Local food blogger Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes referred her friend Alejandro to us to help him GIVE AWAY 800 bottles of olive oil. Yep, a holiday present for you or someone else and all you have to do is pay the shipping. Now this isn't a local food item, but we thought you might like the opportunity to sample a selection of four oils that you can taste against each other. (And Alejandro did used to live in San Francisco, so he was semi-local.) The boxes that Alejandro is giving away contain four 100-milliliter bottles: 1 each from Italy, Spain, Greece, and California (Central Coast). They have different flavor profiles, such as grassy, fruity, or peppery. This is a neat chance to learn more about the differences in olive oils.

Their site says, "We take great pains to baby these oils on their journey from their origins to your kitchen. We fanatically protect our oils from heat and light--two major threats to the quality of extra-virgin olive oils--and we never sell to stores for fear that our product will not be treated with sufficient care."

So go to the special Alejandro & Martin page that's been set up for you lucky readers and click away. (Each person is limited to 10 boxes, so don't get too greedy.) And while you're there, look at the Olive Oil of the Month Club and other oils that you can try. Perfect ideas for holiday gifts!