Wow this has been a terrific if expensive post. I've been doing a little shopping for myself as well along the way and my xmas stocking is going to be full. I very much appreciate the ideas from all - THANKS!

Breezy, you inspired the following selection: Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar paired with Blood Orange Olive Oil.

deedles - like the fish sauce (and reviews sound great) but don't have the recipes handy.

localeater/tea4all/breezy/labbie - the home made gifts are the best but I am not ready! Need to receive all and then ship out of state.

lalitha - I think I do have a mortar and pestle somewhere. Hmmm...

fouramblues - boy have I been buying olive oil (and lavendar and balsamic vinegar)...

www.seasonstaproom.com
and
http://www.sciabica.com/categories/GIFTPACKS/Combo-Packs/

Wegmens is about an hour away for us (we're on the North Shore of Boston). If we are anywhere near, we will visit.

Sedonamazer - I watched the video for that lid, pretty neat. I'm just not sure where I would store it or how it would stack or how good it would be at keeping the dish fresh in the freezer. Would like to know more!

Breezy - the salts sound like a great idea! My address is ... :)

Iowacommute - that's what I like, products that people really love. Hopefully you are repeating for your grandmother this year? Lovely idea to make something to stock for the fridge for someone who no longer cooks.

justmakeit - somehow, I don't think you're going to get the lemons done (you could, for a New Year's party!). I did order two of the Lamson Sharp Slotted Turners (looking forward to mine!)

badgergal - funny how I read some ideas and get so excited. I LOVE fajitas and am always searching for the right recipe. Great idea!

monikaxp - I'm such a traditionalist, must use the waiters corkscrew with which I grew up.

breezy - I checked out the lemon squeezer, love it and my microplane too (I have the cover as well).

flgargoyle - excellent point about the local GC

zelmar - if I had the time, I'd try the cranberry liqueur (I really like Cooking Light). Will need to check out Specialty Bottle. I also checked out the Thermoworks thermometer - WOW, I want one.

Thanks corgimum!

lascatx - I've ordered some first press for myself, am considering it for Dear Dad (who would really appreciate it), as well as some really good aged Balscamic Vinegar.

mtnrdredux - Like the slates! Ordered two :)

sayde/Labbie/all - what else do you love to get at Wegman's? It's so big we usually zip through on the way to/from something else.

sayde - silpat sheets seem awesome, something I've wanted for a while.

senator13 - thanks, classes are a great idea.

deedles - Like the salt plate, fun!

Engineerchic - I'll look into the parchment sheets, good idea.

One other idea for anyone looking for spices - Penzeys is terrific.

I'm almost done with the extended family/friends. Now, can anyone help me with my Christmas Card picture? Best, oldbat2be

Last year I received from my MIL a 13x9 glass pan with my name etched in the bottom. She used a Crikut cutting machine to make the stencils and then etching solution to etch the name. Great idea for anyone who makes meals for families or does potlucks and wants their casserole pan back.
I think I am giving potted herbs this Christmas for my extended family. Very handy to have on your kitchen counter.

Great ideas - hope I am not repeating any
Super Gloves - Oven mitts that really work - I bought some at B3 and they are just thick gloves with grips - I hardly use anything else anymore!

Silpat sheets

Joseph Joseph - Some really cool stuff - I bought the expandable pot stand - it is like an accordian and folds up into a small package but holds a full size casserole.

Love those olive oils - we have a really great olive oil store in A2 - Fustini's I made an awesome Blood orange olive oil and Pomegranite vinegar marinated salmon the other night!

Four - I have to try those GF muffins!

Zelmar - I have to find that thermopen!

OldBat - I bet you have the best pictures with your photoshop skills!

I agree about te micro planes and if you haven't tried Penzeys spices and herbs, you are in for a real treat. I love their pasta mix, Tuscan sunset, Bavarian, and their Vietnamese cinnamon is superb!

Here is a link that might be useful: Penzeys

eandhl--Thanks for the Le Veneziane Italian Gluten Free pasta idea. That's a winner and I'll look that up. I much appreciate you posting about it.

This is a great thread!

A cute stocking stuffer, one of those things you can't imagine that you'd need, but once you have it, you love it:

Chef'n StemGem Strawberry Huller (on Amazon for $6.75)

And, FINALLY, AT LONG LAST, after years of exhaustive searching, I have found a SPATULA that is perfect. The ISI spatula is heat resistant to 600 degrees, bendable, but has a bit of steel inside so that it's not too bendy, and, it's all one piece so no more ick stuck in a crevice between the handle and the spatula end. Stiff enough for the thickest cookie dough, gentle enough to stir egg whites, edge is constructed so you can get every drop scraped from your bowl. Doesn't hold onto smells. It comes in several colors, and in a wide size and a slim size. I tend to use the slim one more often, but they're both great. Yes, I've finally found my one true spatula.

This post was edited by akchicago on Sat, Dec 1, 12 at 12:25

So funny to read all the comments on Wegmans. Yes, I've been there when I was up that way not long ago, and now it's everything everyone says, but I keep thinking about when I lived in Rochester a million years ago and it was definitely the most downscale grocery in town back then, the kind of place you might grab a bag of chips on a snowy night when you didn't want to drive farther.

To see their stores now, you'd never believe it. :)

I'm ordering strawberry hullers for everyone! Those look great!

I'm giving my DH a new waffle iron(to replace his Valentine's gift from a few years back) homemade waffle mix and 1lb of German smoked bacon. My BF will get marzipan, which she loves.
For an upcoming wedding gift: a waffle iron, maple syrup, homemade waffle mix, pot holders/tea towels/flour sack clothes, German smoked bacon and buttermilk and eggs from a farmer's mkt. To be presented after the honeymoon for their first (married) breakfast...

Can't wait to make my way through this post! I love food-inspired gifts. On my list this year are a salt pig and a coffee canister.

Here is a link that might be useful: coffee canister

Schoolhouse, A "chicken skillet" is a large, deep frying pan with a lid. Not electric. A deep pan like this is good for many things, but it's especially good for frying chicken because the grease doesn't splatter like it would in a typical, more shallow pan. They're available in many price ranges.

Lalitha, I LOVE my small granite mortar and pestal. I frequently grind up whole spices, and I've even mashed up medicines for my daughter who can't swallow pills. It's also a "forever thing" -- you'll only need one for your whole lifetime.

Several people mentioned a lemon or lime press. That's one of my FAVORITE kitchen gadgets, but you don't need both. The lemon press is a little bigger, and there's no reason you can't press a lime in it.

JustMakeIt, I also obtained a small, thin metal spatula recently, and I love it. Never understimate how much someone may enjoy an "upgraded" basic item. Similarly, I have muffin tins, but I'm hankering for a set of new, better muffin tins. However, this is the kind of thing you probably want to ask about before you buy; I mean, someone else might say, "Muffin tins? I already have those!" instead of appreciating them.

EngineerChic, I don't know much about baking on parchment, but I have silicone baking sheets that I LOVE. I highly recommend them to anyone. In addition to your suggestion about vanilla bean paste, I'd say consider unusual chips for baking -- I have cinnamon chips right now, and I've made cinnamon bread (the chips make "bursts" of cinnamon), and I've put them into steel cut oatmeal. I had maple chips, but we ate an awful lot of pancakes, and now I'm maple-chipless. I have cherry chips, but I can't quite figure out what to do with them. A good source for unusual items like this: The Prepared Pantry (online store).

Zelmar, that Thermopen looks cool, but, oh, the price tag!

Javachik, I own that salt pig! Mine's off-white, and I keep it full of Kosher salt right by my stove at all times. I ADORE IT. Always so handy. However, mine has been damaged somehow over the years, and it now has a crack in the top. I know it's only a matter of time . . .

Here's one that takes up no storage space and will last all year: a subscription to Eat Your Books.

It's a site that indexes the ingredients of all the recipes in cookbooks, cooking magazines, and food blogs. Once you build your 'bookshelf' by selecting the cookbooks & magazines you own (and any blogs you'd like to include), you have instant, searchable access to all your recipes. You can build shopping lists of ingredients, organize both recipes and books in any ways you like with 'bookmarks', and it's easy to include personal recipes and online recipes from unindexed sites.

I've been a member for two and a half years, and it has allowed me to make infinitely better use of the cookbooks I already own. I won't pretend it hasn't also encouraged me to buy quite a few more -- you can see what books are on other members' 'bookshelves', and which you have in common.

The indexing continues apace, and most cooks will find that the vast majority of their holdings are already indexed. You can try it out for free indefinitely with a bookshelf of any five books (and/or magazines & blogs) to see if it would be useful to you or the cook you're shopping for.

Other aspects that make the site a worthwhile regular check-in are the daily blog and notes from members on recipes. I have no affiliation with the site other than being a grateful and enthusiastic member. Link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Eat Your Books - recipe indexing site

This post was edited by ellabee_2016 on Sat, Dec 1, 12 at 16:30

One of my favorite gadgets is a hard plastic thing that resembles an oversized "church-key" type bottle opener. It's for loosening the vacuum on a jar lid so it comes off easily. I got mine free from Beechnut when DD was an infant and I couldn't open their jars. I've seen them for less than $2. It would be a useful stocking stuffer.

Gleaning ideas to send to my DH to enhance our new kitchen - I have the email in place.

One other item - Panani spatula - it is split in the middle to allow you to cut the panini or sandwich in half

One of my favorite kitchen tools ever is the microplane zester and tray from Lee Valley. The tray bumps it up a notch to make it absolutely a must have.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lee Valley microplane

I have a question about the Thermopen. Can it be used on thin pieces of meat? I'm thinking hamburgers on the grill, boneless chicken breasts?

Yes, the great thing about the Thermapen is only the tip needs to be in the meat and it reads very quickly. It is our go-to wedding present. We love ours!

I love my Demarle baking items - especially the 24 mini muffin "tin" (not sure what you call it; I don't sell the products, and not even sure how to spell it,)

Just came back from working in NJ for the past 2 weeks. Was able to walk through a Wegmans for the first time,,,OMG it was wonderful! The gluten free soups and salad bars...i was in heaven!

I've always been a WaWa fan, and got to get my daily dose of coffee from there each morning as well. i remember when they use to be just a little store here or there, They sell k-cups now. Family (like me) living out of the WaWa area will be getting these for Christmas, I'm sure.

Last year DH bought us a remote meat thermometer. We can use the remote out on the grill, but we can use the probe for the TG turkey, etc, without the wireless. Really helps with avoiding overcooking.

He also bought me a Kitchenaid stand mixer. No, I never put one on our wedding registry. The attachments could make great gifts. This year I asked for the slicer/shredder.

Here is a link that might be useful: Remote thermometer with two probes

Gsciencechick--When DH brought me one similar to that home from work for me, I wasnt so thrilled. Once I figured out how to use it, I loved it! It comes in handy for so many food items. Now that I have Wolf ovens with a built-in probe I use it far less, but it's still still a useful tool!

Ellabee--that's such an exciting concept! As I start transitioning more and more to online recipes, I found I don't have a way to organize them on the iPad. I knew there had to be something cool like that out there somewhere! I'm going to check it out today for myself. (I don't know anyone who would really benefit from it to give it as a gift.) Maybe Santa thinks I've been good enough to deserve three gifts this year? ;) Thanks!

I'll second Annie's Penzeys Spices suggestion. They're gift boxes come in a nice wooden box and they usually throw in extra treats.

Here is a link that might be useful: Penzeys Spices

Ellabee--I spent 30 mins this morning looking at Eat Your Books. It's everything I was hoping for and more! So worth the $25 yearly membership....if I had paid it. I googled around and found a voucher code that gave me 6 months free membership! In case anyone else is interested, the code is BLOGCOMP06. When my free 182 days are over, I'll definitely be paying for a year long membership. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Early Christmas
I received a coupon for a free WS tool from WS - I could pick anything I wanted as long as WS. So I picked a flexible spatula.
Do I have to wait til Christmas to use it?

I am thinking about a nice trifle bowl ( like from Pampered Chef) where the stem is removable and it has a lid.

Or a nice knife.

Or a set of stainless steel nesting bowls
http://www.hsn.com/kitchen-dining/bon-appetit-5-piece-stainless-steel-mixing-bowl-set_p-6646397_xp.aspx

Or an herb chopper
http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-6-Inch-Nonstick-Vegetable/dp/B003B671I4

Or a salad spinner

Or a veggie chopper like the Vidalia onion chopper

Breezy, you're right, it was a little tricky to sync it to get the wireless to work like most wireless products, but once that's done, it has been great. We like to grill a beef tenderloin on Christmas Eve, so it really comes in handy because it can be a little chilly out there.

I also saw on the Williams-Sonoma catalog a bluetooth iPad stand that could be used for the kitchen.

Oldbat2be, as far as other things I like buy at Wegmans (even just for us as a special treat or for gifts, I like their pumpkinseed oil (drizzle over ravioli or pasta), and in the Nature's Marketplace section I love to browse their selection of teas, nut butters, and the sodas there (yummy flavors made with cane sugar vs. high fructose corn syrup). There are also some fun sodas in the regular soda aisle (Jones sodas are very tasty, and I get the Saranac shirley temple sodas for my nieces/nephews once in a while). Alas, the sodas wouldn't ship well as gifts but are fun to have on hand.

Great thread!

Wegmans opened near my BF in Mass about a year ago and I love it!

I don't follow a gluten-free diet but many of my friends do and are fans of King Arthur GF mixes. I think they're quite good also (our neighborhood gatherings are a mix of GF, vegan, paleo and one neighbors fresh eggs, pork and chicken so we get to try a variety of dishes and styles we normally wouldn't) Needless to say our dishes are well labeled, especially since the looked like hummus, but was chopped liver episode :)

One gadget I love, and have used for years is my bagel gripper. They were popular for a while and then seemed to drop out of favor but I still love it. They sell a guillotine style one but I prefer this as it seems easier to keep clean.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bagel Holder

Ellabee/breezy - thanks for the posts about Eat Your Books. I looked initially but was a little confused about the benefits. I just signed up for the 5 books free and didn't do much else. When Breezy posted the 6 month free coupon code, I tried again.

Now I'm starting to get excited. Tonight, I made for the second time a recipe from Cuisine Light, 30 Minute Menus, Spicy Garlic Chicken with lemon glaze. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's the kind of recipe I write all sorts of notes over, the kind that it's more than worth the price of the magazine. So now I will add this magazine to my library and mark the recipe as 5 stars and add my comments. I'm assuming I'm now going to be able to see, for example, your favorites Breezy and Ellabee. If I like them, then this will be a great resource to be able to look for other recipes you recommend. GW but with sharing recipes from our favorite cookbooks, WAHOO!

old bat 2 be --- I'm so glad you bought 2 of the cheeseboards! They are such fun --- esp the soapstone pencils!

Oh.. I have to try the Eat your books site.. I too have been looking at options to make it easier to use the ipad in the kitchen. I am eyeing an ipad stand that is mounted under the cabinet that seemed to be a good idea after the oil splatters from padron peppers episode..

Breezy.. talking of recipes.. I have been meaning to asking you for the lemon arugula pasta recipe.. Can you please share?

I love, love the Temptation baking dishes that QVC sells that my mom gave me a few years ago. Last year I got a set for her for Christmas. She adores them. They are fabulous to clean. Neither one of us can get over how they wipe out. I have the blue set, and hers are green. Both are pretty, and I don't know which I like better.

I also adore my Pampered Chef Mini Whipper that is flat on the bottom. I wish I had two of them, since it's a very popular item in our kitchen. I barely ever use a full-sized whisk anymore.

I just put the Ecotemp on my Christmas list. I didn't know that type of thermometer existed. I want one for making yogurt!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tempting Baking Dishes

Lalitha--Sure! I'm laying in bed sick with all the cruddy gunk one can get so I can't grab it now, but I typed it it here for someone recently. Let me look for it a bit later!

I want to share my favorite app for anyone that may be interested. I absolutely love the Paprika app for the iPad. It quickly downloads recipes from many blogs and websites, and is simple to add recipes if the sites are not compatible. You can double recipes easily, and set timers on the iPad. I have tried a few apps, and this is by far the best in my opinion. I think it costs about $4.99 from the App Store. It's not really a big gift...maybe a stocking stuffer:)

I'm so glad several of you have found the Eat Your Books site of interest; thanks for reporting back!

New members are what the site needs most. With about 3500 books indexed, and dozens of blogs and magazines, it's very, very useful right now to its couple of thousand members (estimate, based on holdings of the top cookbooks) -- but it can become even more of a magnet for cooks once the subscriber base is big enough to support the next phase of development, which will focus on more ways for members/subscribers to interact with each other.

If you continue to find it of value (which I'm confident you will), let your cooking friends know. It can only get better and better...

Update on the Red Boat Fish Sauce: Mixed some olive oil, fish sauce, garlic powder and S&P and brushed it on a cut-up chicken. Baked at 400 til done.

Holy Umami! It was to die for. Really, unbelievably delicious. That stuff is great!

Thanks for the code for Eatmybooks! Wow.

Not sure if this qualifies as "for those who cook," but how about a slate cheese board? Wait, why pay top dollar at WS for one? I went to Home Depot, and bought a 12x12 slate floor tile for $1.64. I glued a foam sheet from Michael's Craft Store to the back. I oiled it with mineral oil. And the piece de resistance -- a soapstone chalk pencil with a nifty holder. Where did I get that? From the welding section of Home Depot, for about $3.

Of course, you could just buy one for $25 to $75, but where is the pleasure in that?

I'm not sure if this has been suggested already, but I just bought these scraper/beaters for friends who love to bake with their KitchenAid stand mixers. The hardest part was secretly finding out the size of their mixers, because the beaters are specific to the KitchenAid model.

Here is a link that might be useful: Metro beater blade

Angie,
I can't believe you posted that. I posted above about the slAte board and pencil, for, iirc, $25. Our cooking club is exchanging under $15 gifts, and I was thinking of doing exactly what you describe. I had one concern. Is the tile food safe? And does a sq cheeseboard look odd?

Mtn: Oh, gosh, that is embarrassing. It looks like I read your post, got the idea, and then forgot WHERE I got the idea. Ooh, boy, creeping senescence...

I am not concerned that slate used as a floor tile would not be food safe. I suppose your concern is not the slate, but a chemical sealer? My understanding is that slate is usually not pre-sealed. Moreover, I really doubt that they pre-seal the stuff at this price point; it certainly did not seem sealed, as water did not bead on it and it soaked the oil right up. And sealer, which is meant to bind chemically tightly to stone, seems unlikely to be transferred to cheese anyway. I did run it through the dishwasher before gluing on the backing foam.

Yes, the square shape of the cheeseboard looks a little off. I had been sort of intending to cut mine to something like 7.5" x 12" (golden mean), but I didn't feel like filling the water tray of the wet saw. So, instead, I googled for images of slate cheeseboards, and saw enough square ones to decide to just go with it.

The other "flaw" is that the edges are square. Most of the cheeseboards you see commercially have more rustic edges. I figured I would just whack the edges of my tile with a margin trowel or tack hammer, and spall the edges nicely. Well, it wasn't happening; I was just making small chips in the edge, rather than causing any of the lamellae to delaminate. I then decided that square edges were acceptable in a cheeseboard :-)

I finally got my beloved Xmas gift from DH: a Vitamix blender!!! (Amazon lighting deal last night)
Green Glow Smoothies, here I come!

It would have been so helpful during this kitchen renovation to incorporate in more veggies in our diet.
Instead of having to cook up the kale (with tons of pancetta), now I can just blend it up w/ some fruit and drink it down.

So excited!

I am making the etched casserole dishes that camphappy described for the cooks on my list. I made a few a couple of years ago as commissions and never got around to making them for my own friends and family. I just have to more to go!

This is a silly little thing compared to the many awesome things you guys all posted . . .

For many years I used my burnt orange leftover from the 70s small spatula with a short handle. It's the spatula I seem to always grab first, hence it was always dirty in the dishwasher. So, for years, and years, and years, and YEARS I looked everywhere I went for another. It was on my Christmas wish list every single year but no one could ever find one. I finally found one within the last year at Big Lots. Bought all they had at that store and gave one to a lot of people as little surprise gifts. Now, it's everyone's favorite spatula !! LOL. My dad said it's the one he always grabs too and asked me to get 2 more for him.

For only $3 you get a spatula and a spoon ...
{{gwi:1980366}}

Oh, and another thing we use a lot .... our $1 handheld 7" colander from Dollar Tree ...

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.biglots.com/p/c/kitchen-gadgets/farberware-2mini-tools

Fishymom: How do you do that etching? It looks great!

Mtnrd: Well, I decided to make several more cheeseboards for gifts. This time, however, I bought a 16"x24" slate tile, and I did pull out my wet saw. I cut it into 3 slabs that are each 8"x16". Looks pretty good!

My kitchen remodel has been going on forever and I have been lurking on GW for months. I've learned a lot from everyone here and I'm very grateful. If my new kitchen turns out as well as I hope it will, I owe it to all of you generous souls. Now I have to confess that I've been madly jotting down a lot of the wonderful suggestions you all have made for making cooking even more enjoyable. Please keep it going and if anyone knows where I can get a cutting board that will fit over a gas cook top I would gladly continue to hold on to my threadbare patience with GC and all his subs!!

You all are the best!

Linda

I am loving this thread! I've sent hubby several hints . . . . . okay, very specific e-mails with "I want! . . about what to get me for Christmas. He says I'm hard to buy for so he is very appreciative!

I haven't seen this mentioned. One of my favorite, often used tools in the kitchen is my Pampered Chef Mix'N Chop. I love it! It does such a great job with ground meat. I especially love how easily it breaks up partially frozen meat. And it's only $11. I've given one to several of my friends and family. Great for guacamole too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pampered Chef Mix'N Chop

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Thanks Angie, I have been having fun making the personalized casserole pans! I use an electronic cutter to cut a stencil from adhesive backed vinyl and then use Etchall etching cream to etch the glass. I have done eleven of them this year, just three more to finish before Saturday!

I hope someone resurrects this thread next November. I've been absent with work for about 3 weeks and so very behind with Christmas shopping and have thoroughly enjoyed this great thread!