Great Gifts for the Cook(s) on Your List

Great Gifts for the Cook(s) on Your List

If you have a cook or two on this year's Christmas list, you're in luck. There are several great gifts for your favorite cook(s) in a wide price range. Look for your gift items in discount/club stores, big box stores, department stores, online sites, Ebay and keep yard sales in mind. My friends find lots of unopened, brand new items at yard sales. Check online prices quickly at pricegrabber.com.

Under $20 items
Hand Held Graters (by Microplane)

This handy tool will become one of your favorites. They use a long file-like blade (with holes like a box grater) attached to a rubber handle. Use for grating bread, cheese, zesting fruits, making chocolate curls and other grating chores. They're available in a variety of styles. (One site to check out is cooking.com.)

Silpat Baker Liner

These are non-stick baking mats that are great for baking cookies, working with caramel, rolling out dough, or any kitchen job that requires working with sticky ingredients. No need to grease and easy to clean. (Check out your Ace Hardware store and target.com.)

Vacuvin (Similar items are available under different names by various manufacturers)

Never waste a half-finished bottle of wine again. The wine-drinkers on your list will appreciate this gift. To preserve your wine much longer, reseal any opened wine bottle with one of the reusable rubber stoppers. Use the vacuum pump to simply extract air from the bottle. Easy-to-use kit comes with vacuum pump and two special rubber wine stoppers. (Check out menusandmusic.com)

Under $50 Items

½ Liter Cream Whipper

Make fresh whipped cream easily and instantly with this aluminum device. Just add a few simple ingredients, and you're ready to garnish like a pro. Whipped topping stays fresh for weeks when kept chilled. The 1/2-Liter Cream Whipper requires standard 8-gram N2O cartridges to operate; the cartridges are sold separately. (Visit smarthome.com)

Gas Watch

A propane gas leak detector with a low-level gas indicator to let you know when it's time to refill your propane tank. An emergency shutoff feature stops the propane flow immediately in case of major leaks by cutting off the gas supply. (Visit smarthome.com)

Cucina Cookbook Stand

Black cast iron stand to hold your cookbook, open to the recipe you're preparing. Reminiscent of outdoor vintage grates, this intricately detailed hand cast iron stand is such a work of art it looks beautiful just sitting on your kitchen counter. For added convenience, two cast-iron place keepers hold pages down while you cook. (Check out napastyle.com.)

Garlic Roller

Garlic in my food is good…but on my fingers - NOT! This handy, stainless steel garlic roller puts a little distance between you and your cloves. Simply hold either end and crush in the center. 7" long. (Available at napastyle.com.)

Other items to gift your favorite cook(s) include gourmet dipping oils - two nice bottles of flavored olive oil is a perfect gift. Or, create a gourmet basket filled with specialty food items - some special jams, flavored and/or colored pastas, exotic spices, a bottle of wine, a couple of boxes of crackers. (Tip: Last year Trader Joe's has Italian Panetonne at five or six dollars. This makes a terrific gift, a tasty hostess gift, or great to include in a gourmet basket.) Create a theme basket - a package of spaghetti, a jar of gourmet Pasta Sauce, a bowl to hold the spaghetti or a silver plate spaghetti server, etc., all put into a basket, wrapped in cellophane with a pretty bow.

You might also buy a cookbook, mark the page for the selected recipe. and make the recipe up as part of the gift. This works well with cookies, candies, sauces, etc. You can also buy the ingredients used in the recipe and include it with the gift.