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Holidays are a wonderful time of the year to gift the cook or
foodie on your list. And while the choice(s) for gift giving may pose
some challenges, my hope is that in this year’s guide will have eliminated this
quandary with some of my gift suggestions. This year’s gift guide includes
food, wine, kitchen prep, cookbooks, and cooking tools that add those extra
touches sure to add some sparkle to the holidays, while making just the right
gift for that special someone, including yourself. Enjoy!
COOKBOOKS
Whether you’re a novice in the kitchen, or a seasoned culinary
wizard, cookbooks are the perfect gift, resource, motivator, and go-to for the
home cook. I know home cooks that
collect cookbooks just for the pleasure they experience while leafing through
the pages, or looking at the gorgeous color photos, or reading the detailed recipes. Many also get inspiration to expand their
culinary horizon and venture into taste palates unknown. Many also get inspiration on making
adaptations to the printed recipe to conform to either a specific taste palate
or dietary need, or ideas on modifying ingredients to be frugal and use up what
they have on hand in their pantry or refrigerator. The latter is something I regularly do; truth
be told, however, my changes don’t always yield the final results I was hoping
for, but a lesson learned will bring better results next time, guaranteed. Whatever motivates your gift recipient, or
yourself, cooks books are a multi-faceted gift that keeps on giving! Enjoy the following round up of three
exceptional cookbook gift ideas from the definitive editors and cooking icons
at America’s Test Kitchen.
“The Complete Slow Cooker”
Since the 1970s, the “crock pot” has had many reiterations and
redesigns. Today’s cooking vessel does
more than just “slow cook” with digital features that back in the 1970s
would’ve been considered science fiction.
The culinary wizards at America’s
Test Kitchen share in this cookbook the recipes they’ve perfected through
extensive testing and tweaking…recipes for traditional favorites, while also
showing the cook how to manipulate the basic recipe into multiple recipe
versions, or recipes that are a bit of an adventure by using the “slow cooker”
for the once considered impossible…like Pork Pad Thai, Paella, sauces, vegetable
dishes, breads and desserts, macaroni and cheese, rice and grains, appetizers,
dips, granola, and of course, soups, stews, roast meats, poultry, and
fish. America’s Test Kitchen also shares with the cook shortcuts they’ve
perfected over the years that will help them simplify and streamline
complicated, time consuming, and often-intricate cooking steps. If there’s a way to speed-up the perfecting
process, these geniuses will have discovered it, and perfected it. While the book contains delicious and
nutritious recipes, it begins with a detailed primer, “Slow Cooker 101”; every conceivable aspect of this kitchen staple
appliance is included, from the basics to the advanced; and, within this broad
section, there are also subsections that demystify the “all about” equipment
categories, including the food categories and unique aspects to how this
appliance performs depending on the type of food being cooked; it’s not just
about temperature, it’s also about texture, thickness, and food types, and why
it’s important to know the differences; then there’s a great section on how America’s Test Kitchen tested and
reviewed common brands of the appliance, including what features were
favorable, and which ones weren’t; they dissect every aspect of construction
and performance, too; and, rounding out the test and review process, is their
recommended winning appliance; large, small, and mini cookers were
included. The cookbook’s recipe chapters are broken down by food type and dish
type. In addition to the beautiful color
photos for each prepared recipe, there’s a thumbnail on serving portions,
length of cooking time, and the size of the vessel you’ll need; each recipe explains
why the recipe works in addition to step by step prepping and cooking
steps. Maybe it’s time to dust off that
“slow cooker” you’ve stashed from when your Aunt Martha gave it to you as a
wedding shower gift all those umpteen years ago. There are also two important sections on “Conversions and Equivalents”, plus “Nutritional Information for Our Light
Recipes”. Even if you’re not ready
to delve into the finer aspects of “slow cooking”, spend some time with this
beautiful cookbook and reacquaint
yourself with this wonderful cooking option. Before you know it, you’ll be
ready to start making a tasty dessert.
“Nutritious Delicious”
In the quest for a healthier lifestyle that includes making choices
that are longevity-friendly, food choices have steadily increased as one of the
easier ways to achieve a major component of this goal. Whether the food choices are organic,
sustainable, fresh, local, non-GMO, gluten-free, calorie modified,
non-processed, plant-based, vegetarian, etc., making healthier food choices can
pose its own set of challenges and isn’t necessarily that easy. In this latest cookbook, America’s Test
Kitchen has found a way to simplify the quest for healthier living through
better food choices and simplified recipes.
Before delving into highly tested and tweaked recipes, America’s Test Kitchen first delves into
the nitty-gritty of healthy eating…included are categories on how to transform
a recipe into a healthier one, even when using fats, flours, and sugar;
understanding the impact of minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients on you and your
food choices; and, introducing the cook to proven “50 Everyday Superfoods” that are a must for any healthy eating
quest. Recipes are broken into main
categories like breakfast, lunch, mains, vegetables, sides, snacks, and even
decadent desserts; this breakdown makes it easy to isolate those recipes a cook
is interested in trying, or perfecting; each recipe provides serving size, and
all nutritional aspects, such as calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol,
carbohydrate, and sugar content; each recipe fully explains why it works, ways
to modify it while still maintaining the recipe’s health-quotient, and easy to
understand instructions; there’s even a “Conversion
and Equivalents” section, further simplifying the entire process; the cookbook also has beautiful photos for
each recipe. This just might be the cookbook that gets you motivated enough
to want to travel that road to a healthier lifestyle through better food
choices in the coming New Year.
“The Perfect Cookie”
I’m a so-so baker. When
it comes to cookies or brownies, I have two basic recipes, one for cookies and
one for brownies that are my go-go recipes; they’re both in my baker’s comfort
zone; boring. While I’ve attempted to
try baking using other recipes, acceptable taste aside, they were never the
real triumph I had hoped for; in all honesty, I long for the ability to be
adventuresome and try other recipes to overcome my fear of baking. In this new cookbook, America’s Test
Kitchen has written the definitive resource book on how to make “Foolproof Cookies, Brownies, and Bars”. The new cookbook
celebrates all levels of baking proficiency, and is jammed with hundreds of
tested and tweaked recipes for cookies,
brownies, and bars. The cookbook also
delves into aspects of ingredient quality, techniques for successfully
executing a recipe, recommended baking tools, recommended panty staples and
add-ons, everything you needed to know about measuring, mixing, cooling,
storing, transporting, which baking surface to use, why cookies fail, and ways
to troubleshoot; all of this resource material is presented in easy to
understand terminologies, and appeals to the novice, as well as the
expert. My favorite section was “Getting Started”, because aside from the
recipes, the content in this section was all-encompassing and a must-read for
anyone who wants to bake; without fully understanding and appreciating the many
intricacies of “baking”, a recipe might just be doomed to “failure” (sigh; like so many of my attempts!); my favorite part
included the extensive listing of implements and their functions, along with
objective brand recommendations based on extensive testing. Following this all-important “Introduction” section is the extensive
recipe offerings, all categorized by type for quick reference…if it’s a sweet
that’s rolled, dropped, shaped, and baked, guaranteed the recipe is in this cookbook. Each recipe explains “Why It
Works”, along with detailed instructions on how to fully execute the recipe;
beautiful color photos of the finished recipe are also included. There are also sections on “No-Bake Cookies & Candies”, “Christmas Cookies”, and even a section
on recipes that are “Gluten Free”,
plus a section on “Conversions and
Equivalents”. This is the perfect “cookbook” for every serious baker for revisiting
every aspect about baking, for gaining clarity on baking intricacies, and for learning
from the masters at America’s Test
Kitchen! These and other
outstanding America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks
are available online and bookseller retailers nationally. The
America’s Test Kitchen cooking shows are regularly aired on nationwide PBS stations. For more information, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com
FOOD AND WINE
Food and wine are perfect items for gift giving. These carefully selected and delicious items will
emphasize the joy of eating and celebrating with family and friends. Each item is ideal for the foodie/gourmand,
home cook, or that special culinary wizard in your life, which might also
include yourself. These items represent
the best in taste and quality, and will definitely please the palate with. You can create curated baskets that include
each item, or combinations…be creative, and add your own little touches to make
the presentations simple, or grand.
~ Cameron’s Seafood ~
When it comes to seafood, there definitely is a difference in
freshness, taste and overall quality when it comes Cameron’s Seafood; everything about their products is exceptional. Since
1985, Cameron’s Seafood has been the
premier direct seafood provider throughout Maryland
and Pennsylvania, as well as an
online retailer for its exquisite tasting seafood, especially its signature Crab offerings. For more information, visit https://www.cameronsseafood.com
~ Claxton Fruit Cake ~
Hands down, this is the finest Fruit Cake I’ve ever tasted! Premium quality ingredients like
Golden Raisins, Cherries, Walnuts,
Almonds, Pecans, Pineapple, Lemon Peel, and Orange Peel are baked in a rich
golden pound cake batter…the result is an incredibly delicious Fruit Cake. The taste will
definitely convert any fruitcake naysayer's attitude with the first bite into a
fruitcake lover! For more information,
visit https://www.claxtonfruitcake.com
~ Cobram Estate ~
Both the Australia Select and California Select Extra
Virgin Olive Oils are first harvest and cold pressed, which preserves
the delicate fruity aspects of the olives and integrity of the oil. I
found the Australia Select to have a
grassy and tomato taste with a pronounced peppery bite in the back of the
palate; overall, it was delicious and aromatic. I found the California Select to have a fruity and
floral taste with a pronounced peppery bite throughout the palate; it was also
delicious and aromatic. Both were great with crusty Italian bread, or
used as a delicious dressing over a simple Caprese salad, or garden
salad. I also loved the beautiful fruity green color of each, as well as
the clever built-in pour caps that dispensed just the right amount of this
liquid gem. For more information, visit http://www.cobramestate.com
~ Crabtree & Evelyn ~
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
These treats will definitely add flair to your table and make
your guests feel like they’re at a traditional English High Tea. The
delicious Spiced Chai Tea is made
with large Whole Leaf Black Tea and then spiced with traditional Chai spices
like Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Cloves,
and Pepper; each tea bag comes in a Fuso material pyramid pouch an hang tag
for easy steeping. While I prefer my Chai Tea black, many enjoy it the
traditional way, sweetened with sugar and mixed with milk or cream; whichever
way your guests prefer, they’ll love the rich and authentic taste of this Spiced Chai Tea. The Citron Curd is made the traditional
way using simple and basic pure ingredients like Sweet Creamery Butter, Milk, Free-Range Eggs, Sugar, Sicilian Lemon
Juice, and Lemon Oil. This authentic Citron Curd is delicious tasting, with a silken bold lemon flavor. The All Butter Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut
Biscuits is another traditional favorite that’s made with Whole Wheat Flour, Sweet Creamery Butter, Sweet
Belgian Dark Chocolate Chunks, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, and Hazelnuts. These pure ingredients make all the
difference in a Biscuit that is rich
tasting and definitely decadent, with an intensity of flavor from the Butter, the Chocolate, and the Hazelnuts.
For more information, visit http://www.crabtree-evelyn.com
The Bacon Wrapped Turducken
Premium Roast is a meat-lovers dream come true. Layers of
succulent and meaty boneless Turkey,
that’s stuffed with a boneless Duck,
that’s been stuffed with a boneless Chicken;
between each of these flavorful layers are additional layers of spicy Italian sausage stuffing. The
final “tah-dah” is a Premium Roast
that’s generously wrapped with Bacon!
The Premium Roast is naturally moist
and flavorful, and really doesn’t need any gravy, but it certainly doesn’t hurt
if you decide to add some; it also makes for delicious leftovers. For more information,
visit https://www.echelonfoods.com
~ Field Roast Grain Meat ~
Even if you’re not a vegan, the Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En
Croute is a delicious plant-based Roast
made for a filling and nutrient-dense meat alternative; even carnivores will
find delicious tasting. This Roast
is delightfully savory and sweet. The
recipe is made with a Hazelnut-infused Field
Roast Grain Meat that’s been stuffed with Field Roast Sausages,
Crystallized Ginger, Cranberries and Apples, and then enrobed in a flaky
puff pastry. This delicious Roast pairs well with other traditional
sides, making for the perfect meatless alternative to your holiday feasting. For more information, visit http://fieldroast.com
~ Martha Stewart Wine Co. ~
These four French wines are all award winning and will please
the palate of oenophiles and average folks who enjoy a great-tasting wine, like
myself. The four wines included 2014 Château
Lafleur De Haute-Serre Malbec Cahors, 2014 Le Vassel De Mercues Cuvée Le Dueze
Malbec Cahors, 2016 Cuvée Joëlle Mauzac, and 2016 A D’Arche White Blend
Bordeaux. Although my wine
preferences tend to lean more towards semi-sweet whites and rosés, these
wines, albeit on the dry side, complemented all of my food pairings. Both the reds
and whites, paired especially
well with foods, including desserts, that had intense flavors; the dryness
balanced out the intensity of flavors, making for delicious complementary pairings;
strong-tasting hard cheeses, for example, tasted tame; overly spiced dishes
were mellowed out and less spicy; and, super sweet desserts had their sugary
component muted. I’m also the type who
prefers my reds and whites chilled; these wines confidently weren’t diminished
by the addition of refrigeration or even an ice cube or two. The 2014
Château Lafleur De Haute-Serre Malbec Cahors was a rich and full-bodied, deep ruby red wine; varietal composition, Malbec grapes; subtle hints of fruit and
a pronounced dryness; winery, Georges
Vigouroux; awarded, the 2017
Silver-Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition;
the 2014 Le Vassel De Mercues Cuvée Le
Dueze Malbec Cahors was a rich and full-bodied, brilliant red wine; varietal
composition, blend of Malbec (85%) and
Merlot (15%) grapes; overall taste,
dry, fruity, with a hint of spicy; winery, Georges
Vigouroux; awarded, the 2017
Gold-International Eastern Wine Competition; the 2016 Cuvée Joëlle Mauzac was a light, crisp, and fruity white; varietal
composition, Mauzac grapes; overall
taste was fruity and dry, with a slight bite; winery, Georges Vigouroux; award, the 2017
Bronze-Harvest Challenge Wine Competition; and, the 2016 A D’Arche White Blend Bordeaux was a light, crisp, and fruity
white; varietal composition, blend of Sauvignon
Blanc (50%) and Sémillon (50%)
grapes; winery, Château d’Arche;
award, 2017 Sommelier Challenge
International Wine & Spirits Competition. All four of these wines are delicious whether
paired with food, or enjoyed by the glass.
They also make for the perfect gift for anyone on your list, or even
yourself. For more information, visit https://marthastewartwine.com
OUTDOOR ENTRTAINING
~ BakerStone
Pizza Oven Box ~
If you long for the ability to make really authentic tasting
pizza, the key is to have a cooking temperature that’s outrageously hot, like
750-850 degrees F. Conventional ovens aren’t designed to sustain this type
of heat. Trying to use the outdoor grill to bake pizza isn’t the answer
either, unless you have a specially designed pizza cooking medium that is
adaptive to gas grills. BakerStone
Pizza Oven Box is an ingenious way to achieve an authentically cooked pizzeria-style
pizza. This Pizza Oven Box is
designed to fit on top of the grill source a fired up; the Pizza Oven Box
has a temperature control dial for ease of achieving maximum heat output where
gourmet pizzas can be created in under five minutes; temperature range can be
regulated for standard baking or wood-fire temperature levels. This unit
is also ideal for baking breads, cookies, meats, fish, poultry, and
veggies. The BakerStone Pizza Oven Box comes with handles, for easy
portability, complete with handles. Once you make pizzas in this BakerStone
Pizza Oven Box, you’ll never order takeout, or bake another one in your
conventional oven. For more information, visit http://www.bakerstonebox.com
~ Picnic
Time ~
Nothing screams summer like a picnic, and the Highlander
Picnic Basket is jammed with all of the items needed for your special
event. This beautiful Picnic Basket is made of sturdy woven willow
with folding rattan handles. The Picnic Basket is completely lined with a
cotton Tartan Plaid liner and is fully
stocked with a service for four; the place settings include and-blown glass
7 oz. wine glasses, 8” porcelain plates, stainless steel forks, knives, and
spoons, stainless steel salt and pepper shakers, stainless steel cheese knife,
stainless steel wine corkscrew opener, hardwood cutting board, plastic lidded food
storage container, insulted wine duffel, and a 60”x50” Tartan Plaid
blanket; the only things not included are place mats and napkins. This is
a beautiful and an ideal gift for all of your special outdoor picnicking and
entertaining; and, the service pieces are also practical and can easily be used
in a home setting. And, while the weather outside might not be
conducive to a picnic, try having some fun, and have a picnic inside, away from
all of winter’s elements. For
more information, visit http://www.picnictime.com
PREPPING, PREPARING, AND
PRESENTING
~ Chicago Cutlery ~
Both the Prime RT Series 4” Parer Knife and 5”
Partoku Knife are beautifully made precision cutting implements
constructed from forged German
stainless steel, regarded as the best material for knives. The Partoku
Knife is a cross between a Santoku and a Paring knife, and is ideal for slicing, dicing, and chopping herbs
and vegetables. The Partoku Knife has
the ideal twenty-six degree precision cutting edge, a soft touch thumb-notch,
and an ergonomically designed handle that’s made of material that conforms to
anyone’s grip. The Parer Knife
is the perfect knife for smaller jobs like dicing and mincing. Both precision implements eliminate the
drudgery of chopping, dicing, slicing, and mincing. For more information, visit http://chicagocutlery.com/prime/
~ Emile Henry ~
Since 1850, Emile Henry has been France’s
preeminent manufacturer of cooking and baking glazed ceramic ovenware for the
world’s discerning chefs and homecooks. The finished products are works
of beauty and functionality, and their Ceramic Soup Pot is exemplary of
these superior qualities. A great feature of their products is that
they’re all chip, crack, scratch, and cut resistant; and, for further durability,
all product colors are guaranteed not to fade; the Ceramic Soup Pot can also withstand thermal shock and can easily go
from freezer, to oven, to broiler, to table without any problem; the ceramic
glaze also prevents foods from sticking, making cleanup effortless, whether by
hand cleaning, or in the dishwasher. Lastly, the Ceramic Soup Pot is so beautiful that you can set it on a trivet on
your table and serve your delicious recipes from it with confidence and élan. For more information, visit http://www.emilehenryusa.com
~ Knork
~
Knork knows how to combine the best of
functionality and durability with design. One of their latest designs is
their beautiful Antique Copper Titanium Flatware Set. These
precision implements are fully balanced, ergonomically and ambidextrous
designed, and are made from hand-forged 18/0 stainless steel that’s
coated with titanium PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition; an advanced
plasma coating technology); this coating makes the finish scratch resistant and
dishwasher safe. The overall beautiful and sleek design makes
eating an elegant dining experience. For
more information, visit http://www.knork.net
~ Mason Cash ~
Mason
Cash has been the definitive brand of glazed earthenware vessels for
discerning bakers in the UK and throughout Europe since the 1800s, and
perfected its iconic Mixing Bowl in 1901, which remains a
prized addition to a baker’s cupboard. Using one of these beautiful
designs definitely elevates the baking experience. The form and function
of the Mixing Bowl beautifully pairs
with the overall esthetic design. The baking experience is made complete
when using their gorgeous Beechwood Innovative Kitchen Utensils
for all of the mundane tasks of measuring and mixing; these attractive tools
function well for all cooking needs. Each of the seven pieces is
carefully designed to have multi-functionality in performance; I found this
multi-functionality to be an outstanding design element, and the sleekness of
each utensil is beautiful to hold, and well balanced in weight. Mason Cash is a mainstay in the popular BBC/PBS series “The Great British Bake Off”; this popular reality show has gone on
to inspire a U.S. version “The Great American Baking Show/ABC”.
This coveted brand is also available in the U.S. at select retailers. For
more information, visit http://www.masoncash.co.uk
~ Oneida ~
The 8 Qt. Stainless Steel Stock Pot is the perfect sized Stock Pot for making large quantities of
soup, stock, bone broth, stew, chili, lobster, crab, and sauces; it’s also ideal
for preparing large quantities of pasta, potatoes, and ears of corn. Made
of durable and high polished 18/10 stainless steel, a favorite of professional
chefs for its heat retention and conductor of even heat. For more information, visit https://www.oneida.com/stockpots.html
~ VitaClay Chef ~
The Smart Organic 6 Qt. Multi-Crocks N’ Stock Pot (Clay) is pure
genius. The design features combine the best of natural unglazed clay
cooking with multi-function digital variable crockery cooking. Its
multi-functionality allows this beautiful appliance to perform as a Fast-Slow Cooker, a Steamer, a Slow Cooker,
a Stock Pot, a Hot Cereal Maker, a Yogurt Maker, and a Low Temperature cooker.
The natural unglazed clay vessel is ideal for slow cooking because of its
porosity, which allows both moisture and heat to circulate efficiently,
assuring maximum reduced cook times while preserving the nutrient value of
foods being cooked, including maintaining natural alkaline levels and optimum
pH levels in foods. The natural unglazed clay substance and porosity,
also prevents foods from sticking; the vessel is removable from the chamber,
making cleanup effortless. For more information, visit https://vitaclaychef.com
WORTH MENTIONING
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| (Image from www.exodusescaperoom.com) |
Don’t forget to consider gift certificates to retailers like
Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, The Chopping Block,
Eataly, local specialty food markets, etc.
Gift certificates are always appreciated, and can be used on culinary
related items, including cooking classes.
Curate your own baskets by including clever prepping tools,
spices, herbs, salts, etc. Create a
themed curated basket; for an Italian-themed one, consider including some of these
items …a bottle of Prosecco, bottle opener, and glasses; extra virgin olive
oil, balsamic vinegar, dried tomato pesto, basil pesto, imported dried oregano
sprigs, and dried mushrooms; or, artisan-crafted pastas and sauces, pasta
tongs, chunk of hard cheese, and grater.
~ In Closing ~
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| (Image from www.hypeorlando.com) |
While this festive season may have your thoughts focused on
finding the right gift for someone, let’s not forget the best gift to give,
which doesn’t cost any money, and that’s the gift of our time with those we
love and care about…family and friends. Lastly, don’t forget those in
need…find a local or national charity and contribute what you can…that might
even include volunteering for special projects, or sponsoring a food or
clothing drive in your neighborhood, place of worship, or at your work
place. To you and yours, I wish you peace, joy, and love!
That’s it for this edition.
Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your
culinary curiosity. Happy creating…happy cooking…happy eating!
By Terry Herman
TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and
wine. She has been covering culinary
related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness
Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and
food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events
such as International Home+Housewares Show, National Restaurant Show, Sweets
and Snacks Expo, United Fresh, and Food Marketing Institute. She has served as a food judge at the
Bellavita Italian Expo Excellence Awards (Chicago). She has been published since the mid-1990s in
both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa,
beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by
publications for her expert content. She
has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with
distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards. She has a background in strategic and qualitative
management, consulting, and motivational speaking. In addition to her blogs, her social media
outreach also includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, Terry’s Second Helpings. Please note that the “Comment Section” has
been disabled. For additional information,
email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.
ALL MATERIALS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED
(Photo credits as indicated, or as represented by the
specific brand.)
