Wrap ‘em at Red’s Bar
Where else in the Missoula community can you enjoy a pint of crispy suds and watch football with old-timers while volunteers elegantly wrap your holiday gifts? I’m very grateful for the gift wrapping at Red’s Bar downtown. I was entranced the first time I experienced it: There’s something about cheerful volunteers transforming my purchases into beautiful, jewel-like boxes of mystery that fills me with a holiday joy I thought was reserved for children. Red’s stopped hosting the service for two pandemic years—dark winters indeed.
The important facts: Red’s wrapping service is a fundraiser for a local charitable cause that changes from year to year, and is donation-based. This year the service benefits the Olds family. Wrapping started Thursday and continues Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10pm and on Sunday—Christmas Eve—from 11 to 5.
Bring cash for the donation (there is no suggested amount, be as generous as you like!) and your gifts in taped-up boxes, ideally labeled with sticky notes indicating the recipients. Hand over the gifts and the volunteers can give you a time estimate if they have a lot to work through. Then, belly up to the bar and recover from the holiday rush while Red’s wrappers do the rest.
Where and how to shop for spicy gifts
When I ran a hot sauce business, people beelined for my booth during the holidays, relieved to find something that would appeal to their uncle or grandpa. (Don’t forget to check out my article on how to behave at craft fairs, by the way!) You can’t buy my hot sauce anymore, but I can tell you where to find the best hot sauce selection in Missoula: Wordens or Rockin Rudy’s. Wordens’ hot sauce shelf features my particular favorite, Marie Sharp’s, a spicy habanero-based brand that I fell in love with on a trip to Belize.
Rockin Rudy’s also offers a deep and wide selection of hot sauces, many of which are hard to find elsewhere locally. I like the Adoboloco and Queen Majesty brands in particular.
Wherever you’re shopping for hot sauces, here’s my advice for finding a memorable hot sauce that brings more than just heat: Look on the back to see what ingredients are listed first. I prefer sauces with fruits or vegetables, such as chilies, onions or carrots, as the primary ingredient. These pack more flavor and are more expensive to make than vinegar- or water-based sauces. (This is a hot take that might get me in trouble with Big Tabasco but I’m dedicated to the truth!) I also advise against gifting the extra hot, ultra-high-Scoville novelty hot sauces unless your recipient expressly states that they like that kind of thing.
And while you’re browsing, keep an eye out for chili crisps, which are spicy oil-based condiments with nutty crunchy bits of fried sesame seeds, chili flakes, garlic and more. Momofuku Chili Crunch is in stock at Rockin Rudy’s and is pretty good on ramen and eggs. Now that I think of it, Samar International Market, out by the mall, would also have a good selection of spicy condiments.
How to shop for sweet treats for the choosy
Not everyone loves hot sauce, so I also stash some sweet treats to dole out at parties or drinks with friends. I like to find something a little bit unusual, something that says I did more than just grab the closest bag of Lindor truffles at the check-out and sneak a handful out of the bag.
We’re lucky to have many excellent grocery stores in this community with bulk sections, but if you’ve been to the Winco bulk section, you know it goes above and beyond with dozens of items that can be purchased by weight. Off the top of my head there’s Christmas-themed gummy candy, Runts bananas, all the jelly bean flavors, okra chips, colorful quinoas, trail mixes, shelled pistachios, chili-lime pepitas, mayocoba beans, hunks of baking chocolate, organic coffee, chocolate turtle clusters, sugar-free candies, Tajin-coated pineapple slices, oils, spices, herbs, tea packets, dog treats … you name it. There will be something to delight your weird friends. The bulk section’s small, clear plastic bags only need a little ribbon or bow attached to feel special. Prep a few to keep around and you’ll be instantly prepared the next time you need an easy gift on short notice.
The quickest DIY treat
I wanted to bring some homemade treats for an upcoming holiday potluck. I didn’t feel like firing up the stand mixer or turning on the oven. A voice floated on the winter’s breeze and told me: “Dip things in chocolate.” Ah, yes. I feel powerful every time I remember that I am an adult and I can melt chocolate whenever I want. So this year (spoiler for my pals) I dipped figs in milk chocolate and dunked each in different coatings: crushed pistachios, cocoa powder, sea salt, Tajin, sprinkles, etc.
The only tricky part is patiently melting chocolate without burning it. In case you don’t know, the procedure goes like this: empty a bag of chocolate chips into a heatproof plastic bowl and stir in a teaspoon of coconut or canola oil. Melt—slowly—in the microwave, for 30 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly each time with a silicone spatula, scraping the bowl really well. Stop heating them when the mix is about 90% melted, and just give a final stir to melt the last few chips.
A 12-ounce bag of melted chocolate chips is enough to coat about 2 pounds of larger pieces of dried fruit from the aforementioned Winco bulk section, such as pineapples, figs, dates or mangos. Prep some small bowls filled with various coatings, if desired, and get to dunking. Lay the chocolate-enrobed pieces of fruit on wax paper or parchment paper without crowding them and leave undisturbed for an hour or two to fully set. Keep covered at room temperature.
