My friend that is a total “foodie” came to my house this past weekend with the most incredible orange bread in tow. She was a food stylist for years (so she is very discriminating when it comes to food) and loves frequenting Eataly in New York City for it’s fresh market and also the 7 restaurants it offers. This had to be the best bread I’ve ever tasted. It had large orange bits baked in and although I looked online for a recipe to link you to, none of the recipes I found included large chunks or almost candied orange bits- just orange rind. So it looks like a trip to Eataly is in order if you’d like to taste it.  Along with the bread she brought Salvatore ricotta cheese as a spread for the bread. These types of hostess gifts are much appreciated when attending a casual gathering of friends (as opposed to a more formal hostess gift when you are invited to a home for a weekend stay or to a formal dinner party). Flowers are always beautiful, but like I said in a past post, unless you bring them in a vase, a gift like this takes your host or hostess away from the guests to dig out a vase and put the flowers in water and chances are they have already arranged fresh flowers in their home if they are having guests.  Wine, a specialty food like the bread I just mentioned or a special treat that your host or hostess might like to enjoy at a later date are all perfect little gifts for a casual invitation. -Lynn Butler Beling