Whether you’re looking for stocking stuffers, thoughts for distant relatives, or the blow-out impressive gift for your significant other, Casa Mia has you covered. With our own passions in mind we decided to compile a personally curated holiday gift guide.
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This year––I don’t need to tell you––has been difficult on so many levels. Some of the few moments of comfort were associated with sharing my love of cheese. Here is a personally curated list of my top 3 favorite cheese lover’s utensils.
- Cheese Knife – A good cheese knife is a must in every connoisseur’s kitchen. This serrated forged steel knife is perfect for soft-ripened as well as harder cheeses; the spear tip stabs the slice, and the sloped bolster furthermore provides comfortable grip.
- Italian olive wood cheese board – These live edge wood slab cheese boards are one of a kind. Each piece is a work of art and no two are the same; each has its own unique colors and wood grain patterns.
- Girolle – Create beautiful Tête de Moine cheese petals with this stainless steel girolle and bring your cheese board game to the next level. This set includes a wooden base holding a stainless steel axle on which the spinning scraper attached. Pro tip: can be used for blocks of chocolate, too!
Wishing you all a safe and festive holiday season with abundant amounts of cheese!
–– Eleonora
One of our favorite Italian destinations awaits!
Explore the culinary delights of Emilia-Romagna with our exclusive tours in Bologna and Parma. Discover the rich flavors of Parmigiano, prosciutto, and balsamic vinegar in Parma, or join a cooking class at Casa Mia.
In Bologna, immerse yourself in the vibrant market scene, enjoy an aperitivo, or dine with a local. Tailored and custom experiences ensure a unique adventure, blending history, culture, and gastronomy.
Whether savoring local specialties or exploring vineyards, these tours promise an unforgettable taste of Italy.
Join us and let the beauty of Emilia-Romagna awaken your soul.
Always look on the bright side of life… Sharing my travels around Italy through wine tastings and being able to take people to vineyards that I’ve visited and “introduce” them to wine producers at a distance has been an awesome challenge. The reward: seeing familiar faces for our monthly wine and cheese appointment. Thank you to all the lovely wine lovers who I’ve come to know thanks to our online tastings. You continue to be a light in this storm. Here are a few wine gift suggestions from yours truly. Cheers!
- Be ready for our monthly wine and cheese appointment with a set of 4 tasting glasses.
- A wine saver pump and stoppers are a must have for wine lovers who enjoy opening different bottles of wine over dinner and don’t want to worry about the wine spoiling. With a wine saver pump you can extend the life of the wine for about a week, if the wine lasts that long!
This too shall pass… looking forward to seeing you in person very soon. In the meantime, let’s raise a glass to health, laughter, family, friends and life. Peace to all over the holidays and in the new year. #wineislovetoo
–– Gina
Silver linings… they are what have kept me focused, driven, and wanting to put on real pants – well most days. Making pasta with our Casa Mia community these past few months has been THE saving grace for me. So thank you to all my Pastafarians who have joined a fresh pasta class with me this year. Below are my must haves for the Pastafarians in your life.
- Not a right hand man, but quite literally my right hand when making pasta. A dough scraper makes life so. much. easier. Overstatement? Maybe. But they are a wonder for whatever flour inspired endeavor you or your loved one, finds yourself in. And…they are amazing for cleaning up residue on surfaces too.
- A wooden surface is a must have for pasta making. I dream of the day when I will have a massive wooden table devoted simply to flour and water…until then I highly endorse a large wooden cutting board. The relationship between this surface and pasta dough is magical.
- My modeling debut and swan song all in one. This apron… I can’t even explain how much happiness it brings. Food is love. That is the Casa Mia way. This apron embodies this sentiment. You feel it when you put it on. Plus it has pockets. Just saying.
2020 was/is hard. But find your silver linings. They are there. Peace and love to you all during this holiday season and beyond.
–– Carolyn
And what about the food? In addition to our favorite “toys” we’re here to also help you put Italy on the table.
Stress-free online shopping, impeccably friendly and helpful customer service, not to mention the best Italian food products in all of America. And you can have all this delivered to your door!
Click here for our favorite tried-and-true food products from our NYC friends at Gustiamo to add the taste of Italy to your holiday season.
Our friends Linda and Steve of Beehive fame are going to be working full-on the week of December 14th to deliver one of life’s biggest joys: bagels! The success of their small miracle is truly inspiring. They turned around and pivoted from one business to another due to Covid. Talk about silver linings! Linda and Steve are going to be closed the week of 21st December. So if anyone in Rome wants to get their bagel orders in (plus great sourdough and pickles) they should do it between now and the week of December 14th! Order at beehivebagels.com
You can find more gift ideas and promotions on our site, or visit our virtual cooking and wine experiences section. Or start travel planning ahead for 2021… Explore the idea of booking a tour with us in Rome, Florence, Naples, or Sicily, or gift an Italy travel experience to someone you love.
I highly recommend Casa Mia’s online courses! I’ve done several of the wine and cheese tastings with Carolyn and she’s simply the best! So much fun! If you’re more of a cook than me, try the pasta making courses with either Gina or Carolyn, you will not be disappointed! Post COVID, definitely looking into their Italian tours!
Kevin
Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you cooking in 2021!