York 10021; (888) 472-2371; www.fultonstreet.com (click on ''gourmet grocer,'' then ''sweets, coffees and teas''); cutoff, Dec. 21.

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THE GRATEFUL PALATE -- provides lemon or lime curd, deeply flavored with bits of peel, that tastes like homemade. Each jar weighs 6.5 ounces and costs $7.95.

601 Del Norte Boulevard, Unit G, Oxnard, Calif. 93030; (888) 472-5283; www.gratefulpalate.com; order@gratefulpalate.com; cutoff, Dec. 15.

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The many fine choices from GREATFOOD.COM -- include addictive Killer Pecans with a spicy kick (a 16-ounce tin for $22.50); superb Muscovy duck breast (either drake at 1.7 to 1.9 pounds for $40.50 or duck at 14 to 16 ounces for $48.95); chunks of creamy Danish blue cheese in delightfully herbed oil (six 10.5-ounce jars, $25.95); and a 6.5-ounce jar of smooth and lemony artichoke lemon pesto with a five-ounce package of dipping crackers for $13.50.

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2731 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle 98102; (800) 841-5984; www.greatfood.com; orders: customerservice@greatfood.com; cutoff for perishables, Dec. 17; nonperish ables, Dec. 10.

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Now you don't have to live in California to enjoy the sweet and delightfully perfumed Meyer lemons from KATZ & COMPANY --. Two pounds in a handsome 13-inch Italian ceramic bowl decorated with lemons cost $49, zester included. Katz also sells a 12.7-ounce bottle of organic Meyer lemon olive oil, to drizzle on salads or to use as a simple marinade, for $18.

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101 South Coombs Street, Suite Y-3, Napa, Calif. 94559; 800-676-7176; www.katzandco.com; cutoff, Dec. 15.

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LINDA GRISHMAN CHOCOLATES -- combines dark rich chocolate with bits of espresso beans in irresistible Dashing Through the Snow crunch bars. A package of 12 is $28.90, including shipping.

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P.O. Box 4513, Burlington, Vt. 05406; (800) 862-5814; www.vermontchocolate.com; cutoff, Dec. 17.

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Sirloin strip steaks from MICHAEL JORDAN'S: THE STEAK HOUSE -- are incredibly tender and well aged, with a nice beefy flavor. Four one-pound steaks in an insulated reusable bag are $84.

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23 Vanderbilt Avenue (in Grand Central Terminal), New York 10017; (877) 271-2323; cutoff, Dec. 23; for Manhattan delivery, Dec 24.

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A tomato-rosemary goat cheese tart from PATISSERIE LAMBERT -- makes a sophisticated hors d'oeuvre or first course. The flaky crust is filled with a light coating of goat cheese studded with walnuts and topped with sun-dried tomatoes. A nine-inch tart is $20. For a dessert, Patisserie Lambert sells a chocolate-Framboise tart, made with a touch of raspberry puree and one of the best chocolates available, Valrhona. This eight-inch round of decadence is $34.

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457 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, Calif. 94941; (415) 389-1977; www.patisserielambert.com; orders: sarahlamb@earthlink.net; cutoff, Dec 20.

You cannot go wrong with any confection from PAYARD --, but try the simple handmade truffles, the chocolate so intense that the flavor keeps on giving. A package of 40 pieces, weighing about one pound, is $30.

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1032 Lexington Avenue (74th Street), New York 10021; (877) 972-9273; www.payard.com; cutoff, Dec. 21.

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French Roast and Italian Roast from PEET'S COFFEE AND TEA -- have deep, rich aromas with flavors to match. They're available either as beans or custom ground for $10.95 a pound.

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1400 Park Avenue, Emeryville, Calif. 94608; (800) 999-2132; www.peets.com; mailorder@peets.com; cutoff, Dec. 10.

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The rustic apple galette from PLAZA SWEETS -- is much better than mom's apple pie, but you could pass it off as hers. It has a buttery sugar dough crust and juicy chunks of apple that are just sweet enough. A 10-inch galette serves about 10 and costs $38.95, including shipping.

521 Waverly Avenue, Mamaroneck, N.Y. 10543; (800) 816-8416; cutoff, Dec 21.

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The salt-and-vinegar chips from ROUTE 11 POTATO CHIPS -- are intense and irresistible. A can filled with one and a half pounds is $20, including shipping. The sweet-potato chips at $26 would be great with ham or turkey.

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Box 351, Middletown, Va. 22645; (800) 294-7783; cutoff, Dec 15.

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SAYERSBROOK BISON RANCH -- sells all cuts of bison, which is much lower in fat and calories than beef but has just as much flavor. The ranch also has turned the meat into deliciously seasoned dishes, like two 18-ounce packages of pasta sauce, $23.95; hunter's stew, $23.95 for four pounds; and chili, $28.95 for four pounds. Ground bison to make fabulous hamburgers costs $29.95 for four pounds.

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P.O. Box 10, Potosi, Mo. 63664; (888) 472-9377; www.sayersbrook.com; orders@sayersbrook.com; cutoff, Dec 17.

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Free-range veal from SUMMERFIELD FARM -- may be pinker than other specialty veal, but it also has a much meatier flavor and a wonderful tender but firm texture. Loin chops, packed two to a package and each weighing about 10 ounces, are $55 for four, including shipping.

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10044 James Monroe Highway, Culpeper, Va. 22701; (800) 898-3276; sfp@mnsinc.com; cutoff, Dec. 16.

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Wheels of VERMONT SHEPHERD -- cheese have a sweet, earthy flavor and come in wooden boxes. Each weighs about 6, 8 or 10 pounds; they are sold in half or whole wheels for $16.50 a pound. Shipping to New York and New England is $7; shipping elsewhere varies.

875 Patch Road, Putney, Vt. 05346; (802) 387-4473; www.vermontshepherd.com; orders: vtshephrd@sover.net; cutoff, Dec. 13.

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Baked Potato Thins from WILLIAM POLL -- turned out to be more popular than potato chips at my house. They are thicker than chips and great for spreads or dips. Three four-ounce packages cost $25, including shipping.

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1051 Lexington Avenue (75th Street), New York 10021; (212) 288-0501; wpollny@aol.com; cutoff, Dec. 15.

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Tender organic lamb and slightly sharp organic sheep cheese are both sold by WILLOW HILL FARM -- in Vermont. Rack of lamb, weighing a little over one pound, is $8.50 a pound; boneless legs are $7 a pound and weigh two and a half to four pounds. The cheese sells for $16 a pound; the minimum order is two 12-ounce wheels.

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313 Hardscrabble Road, Milton, Vt. 05468; (802) 893-2963; www.sheepcheese.com; orders: willowsmart@worldnet.att.net; cutoff, Dec. 10.

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Snappy, spicy gingersnaps baked by volunteers to benefit a group for the mentally disabled in Texas are sold by WILLOW RIVER FARMS --. A 16-ounce tin is $15, and a 23-ounce tin is $25.

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3550 West Dallas, Houston 77019; (800) 939-3720, except in Texas; in Texas, (713) 525-8468; www.gingersnaps.org; alicia@home.hern.org; cutoff, Dec. 12.

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A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 24, 1999, Section F, Page 9 of the National edition with the headline: Edible Gifts, a Click or a Call Away.

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