Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

okay, my family does a secret santa. i am starting my holiday shopping early before my maternity leave is done. i got my sister's boyfriend and have no idea what to get him! however, he LOVES to cook and I was thinking of doing some sort of basket filled with things...

please recommend your favorite:

cooking gadget or tool....
spice, oil, or condiment
and any other items you would think a serious at-home cook would like...

Also, he LOVES Gordon Ramsey. Does he have any cookbooks out that you recommend?

TIA!



ETA: Also, tell me if you think this is a bad idea? We each only pick one person, but spend about $125.00.... do you think spending $125.00 on just cooking things is dumb?

Message edited 10/16/2009 12:03:33 AM.

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

I don't at all. I think you can do a really nice basket for 125. However-you may want to consider getting him a good knife and sharpener for that price.

My DH loves to cook and he likes-measuring items(he has this one that has a slide thing inside a marked plastic tube so you can slide up and down to measure things) Different salts-grey, red, etc(Williams Sonoma probably has some stuff like this), tongs he is obsessed with tongs, black truffle oil, you could probably go to Williams Sonoma tell them you have 125 and let them help you. IR go to Home Goods, TJ Maxx etc and make your own basket. HTH

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

You could do a pasta basket - pasta pot, italian cookbook, nice jar of sauce, some utencils, box of pasta, roasted peppers, etc.
You could do a breakfast basket - omlet pan, pancake mix, syrups, coffee.
Chili/soup - a heavy cast iron pan, tomatoes, beans, dried beans,
Maybe a slow cooker.

Maybe spend between $85-$100 on the main gift then add the extras to make a nice basket. I think that's an awesome gift.

ETA: Here I go again with my Boscov bargins but they have a Paula Dean cookware set for $100 and a knife set was $186, for $70...

Boscov bargins

EATA: Here is a Macy's bargin...
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=384264&CategoryID=47338

Message edited 10/16/2009 9:20:37 AM.

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

hmm...

i love a good salt keeper...

we have this one:



but they make plainer ones like this too:



as far as spices and things..

maybe some fleur de sel and herbs de provence...





a panini press could be a nice gift too... with maybe some spreads and/or cookbook.

maybe a bottle of really good olive oil as part of it?

a really good cutting board is something i'd always love...

a microplane grater if they don't already have one....

i feel like that can all be a basket - KWIM?

a basket filled with a good cutting board, a nice bottle of olive oil, fleur de sel, herbs de provence, and a microplane grater.

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

I am not sure that I would do a basket for a guy.

can you get your sister to do some recon in his kitchen to see what he is working with?

she can find out 1) if he already has Gordon's book(s) and 2) if he is in to any particular kind of cooking.

is he experimental? does he like mediterranean, North African, Spanish, French, American Southern etc...

$125 is a pretty nice budget. I can see it being spent wisely (and quickly ) at the Le Crueset/Williams Sonoma outlets.

a decent sized roasted or dutch oven could be had if you do second choix at le Crueset (the product has a flaw on it someplace, usually a chip in the paint but nothing that effects performance. all of my LC is second choix and I have YET to find the actual imperfections on any of my pots/pans)

We got a fabulous fondue pot (copper) at the WS outlet. I LOVE it. and it was a STEAL. also a gorgeous copper polenta pot (that can also be used for risotto's etc)

call me sexist, but I can see men enjoying a quality chef's tool over a basket of pastas and salts.

not sure how up to it you will be, but the weekend of 10/24 I believe Woodbury Commons is having a big sale. hit that up and you could do well with that budget.

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

There is a great cooking store in the Deer Park outlets. I got there often... a little too often. Also, there is Penzeys Spices on 110. They have the best spices to smell and purchase. I wouldn't waste my money at a William Sonoma when you can get really good stuff elsewhere for good prices.

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

$125.00 is a very nice budget, but I would do some investigating before you buy. What does he have? What does he want/need? What does he like to cook? 2 Yrs ago my brother wanted all cooking stuff so Joe bought his gifts and my brother is a HUGE fish/burger person so this is what we got.....a good medium and large cast iron skillit, 6pk of beer, flour, frozen fish(assorted), good hamberg meat(frozen), 2 large mixing bowls, dry batter mixes, HUGE container of cannola oil, tongs, and a rack for cooling...oh and frozen french fries. He LOVED this! We put some of it in a cooler and the rest in a big box for him. Peiople still talk about how nice it was!

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

Thank you everyone.... these suggestions are great... Keep em coming!

Re: Christmas Gifts for a Great Cook

I have this little one egg omlet maker that DH LOVES we threw Father's Day brunch for his fam and he made everyone little individual omlets it was great