Reselling Your Kitchen

 Can a kitchen be taken apart and sold?The answer is both yes and no. Some things can easily be given over while others are better off junked. what works in a garage sale and what doesn't?

Appliances can be resold.If you love in New Jersey you can "sell" your fridge to the utilities company and receive one hundred dollars for it. There are companies that will also buy your stove too if you're getting a new one. Keep in mind the newer or "younger it is the better the resale. No one is going to buy an appliance that's reaching it;s third decade. Think anywhere from five to ten years in age. Also there are some brand slike Frigidaire and Whirlpool along with GE that are going to be more preferrable. Think about selling your college graduate's mini fridge too. There are many college freshman who would jump on the chance to get a lower priced  one .What about the smaller appliances like air fryers and microwaves? Again the newer model ones have a better chance of being resold.These are coveted items at garage sales where just starting out home chefs will snap them up. make sure you hve any kind of warranty to pass on for any appliance. This will be vital if there are repairs.

Smaller kitchen items are always a guaranteed sale. Thrifty home bakers will snap up holiday themed cookie cutters and cake pans. Try to keep all themed bakery items together.  although you could offer an all year round cookie cutter or cake set that includes Christmas trees, pumpkins, flowers and Easter egg shapes.A cookie or dough shooter is also a coveted garage and yard sale item. Make sure the barrel is thoroughly cleaned before you sell it . Also make sure the discs that cut the dough are also clean and shiny.The same applies to an icing gun and the nozzles. Sometimes it is hard to get the frosting out of the last. rewash just to make sure. Also check to make sure you have all the discs and nozzles before you sell the guns.KNife sets, espcuially Cutco and Faberware are also much desired resales. Keep in mind that they should be sharpened and checked for any rust or scratches.Cookbooks are also big re sellers. These are the opposite of the other kitchen resale items. Vintage ones from decades and centuries pasts are much in demand. each tells a story especially through ancient stains and notes written ;

Yes you can sell off your kitchen. Just make sure they're all in working order , whether its'a fridge or a cookie cutter. It'sa fun way to make extra cash and get rid fo what you don;t need

Home Chef Goals

It's a new year and with it come new goals for everything in life. Home chefs should take these to heart . Have something to look foward to doing and then stick to doing it. It can be anything from trying a new cuisine to mastering some culinary craft.

Tis is what I have planned for myself. Caribbean cooking and baking has always intrigued me and this will be the year (and hopefully soon) to try cooking callaloo and possibly attempting a tofu jerk.This is turning a traditionally meat dish into something vegan. Another Caribbean must try is Trinidadian sweet bread. I was curious about it when I first heard about this fruitcake like bread.It has frozen coconut along with currents  evaporated milk, raisins and candied cherries in it. I have had luck with sweet breads in the past so it shouldn't be that hard to make and bake.Another home chef or rather home baker goal for me is upping my cookie game. I've had two major Christmas cookie disasters recently, probably becaused I used vegan sub in for eggs and butter. I want to create a cookie that crisp and light while packing flavor. I don't ever want to deal with a crumbly , unmanagable dough  again. A smaller goal is possibly buying cute cookie cutters in different shape and sizes and working with colored chocolate for decorating.

All home chefs should set some kind fo goal. It doens;t have to be met right away. It could involve smokingbrisket  n the grill during the Spring and summer months. You can spend these colder months reading up; on recipes and which one to try. Many look through those new cookbooks they received for Christmas and Hannukah and pick out recipes they want to try, Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be a new cookbook. There may be a cookbook you haven't looked through in years. Check the recipes out. Try the ones you haven;t attempted for something different. Another fun goal is taking culinary classes.Enroll in a course  if you're fascinated by Middle Eastern cuisine or want to learn the intricacies of French pastry making. Again check on line for classes and if they're in your area.  Some bakeries offer classes for cake and cupcake decorating while many night schools offer affordable classes on various cuisines.Sign up now before all the spots are taken. There are also one on one classes however these can be pricy depending upon the instructor's availabilty. Research first before you sign up.

It's always fun and improtant to set goals for yourelf. Carry that into the kitchen. Try a new cuisine or promise yourself to experiment with a different technique. You'll be pleased with the results.

Last Minute Kitchen Gifts

 Christmas is a week away and it's crunch time. Think anything kitchen , from cookbooks to gadgets. These are great presents that will keep on giving. They can be fun. They can be handy. They can be perfect.

A cookbook is always the most interesting gift to open.It not only gives recipes but the stories behind them as well as great tips. International cuisine ones are  also  travelogues with amazing pictures of the food, country and people. The New York Times Food section had an extensive list of them this past Wednesday.There are fourteen choices, from Mina Stone's Greek influenced Lemon,Love and Olive Oil  (Harper Collins) to Michael Twitty's  Rice  A Savor The South Cookbook 0 Noirth Carolina Press). There are cookbooks that revolve around baking like Cookies: The New Classics A Baking Book (Clarkson Potter) by Jesse Szewcyck and  Sheet Cake Easy One Pan Recipes For Every Day and Every Occasion  (Clarkson Potter) by Abigal Johnson Didge. There are cookbooks about Middle eastern sweets and Korean vegetarianism too,. If you do buy a cookbook, get extra little gifts that tie into the book. This can be a sushi mat or a pretty set of measuring cups and spoons. You could even arrange a fun basket full of the ingredients too.

Anyone loves a gadget. They're so much fun to receive and try out,An air fryer is a definite must give for any home chef. They can cook up anything from chicken nuggets to even cinnamon rolls. They will definitely be much appreciated and will be used for months to come. Another fun and necessary gift is an immersion blender. These can easily whip up smoothies but they're also great for creaming and blending soups and sauces. They're also very easy to handle as well as to clean. Bakers will appreciate fun baking gifts like cookie presses. A plus is that they're easily attainable. Everyone from Target to Walmart has them.Throw in a variety pack of sprinkles for decorating. For those non-bakers who still want a holiday treat think about giving a gingerbread kit. These are fun and also perfect for the budget. Five Below is selling them for around five dollars. Target and Walgreens also have them for as low as $2.99. There are also have sleds and trains too that already come with icing and candies to decorate.

Yes, Christmas is coming. There's no need to go frantic over what to give any home chef or baker. The list is endless , from cookbooks and gadgets to gingerbread house kits. Have fun picking out the right gift.

A Harvest Of Cookbooks Part One

 One of the best aspects of fall is that it produces harvests. There are apples and pears along with pumpkins. Yet the best bounty of all is the plethora of cookbooks   that comes with the season. There are some great ones , perfect for fall cooking and baking.

The New York Times Food section gave a very good analysis of what's coming off the presses these days. A wide range of Food contributors such as regulars Julia Moskin, Melissa Clarke  and Kim Severson along with Vaughn Vreeland, Margeaux Laskey, Alexa Weibel and even Pete Wells reviewed and recommended these  must buy cookbooks. There's books for everyone. Ina Garten fans will love her Modern Comfort Food (Clarkson Potter) has her classic recipes as tuna melts, risotto and corn muffins. Ms. Severson who reviewed the book clains it's a a bit Hamptons and not diverse. Yet' it comfort dishes from everyone 's favorite TV cook, and that's what we need right now. Another famed chef, and also a New York Times Food contributor is  Yotten Ottolenghi , has cowritten Ottolenghi Flavor (Tenspeed Press). He and his writing partner, Ixta Belfrage has such interesting dishes as coconut and turmeric omelet and sticky rice. Science also makes an appearance. Nik Sharma's The Flavor Equation (Chronicle) has interesting theories about how the interplay of  emotion, aromas, textures , visuals and even sounds affect the way we eat. There's also striking photography too.

International cooking is also seen here. Xi'an Famous Foods : The Cuisine of Western China from New York's Favorite Noodle Shop ( Brams)  is by Jessica K Chou which features the New York City's restaurants chain's most iconic dishes like biang biang noodles.Meera Sodha switches it up from her native Indian cooking to  including Chinese in her latest  cookbook East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes From Bangalore to Beijing (Flatiron Books) has everything from baos or breads stuffed with peanut butter and mushroom fillings to tamarind slathered eggplant to a tomato, pistachio and saffron tart. Indonesian cooking is represented in Coconut and Sambal: Recipes From My Indonesian Kitchen (Bloomsbury) by Lara Lee who's Australian, Chinese and Indonesian. There is beef rendang and a bright green pandang cake in her book. African and African-American cuisine is also represented in In Bibi's Kitchen :The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from Eight African Countries That Touch The Indian Ocean ( Ten speed Press) by Hawa Hassan and The Rise : Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food (Voracious) by the always great Marcus Samuelsson have such interesting vegetarian recipes from the first while Chef Samuelsson has a mix of essays and recipes from black chefs and writers. Then there are the baking themed ones. They'll be covered tomorrow.

 These cookbooks features the best of fall cooking  They'd be a great addition to any kitchen., Buy them and expand your kitchen's library

New Cookbooks For A New Season

One of the best aspects about the colder weather coming is that home chefs feel like cooking and baking. The chillier temps also gets us curious and wanting to try all sorts of new recipes. What better way to try new dishes than a new cookbook. There are a slew of them recently published that will definitely expand a home chef's repertoire.

There are thirteen outstanding ones that the New York Times Food section writers recommend. Everyone from Tejal Rao to Melissa Clark and Julia Moskin weighed in. There are so many exciting and  different choices out there.If you're into international cooking then check out Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking : From Everyday Meals To Celebration Cuisine (Rux Marten Publishing) written by Emily Kim, the YouTube cooking star who also goes by Maangchi. Occasional Food contributor, Martha Rose Shulman helped write this salute to Korean cooking with such dishes as tofu stews and dosirak - lunchtime meals for kids.Another stimulating one celebrating overseas cuisine is Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen (Avery Publishing) by former New Yorker, Adeena Sussman, an American food writer who moved to Tel Aviv, The cookbook came about thanks to her love of visiting the shuk or outdoor market.Middle Eastern flavors abound here. There are roasted carrots with a tahini and date syrup along with labneh with caramelized pineapple and sumac and baby lamb chops marinated in shug, a mix of green chiles, cardamon and cilantro sauce. Japanese cooking is also big thanks to Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying with their book The Gauin Cooking:Japanese Recipes From A Chef, Father, Eater and Lifelong Outsider (Rux Marten), There is the traditional gyoza dumplings and the not so traditional miso mushroom chili.

American cooking is also big in cookbooks this season. Toni Tipton-Marten's Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African-American Cooking (Clarkson Potter Publishing) is the follow up to The Jemina Code,an annotated bibliography of African American cookbook. Home chefs will love the recipe for pork chops smothered in caper-lemon sauce. Those who loved the famed San Francisco bakery, Tartine will go mad for Tartine :A Classic Revisited (Chronicle Publishing). Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson , creators of the baking empire have included a whopping sixty-eight new recipes along with their classic ones like the good morning buns. For those home chefs who love Tex-Mex cooking Ama :A  Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen (Chronicle Publishing) features vegan dishes such as cashew based queso with the flavors of charred onion garlic and  green chile. Chef Josef Centeno, used his recipes popular in his LA restaurants. Novice cooks will love such help books as Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food For Having People Over  (Clarkson Potter) written by Food's Alison Roman. She offers labne with sizzled scallions along with pep talks.Other cookbooks feature Evan's Funk's American Sfoglino (Chronicle ) along with Diana Henry's From The Oven To The Table:Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves (Mitchell Beazley).Go to the Times Food section to see the entire list.

This is the season to test out  recipes.  Buy one or two of these cookbooks and expand your repertoire. It's a fun time to try new dishes and ingredients.

The Internet As Cookbook

Are home chefs using the Internet a bit too much? It seems that way, thanks to blog like this one along with Pinterest and Instagram. Will the cookbook go the way of Blockbuster and coal stoves.

Thanks to the invention of the information highway cooking with Internet recipes has gotten easier. There's literally every recipe on the World Wide Web even ones I thought were only unique to my family (they're not). It's so easy to type in any type of recipe and what seems like thousands pop up. The other day I wanted to make the M&M cookie  my Mom had made for me as a small child.. I remember the recipe  being in Life Magazine in one of the ads for the candy. Now type it in the search bar and every kind comes up. I was hoping for the original recipe, but wound up choosing one that produced monster cookies. They were delicious but not what I was really going for. For my holiday cooking I had to do a second check on Brussels sprouts because I had half forgotten my mother's recipe for them. It was one of those times I longed for a family recipe book. Someone else's recipe is not the same as one passed down from generation to generation. Don't get me wrong. I rely on the Internet for most of my info, but it would be nice to open a book and get what I need from it.

Which brings me back to the question - are we relying too much on the world for our cooking techniques instead of books written by real chef?. My tween years were spent in many a bookstore and the book section of department stores (yes, that was a section back then, along with wine and home repair sections in stores such as Macy's).There was nothing like poring through exotic themed cookbooks  with glossy pictures of dishes photographed on villas or fancy beaches or restaurants. The recipes were straightforward. Anyone could create them. What I liked were the explanations of the dishes along with their stories and histories. They were more than just cookbooks. They were kind of like encyclopedias. Some even had room to write notes in along side the list of ingredients. There are still cookbooks like that out there, one in particular is one by Sheila and Marilynn Brass, Their Heirloom Cooking (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishing ) has a wonderful collection of classic recipes plus a folder in the back for your own ones.  They, like many other cookbooks have information and vital advice about how to shop and what to have. You really can't get that from the internet.

Will the upcoming generations wonder what was an actual cookbook? I hope not. There should be cookbooks with crucial information and lots of beautiful glossy pictures.

Getting Closer

The Pantry will be opening soon. Look for healthy recipes, new cookbook reviews , how to pictorials and recipes.

The First Cookbook Issue Ever

Cookbooks play an important part in any home or even professional chef's arsenal.They not only provide inspiration for meals, they also broaden horizons.They teach home chefs new techniques and introduce them to ingredients they've never tried before.Now the New York Times has created the first cookbook issue. They review and recommend cookbooks  that would be perfect in any kitchen.

Fall 2016 has some culinary celebrities coming out with some interesting compilations. Alton Brown, the Food Network's genius has Everyday Cook . Fans may be disappointed  that it's not full of puns that he's famed for. It's a more introspective book, as Food regular contributor Kim Severson wrote.it reflects his midlife crisis of going through a divorce, drinking and eating too much peanut M&Ms. His recipes are cozy, the kind you'd make for family and friends. There are warm Saltines brushed with dried mustard,hot sauce and butter along with a unique but delicious breakfast carbonara that marries spaghetti with breakfast sausage and eggs.Mr. Brown not only has a cookbook out but also a one man show called "Eat Your Science." Another celebrity with a new cookbook is British chef and radio personality, Diana Henry/ Ms Henry has written "Simple Effortless Food, Big Flavors, Tejan Rao, another regular contributor describes her recipes as having very little instruction because they're so precisely worded. A yogurt marinaded chicken has only three neatly worded paragraphs on how to prepare and cook it.It also includes how to dress a salad too. A recipe for Greek style beans is terse for a recipe that takes exactly one hour to make.

Yet another contributor, Margeaux Laskey reviewed Poole's by Ashley Christensen, a cookbook featuring the best recipes of here famed diner in Raleigh, North Carolina.This is not your ordinary diner food. This is home recipes with an artesinal twist. She calls for roasting and pickling peppers and making cider vinegar mayonnaise .The book has some homey recipes like macaroni au gratin and a warm broccoli salad with a bacon vinaigrette. The piece de resistance is the famed sweet potato hummingbird cake.It's a  fruity, spicy confection topped with a light cream cheese buttercream icing. Chopped peanuts top it.Newcomer Oliver Strand writes about Jessica Koslow's new book, Everything I  Want To Eat: Squirl and The New California Cooking which has the best recipes from her whimsically named restaurant, Squrl.It's a mash up of diner and health food combined with Michelin starred eateries.The style is raw and direct, not much on words as usual cookbooks are.The exotic is also featured. David Tanis reviews Naomi Duguid's book Taste of Persia that features herbed yogurt soup along with fish kabobs made with Alaskan baked cod and tomatoes.

Cookbooks are the best tools in any chef's arsenal. This fall there are more to add. Go for the exotic , or try the homey. They are all informative and fun.

Books For Your Home Chefs

Cookbooks are always at the top of every foodie's and home chef's gift list. It's always great to get any type of cookbook. .They can expand horizons and introduce chefs to new skills and dishes. There are so many out there , that it's easy to make a choice .Give one that celebrates Mexican cuisine or one that celebrates SoCal cooking.

This past Sunday's New York Times Book section, Holiday Books issue suggests many good books to give (and also treat yourself to a couple); There are several ones that reflect certain cuisines . If your foodie loves the exotic eastern Mediterranean foods then gift them with Zahav:A  World Of Israeli Cooking(Rux Martin/Howard Mifflin  ) written by chef Michael Solomonov with Stephen Cook. Zahav is one of Philadelphia's hottest restaurants, featuring delicious Israeli food and the cookbook is a reflection of that. Recipes include tahini sauce and harissa, that flavorful blend of spices.If your home chef has a thing for all things Scandinavian , then The Nordic Cookbook

(Phaidon Publishing, $49.95) is for him or her. Author Magnus Nilsson offers traditional and modern recipes from such diverse areas as Finland and Greenland = although your home chef may want to think twice about cooking a cute puffin stuffed with cake recipe. Mexican food buffs will surely enjoy Lesley Teller's Eat Mexico:Recipes From Mexico's City Streets Markets and Fondas (Kyle Publishing $24.95).It has steak flautas along with the recipe for the ultra decadent Mexican hot chocolate, champurrado.

Home chefs who appreciate simple cooking and the chemistry   behind it will love unwrapping The Food Lab:Better Home Cooking Through Science (Norton $49.95). It explains everything from temperature to food safety to labeling.The science of browning, rising , emulsifying and marinating is also parsed out  There is also The Laws of Cooking And How To Break Them (Flatiron $35) by Justin Warner, a fun books that has laws like law of peanut butter and jelly  where fat complements sweet and the law of coffee, cream and sugar - bitter compliments sweet  The book also has how to repurpose used marinade into a tasty gravy by boiling it,Mark Bittman fans should appreciate his Mark BIttman's Kitchen Matrix (Pam Kraus/Crown $35) He celebrates chicken done a variety of ways namely using the paillard method of cooking. Women Chefs Of New York (Absolute/Bloomsbury $35) which features the recipes of such chefs as April Bloomfield, Missy Robbins, Sasha Miranda and Sawako Okochi along with Gabriel Hamilton. Her recipe for sardines cornichons and Dijon mustard on Triscuits could work for any holiday party or a snowy night in..California cuisine lovers may appreciate Travis Lett's GJelena Cooking From Venice California (Chronicle $35). Recipes include grilled kabocha squash with mint pomegranate pesto and rye rags(!??) with sausage , mushroom  fennel along with rustic corn grits served with mushroom sugo and poached eggs.

A cookbook is a wonderful holiday gift.Home chefs and foodies alike will enjoy the surprise of receiving a book that will educate them as well as expanding their culinary horizons It's a present that keeps on giving,

Discover Israeli Cooking

Many Americans have a narrow knowledge of Israeli cooking. They think it could be halvah and tabbouleh , possibly falafel If they're a bit more sophisticated , they may know of hand rolled bagels and za'atar the mixed bag of spices used in cooking.However it's a bit more than just those . It's one of the most flavorful and varied of Mediterranean cuisines. It has ancient grains and fresh herbs along with much loved meat dishes and cool salads.

Melissa Clark explored this in her Cookbooks column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.She reviewed and tested some of the recipes in Zahav: A World Of Israeli Cooking (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers),written by restaurant owner, Michael Solomonov and Stephen Cook. Both are co-owners in the wildly popular Philadelphia restaurant Zahav.It's much more than just a cookbook,veering into memoir territory. Not many cookbooks have an account of a brother's death by a Lebanese sniper or his feelings about being shipped off to a boarding school. The recipes are perfect for any novice home chef . They are direct, simple and immediate. There is a recipe on the gaining in popularity za'atar, a mix of common and exotic spices and harissa, the fiery red pepper paste from North Africa.Of course there are several recipes dedicated to tabbouleh along with hummus which figures huge in the Israeli diet as it does throughout the Middle Eastern world.The main star, though, is the sesame paste tahini. It's used in so many dishes, from savory to sweet being the backbone of both main courses , sides and desserts.There is a caveat to the book though, Ms. Clark warns, some of the ingredients may be hard to find in an American supermarket. A trip to Amazon.com can solve that.

Ms. Clark includes two recipes in her review. One is a pastel, an Israeli meat pie, similar to the Greek pastitsio.It has spiced ground beef along with carrots and onions along with parsley , dill and sesame seeds. However , instead of using pasta or lasagna as layers as the Italians and Greeks do, puff pastry is used, creating a take on a Cornish pasty,She also includes a simple recipe for halvah that requires - what else - tahini.It's as easy to make as simple fudge and a great end to any of the meals in the book. For those who love hummus , there is a snippet of advice as well. Chef Solomonov recommends using overcooked chickpeas for it. They create a dip with an almost buttercream consistency where it  silkily melts on the tongue. His hummus is the star of the restaurant, with all the flavors, including lemon and garlic  being equally balanced in a perfect blend.Any of these recipes could work well at a fall dinner party, especially the pastel served with a good red wine. The halvah would be nice to make as a dinner party or holiday gift.

Israeli cooking is so much more than just hummus and tabbouleh .It is a wide variety of meats and vegetables cooked fresh with exotic spices.Chef Solomonov knows this and displays it in both his restaurant and cookbook, Zahav,A World Of Israeli Cooking.

Lebanese Cooking Redefined

Most people think Lebanese cuisine consists of hummus smeared on pita. There may be some lamb involved but that's it. However the cooking is much more than that, with complex savory and sweet dishes. Spices abound, it's the backbone of the cuisine. It's both sophisticated and earthy , much like the country itself.

It was the topic of Melissa Clark's Cookbook column in today's New York Times Food section. She tried out different recipes from author Maureen Abood's Rosewater And Orange Blossoms (Running Press 2015).The book is taken from her blog of the same name. Ms. Abood is Lebanese - American, having grown up in Michigan, surrounded by a tightknit immigrant family who never forgot their homeland. Hers was a childhood filled with flatbread with za'atar,the mix  of dried herbs with sumac and salt along with roasted eggplant. She learned how to create multicourse feasts from her mother, grandmother and aunts.She has stated that Lebanese food is "extremely refined and very aromatic" Savory dishes will call for both cinnamon and parsley\,Herbs coexist with spices in an assortment of dishes  It's both healthy and rich, with salads existing next to fragrant lamb , beef and chicken Her cookbook reflects this , mixing traditional Lebanese recipes with fresh , modern twists..Ms. Abood has a culinary pedigree, having worked as a professional chef in San Francisco after graduating culinary school.

Ms Clark gives us good recipes from the book. There is eggplant with lamb , tomato and pine nuts , crunchy roasted za'atar chickpeas and greybeh, lavender and orange blossom cookies.The first is a hearty dish  good for now ,perfect for the cooler months. Imagine an eggplant Parmesan with the addition of lamb and butter toasted pine nuts.Cinnamon and garlic are also added for fragrance and flavor . To add another layer of richness,MsClark then tops the whole dish off with mozzarella. The chickpeas would make a good snack or hors d'ouevre. It's simply roasting canned chickpeas in a 400 degree oven for half an hour. They're then tossed in a mix of extra virgin olive oil, za'atar and sea salt. These can keep up to a week however they're sure to be gone in seconds. The cookies, are a form of shortbread.Orange blossom water,a staple in Lebanese cooking adds a light aromatic touch as the surprise ingredient of two teaspoons of dried lavender. There are also other dishes such as the traditional lamb kibbeh also made with tomatoes for a vegan version.

Lebanese food is much more than just hummus and pita. It is dishes rich with spices and herbs. It is layered casseroles that combine staples like eggplant, tomatoes and lamb. It is the food of good cooking and good eating,.

Father's Day Gifts

Father's Day shopping is easy if dad is a foodie. There's everything from cookbooks to grilling tools to gadgets. If he's into any kind of cooking then gift giving is a  breeze.Plus there's the hope that he'll use his present to create a tasty dinner or dessert for the family.

Some men swear by cookbooks and there's always a new one coming out. A fun idea is presenting dad with one that features a cuisine he likes but has yet to cook. If he loves Japanese, then get him a book on it .If he loves a good take out pizza then consider getting him a book that concentrates solely on pies. Add some extras such as utensils that help in making the dish or ingredients such as seaweed for sushi or truffle oil for making pizza or pasta sauces. A basket of gourmet ingredients is also an exciting gift. These can be bought as separate items to be put into a basket or as a basket at some gourmet stores or sites.

Grilling is always a big activity for fathers. A new grill is a great way of  expressing love and gratitude. The best ones have such extras as burners and even infrared rotisseries for chickens and Cornihs hensThis is perfect for the meat eater who loves outdoor cooking and the taste of anything smoky and grilled. There are smaller grills too that are great to tote on camping or beach trips or even out to the park. Barbecues demand rubs and marinades . Many stores from Williams and Sonoma to your local grocery sell these and again these would be an ideal gift for the grilling dad. A set of brushes or various sized tongs are also neat Father's Day gifts that would go well with abrand new grill.

A foodie dad is one of the easiest people to shop for.  Let them enjoy their day with a  fun cookbook or even an expensive barbecue grill. There are so many ideas out there. Any one is always the correct one for a father who loves food and preparing it.

The Knives Are Out

Finding the right utensils can be a headache for anyone who cooks.  Home chefs and pros can agonize about getting the right knife or cutting board at a good price. There is the choice of a regular store or a specialty shop. However there is another choice - the restaurant supplier. This can be a blessing because everything is there and it's usually the best kind.

This was the subject of an article in yesterday's  New York Times Dining section. Contributor Jane Lear  wrote about the famed J.B. Prince Company a Manhattan based purveyor of all things culinary.This is great place (and website) for anyone wishing to stock up on items or starting either a kitchen or a restaurant. it has both old fashioned gear such as mandolines to new fangled microplanes.. The company was started in the mid 1970's by the Prince family. Judith Prince ,a German immigrant and her husband Lawrence, wanted to bring European quality cooking items from France, Germany and Switzerland. They turned their top floor into a warehouse and started a catalog business. They now have a store in the Park Slope section of New York City which attracts everyone from seasoned restaurant owners to culinary school grads..

J.B. Prince has everything from simple cookbooks to even ice carving tools. For those who like to collect recipes there are moleskin journals in which to write down family favorites. There are also a variety of molds for bakers and candy makers as well as the more unusual terrine molds used for making vegetable and meat terrines. The online cutlery section is also amazing , with a dizzying array of knives and turning forks JB Prince also carries poultry scissors and shears in all sizes  , perfect for cutting up various birds. The store also has a neat array of cool machines from the ordinary food processors to sprayers used for spraying chocolate,

JB Prince has a wide collection of all sorts of cooking items. They are a great destination place for any foodie, home cook or chef visiting New York City. If not check them out on line, It's not as great as visiting the store yet they still have everything and anything a cook could want.