Instead of a recipe this week, I want to share with you my 6 must have tools in the kitchen. If you have a cook on your holiday list, any of these items will be greatly appreciated. I use most of these on a daily basis and would not part with them for anything.
1. Wooden Spoons: It used to be that plastic spoons were all the rage and then people started to notice that they were melting away. Where was the plastic going? In our dinner. Yuck! I also have some metal spoons in my drawer but I love my wooden spoons. You can get them anywhere and at any price point.
2. A Great Big Cutting Board: I have this one from Ikea and it's been great. It stays on my counter and I use it everyday. Obviously, if you're dealing with meat, you need to use something else, but since we don't cook meat, this is all we use. Again, you can find one anywhere and at any price point.
3. A Garlic Press: When I received one as a wedding present, it changed my life. I'm not kidding. I put garlic in just about everything and it is a pain to finely chop garlic all the time. All you do is peel the garlic and then load it into the press, press down and you're done! I use it so often that I have to hand wash it because I always end up pulling it out of the dishwasher before it can get full enough to run. Again, another reasonably priced gift.
4. Le Crueset French Oven: This was another wedding gift and one that I probably never would have purchased for myself. These babies are not cheap but they are so worth every penny. They are the best of the best and are a joy to cook with. We have the smallest oven and it's the perfect size if you're cooking for two. This is a bit of a splurge and a sure fire way to tell a cook in your life that you love & appreciate them. They also come in lots of fun colors!
5. Food Processor: I picked one of these up at Target one day thinking that I would figure out something to do with it and now it is a mainstay in my kitchen. As much as I love chopping veggies, a processor can do it in a 5th of the time I can. We have the 3 cup processor which has been a good starting point especially since it was around $35 but I think that one day soon I may want to upgrade. These come it all sizes & colors.
6. A Good Knife: I got mine at TJ Maxx for less than $20 but you can pay hundreds for good knives. I cannot tell you how much more enjoyable prepping for dinner is when you have a sharp knife. Chopping the veggies is actually one of my favorite parts of making dinner. The 7" Santoku is my favorite all around knife but a lot of people recommend starting with a chef's knife. If you can't spend a ton of money, just buy one, they'll still love you.
I hope this helps you find the perfect gift for your chef!
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