Hungry? It’s All In The Box

Every now and then, some swag will come across my desk, and most of the time it’s pure crap: boxed mashed potatoes, neon-colored kids’ drinks, “time saving” devices for home cooks, etc. But two weeks ago, a box from foodzie.com arrived, and when I got it home, I was pleasantly surprised with its contents.

The company has been in business for three years, and just launched a series of Tasting Boxes this week. They attempt to bring hard-to-find products from independent producers to food lovers all over the country. Started by a young couple in San Francisco, they’ve done a good job of compiling and curating some uniquely delicious items. The boxes cost $29.95 each.

Typically, the Tasting Boxes consist of five ready-to-eat items and one “cook with” item. The November box (pictured, above) includes Willows Cranberries (dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice); Nitty Gritty Grains Cornmeal Baking Mix; Fiddyment Farms Garlic Onion Pistachios; Boat Street Pickled Figs; Anjou Bakery Fruit Nut Crostini and Vadeboncoeur Nougat Pistachio & Almond Nougat.

I liked the story that came along with this box, which talked about the founders’ plan to host their first Thanksgiving for both of their families. While they had planned out the main meal, they had completely forgotten about all of the other random down time, when people might need a little nosh to tide them over in the morning, late at night or during the football games. So they created this Tasting Box with that need to snack smartly, while not overindulging on Doritos.

Subscribers get free shipping and can choose a box of their choice each month, or opt to accumulate credits for future months.