“You fill my eager heart with such desire, every kiss you give sets my soul on fire,” Frank Sinatra once crooned. “I give myself in sweet surrender, my one and only love.”
While Sinatra had the pipes to set a romantic mood, the rest of us aren’t so lucky. Enter those lovey-dovey gifts that can make or break Valentine’s Day.
Whether you’re looking for your husband or wife, a bride-to-be, a hot date, or a friend or family member, here are some Valentine’s gifts that will warm the heart of any lover of Italian food (which is pretty much all of us).
Enjoy while you’re listening to Ol' Blue Eyes, of course.
Partanna Primo Verde Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Try to gaze at the plentiful Sicilian landscape and not fall in love. While you may not be able to visit the idyllic island this February, you can at least drizzle a little of it on your pasta. A crown jewel of olive oil, not just in Sicily but worldwide, Partanna is a family-owned outpost which takes great pride in their products. They’re known for their distinctive red tins (which feature an illustration of the distinctive monument found on the property), but lately they’ve been releasing a bevy of limited editions; treating olive oil like a fine bottle of wine. Their Primo Verde extra virgin olive oil is treated as such. Packaged in a wooden box, the glass bottle contains the freshest oil imaginable. And much like a rare love, only 1,200 bottles were produced.
Michael’s of Brooklyn Platinum Pack
New York’s Michael’s of Brooklyn has been an Italian staple in the borough since 1964, serving as a beacon of home style red sauce. Appetito’s very own Editor-in-Chief Andrew Cotto once called it an “old-school revelation.” It used to be that you’d have to live in Brooklyn to enjoy Michael’s, but these days the restaurant’s variety of sauces are sold nationwide-- the only sauces made in the restaurant where it comes from, by the way. Extrapolating on that, Michael’s also now sells everything from olive oil to biscotti and pasta. Experience them all in this massive, awe-inducing gift box, which includes four jars of sauce, four bags of pasta and even a wooden spoon. Sure, they offer smaller boxes: but do you really want to skimp on this kind of love?
The Spice and Tea Exchange’s Italian 4 pack Gift Set
This Valentine’s Day is about to get spicey. With actual spices of course… What did you think I meant? A passion project from owners Amy Freeman and Penny Rehling for the past 15 years, The Spice and Tea Exchange offers an impressive range of salts, teas, spices and spice blends to please any palette. Naturally that includes fans of Italian food, with this lip smacking gift set for pastas, meats and whatever else your heart desires. That includes a general Italian Herb Spice Blend, a Tuscan Spice Blend, and a Lemon Garlic Pesto Seasoning. Most notably, it also features an Italian Street Fair Blend, with red pepper, onion, garlic and fennel- perfect for dishes like Sausage and Peppers.
Made by Mama Truffle Pasta Kit
There’s nothing more delectable than the smooth taste of truffle. For its legions of fans, its dishes are the epitome of pure luxury. And when you combine its luscious taste with Italian food, nothing comes close. This gift box from Made by Mama is an Italian truffle lover's delight, with truffle olive oil and truffle butter. Not enough for you? Sprinkle a dash of truffle salt, or heck, enjoy a bag of truffle pasta. Whether you’re cooking for your valentine or yourself, it’ll be a meal to remember. And what’s even better: following your truffle meal, you’ll have truffle breath!
Culture and Cultivated’s Italian Cheese Gift Box
Founded by the husband and wife duo of Anatoly & Katherine Vorontsov, Culture and Cultivated boasts a wide array of cheese and meats to stuff onto any antipasto board meant to impress. That includes a wide array of Italian-born cheeses, and not just regular old parmesan. The company boasts everything from hard to find varieties like Boschetto Al Tartufo to Pantaleo, and accouterments like the Sardinian flatbread Pane Di Musica Mitica. Surprise your Valentine, or yourself, with something special, like their Italian Cheese Gift Box which features exemplary cuts of Provolone, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Ricotta. Melt cheese to melt hearts.
Ancient Olive Trees Dirty Martini Juice
Nothing’s more Italian than having a sophisticated cocktail for dinner whether a negroni or dirty martini, the latter boasting that salty, briny olive juice--the most Italian of ingredients. Why leave home when you can mix one up for your date from the comfort of your own home thanks to Ancient Olive trees, a family-owned northern California business that cultivates top-quality olive-adjacent products. Said products include this martini juice, ideal for the ultimate dirty martini. Cin-cin to that!
When it comes to pasta, sometimes it’s nice to shake things up with a more bespoke company than Barilla. Enter: Bellita Pasta, the brainchild of Chef Christos Bisiotis, whose Italian restaurant pedigree includes Eataly and Carbone Miami. Named after his beloved daughter, the pasta brand boasts a range of unique flavors (on bags featuring a picture of little Bella herself, no less). Flavors include Basil and Lemon Fettuccine, and rainbow pastas made with beets and spinach. Perfect for your Valentine is a bag of heart-shaped pasta. Cue the awws!
