The holiday season is here and it can be stressful finding the perfect gift for that special someone in your life. I love to cook, so it is always a win when someone gives me a new kitchen toy to enjoy. In thinking about my fellow home chefs, I came up with my list of the ten perfect gift ideas for the cooks in your life. Check them out and let me know what you think!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for our own ice cream paradise. Just imagine any flavor you could think of within reach. Ben and Jerry better watch their backs because you have years of flavor concoctions you have been waiting to try. This is a fun gift for someone who loves to create unique desserts at home. Time to bring in the new year with your own personal ice cream flavor.
This sandwich maker was pretty awesome to watch in person. A fresh breakfast sandwich you can eat on the way out the door. Grab an English muffin, an egg, a bit of cheese, some veggies and you have assembled a breakfast sandwich that is ready to enjoy. The demonstrations I saw made sandwich after sandwich with no issues and it was a easy to keep clean. Get creative and have breakfast on the go with this breakfast sandwich maker from Hamilton Beach.
We all know how much spices cost. If you get lucky, maybe you can catch them on sale for three or four dollars. When they are not on sale, spices could range anywhere from five to eight dollars for three ounces. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to find this 24 count of McCormick spices on Amazon. This is a great price for a pretty awesome product that pushes you to expand your flavor profile. Sometimes I look for new recipes with spices I have not tried before just so I can explore something new.
Winter time is here and what a great way to try some new recipes with this 6.5-quart capacity slow cooker. The variable temperature settings allow for flexible cooking times while being dishwasher-safe. Let’s put it all in the cooker and forget about it. This is ideal when you want a full meal without making a mess of your kitchen with the use of multiple pots and pans.
Start planning your picnics for 2016 and try some new cheeses with this wonderful display. Accessories can be put away in this beautiful bamboo container. The cheese board with cracker rim includes stainless steel tools with bamboo handles and a hidden drawer stores the tools. The drawer can be removed for cleaning and it is easy to clean with a mild soap.
Some people say it takes 300 sandwiches to get the person of your dreams. I figure, at least seventy five of those sandwiches should be paninis. Some days, you come home and you just want a sandwich. Why not mix it up and try something new and exciting!
I am a huge fan of Vitamix blenders. They are a little bit on the costly side but if you look around, you can find them on sale from time to time. It does not matter if you are looking to chop or purée, Vitamix gets the job done. You want to make your own cookie butter or peanut butter, this is a great product worth the investment.
Learning about portion control has become more and more important to me as I get older. Having a food scale really changed how I looked at food. If you are in a household where you are trying to do better with your eating habits, this is a needed tool for your kitchen.
This year, I bought a number of cookbooks on Chinese and Japanese cooking. After finding several recipes that I wanted to incorporate into my culinary rotation, I decided a good quality wok was needed. Many years ago, when I was a youngster, I had a cheap wok where the handle came loose after a couple uses. As I got older, I learned that it pays to invest in higher quality cooking appliances the first time. The good stuff lasts years and years.
I am a cook who measures everything, it just makes me feel more confident about what I am doing in the kitchen. I also happen to cook in a small kitchen, so space is limited. Any gadget that will make my life easier, count me in for two of them. Collapsible measuring cups rock and are so easy to store away, I am a huge fan.
Enjoy by Michele 