10 Best Gifts for Cooks

Here are our favorite foodie gifts with easy links to purchase. But whatever you might be shopping for make this Christmas extra-special (for SpecD that is) and always enter Amazon.com via the ad link on the right hand side of this page. 

1. Paderno Stainless Steel Truffle Shaver ($46) — although one might not often have the pleasure of blizzards of truffle slivers fluttering down onto a pile of hot buttery pasta, these rare occasions do require a tool worthy of the precious ingredients. Include a 1 oz. jar of Urbani summer truffles ($22) to get started.
BEST THING ABOUT THIS GIFT: When people ask “Can I bring anything?” the recipient can now say “Why yes, thank you, please pick up a couple of fresh truffles on your way over.”

2. Mango Splitter ($14) — I’ve never gotten the hang of removing that hard fibrous pit from the center of mangoes, the weird size and shape of it, all the slippery juice.
WHY THIS IS SO GREAT: The sweet taste of the tropics has never been easier.

3. Unicorn Magnum Pepper Mill ($45) – This 9″ tall bad boy means business. Holds a lot of peppercorns, easy to fill and the heavy-duty adjustable grinding blades will last for years. Recommended by Good Housekeeping food appliance expert Sharon Franke!
IT’S A GREAT CONVERSATION STARTER: These tall grinders are known as “Rubirosas” after the legendary polo-playing Domincan lothario. Click the link and find out why.

4. CucinaPro Sliding Spaetzel Maker ($17) — Why home made spaetzle is still a rarity is a mystery to me. This sliding sieve makes perfect  squiggles of the soft pasta dumplings, like this recipe for Spinach Spaetzle.
GOOD REASON TO GIVE THIS: It’s always nice to point out the pleasant things Germans have contributed to society.

5. Alvar Aalto Wood Pot Lid Holder ($5) — An iconic work of art from the modernist master, this clever thingy keeps condensation from dripping back onto the stove top and whenever you see it in the drawer it’s sure to bring a smile. That is if you like pretty things.
BEST STOCKING STUFFER EVER!  Did I mention it’s only only five bucks?

6. Paderno World Cuisine Polished Carbon Steel Paella Pan ($34) — If you’re going to try to make paella without a proper paella pan, well I feel sorry for you, I really do. Print a copy of SpecD’s Lotte and Mussells paella recipe and include it in the card.
DON’T FRET: The only thing better than having an authentic paella pan is having two or more authentic paella pans, so don’t worry if your favorite cook already has one.
7. OXO Splatter Shield ($20 on Amazon.com) — Millions of folks are charmed by the antics of the colorful Honey Boo-Boo clan. Chances are some of your friends are among them. Help them take it to the next level this stove-top frying enabler — a splatter shield which cuts down on messy bursts of hot oil and greasy vapors.
BONUS: It fits in the dishwasher and the fold down handle makes for easy storage.
8. Digital Scale ($45) — The non-Honey Boo-Boo crowd will appreciate this stainless steel digital scale with detachable light-up display. Shows regular or metric measurements. Very science lab, very “I take cooking seriously,” very I went to a good college.
THE REAL SURPRISE: It’s something you never thought you needed that you’ll use all the time.

9. RSVP Five Blade Herb Scissors($11 ) – Silly looking? Maybe. But when faced with a pile of basil or handfuls of baby spinach  and various tender leaves that need to be reduced elegant, even julienne this colorful clipper is just the thing.
UNEXPECTED NICE FEATURE: The blade cover has a cleaning comb on the end to quickly clean between the blades.

And then there’s that one person who’s the absolute best cook you know. That everyone knows. And who knows that everyone knows.  He Studied at Le Cordon Blue… She has Mario Batali on speed dial.  You might have just heard of it but just listen to when Alice Waters shared her secret technique oh so many years ago…

So just what does one get the cook who has everything?

10. KitchenAid Mixer Food Grinder Attachment ($43) and Sausage Stuffer Kit  ($7) with a supply of Natural Hog Casings for 25-Pounds of Sausage ($15). Print out a selection of Spectacularly Delicious’s original sausage recipes (with helpful instructions and even a how-to video on Youtube!).
WHY THIS IS GOOD FOR YOU: Mr. or Ms. Cheffy Chef Gourmet will never be able to grill up an Oscar Meyer weenie and still look you straight in the eye.
WHY THIS IS GOOD FOR THE JEWS: Beef casings are readily available too and when you make your own sausage, you know exactly what’s going on in there.  So this is a gift to Miss Piggy too.
Hopefully there’s some ideas here you’ll like. But again, if you’re going to shop Amazon.com for books or appliances or toys or whatever, enter their wondrous virtual emporium via the Spectacularly Delicious ad link on the right side of the page.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad and Happy Birthday Jane and Ryan Sullivan.

Print This Post