• On the first day of Christmas – Cucina “Risotto Bag” gift pack, available in three fragrances and less than $20!

• On the second day of Christmas – Aromatherapy Candles the can inspire, stimulate and relax with completely natural fragrances.

• On the third day of Christmas – A New York City dish towels that includes some hand stitching and highlights New York Cities greatest attractions!

• On the forth day of Christmas – Take time for tea with Tea Forte’s Dolce Vita sweet pyramid tea bags, beautifully packaged and creating a true tea experience.

• On the fifth day of Christmas – our friends from Seattle created caramels with a touch of smoked or fleur de sel, salt, now everybody is doing it but they did first and better! Fran’s Chocolates is an original!

• On the Sixth day of Christmas – our friend from Southhampton, New York – Kathleen with her legendary crispy cookie recipe now available with dark chocolate, walnuts, wholewheat floor and glutton free – all from Tate’s Bake Shop.

• On the seventh day of Christmas – Anne Taintor, whose graphics and phrases have humored us for a decade now has a brand new recipe book to be even happier, a cocktail happy hour book.

• On the eighth day of Christmas – from war time England in the early forties comes the phrase, Keep Calm and Carry On, which has many, many applications in our times, and is the perfect complement to a good cup of tea.

• On the ninth day of Christmas – make time for a beer and although you will need a little time to brew it but it sure tastes good home-made – kits from Brooklyn Brew Shop!

• On the tenth day of Christmas – While you are waiting for the beer to brew, our favorite NYC snack from the East Village Red Head Restaurant is Bacon Peanut Brittle, spicy, slightly sweet and smokey – you can not stop.

On the eleventh day of Christmas - Imported from the Aisle of anglesey in northern Wales,  Halon Mon Salt, in original, smoked and with celery, with its clear sea flavor and delicate texture, it is the perfect finishing salt.

• On the twelfth day of Christmas – Butter, sugar and floor with some tweaking, makes for the perfect bit of crunchy sweetness – Shortbread House of Edinburgh is why Scotland is famous for shortbread!

Now it is time to rest and think about next year!

We all at CMB wish you and your family a happy, healthy and of course tasty holiday and New Year.

I thought I would share a little of the behind the scenes process of creating the catalog.

Creating our yearly catalog helps us define and grow our business. We are always on the look out for new and different products – from down the street, to the other side of the world. Creating the catalog forces us to make many decisions about our assortment-what new items to buy and what items to discontinue.

We look to evolve our gifts over time, slight modifications to selected baskets are made each year. This allows us to share our most recent findings with our current customers as well as new customers.   We also have fun developing a new crop of gift each year, this year we have many gifts that feature foods from different geographic regions- such as Brooklyn, New England and California.

Once we decide on the assortment and components in the gifts, we photograph the items. Taking a photo of a gift that includes many components is not always easy – it takes both art and science to get a shot that best represent the item.

The same team has worked together for many years now adding their piece of the puzzle: David the owner traveling to different parts of the world to find food, Mickey Mathis the photographer, and Amy Ashford our graphic designer and myself as the “stage director” making sure all the pieces come together.

Once the photographs are taken, the images are carefully cleaned-up and we go to work on the layout of the catalog, once all the proofs and edits are made the final product is sent to the printing house.

In the below picture, David (owner) and I are setting up the Chelsea Market Bounty basket during one of our photo-shoots.

Some new items we are excited about this are year:

NYC Hot Chocolate- All the best NYC hot chocolate mixes and drinks in one basket.

Brooklyn Boys- Handmade foods all made in the trendy borough of Brooklyn.

Edible New England- Sweet and Savory products all made in New England and boxed in our “new” New England boxes.

California Dreamin- A gift that highlights California and their diverse food culture.

British Tea and Biscuits- From across the Atlantic we have selected the best biscuits, aka cookies for this gift, all boxed up in our modern British box.

Here is a link to our full catalog:
CMB Holiday Catalog 2011 (pdf)

A few of the seasonal items include:

The Madeleine Chocolate Company- A 60 year-old chocolate company that follows a special Swiss formula to create their quality chocolates, CMB carries caramel filled apples, peanut butter covered chocolate pumpkins, Deuets, Double filled chocolate Truffles, which are a unique blend of double filled truffles including, peanut butter & caramel, Milk Truffle & White Truffle, Raspberry & White Truffle and Halloween balls; dark, crisp and milk.   (Ranges between $2.00 to $6.00)

Meri Meri Cupcake Kits- The Meri Meri Halloween Cupcake Kit is a fresh and innovated cupcake decorating kit; including 24-cupcake liners in black and orange, and toppers are designed in Ghost, witch, vampire and skull.   They are cute and will make cupcake decorating fast and easy. ( $11.95)

Farmer’s Popcorn Cob- Craving a little something outside of the Halloween chocolate norm?  This is a fun wholesome straight from the farm treat.   Kids will love watching the corn pop fresh off the cob in the microwave.  ($3.75)

American Spoon Pumpkin Butter- Sweetened with maple sugar and spiced like pumpkin pie, this incredibly popular butter is great on English muffins or toast. American Spoon suggests that you warm the pumpkin butter and service it over ice cream.  ($7.50)

In NYC the weather has changed and harvest is here. CMB celebrates the new season with bold autumn tastes.

One of the items that we are excited about is Süss – Sweets that make you smile.

Homemade in New Hampshire, these caramels came about because friends and family encouraged Tammy Fahey to take her caramels to a local farmers market. After her debut at the farmers market she knew she has something special (We think so too!).

The Süss (Means sweet in German) caramels are made with all natural ingredients; each batch is made by hand, including the pouring, cutting and wrapping. The ¼ lb rolls can be sliced to share or easily kept for your own enjoyment.

They are soft & chewy, but not sticky, so your teeth will be fine… The favors include, pumpkin caramel with sea salt, vanilla & pecan, and cinnamon apple. $8.95 

Doin’ the Pickleña is another hot and cool company from Westport, CT!!!

Coke Anne and Jarvis Wilcox started their pickle company because they would receive delicious jalapeno pickles from a friend every year but always thought there was something missing! They finally realized they weren’t Texan enough.  As a result, they gave their restaurant chef a challenge, to make a Jalapeno Pickle that screamed Texas, and they finally figured it out!

Doin’ the Pickleña is their vision of  perfect pickles, robust combination of sliced pickled Kirby cucumbers with jalapeno, red peppers, and onions.  At CMB we carry both the hot and cool versions; either of these can be used to liven up things, like tuna salad, egg salad, hamburger or a cheese platter.  $9.00 a jar

Sonoma Syrup Co. created in 2002 by life resident of the Sonoma, California, Karin Campion.

She developed the idea for the company when she was experimenting with ingredients from her kitchen garden and simple syrup. Growing up in the region known for world-class blending and ingredients she uses these principles with her syrups.  Hand crafted in small batches, these simple syrups can be used in coffee, tea, cocktails, sorbets, sodas, and lemonades or cooking.

To try this product line, I took home the Grenadine No. 28 and made a Tequila sunrise and of course everyone’s favorite Shirley Temple.  This product did not disappoint, my one Tequila sunrise turned into two…

The Grenadine from Sonoma Syrups uses over 45% pure pomegranate juice.  The syrup is thick with a deep red/brown color, exactly like the outside of a pomegranate.  The syrup is not sweet and taste like the fruit that it is make from but with hints of vanilla.

This is nothing like the red liquid that is passed as Grenadine in your local grocery store.

CMB also carries Sonoma Syrups Co., Olive Juice, Sweet & Sour, Classic Simple Syrup, Mint Infused Simple syrup, Vanilla Bean and Meyer Lemon. Priced between $7.95-$11.95.

Sonoma Syrup Company Website

Scott’s BBQ Sauce
Goldsboro, North Carolina

Scott’s spicy, BBQ mop sauce is truly what it claims to be…an all purpose sauce! The thin texture and strong vinegar base make this a great compliment to barbeque chicken, seafood, and grilled vegetables.  If you like it thin and hot, Scott’s is for you!  For an off the wall recommendation, try using it as a salad dressing for a grilled flank steak, Southwestern-style salad! $3.95

Rufus Teague Made Some Sauce— Touch O’ Heat
Kansas City, Missouri
Touch O’ Heat describes this sauce perfectly.  If you like a touch of heat with your touch of sweet, then this is the sauce for you.  It’s the perfect amount of tanginess to give you spice-lovers the kick you’re looking for without overpowering the flavor of your meat.  The nice thick viscosity also makes this one a great BBQ dipping sauce! $5.95

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que— Sensuous Slathering
Upstate, New York

Just like the Harley riders that created it, this sauce is loud, smoky, spicy and a bit aggressive.  However, under that hard exterior is a tad bit of sweet making this a local must for your serious summer barbequing. Sensuously slather some of this delectable sauce on a rack today and make sure to leave some on the side for dipping. $7.50

The Salt Lick, Original Recipe
Austin, Texas

This is a great traditional, Texas-style BBQ sauce that nicely accentuates the smoky flavor of your barbeque chicken, brisket, pork, and of course, ribs.  The sweet yet spicy mustard-like aroma, coupled with its nice thick texture and subtle tastes of spicy mustard, garlic, onion and Worcestershire sauce will bring conjure up those childhood memories of family grill-outs and neighborhood block parties. $6.50

17th St BBQ Sauce, Original
Murphysboro, IL

Lots of flavors will hit your palate with this award-winning BBQ sauce.  A subtly sweet brown sugar undertone combines with the traditional flavors of ketchup, mustard, vinegar, and Worcestershire to delight your senses. This sauce’s thinner texture helps it really seep into the grooves of the meat providing delicious to-the-bone flavor. It’s no wonder that this sauce has coated the ribs that have earned “Best in the US” status. $6.95

American Spoon Cherry BBQ Sauce
Northern Michigan

This sauce is a great way to creatively experience the taste of Michigan cherries in New York!  The tart of the cherry in this grilling sauce balances out the sweet bringing this perfect Yin and Yang relationship to your summer dishes.  This sauce is a must, must, must for your pork tenderloin.  It also would be great on plump grilled shrimp or even on barbecue duck. $8.50

American Spoon Apple Cider Sauce
Northern Michigan

Like the Cherry BBQ Sauce, American Spoon’s Apple Cider Sauce is another great way to experience the fruit of Michigan all the way over here on the East Coast.  This is definitely for those desiring a sweet sensation. The roasted onions give this marinade a unique and addicting flavor making this a sauce you can use on just about anything! $8.50

After an intense day of tasting, we have two winners in the CMB Cross-Country BBQ Sauce Off. The results were based on trying each sauce on pulled pork, that was slow cooked in orange juice, scoring them on a scale of 1 thur 3- the bbq sauce with the highest average won the round.

In the first round of tasting:

• 1st place: Michigan’s American Spoon Cherry BBQ Grilling Sauce.
• 2nd place was Rufus Teague’s Touch of Heat
• 3rd place was North Carolina’s Scott’s Barbecue.

In the second round:

• 1st place: New York’s upstate contender, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
• 2nd place: Texas’ Salt Lick Original
• 3rd place: 17th Street BBQ Sauce from Murphysboro, IL

Apparently CMB tasters like their sauces sweet or smoky.

“Keep Calm and Carry On” -perfect for teachers, its fun, witty and will remind them to just do that on the tough days…

Tea  makes an ideal gift, it promotes health and relaxation, Kusmi tea has unique blends that are packaged beautifully.

Send some happiness to that special teacher…

Perfect gift for that teacher, who’s a foodie too!

Know of a graduate that loves food?  Express how proud you are of their accomplishments by sending one of our delicious and filling gifts.



All gifts can be picked up in store or ordered online at www.chelseamarketbaskets.com

Céline Legros, a French business lawyer-turned- New York Baker, has introduced a line of French style mini pastries.  Using an old family recipe as her foundation, Céline adds her own unique twist.

Originally, from South West of France Canelés , these delicious treats are made of crepe batter and slowly cooked at very high temperatures, which causes the outsides to become caramelized and the inside to stay deliciously moist.  Flavors include vanilla, orange, lemon, lime and rum.

Finaciers are small mini French almond teacakes, similar to a sponge cake, usually contains some type of almonds, if it’s crushed, sliced or flavoring. These small cakes are light, moist and normally molded in a rectangle pan. Many say that the cakes are popular because they look like little bricks of gold. Céline has introduced her Financiers in 4 different flavors; plain, chocolate chip, almond and raspberry.

Don’t forget about Mother’s Day, this would be such a treat for that special woman in your life.

Falernum is syrup used in Caribbean and tropical drinks, it contains more savory spices including nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and allspice($7.95). Great with rum based drinks, the consistency is thick with a translucent white color and with a concentrated flavor, a few dashes will do.

This drink syrup was developed in the 18^th century and has been sited in recipes from the 1890’s.  Famous Drinks that include Falernum includes: Bermuda Rum Swizzle, Jet Pilot, Captian’s Blood Cocktail, Key Cocktail, White Lion and Zombie.

White Lion Recipe:

Several Dashes of Fee Brother’s Angostura Bitters

Several Dashes of Raspberry Syrup

½ oz Falernum

1 1/2 Oz. Dark Rum

1 Oz. Lemon Juice

Mixing instructions:

Mix all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

The company perceives chocolate as a form of art in which they are pushing the limits by creating unknown and unique combinations.  The chocolates are handmade and gift wrapped under the watchful eye of the chocolatiers.  Prestat takes pride in how the chocolate is presented, their goal is to have the packaging as beautiful as the chocolate inside. The packaging is bright and colorful, but it is no competition to the chocolate that waits inside.
We have some of their top sellers, including:

Champagne Dark Truffles: These are seriously a chocolate indulgence, sugar dusted dark chocolate truffles are filled with handmade ganache which includes dark chocolate, cream, butter and Marc de Champagne Liqueur.

Pink Champaign Truffles: Sugar-dusted Pink Chocolate filled with a ganache that combines dark chocolate and Marc de Champagne Liqueur. $19.95

Banoffee Truffles: White chocolate truffle filled with soft caramel infused with real banana, then drizzled with dark chocolate that is lightly flavored with dark chocolate. $19.95

Velvety Milk Chocolate Wafers English Earl Grey Tea:  Rich milk chocolate infused the floral notes of Earl Gray Tea. $19.95

Prestate Milk Chocolate Bar:  Velvety smooth contains 32% coco from Africa coco beans.  $2.95

We are so impressed with these chocolates; we have included them in some of our gift baskets for the 2010-2011 holiday season.  Basket will be available starting next month, check our website for updates.