Gifts For The Gourmet Dad

Father's Day is a week away and it's time to start seriously thinking about gifts for his special day. If he's into serious cooking then think about some interesting cooking and baking gadgets and ingredients your gourmet dad may like. It's be a true surprise and a real treat to receive something unusual.

Men love gadgets. That's a given. A gourmet father may enjoy the various ones designed to make cooking  easier. A sous vide or a water oven is the perfect present, especially for the fussy cook. It's basically a water oven that cooks food perfectly. The food is put into a vacuum sealed pouch and then cooked for a period of time. The end result is juicy. flavorful cuts of meat and tender vegetables.  It can even bake a cake ! Everything comes out restaurant perfect every time.  It is pricey at five hundred dollars but dad will get a lot of use out of it. A bit cheaper but still fun is an air fryer. Whatever is cooked in it also comes out perfect. A big plus is that you can cook fried food in the air fryer without all the grease and calories. Price wise they come as low as $39,99 at Target or Wal-Mart. It will get a lot of use. If your father loves the smokiness of a good barbecued rib or chicken, then think about getting him a smoker. These can be pricing with the most expensive starting at $1,200 however you can buy a simple charcoal one for $170 to $180. It can smoke everything from beef to fish  along with chicken and pork.

For dads who love flavor think about exotic spices. Berber spice is big right now, since it can be used in the Moroccan egg dish shakshuka. It can also be used in Ethiopian dishes along with being a tangy rub for chicken and beef cuts.For a more Asian vibe consider a large shaker full of Chinese five spices. One of the pluses is that this can be made at home.It's a mix of star anise, cloves,Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds. You can also add anise seed, ginger root, nutmeg and turmeric.It's great for rubs but also adds to stews and batters for fried foods. For the baker dads,  think about bottles of Neilsen Massey extracts. The company has such interesting and classic flavors as vanilla, peppermint, coffee and lemon.It also sells vanilla paste and sugars which produces a more vibrant vanilla flavor. You can also buy whole vanilla beans that come from such exotic islands as Madagascar and Tahiti along with Mexico. The company also  sells rose and orange blossom water for Greek and Middle Eastern dessert recipes. A box of Ghiradelli baking chocolate is perfect for those dads who love to bake brownies and cakes.

There's plenty to buy for the gourmet dad.  It can be a fun gadget or an interesting spice. Whatever it will be he will love it, that's a guarantee.

Neilsen Massey Vanilla Pure Flavor

Vanilla extract is a wonderful addition to any kitchen,It's what gives vanilla cakes and puddings their lovely homey flavor, reminiscent of Granny's baking and cooking.Neilsen & Massey knows this ad has created the perfect extract. This is a vanilla that is redolent of the orchid (yes an orchid ) that produces it.

Nielsen -Massey has been creating extracts since 1902 and is now  run  by the third generation of the  family,Craig Matt and Beth in first Sterling Illinois and now , Waukegan. They not only sell vanilla to various chefs and restaurants but also almond, chocolate and the more exotic flavors of rose water and neroli oil.Their vanilla is from all over the world, starting with  Madagascar  being bought from fair trade merchants. This includes  certification and verification organization and, responsibility for certifying their beans. Fairtrade certified vanilla ensures that small-scale farmers in developing countries receive a fair price and use sustainable farming practices along , stabilizing vanilla-producing communities and protecting the environment. It also ensures a consistent supply of ingredients to customers.  The Fairtrade certified vanilla is grown in the shade, integrated with other crops, which in turn helps protect against erosion and deforestation. Neilsen Massey  is nt only providing flavor to the world but helping it to become a better place.

What I love about Neilsen-Massey is that their extract  is pure , without any alcohol added .It doesn't have that aftertaste either. I used it in a microwave version of bread pudding (see recipe and pic below) and it was perfect for it. Again there was no usual aftertaste or overpowering  vanilla alcohol flavor overpowering the other ingredients.www.cooks.com and tweaked it a bit. It serves 8=10.

. It was excellent. It can be used in some savory dishes  It is actually best paired with pork or duck because it works well with their  intense flavors. However I am a purist. Vanilla should go into yummy sweet desserts hence my bread pudding. I got the recipe from

Half a loaf of stale French or Italian bread
2 cups milk.
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 /2 teaspoon cinnamon
 1- 2 teaspoons vanilla

Slice the bread and cut into one inch cubes. Put to the side.Heat milk and butter on high in a 4 cup measuring cup. Stir a small amount of hot milk into the beaten eggs to temper the eggs. Return eggs to milk. Add sugar, salt cinnamon and vanilla. Pour mixture over bread and cook for 7-10 minutes , or longer if the center is not firm.
Serve hot or cold with caramel, sauce, cream or whipped cream.