Christmas Shopping for your Chef

WHAT to gift THE COOK/BAKER/FOODIE in the family this Christmas
 
My mother never had a set of measuring spoons or cups in her cupboard. She cut pastry with two knives her whole life. When she measured she used her hand or a tea cup. Teaspoons were weighed with the cover on the bottle or scooped out of a Schilling spice can with a table spoon.
 
There were not special pans, blenders, food processors, nothing but your ordinary table settings and a few nice bowls.
 
So do your foodies a favor this Christmas and get them some of these reasonable stocking stuffers.
 
Some small items that every kitchenista needs from under $25 can be found at local stores. BE SURE AND BUY A GOOD QUALITY tool – not utensils from the grocery store.
 
Reasonably good places to shop are:
Kohl’s (has the Food Network line of tools.)
William Sonoma
Chefs
Bed Bath and Beyond
Target
King Arthur
JoAnn Fabrics
And, don't forget to support your local cooking stores.

For the baker in your life.

• Zester/Microplane (Didn’t know how I ever made homemade lemonade without this tool) – Recommended Microplane 40020 averages about $15.
• Pastry cutter – Orblue, OXO (Available at Target), Norpro, Cuisinart. Average price about $15.
• Spatulas/spoon rests/hotpads – good silicone ones. They are so much more improved over any other material out there and you can find them everywhere.
• Metallic Pie Drip Catcher – yes keep that oven clean for less than $10.
• Bench Scraper – Oh yeah, use it to clean up the butcher block, cut dough, etc. etc.
• Add a bowl scraper (way better than a small spatula) both items around $10 because you need more than one bowl scraper.

There are also many “pretty” measuring spoons and cups shaped like animals, etc. I have a nesting doll measuring set, I just don't want to use them for everyday cause I don't want to break them. YES, I admit I am a wild worker in the kitchen. My little girls are allowed to play with them and have had many hours of fun without ever breaking them.
 

• Stick Blender – why did I wait so long? Cuisinart – less than $25 because I have a Nutra-Ninja for smoothies (another great idea for a gift at less than $70)

 

• Recipe Books make great stocking stuffers and you can find reproductions of many German Russian cookbooks at the NDSU Germans from Russia Heritage Collection website.  Including the one I collaborated on called Gutes Essen.
  https://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/order/cookbooks/cookbooklist.html

 
If you wanna go big for your kitchen god or goddess buy them a heavy duty mixer.
Kitchen-aid mixer with attachments.
Mixer – 5 qt around $250 (Watch for sales)
Or Pro model for around $600.
There are all these wonderful attachments that save you from purchasing a multitude of kitchen gadgets that eat up space.

• Grain Grinder
  
• Ice Cream mixer
• Food grinder
• Pasta Roller
• Spiralizer

 These range from $50 to $200.
 
Good Food Processor – Cuisinart is a good brand for about $100-200. Get one large enough to handle pie crust, making sauerkraut, etc.
 
Clay Bread Bakers -- $35-$100.
 
TOP PICK for the baker or cook that has everything. Be sure and consider a CSA subscription so your foodie would receive a box or bag of veggies every week from 12-17 weeks for about $400-$750. That’s a gift for anyone who loves fresh veggies and doesn’t have a garden.
 
Merry Christmas and don't forget to shop local first...