Cooking/ food gifts

[mightyh]

It's about time for me to start my Christmas shopping and I have a few cooks on my list. What kitchen aid do you love that some cook might not have yet? What would you put on your cooking-related wish list?

For me, I love my apple peeler/corer/slicer and good knives. Also a variety of cutting boards (I am paranoid of food poisoning). My wish list is for Mastercook... some steak knives and a bundt pan. Not too exciting, but I'm looking for more ideas to add http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[trodman]

My favorite cooking item is my "chopper" from Pampered Chef. It's the best thing, it chops anything! I purchased one for my dad,(who is a great cook) for christmas a couple years ago, and he loves it as well.
It's also fun to pick up neat intersting cooking tools at William Sonoma.
Have fun shopping!

[Margie]

Speaking of pepper mills. One is never enough. I have one for black pepper, one for white pepper (so that white sauces don't look like they have fly specks...yuck!), and a third for the mixed pepper corns. So, a pepper mill with a jar of pepper corns would make a nice gift along with a recipe for steak encrusted with pepper.

[Karen from VA]

I have on my wish list a nutmeg grinder and TWO 6-7 inch spring form pans so I can make one cheese cake recipe, divide it, eat one and freeze the other. I plan to give to my salsa- and smoothie-making son-in-law one of those immersion blenders. As a matter of fact, I think I'll put that on my wish list too. BTW, how much is the apple peeler/corer/slicer?
Karen

[mightyh]

Can't remember an exact price on the apple gadget, but I think you can find them for around $20 at places like TJ Maxx--more, obviously, at "regular" kitchen stores.

[SueK]

This thread reminded me of the first time I asked my husband for a kitchen appliance for Christmas. He was very leery about buying it for me, and said "Men always hear that they shouldn't buy household appliances for their wives because they'll get insulted!" It took me awhile to convince him that if I ASKED for it, I wouldn't take it as a hint that I needed to learn how to cook-- I would appreciate it! Now I ask for cooking stuff for every holiday and he always generously complies! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Wendy w]

SueK,

You are not alone in asking for kitchen appliances. I keep telling my boyfriend that a kitchen Aid mixer is as good as jewelry! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

One Christmas, I asked an old boyfriend for a grill style pan and he gave me a George Foreman grill. It took me awhile to get used to it as it is hard to clean until you find the secret!

Christmas is a good time for asking for those kitchen gadgets that sometimes seem too frivilous to buy for yourself!

Wendy

[cjm]

Ditto TRODMAN! I've had my Pampered Chef Food Chopper for about 4 months...how did I exist without it??? It makes chopping ANYTHING easy ("chopped" is something every recipe in the universe calls for)AND cleanup is just as easy.

I purchased a Cuisinart Food Processor a year ago...it is still in the box. Any suggestions on ease of use or incentives to put my blender in the box & use the FP?

[andreajackson]

I am wondering if anyone gives the gift of food? Such as making bread or a platter of cookies as the actual gift? I think that this idea is so cute and also not very expensive.
Also the apple gadget is like $28 through Pampered Chef.

[SoCal]

I think a Mandoline multi slicer would be a great gift. I use mine quite a bit. It's wonderful (and fast) for slicing potatoes for gratins, slicing vegetables, julienne vegetables, grating cheese or onions and there are 3 thickness options. I julienne zuchinni with it and it comes out like thin spaghetti which I substitute for spaghetti!
Anyway, the one I bought was only $9.00 (plastic) but they can really be pricey if you buy the professional models made of metal. They should all come with a guard to protect your fingers from the blade...VERY sharp.

Heat resisitant spatulas are on my wish list!
Not cooking items but you can't have too may potholders and oven mitts (or maybe I'm the only one that burns them every time!).

I'm enjoying the suggestions. Keep them coming please!

[iqueen]

It's not a gadget but I love my little salt pig for holding my Kosher Salt. www.solutionscatalog.com (http://www.solutionscatalog.com) for anyone who's interested.

[RunnerKim]

I have all sorts of things on my wish list - but if you don't know what they do or don't have you might think of something like good balsamic vinegar - someone mentioned getting that as a gift and I thought that was neat. Or if they're more bakers imported vanilla or some of the neat spices/blends people talk about.

Here are a few items though that I'd love to receive but haven't justified buying:
Marble slab (for kneading dough)
Morter & Pestle
Food Mill
Pepper mill (can't believe I've gone this long without one)
Double boiler
Tortilla press (for making them)
Pastry blender
Omellette skillet
I don't feel the need but lots of people were talking about how handy those stick blenders are.

[Natasha]

subscriptions to Cooking Light http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[Vanessa]

Since I love kitchen things I like to give kitchen gadgets for Xmas. There are lots of little things you can give. Tongs, garlic keepers/roasters, knifes, sifters, trivets, a cover for a kitchen aid for example, peelers (if someone has arthritis the Oxo are great) salad spinners, wine keeper sets,poultry scissors, herb mill, veggie steamer, meat pounder. You can make a basket with a motive (Italian etc) putting oil, balsamic vinegar, gadgets (garlic press etc) pasta, pot holders). Spoons and those handle holders covers (like Calphalon) are great too.
Making gifts is great and truly appreciated.
by those who receive them... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Leanne]

Go to cooking.com - they have tons of things. I was just given an All Clad salad making set from there. I'm very excited to start using it b/c I really like to make all of my own dressings.

I agree with Natasha too - I have given CL many times as a gift.

[Beth]

Originally posted by Wendy w:
SueK,
You are not alone in asking for kitchen appliances. I keep telling my boyfriend that a kitchen Aid mixer is as good as jewelry! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif Wendy

Besides, when's the last time you saw or heard of someone dropping their KitchenAid down the drain or have one stolen from their home?

[Mamasue]

My wish list consists of a couple of Henckels knifes to complete my set, Santoku knive and Bread knive. I would love a certificate from Williams Sonoma, Crate and Barrel or even Penzey's. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I also love receiving new cookbooks( of course I would keep a list posted on the frig for everyone to see).

RunnerKim had a good idea...spices...make up a set of spices and herbs for a certain cuisine or set of spices for baking.

I told hubby I wanted a nutmeg grinder for Christmas (don't really need it because I have nutmeg grater, but it is better on the fingers)...well I couldn't wait and bought one. Does anyone else do that....get impatient and the next time you see it you just buy it? Hehe

[Ohioan]

Ah, what I'd love would be a Le Creuset 2.5 quart buffet casserole (really a covered paella pan, if you ask me). Or a Paderno saucier. Or another Forschner chef's knife. Or, come to think of it, gift certificates to Paderno, Professional Cutlery Direct (cutlery.com), and Williams-Sonoma. Hey, as long as we're dreaming, why not dream big? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Cheers, Phoebe

[NancyR]

Okay, on a slightly different note. At holiday time I love making and giving homemade dog biscuits. If anyone wants the recipe I would be glad to post it. You cut them out with dog biscuit shaped cutters...really cute. You can add the dog's name, etc. A nice gift to a cook who also loves their dog might be the recipe, a box of biscuits and a set of cookie cutters so they can make their own.

[andreajackson]

NancyR- Would you please post your recipe for the Dog Cookies? I have a few friends who are animal crazy and I think this would be a cute gift. Thanks!

[MrsReber]

I want the cuisinart ice cream maker, the cool daddy fryer, a nice pie plate so I can bring a nice pie to family gatherings, and I think I may also ask for a CL cookbook. I got two aprons last year and I LOVE them. I was so tired of getting food on myself! I started making a list of things I wanted and then I went and bought some of them myself. I couldn't help it!

[NancyR]

Homemade Dog Biscuits

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups cracked wheat (burghul)
1/2 cup nonfat dry mild
4 tsp salt
1 package dry yeast
2 cups chicken stock or other liquid
1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk (to brush on top)

Combine all the dry ingredients except the yeast. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. To this, add the chicken stock. (You can use bouillon, pan drippings or water from cooking vegetables, liver, etc.). Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Knead mixture for about 3 minutes. (Dough will be quite stiff. if too stiff, add extra liquid or an egg.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Roll the dough out on a floured board to 1/4 inch thickness, then immediately cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush with a wash of egg and milk. Place in oven. After 45 minutes, turn off the heat and leave biscuits overnight in the oven to get bone hard. Makes about 8 dozen biscuits.

[mlou]

This might not fit here as it is a $1 gift but here goes a great idea maybe for someone who thinks they have everything or for children to give...at the dollar stores my son found(when he was young) a gadget that sticks wherever(fridge for me) and holds a razor blade with a slot so you can quickly slide plastic bags such as frozen food come in to open them. I would be lost today without this simple thing and always comment that it was the best gift I've ever gotten. Once you have one, you wonder how you ever did without it. I never have to fumble with scissors and have found many, many uses for it.