Gifts For The Cook And Kitchen

 The holidays will be different this year. Yet gift giving will remain the same. Food gifts are always welcome . Home chefs and bakers always appreciate something new and fun to try. 

The New York Times Food section yesterday published a short but excellent guide on what to give. Contributors such as Sam Sifton and Mrgaux laskey give their ideas along with Anna Perling and Marguerite Preston. Food is always a must. It's a fun diversion and perfect for those new at home Zoom Christmas party. A must is a Vermont cheese basket. The Jasper Hill Vermonter basket has not only mouth watering fromage from the Green Mountain State, it also comes with nuts and crackers. Another cheesy gift is from the Plymouth Artisan Cheese Company that's been making raw milk cheddar since 1890. For those who love a dash of fire give a horseradish and ginger spiked hot sauce from  Shaquanda Will Feed You. The company has other flavorful hot sauces such as a seafood green sauce, spiked with both sweet and fiery. A less tongue searing present is a jar from the unique Trade Street Jam Company. This Brooklyn company offers such cool flavors as smoked peach and strawberry chipotle fig. Of course this is the year for beans so why don't  you send Rancho Gordo's heirloom beans from America's West Coast growers in Oregon, Washington and California. Sweet lovers will appreciate Mah-Ze-Dahr's brownies and a gingerbread house making kit.

Home chefs always appreciate a kitchen gift. The Teakhaus Carving Board is perfect for those who do a lot of chopping and slicing  as it stands up to cuts, stains and odors. You may want to pair it with an electric pellet grill from Traegar Pro which can smoke all sorts of meats. It is pricey though at almost eight hundred dollars. For something much less expensive think Kuving EVO juicer which can produce all sorts of delicious juices. Bakers will appreciate the Emile Henry  nine inch pie dish for the perfect dessert.  There are fun gifts too like the Whynter ICM 201S ice cream maker which can make everything from classic ice cream to frozen yogurt. They can mop up the mess with the super cute Cheerful Sponges in fruit  and veggie shapes.Also think about fun reusable straws from OXO. They're made from stainless steel and even come with a brush for cleaning.  For more practical gifts think reusable sandwich bags in bright colors, perfect for lone hikes and walks in the park along with beer glasses which enhance any beer's flavor. A truly lovely gift is a plastic mat for the kitchen floor from France. It may be vinyl but looks and feels like classic linoleum. 

The holidays will be different this year. Gift giving won't be. Pick something fun for the chefs and food lovers in your life.

Black Friday Kitchen

If there's ever a time to restock your kitchen it's this weekend, starting with today , Black Friday. There's so many deep discounts that that it pays to replace the appliances and gadgets that you have. Get to your big box stores, malls or internet for some good deals that will benefit your holiday cooking and baking.

One of the biggest and most important items to buy for your kitchen is an air fryer. It really is a time saver and makes cooking dinner that much easier. Right now Target has their air fryer brands such as As Seen On TV (which is what mine is) on sale for half price - only $69.97 instead of the regular full price of $129,99. I can't  begin tell you how vital one is  to cooking. It's something that will get used four to five times a week. Target also has the mini fryer at $39.99 along with other version that can fry up to three and four quarts at prices under $60.00 Another big item on sale right now is the Instant-pot. This another must have for any kitchen and if you don't have one now is the time to buy. Again Target seems to be the go to store for them. Their pricing is amazing, with the store slicing off thirty dollars off of most prices.If you don't feel like leaving the house or waiting for Cyber Monday., then check out Amazon. They too are having a sale on some of the Instant Pots offered. The sales prices are not as good as Target's but you can still save anywhere from $20 to $80 and shipping is free if you have an Amazon Prime subscription.

One of the best stores to shop at for  kitchenware is Macy's . You can buy a variety of much needed gear at very good sales prices. Calphalon is now priced $200 below its' usual sales price. One lavish set has everything a home chef needs from a ten inch frying pan, a five quart Dutch oven with lid and two sauce pans. That kitchen classic, Pyrex is also discounted. Macy's has their mixing bowl set on sale for just $27.00 instead of the usual $47. This is a must buy because you can not only use the bowls for leftovers but for mixing cookie dough in this upcoming holiday baking season.Even Pyrex measuring cups are a few dollars off and again these are important in the kitchen all year long.Martha Stewart has long been a standard at one of the US's oldest department stores. Now all her baking utensils have discounts that novice and pro bakers would love. Her non stick doughnut pan is only $5.99, perfect for those who want to bake those yummy rings for holiday brunches. The madeleine pan is twenty dollars off  at only $11. This is a great gift for those enamored with French pastry. The spatulas and cake pans are also discounted. Cookie makers  should buy the OXO cookie press at only $29.99 The designs include Christmas themed ones with wreaths trees and snowflakes.

Take advantage of  this Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday  to restock your kitchen. The deals are incredible and perfect for the home chef looking for bargains. Start shopping now.