Xmas Loot.... (merged w/ "Santa" topic)

[Hest88]

Foodwise, I got the new Harold McGee as well. My DH said it was sold out everywhere and he kept talking to annoyed bookstore clerks who had obviously told a hundred people already that they weren't getting more until after Xmas. Luckily, Amazon came through!

[suzilightning]

from a dear friend and johnnybird's family we have gotten:

a dried fruit and nut basket

a bottle of Taylor Brut and 4 flutes

assorted bags of lindt's truffles

maple sugar candy for john

a small casserole dish decorated with cherries

3 sets of recipe cards <YEAH - i was almost out>

a decorated vinegar bottle

2 year subscription to Intermezzo

wine bottle night light

gift card to linen's 'n things - i need either a new blender or a dutch oven

john and i don't celebrate our christmas until new year's eve so i have no idea what he will be getting me. he is getting a bottle of 150 year old grand marnier

edited to add the box from french feast has arrived(about 2 1/2 weeks late) so there are:

a package of black winter truffles

dried morels

dried ceps

dried chanterelles

dried mixed forest mushrooms

a bottle of verjus

fleur de sel de guerande

i see the makings of new year's eve dinner and new year's day in this

Edited December 27, 2004 by suzilightning (log)

[Megaroo]

Considering we're on a tight budget this year (family included) - I think I cleaned up pretty well.

- 3 bottles of wine

- A wine rack

- A really nice pizza stone and rack

- Cedar planks

- Some yummy dips/sauces from Trader Joe's and Williams Sonoma

- Chocolate galore

- and a Kershaw Shun Alton's Angle 6 inch utility knife! (WHOO HOO! I even took pictures, that shows how much of a kitchen/tech nerd I am)

Non food related items included clothes, a digital camera, a massage and of course, cold hard cash.

[Suzi Edwards]

So what food related stuff did Santa bring you this year? I got four copies of Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany in 2005 so I was hoping not to have such a glut this year.

The one thing I really wanted was a mandoline but the box I was sure it in contained a facial sauna. Did get some interesting books though, the reissued "Nose to Tail Eating", "The Wider Shores of Gastronomy" and "Food; A Culinary History".

Did anyone else anything exciting? Any huge misses?

[liamsaunt]

I got lots of food-related gifts this year. Lucky me!

Cookbooks: Rustico, La Mia Cucina Toscana, Chefs Secrets, and Best Kitchen Quick Tips

A bottle of Perrier Jouet champagne, a nice sherry, and a pinot noir. A leather wine journal.

Homemade cookies, brandy balls, and fudge (thanks sis!)

A giant mortar and pestle, a fondue set, deruta pasta bowls and serving dish.

A gift card to williams sonoma. Salt and pepper shakers.

Finally, my inlaws gave me a Cuisinart Grill and Griddle. It's an electric appliance with a two sided cooking plate. I am not sure what the advantage is over simply cooking on the stovetop. Does anyone have one of these? Is it useful or is it just going to use up my counter space?

[Kevin72]

We did Christmas Part One at my wife's parents this weekend.

Cooking of Spain--Penelope Casas: My culinary eye is turning to Spain now and this is my first endeavor.

SuperSize Me DVD which lead to some spirited dinner table conversation after we watched it.

La Terra Fortunata by Fred Plotkin--which I've already burned through and cooked a little "antipasti" sampler from last night.

Christmas Part Two is at my parents in Houston for New Years. My mom, also a passionate cook, usually goes overboard getting me stuff so it should be interesting.

[fisherman]

i got a mincer which i'll be using on the leftovers from the organic rib of beef i'm roasting at the moment. plus a chefs hat which i'm wearing now, and gets funnier the more i drink

[culinary bear]

Dan Lepard's "The Handmande Loaf", Harold McGee's "McGee on Food and Cooking", which seems to be a new version of his 1984 classic, a mortar and pestle (that makes six in the kitchen), and a Kenwood Major old-stylee bench mixer. Oh, and a new set of digital scales.

[Winot]

"European Peasant Cookery" by Elizabeth Luard; most excellent.

"Casa Moro"; looks like another winner.

[Andy Lynes]

Harold McGee's "McGee on Food and Cooking", which seems to be a new version of his 1984 classic

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Sounds like you might have missed the recent eGullet Q&A with McGee.

[culinary bear]

Harold McGee's "McGee on Food and Cooking", which seems to be a new version of his 1984 classic

←

Sounds like you might have missed the recent eGullet Q&A with McGee.

←

I did, bollocks.

I'm rather enjoying reading it.

[Jensen]

"European Peasant Cookery" by Elizabeth Luard; most excellent.

←

Is this a re-release of "The Old World Kitchen" or a totally different book? (I suppose I can find that out for myself...)

I quite like The Old World Kitchen, although I have read that some of her historical facts aren't quite on the up and up.

Santa brought me a marble mortar and pestle (the only thing on my Christmas wish list...I've figured out that if you only ask for one thing, odds are that you will get it ), a new remote thermometer thingie, a silicone pastry brush, and a marble rolling pin.

Life is good.

Edited December 29, 2004 by Jensen (log)

[viaChgo]

an immersion blender and ..the Weber Smokey Mountain!! Baby back ribs are in my weekend plans...

[fifi]

an immersion blender and ..the Weber Smokey Mountain!! Baby back ribs are in my weekend plans...

←

You are indeed blessed! My Weber SM rocks. I am sure you will love it. Take a tour through this site for some helpful hints. I particularly like the "Minion Method" of firing it up. I can hold a reliable 225 F for about 12 hours with very little fuss. Of course, I don't know about that in Chicago in the winter. I just got back from visiting my son. I can't believe we were walking around Marshal Field's looking at Snow White windows in 2 degrees before you started figuring in wind chill. ACK!!!

I also got McGee's book. I shipped all of the books home so I haven't gotten into it yet. I am a huge fan and have just about worn out the original edition.

[viaChgo]

fifi,

It's funny you mention that site. I'd been lurking there for a while now as I coveted a WSM. Now that I got one, the first thing I did was to register at the forums over there & print out some tips!

The McGee book is at the top of my list to get.

[petite tête de chou]

My Christmas stocking used to comprise at least half of my holiday enjoyment but for the past four years or so I havent had one.

But IF I did I would love a spice stocking. I dont know how useful it would be for future Christmases considering the remaining aromas. Nevertheless....

Spices to get me started as per the many wonderful, incredibly well-informed folks on the Indian, Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish, African, Mexican and "other" forums. But no dried tarragon, chives or chervil, please.

[binkyboots]

from my darling husband "falling cloudberries" by Tessa Kiros

and a £25 book token, which will be convereted into a cookbook, as soon as I make up my mind... "mes confitures" is the current favorite.

my sister picked up two volumes of "culinaria, european specialities" enormous books with some rather lovely recipes.

[JPipes]

I've got a great girlfriend. Her parents set me up with the cast iron dutch oven I wanted; she gave me Bourdain's book, Alton's book, a mortar and pestle, a microplane and some homebrew equipment...I love her.

My parents gave me a Rabbit corkscrew, Beer steins, and.....new tires. What a great haul!

[misstenacity]

To my continuing amazement, I too did well this year.... wow.

-exquisite tea from Seattle in *silk* teabags

-10 year aged balsamic from Zingerman's

-homemade goodie trays including linzer torte, molasses cookies, red wine drops, and the best peanut butter cookies EVER.

-jar of dried cayenne peppers from my Dad's garden

-chile pepper oven mitt

-Kuhn Rikon stainless pressure cooker

-Bouchon

-$30 to Trader Joe's

-The Complete Asian Cookbook (Soloman)

-On Food and Cooking

-Roadfood

-Eat Your Way Across the USA

-Chez Panisse Cooking

-Jean-Georges

-Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

-Salt: a World History

-a Farberware 2qt heavy-bottomed pot

-a LID for my 2 small All-Clad 'open stock' pots

Merry Happy Yadda Yadda..... :-)

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[daw]

Riedel glassware from my mother - Vinum Chianti Classico to be precise - excellent.

David

[madziast]

only one edible gift but what a treat! manni olive oil - apparently to most delicious and expensive olive oil on the planet

hey, if it's good for thomas keller...

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly...,951701,00.html

building a little altar for the two bottles

[jschyun]

Apparently, someone I know got a KitchenAid mixer from his Secret Santa. Wow.

[Octaveman]

Well, I got two knives, a cookbook and misc kitchen items. Boring, I know but cool none-the-less.

Knives:

Hattori HD 270MM Gyutou with Saya cover (Thank you, Koki)

Watanabe 180MM Deba in blue steel and octagon handle (Thank you, Sinichi)

Cookbook:

Soprano's Family Cookbook

Cheers,

Bob

[jgarner53]

I got the Les Halles cookbook and Alton Brown's new book (bless him for including weight measurements in both metric and Imperial!). Not one dessert cookbook (what ARE people thinking? c'mon people, I'm in pastry school!)

I also got a copper sugar pot and gift cert to Sur La Table

The only gift of food were the yummy orange pistachio biscotti we got (homemade) from friends of ours.

[suzilightning]

we celebrated our christmas last night and i got from john a bottle of veuve clicqot ponsardin, a bottle of nicolas feuillatte brut, a set of 3 cutting boards for our condo down the shore, a thin cutting board for this house, 2 cork backed place mats with a cool wine bottle motif, a neat piece of pottery from the kongsberg jazz fest by hanne englunds and still to come a wooden wine rack for the basement.

i also received a small thank you of some truffles from a fellow egulleter out of which john promptly ate the dark ones