12.22.2011

Gift Guide for Foodies and Cooks

I know you are probably done with your shopping and have been for about a month because you are on top of it! But maybe you forgot just one little thing for that foodie friend and instead of stressing about what to get them- I will help you out!
Grow your own mushrooms, under $20
Smoking Gun from Williams-Sonoma, $99

Cheesemaking Kit, $25


Culinary Torch from Crate and Barrel, $39









Mozza Cookbook, $22 on Amazon






Food Saver, kits start at $98


Sous Vide, starts around $300
Anything Le Creuset

Slate cheese platter, available at various retailers.
Try Crate and Barrel, starts at $10 and cheese knives

Food and Wine Subscription
Gastronomica Subscription
Microplane, $10

Any excellent knife, try Bob Kramer



Cooking Class gift certificate, try Hipcooks

Michael Wainwright Amalfi Collection





Serving pieces also make great gifts for anyone who likes to cook at home and entertain. Michael Aram makes gorgeous pieces, Crate and Barrel also has a great selection at an affordable price (I like the Classic Century Collection), but if you're feeling especially spendy, Michael Wainwright is phenomenal.






Olive Oil- available here and here
Image from Bonjour- Celine

Good olive oil and good balsamic vinegars are wonderful gifts and their flavors make such a difference than just ok oils/vinegars and are such versatile ingredients. Dried artisan pastas and sauces, fine teas, good hot chocolate mix (and just good chocolate) and marshmallows made with care are also a great way to go.





I've discussed some dislike of gift cards in the past, but this is another exception- a gift card to a restaurant the recipient has been wanting to go to. This does not mean picking up a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory or California Pizza Kitchen at Ralph's= bad gift giver and shame on you! A few great LA restaurants that would be wonderful gift certificates to receive are along the lines of Hatfield's, Jar, Mozza, Fig and Olive (my visit here), Scarpetta, Providence (we got a gift certificate here for our wedding and I can't wait to go!), Cut, Melisse, The Hungry Cat, Rustic Canyon, Church and State, Angelini Osteria, Rivera, Ink, anything Suzanne Goin- AOC, Luques, and Tavern - are a few that would make you the family favorite for sure! It's hard to cut that list short, so if you need more suggestions, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to help find a good option for you.



2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this guide. I have one question: do you recommend other torch as well? I have found some bad reviews on it, and I would love to hear what other options you know.

    All the best.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If you want a great gift for a foodie that happens to be your spouse/roommate/significant other, get their knives sharpened!

    Almost nobody sharpens them often enough (1/year minimum), and most people think that the long honing tool is a sharpener (it is not).

    Really sharp knives bring joy to cooking.

    ReplyDelete

So happy you stopped by Bundts of Steel- I love reading your comments, so keep them coming!

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