Gifts for food lovers - food/cooking stuff

[FistFullaRoux]

We had a kind of culinary Christmas.

To begin with, My brother gave my mom a Fry Daddy. She opened it, and got a funny look on her face, then recovered. Then he opened his gift from her. A Fry Daddy. Priceless.

I'm so jazzed. I finally have my Kitchen Aid mixer. A 5 1/2 quart beauty in Cobalt Blue. I unpacked it as soon as we got home and made whipped cream because I could. Also got a small All Clad pan. Beautiful. We also received some gourmet cookie dough, really amazing chocolate covered pretzels, and some other odds and ends.

My sister-in-law worked part-time for a few extra bucks at Williams Sonoma. Employee discounts are marvelous things. hehe

[dannyboy]

Got:

Lidia's Italian Table cookbook

The French Laundry Cookbook

The Babbo Cookbook

Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenblum

Iron Chef 2004 Wall Calendar

Iron Chef board game

Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical by Anthony Bourdain

Attractive pottery olive pot

Extra virgin olive oil

Aged Balsamic

TV Tray Set (does this count?)

Splatter Screen set

Stainless-Steel Potato Ricer

Steel Can Crusher

Calphalon Stainless Steel Collector's Edition 4-Piece Multi-Pot Set by Calphalon

Gave/Giving:

A Cook's Tour by bourdain

Leifheit ice cream scoop

Various Wines

Sausages

Great Japanese meal at home for a group of friends

...Wow, it' a great year!

[babyluck]

Got:

Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl

Some kind of illustrated history of eating

Aquavit cookbook, love it, already used it 3x

The New York Restaurant Cookbook

A microplane with the same gauge as the one I just bought

A ridiculous amount of packaged crackers & cookies

Vast quantities of cheese food--I keep throwing it out, but it keeps spawning!

A case of Korean pears (addictive!)

Gave:

Korean pears (we have plenty)

Korean pear cake (brought to Christmas buffet hosted by Mr. Babyluck's chef uncle--it was underdone--ack!)

The New York Restaurant Cookbook (Mr. Babyluck bought one for me and one for his uncle)

For my sister-in-law, Emile Henry cream-colored ramekins and a green round baker from the Artisan collection, plus coordinating linen towels. I really wanted to keep them--they are beautiful.

Other than that, I was a lazy bum this holiday--didn't cook, didn't bake, didn't crochet or knit or quilt... made it a lot less hectic but less festive too.

Did I mention how much I love the Aquavit cookbook?

Wait, an Iron Chef board game? Have you played it?

[laurenmilan]

Did I mention how much I love the Aquavit cookbook?

I love that Aquavit book as well! I was hesitant to buy it, until I paged through at Borders and found how approachable the recipes are (been to the restaurant, and am understandably intimidated about reproducing that at home.)

I have a Swedish fiancee, so this is actually my 6th Swedish/Scandanavian cookbook (have a few general ones, as well as Kitchen of light)

[babyluck]

I love that Aquavit book as well! I was hesitant to buy it, until I paged through at Borders and found how approachable the recipes are (been to the restaurant, and am understandably intimidated about reproducing that at home.)

I have a Swedish fiancee, so this is actually my 6th Swedish/Scandanavian cookbook (have a few general ones, as well as Kitchen of light)

Yup. I really appreciate how he tells you how it's done in the restaurant but offers an easier/more available alternative. That's the best way to do it. If you look at some cookbooks from 20 years ago, you know that they are dumbed down and that the ingredients they omitted are probably widely available now. You know what I mean? This way, you can try the recipe both ways and see if it makes a noticeable difference. Also, the book is beautifully printed.

Do you especially like any of your other 5 books? I only have Scandinavian Feasts by Beatrice Ojakangas. It's good to have some of the traditional recipes in the Aquavit book so you can see how they are interpreted by a brillliant modern chef. I made Thursday Pea Soup the other day with both books open, mixing and matching however I wanted. Somehow, it is reassuring to have a second opinion--gives you more of an idea of the essence of what a dish is supposed to be.

Is Kitchen of Light good? I'm pissed I missed the series...

[dannyboy]

Wait,  an Iron Chef board game?  Have you played it?

opened it, looked at it, will play it on New Years Day with house guests and my 6.5 year old son. Click here to check it out.

[beans]

:wub: :wub: :wub:

Gotta love those late arriving packages. My aunt and uncle sent a box filled with Kerr mason jars of their own Blueberry-Huckleberry jam and smoked sockeye from Sitka.

Woooo hoooooo!!!

[cjs]

Got an awesome granite mortar and pestle set. Must weigh 20lbs.

[Lawen]

My girlfriend gave me a 5qt KitchenAid stand mixer and a nice set of sushi plates, serving plate, sake bottle and cups. My parents gave me a CuisineArt Mini-Prep processor and a couple random things (a third garlic press, a second veggie peeler, etc.).

The only food related gifts I gave were a couple bottles of Veuve Cliquot and a good bottle of cognac I picked up in Paris last month.

[denise_jer]

To begin with, My brother gave my mom a Fry Daddy. She opened it, and got a funny look on her face, then recovered. Then he opened his gift from her. A Fry Daddy. Priceless.

LOL! That happened to John Braise (aka Jeremy) and his dad! We missed his father for Father's Day, but had gotten him grill tools with Craftsman screwdriver handles. So we left it in the car to give to him later when we met him for dinner the next month for Jer's birthday. His dad gave him his present while we were waiting for appetizers, and the look on his face when he felt the package was priceless. And also tipped me off right away - a nice set of grill tools with Craftsman handles! Very funny!

Gave:

First edition The Art of French Cooking

electronic thermometor

Fannie Mae Mint Meltaways

Nonnies Traditional pound cake

a giant mortar and pestle

Received

A big crock pot

Fannie Mae Mint Meltaways (yes, the same ones I gave!)

The Apprentice

some christmas-y placemats and napkins

lots of wine

I almost forgot my Martha Stewart Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook!!

Edited December 30, 2003 by denise_jer (log)

[FoodZealot]

Gave:

several large Thai granite mortar & pestle sets

temaki (handroll) kit - nori, temaki holders, 2 part dipping sauce dishes

persimmon shaped ceramic container set

Japanese stacking "lunchboxes" w/ chopsticks

freeform ceramic serving dish

Got:

the Gizmo - motorized grater

Nobu cookbook, Nobu Matsuhisa

Cookoff! - a book about recipe competitions

Physiology of Taste, Brillat-Savarin

Sur La Table & Amazon gift cards/certificates

homemade sea salt blend from my sister

Braun Multiquick handblender

Crate & Barrel potholders and color coded flexible cutting boards

~Tad

[Basilgirl]

Got a Henkels 5-Star Santoku knife from my sister. It's awesome.

Got a Redskins apron.

Got a TiVo so I can record Mario when I'm at work (4:30 p.m. EST) or asleep (10:30 p.m. on Wednesdays). Also will use to record the Queer Eye marathon this Thursday, assuming I can get the thing set up right.

Bought myself a Crock Pot.

Gave Hot Nuts to my bosses.

Don't ask.

[laurenmilan]

Do you especially like any of your other 5 books? I only have Scandinavian Feasts by Beatrice Ojakangas. It's good to have some of the traditional recipes in the Aquavit book so you can see how they are interpreted by a brillliant modern chef. I made Thursday Pea Soup the other day with both books open, mixing and matching however I wanted. Somehow, it is reassuring to have a second opinion--gives you more of an idea of the essence of what a dish is supposed to be.

Is Kitchen of Light good? I'm pissed I missed the series...

Kitchen of Light is very good, I especially like the Salmon in Aquavit and the Wild Blueberry Parfait. Unfortunately, my area has a small Scandanvian population, so our local PBS never carried New Scandanavian Kitchen.

Ironically, the book I've used the most - so far - is IKEA's Real Swedish Food. Very homey recipes, my favorites have been the salmon casserole (salmon filets layered with new potatoes, fresh dill, and vegetables) and the lingonberry parfait (the traditional French definition of parfait, what we in the States usually call a "semifreddo").

[StInGeR]

Gave: From Burgers Smokehouse

Burgers Variety Pack to the in-laws

Received:

Le Creuset enamelled cast iron skillet

Le Creuset casserole dish

[Al_Dente]

My sister gave me the Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. Reading just the first few pages has already done a lot to expand my knowledge. I look forward to learning much much more.

Thanks Lisa!

[brngckn]

Gave mostly non-food items this year but, for my peanut butter loving brother sent some spicy PB and PB jelly beans from here. Also sent Burdick chocolates to my father and stepmother.

Got:

Fresh deer jerky (from my BIL's recent hunting trip)

Almond grinder

Two wine and two water glasses for my set of crystal (Fostoria Moonbeam)

Colorado Cache cookbook

Bottle of Kabinette fresh from Koblenz (courtesy of another BIL in Air Force)

Cheap fondue set

I understand there is a belated box still on its way, too!

[FistFullaRoux]

Der... And how could I forget? I got the first 3 Good Eats DVD's. I also got the book for A Cook's Tour.

I've been up late the last few nights...

[Mabelline]

I gave:

Suet Puddings - 3

Homemade turtles

Preserves - huckleberry and green tomato

Canned corn relish and hot chowchow

Tamales

I got:

Two Lewis And Clark Expedition cookbooks

Another spice grinder for my collection

A copper parrot for my kitchen

A bunch of foods

And my favorite food gift, a Presto Options multi-cooker. I love this thing!

[fifi]

A copper parrot?

[Mabelline]

Happy New Year, fifi! I knew I should have clarified. SO gave me a hammered copper parrot statue-thingy I had admired. It's going to keep me company in the kitchen. When you live with an SO, 2 male cats, and a male rabbit, copper parrots start lookin' like good company.

[suzilightning]

we exchanged our presents last night and got

nv pol roger

1988 cuvee sir winston churchill

dishtowels and an oven mitt with wine bottles on them

2 cork place mats with the same pictures

a bodum french press coffee maker - which i just made my morning coffee with

[chezlamere]

how do I get on "beans" xmas list

[Pan]

I'm out of this because I don't celebrate Christmas and really don't celebrate Chanukah, either, which is a minor (non-Biblical) holiday and more fun for children than anything else, as far as I'm concerned. If I do celebrate Chanukah, it's not to exchange presents (that's more traditional for Purim and Passover). My father's birthday was on the 26th, but because of the flu, I haven't been able to get his gift yet, which isn't food-related. Gifts people get for me are usually either not related to a particular holiday ("just because" things) or for my birthday, which comes up on Feb. 2.

But I have a question for Mabelline:

Tell us more about that multi-cooker. I frankly don't know what it is.

[Mabelline]

Can do, Pan! I'm always in the market for slow cookers, and I try different types, etc. This Presto one is real neat, good price, and I've been cooking with it most every day since Christmas. It's a multi-cooker that "steams, stews, roasts, boils and deep fries." It has a control like an electric skillet, has an aluminum frying basket, is nonstick inside and out, light weight, and has a submersible pot. SO let me pry out of him that it was under $30 at Sears. Maybe Amazon.com has them. But it is great. The heat control makes the difference to me.

[Pan]

So this is an electrical appliance, not something to be used on the stove.