Gifts For The Culinary Adventurous Mom

 What's the best Mother's Day gift for the mom who loves her wok and buying escargots? Something fun and adventurous. Gift her with a present that appeals to her culinary wild side.  Expand her repertoire while treating her to something exciting.

Spices are the perfect gift for the culinary wild child. One of the best places to shop is The Online Spice Store. The site has blends from all over the world, from the Caribbean to Asia. They also offer some very nice gift sets. There are such collections that feature curry spices and Middle  Eastern ones. There are also traditional groupings for Italian dishes too. The prices for these range from $35. to $38. A much more cost efficient gift is their  flat packs which are small packets of freshly milled spices. They're great if you  want to give her a sample of any kind of spic.Of course you can just get her a gift certificate from there  along with a microplane spice mill. With this she can grind her own and create her own unique blends.If Mom is into gourmet seasonings then think about some various sea salts from Celtic Sea Salt. They have an amazing array of all sorts of salts. Their best is Flower of The Ocean or Fleur de sel. This is perfect in savory dishes but also great sprinkled on homemade caramels or caramel frosting. Another gift is the Makai sea salt which has both doses of calcium and magnesium in it.

If your mom love international cooking then, think about a crepe pan. Everyone from Williams and Sonoma to Wal-Mart sells them. Keep in mind that they come in a wide range of prices. You can buy one that's as costly as $290 for a Mauviel copper pan, crafted in France at the famed company of the same name to one that's only $24.95 from de Buyer, also French. This last has a simple design and looks like crepe pans from centuries past.  You could also add a container of crepe mix to get her started. Another idea is a wok. This Chinese and Southeast Asian  must have is a fun present, especially if Mom is into stir fries. Like the crepe pan it comes with different prices. Target has several with the least expensive starting at only $19.99 .It's a flat bottom carbon steel wok with wooden handles. Macy's has an inexpensive Kenmore -Hammond for only $33.99 on sale right now. The site Wok Accessories sells items that would make for interesting accessories. Pick up a slotted wok spatula or  stainless steal skimmers. There are also easy to slip on silicon handles that make handling the pot easier.

Give the adventurous cook something fun and exciting for Mother's Day. Mom will love experimenting with spices or creating fancy crepes. Appeal to her wild side with different and unusual gifts.

Host Gifts Make Or Buy

The holidays are fast upon us and that means invitations to a variety of dinners and lunches. It is obligatory to bring something - but what? Do you go all out and create a homemade or buy something at a specialty shop or wine store? Each have a huge variety to choose from.

Thanksgiving is the time for such invitations. Many guests feel obligated to bring a home baked pie. You can do this. Everyone loves a slice of something whipped up in the kitchen. Just keep in mind that all pies do require certain levels of work. Another thought is do you bring the most popular flavor and risk it be the second or third pumpkin or apple pie given.You could try that Southern classic - pecan pie. Unlike the other two this can be varied to include bourbon or dark chocolate in the recipe. It's a nice change up from the traditional recipe. Homemade candy is not only fun to give but fun to make too. The most popular given for the holidays is fudge. This is a simple make, with semisweet chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter. You can add any kind of nuts or marshmallows along with toasted coconuts and dried sour cherries for some tasty varieties. savory gifts are also a nice thank you. Think a jar of homemade salsa with a variety of different tomatoes and peppers for color. Another fun thank you gift is a basket full of popcorn spices. This is just mixing different dried spices into appealing sweet and savory mixes that can be sprinkled on popped corn. The  hand blended spices can also be used in baking and flavoring main and side dishes too.

If all this is too much for you then go the store or internet route. Most go for a good wine. Appropriate ones for Turkey Day are the red, fruity pinot noir, and a white Reisling whose sweetness is the perfect foil for a savory bird and gravy. Champagne is another fun bring, with it starting or ending a meal. This is also perfect if the family is celebrating an important event like a raise, new job or engagement. A more sophisticated present would be an aged brandy, excellent for afters. Another idea is bringing dessert.  Yes, you could go with pies but what about platters  of mini cupcakes or brownie cups which can be fun mini bites after a big meal. A nice tray of bakery made butter cookies will not go amiss either. Make sure there are plenty of chocolate dipped ones for chocoholics and kids. Any host would appreciate liqueur filled chocolates.  A box of brandy beans is a nice end to any meal, especially served with espresso. You could also gift hosts with the festive triangular container of the always popular Ferraro Roche. Want to go savory? Then think of flavored oils and vinegars. Williams-Sonoma have a wide array. Some of the oils are infused with basil or roasted garlic while the vinegars are a wide array of different balsamics and lemon.

You do have to bring a gift for your hosts. it could be home made or store bought. If you have time then put your talents to work. If not, no one will turn away a well made food gift. It's your decision.It's your choice.

Black Friday Kitchen Deals

Even though Black Friday is almost done with , home chefs can still cash in on the day's deals. This is the time to replace those iffy smaller appliances along with buying new pans and tins.The deals are amazing  right now. so take advantage of them. This is the time to invest in good quality kitchen ware at bargain basement prices.

One of the best places to get good bargains is Sur La Table both on line and at their many stores. They offer free shipping for $59.00 and over orders.They have a Sansaire Sous Vide Immersion Circulator for $149.00 , fifty dollars less than the usual price.Sur La Table has a great bargain on the Staub Cocotte cookware, $99.00 for a set of four cast iron Dutch ovens. Pick these up if you're planning to make a lot of chili or stewed chicken for the holidays. The store also has good bargains on carving knives sets, .along with special offers on chef's knives.  Williams-Sonoma isn't normally known for lowering their prices but they now are offering some good sales items. They're offering their name brand Thermo clad stainless steel fry pan set for half price at $150.Their Calaphon eleven piece elite non stick cookware set usually goes for a whopping $1,000 and it's on sale for $599.00 This will last a long time and the suggestion is buy it.Another boon is that all of their copper cookware is being sold for 20  percent off. Again this is a good buy because of the quality  and workmanship put in them. Williams -Sonoma also have good deals on all sorts of knives as well as cutting boards and wood containers.

The big box stores such as Target and K-Mart can offer even better bargains.If you need fancy dinnerware then head over to the bull's eye store. Target has excellent prices on Corelleware Strawberry Street, Gorham Willow Creek and Threshold. The best part is that there is a huge variety of colors and patterns so you're not limited. They're also having a sale on toaster ovens as well along with Calaphon  cookware starting at $99.00. Even if there's no sale , Target Red card holders (the store credit card) always receives 5% off all purchases. For even lesser prices try K-Mart. They are offering a BOGO - buy one get one free on all their kitchen utensils and gadgets. Scarf up their balloon whisks and choppers for yourself and your favorite home chef.K-Mart has the amazingly low price of $15 for mandolins.These are usually quadruple or quintuple the price so get them while they're hot.It's great for slicing potatoes for scalloped potatoes and home made potato chips.It can also be used for shredding and grating other veggies like cabbage and carrots. Eighteen dollars will get homes chefs an entirely new twelve piece utensil set with a decorative tub. to store them. This has everything from  a pasta fork to tongs to various blending paddles to a spatula. They will get anyone through the busiest baking and cooking season of the year with ease.

Black Friday is a home chef's dream. It's time to stock up on what you and what you want to create the perfect holiday kitchen. Get out the credit card and shop, shop, shop!