How to Give the Gift of Food

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It — "How to Give the Gift of Food"

Host: Koosha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Elle Simone Scott (Food Stylist, Test Cook, Author)
Air Date: May 16, 2024

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Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It explores the art and heart of food gifting. Guest Elle Simone Scott joins host Koosha Navadar to discuss her new cookbook, Food Gifts: 150+ Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents. Elle shares personal stories, practical guidance, and creative inspiration for those looking to give or receive food as a meaningful gift. The discussion spans thoughtful occasions for sharing food, packaging ideas, and how personal experience informs Elle’s advice for both home cooks and aspiring food gifters.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Growing Up in a "Food Gifting Household"

[02:09-03:12]

• Elle describes her family's tradition of gifting food through weekend potlucks after church.
• Extra dishes always appeared, adding a special touch to the gathering.
• Elle’s grandmother and Aunt Loretta were known for bringing standout items, especially homemade cakes.

Quote:
"We grew up giving food as gifts by potlucking."
— Elle Simone Scott [02:14]

Memorable Moment:
Elle highlights her aunt's German Chocolate cake:
"I'm not a fan of German chocolate cake, but everyone raved over her German chocolate cake."
— Elle Simone Scott [02:52]

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2. Occasions for Gifting Food: The Four Major Categories

[03:12-05:10] Elle details the organizational framework for her book, highlighting primary categories where food gifts shine:

• Holidays: The obvious time to elevate a gift, often with seasonally-inspired, homemade items beyond the typical bottle of wine (e.g., homemade coquito, cocktail syrups).
• Celebrations: Birthdays, milestones, and other festive events.
• Helping Hands: Times of need—meal trains for illness, new parents, or moving.
• Going All Out: Moments where a more significant or personalized effort is appropriate.

Quote:
"You could always take a traditional bottle of wine... but taking something nice like some homemade coquito or simple syrups for cocktails... makes it special."
— Elle Simone Scott [03:49]

Elle connects her own experience as a cancer survivor to the Meal Train category, emphasizing the importance of practical, comforting support.

Personal Insight:
"Being a cancer thriver... I was thinking a lot about the times where I was not able to cook and my family was visiting... and people brought food over. It was basically constant meal train."
— Elle Simone Scott [04:24]

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3. Personalizing the Meal Train

[05:10-06:30] Elle reflects on building an especially thoughtful Meal Train chapter in the book, focusing on:

• Minimizing prep for recipients (easy storage, simple reheat).
• Choosing dishes that cater to individual needs and circumstances.

Quote:
"It wasn't simply just bringing food to someone who might be in need... but how can we make that experience as easy as possible for them as well?"
— Elle Simone Scott [05:20]

Memorable Moment:
Elle shares her favorite comfort foods, ramen and ginger syrup, as examples of personal, useful gifts during her recovery:
"Ramen was my go-to. Like, I could eat it anytime, any place. I still love it to this day."
— Elle Simone Scott [06:11]

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4. Food Gift Ideas: Recipes and Thoughtful Approaches

[06:30-08:11]

• Breakfast Gifting:
  • Earl Grey baked oatmeal in a jar is highlighted as an ideal gift for people moving into new homes or in transition, prioritizing ease and comfort ([06:51]).
• Meal Train Planning:
  • Elle recommends not overthinking with balanced meals (protein, carb, veg, dessert), but focusing on what the recipient needs most.
  • Emphasizes practical, situational solutions over traditional meal structures.

Quote:
"You're really just trying to fulfill the need and think specifically about the person... Give them something that's really going to make their situation better, not more complicated."
— Elle Simone Scott [07:43]

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5. Care Packages and Gift Suggestions

[08:11-09:36]

• Mail-able foods should be non-perishable, with a long shelf life.
• Savory foods and pantry staples make for excellent care package items for students or those celebrating milestones.

Quote:
"When you're sending a care package, you don't want something that's perishable. You want to think about it having shelf life."
— Elle Simone Scott [08:44]

• For new college grads, Elle recommends a starter cookbook, spice blends, and dried goods to help them begin their independent cooking journeys.

Quote:
"I would gift a new college graduate probably a cookbook... and some spice blends, maybe some other, like dried items to get the kitchen started."
— Elle Simone Scott [09:14]

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6. Recipes to Try from the Book

[09:36-10:18]

• Elle’s recommendation for an approachable, crowd-pleasing recipe: Stuffed Shells
  Great for college grads, beginners, or as a hearty, shareable dish.

Quote:
"It's a simple enough recipe that doesn't require so many ingredients that a college grad would be able to pull that off and be very satisfied."
— Elle Simone Scott [09:53]

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7. Presentation: Elevating the Gift

[10:18-12:09]

• The “wow factor” in presentation comes from including reusable elements—such as aprons, microplane graters—or creative packaging.
• Jars are a key motif; tips include cleaning thoroughly, removing labels (using Goo Gone or other methods), and using ribbons, towels, or even painting for flair.

Quote:
"Gifting in a way that can be enjoyed for a lifetime is very important."
— Elle Simone Scott [10:31]

• Easy “zhuzh” ideas: wrapping the jar in a tea towel, tying a ribbon, or painting.

Quote:
"As a food gifter, you might also be an artist... The point of the book is that the sky's the limit."
— Elle Simone Scott [12:06]

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8. The Food Stylist’s Perspective

[12:09-12:52]

• Elle brings a visual, intuitive approach: she “sees the food first,” making packaging and presentation integral, not an afterthought.
• Creates layered effects in gifts like lentil soups-in-a-jar and more.

Quote:
"I see the food first, more than anything... I think I'm always thinking food forward, and so that tends to come through, no matter what I'm working on."
— Elle Simone Scott [12:22]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

1. "We grew up giving food as gifts by potlucking." — Elle Simone Scott [02:14]
2. "You could always take a traditional bottle of wine... but taking something nice like some homemade coquito... makes it special." — Elle Simone Scott [03:49]
3. "It wasn't simply just bringing food... but how can we make that experience as easy as possible for them as well?" — Elle Simone Scott [05:20]
4. "Ramen was my go-to. Like, I could eat it anytime, any place." — Elle Simone Scott [06:11]
5. "As a food gifter, you might also be an artist... the sky's the limit." — Elle Simone Scott [12:06]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction & Food Gifting Traditions — [01:05–03:12]
• Occasion Categories for Food Gifts — [03:12–05:10]
• The Personal Side of Meal Trains — [05:10–06:30]
• Recipe & Practical Suggestions — [06:30–09:36]
• Care Packages & College Grads — [08:11–09:36]
• Presentation Tips — [10:18–12:09]
• Styling as a Superpower — [12:09–12:52]

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Final Thoughts

This lively episode offers both inspiration and concrete strategies for those hoping to show love, comfort, or celebration through the gift of homemade food. Elle Simone Scott’s advice is grounded in personal experience and professional expertise, making Food Gifts a valuable resource for home cooks and aspiring food gifters alike.

Action step:
Check out Elle’s new book and consider how the next dish you prepare could become a memorable, personalized gift.

Transcript

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Listener supported WNYC studios.

[Koosha Navadar]

This is all of It on WNYC. I'm Koosha Navadar in for Alison Stewart. Food is a necessity, but when it's made by someone who loves you, it can be a real gift. So if you love making and receiving gifts of food, or hey, if food is your love language, you may want to whip something together to tell someone you're thinking about them. For this week's installment of our Food for Thought series, we are joined by Elle Simone Scott. She's a food stylist and a test cook on the PBS show America's Test Kitchen. And her new cookbook is called Food 150 Plus Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents. In it, there aren't just recipes. There are pathways to help home cooks come up with dishes for different circumstances, like meal trains, like events like holidays, and also, and I think crucially, how to package and present them in a way that takes the offering to the next level. L. Simone Scott, welcome to wnyc.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Thank you for having me. That's quite an introduction.

[Koosha Navadar]

Well, the book deserves it, trust me.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Thank you.

[Koosha Navadar]

You write that you grew up in, quote, a food gifting household. What did that look like?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Well, I grew up in a family where every weekend after church we would potluck, right? And so that was essentially the way we gave food as a gift. Like everyone was responsible for bringing something, but we'd always bring something a little extra special, right? Like even though my grand would bring, I don't know, maybe like the rice, the mushroom rice and collard greens, she'd also bring like something special on the side for everyone. And so that was how we gave, you know, that's how we grew up, giving food as gifts, by potlucking.

[Koosha Navadar]

Do you remember something Specific that your grandmother used to bring that was extra special that sticks with you?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Well, everything she made was extra special. But my Aunt Loretta would bring cakes. Those were her specialties. Her pound cake was exceptionally good. And I'm not a fan of German chocolate cake, but everyone raved over her German chocolate cake.

[Koosha Navadar]

Oh, interesting.

[Elle Simone Scott]

You know, so she'd always surprise us with an extra cake. We never knew what it would be, but we'd always have one.

[Koosha Navadar]

You know, you write in the book about the specific occasions to give food. And while there are too many to write about, can you take us through some of the main categories? I remember there's one page where it's a four by four grid and there's holiday celebration, helping hands and going all out. Can you take us over a quick overview of those?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Sure, yeah.

[Koosha Navadar]

So there's holiday first. Right. And what makes that a good occasion to kind of go special?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Well, I think holidays are kind of more obvious.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Because you're visiting family members and in most cultures you don't go to visit anyone empty handed.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

And so during the holiday you could always take a traditional bottle of wine or something like that, but you know, taking something nice like some homemade coquito or you know, some simple syrups for cocktails. The things that happen after holiday dinner.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

So I think holidays are, are always a special time to make something very seasonally specific and working with seasonal ingredients.

[Koosha Navadar]

Yeah. And you know, the other three, just to go through them quickly. You've got celebrations, you've got helping hands, like a meal train for someone who's in need and, and the going all out. How did you come up with these categories? What are the guiding principles that you thought of for separating them out?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Sure. So when we were thinking about giving gifts that were food centric, we were thinking about why people would want to receive food gifts. And I myself, being a cancer thriver, I was thinking a lot about the times where I was not able to cook and my family was visiting, you know, and people from America's test kitchen, my coworkers brought food over. It was basically constant meal train. So that was a, that was a particular chapter that I felt very special. You know, adding to the book for people who are having these experiences or just, you know, birthing people who have new babies, you know, occasions like moving into your new apartment, celebrations like birthdays, children's birthdays, you know, like it really turned out to be like a limitless opportunity.

[Koosha Navadar]

Can you talk a little bit more about that personal aspect that you bring to the meal train? Specifically, what was it like for you building out that section of the book based on your own experiences?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Well, it made me be much more thoughtful about the food gifts.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Because it wasn't simply just bringing food to someone who might be in need of, you know, some extra assistance. It was how can we make that experience as easy as possible as well? You know, like, not a lot of time in the kitchen, or if you only have someone coming to help you for a certain amount of time per day, can we create meals that are easy to prepare or, you know, easy to store?

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

So those were, like, the guiding principles for the meal train.

[Koosha Navadar]

Were there specific meals that really stood out to you in your experience that meant a lot to you?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Absolutely. The ramen, you know, definitely stood out for me because that was my comfort food. You know, when you're going through treatments, there are a lot of things that are intolerable in terms of food and taste.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

For me, ramen was a go to. Like, I could eat it anytime, any place. I still love it to this day.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

I was. I've always been a ramen fan, so the ramen was my particular. And also the ginger syrup, because ginger ale is something that works very well for me.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

So those two recipes were my ad.

[Koosha Navadar]

Let's go into some more of the recipes, and if you're just joining us, we're talking to El Simone Scott, who just came out with food gifts, 150 plus irresistible recipes for Crafting Personalized presents. Maybe we can also talk about breakfast a little bit. You have a recipe for Earl Grey baked oatmeal in a jar, which I love. Under what circumstances do you. Do you gift this and how much you gift something like that?

[Elle Simone Scott]

I mean, these are perfect gifts for people who are probably just moving into a new home.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Like, everything is packed away. You want to give them something that they can fix immediately. They don't have to go digging through the boxes to find all of their kitchen materials or all of their spices and ingredients. So, you know, that's pretty ideal for someone transitioning, moving, traveling. You know, those are great ideas for them.

[Koosha Navadar]

And what are some things to keep in mind if you're making something? You know, we talked about a meal train before. You talked about making it easy for somebody to handle. How about if you're making a dish for a meal train, do you need to think big picture? Like, I need a protein, a carb, a vegetable, and a dessert? Or is that kind of overthinking things? How would you suggest just approaching it.

[Elle Simone Scott]

In that Sense, I think that might be overthinking things just a little, you know, like when you're gifting these sorts of things to someone, usually it's out of necessity.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

They're in a position where they kind of need a shift from the normal activity. And so you're really just trying to fulfill the need and also think specifically about the person. Right. Like if this person did just move, then they obviously don't have access to all of their cooks tools, things that they normally, you know. So you want to try and give them something that's just, that is really going to make their situation better, not more complicated. And sometimes, you know, thinking of meals in the traditional way can complicate things as well.

[Koosha Navadar]

Totally. I also really liked the sections on care packages. What are things that are good to send by mail?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Anything that's already prepackaged. I mean, when I was in college, I loved getting care packages, you know, And I mean, I've never been much of a candy eater. I've always loved my calories and savory foods, you know, so my mom would go to like Trader Joe's and send me like cans of Dolmares and, you know, these sorts of things that can be stored. When you're sending a care package, you don't want something that's perishable. You want to think about it having shelf life.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Because you're not going to eat it all at one time. The whole goal is to make a care package stretch. Right?

[Koosha Navadar]

Yeah. And you know, you mentioned college. This is a big college graduation weekend. What are some things you can make a gift out of if you're going to like celebrate a recent college grad or you're going to a graduation party and any ideas for good things to bring horror?

[Elle Simone Scott]

That's a really good question. I probably would definitely, I would gift a new college graduate probably a cookbook.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

This will be the first time that they are cooking for themselves, probably full time, no longer eating campus food. And I would probably give them like spice blends, you know, something to start off their kitchen, right? Yeah, some spice blends, maybe some other, like dried items. Things to get the kitchen started, to.

[Koosha Navadar]

Build it up, right? Yeah, that's a great point. So they build it up, they get a cookbook. Let's say that people are rifling through your cookbook that you just came out. Is there a recipe you want to make sure people try from the book?

[Elle Simone Scott]

I would say try the stuffed shells. And since we're talking about college grads, I think it's a simple enough recipe that doesn't require so many ingredients that a college grad would successfully be able to p that off and be very satisfied.

[Koosha Navadar]

Interesting. And do you have any advice? Like, we're, we're, you know, we're. We're close to time here, but I want to make sure that we talk about the presentation because that is such an important part of the book when it comes to presentation. What's the wow factor? What do you find tends to impress.

[Elle Simone Scott]

People the most when you gift someone something and it can be reusable.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Speaking of the stuffed shells, you'll notice in the book, we gift it with an apron wrapped around the container.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

And there's like a microplane grater in there. You know, these are all things that someone will continue to use for a very long time. So gifting in a way that can be enjoyed for a lifetime is very important.

[Koosha Navadar]

And I also love how you use jars. Can you talk about that a little bit? Like in the book, you talk about strawberry jam, tea blends, banana, caramel pie in a jar. What are some straightforward tips for repurposing or just thinking about how you can use jars in the presentation itself?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Sure. Making sure you clean your jars on the inside very well. Because all my jars are repurposed.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

But you don't want any residual taste. So cleaning them out very well. Well, getting the stickiness off from whatever label was previously on that jar and just making sure that it's clean and that the lids fit appropriately and that they're not rusted.

[Koosha Navadar]

How do you get the stickiness off, by the way? Because I always wonder about that.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Well, there's a thing called goo gone.

[Koosha Navadar]

Okay.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Goo gone.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

You can use that, but it has a little oily. But in the book, there are some tips about how to get those labels off for sure.

[Koosha Navadar]

And how do you, like, judge up jars? Like, let's say it's just a mason jar with that metal. What's you mentioned, aprons around the shells, for instance?

[Elle Simone Scott]

Sure.

[Koosha Navadar]

There's some quick tip for how to zhuzh up the jars.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Yeah. You can always wrap the jar in a tea towel and tie a ribbon around it. That way when they open it, they'll be surprised with the contents. Oh, yeah. You can always do something like paint the jar. You know, like anything that matches your particular creative expression. You know, I mean, as a food gifter, you might also be an artist, right? Maybe.

[Koosha Navadar]

Yeah.

[Elle Simone Scott]

You know, so you can. I mean, the point of the book is that sky's the limit.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Like Whatever. However, it comes across to you wonderful.

[Koosha Navadar]

And, you know, very quickly, you're a food stylist. In addition to cooking, what do you feel like you were able to bring from your experience that other, you know, chefs or bakers might miss? Not thinking specifically about food style.

[Elle Simone Scott]

I think one of the things that I bring to the table as a food style is that I see the food first.

[Elle Simone Scott (continued)]

Right.

[Elle Simone Scott]

More than anything. And so it was a lot easier for me to look at things like the jars, you know, like the lentil soup, and create those layers in the jars, you know, I don't know. It's very hard to disconnect the two, you know, But I don't know. I think I'm always thinking food forward, and so that always tends to come through, no matter. No matter what book I'm working on.

[Koosha Navadar]

Yeah, totally. And it adds that special wowness to it, too, which you can definitely see in the photos. We'll have to stop it there, but my guest has been Elle Simone Scott, the author of food gifts 150 plus irresistible recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents. Take a look at the book. You'll see beautiful ways to present gifts for the people you love in your life through food. Elle, thank you so much for coming.

[Elle Simone Scott]

Thank you for having me.

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