What do you buy the home cook who has everything? – Holiday Gift Buying Guide
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The holiday season is fast approaching, and many of us have avid home cooks on our gift-giving lists! The problem with avid home cooks is that it seems like they have everything! But have no worry, we are here to suggest several unique items that a discerning home cook will truly appreciate! All these items are used in Sizzle and Sear’s test kitchen.
Stocking Stuffers - Small Kitchen Gifts for the Chef who has Everything!
Small price tags but these tools will be greatly appreciated by an avid home cook.
Why do we recommend the Mini OXO Good Grips Angled Measuring Cups?
Each measuring cup has a 4 tablespoon (1/4 cup) capacity, making it perfect for small quantity ingredients like spices, sugar, oils, and more
Perfect for Mise en Place cooking; a technique where you prepare and measure all your ingredients prior to cooking so that they are at hand for quick use
Why do we recommend the Anchor Hocking Glass Prep and Mixing Bowls?
Nesting for easy storage
Smaller prep bowls for mise en place cooking; a technique where you prepare and measure all your ingredients prior to cooking so that they are at hand for quick use
See through glass mixing bowls, so you can see how well you've mixed your ingredients
Why do we recommend the Zojirushi Induction Rice Cooker?
Induction technology results in accurate, precise, and fast temperature control!
Holds rice at a stable temperature for hours on end
Focus on the main dish while still achieving perfect rice
Explore Sous Vide - Christmas Gift Suggestions
Sous vide is French for “under vacuum”. It is a method of cooking that involves sealing food in a plastic bag and submerging the sealed food in a temperature controlled water bath. This method allows food to be evenly cooked to precise temperature targets.
In order to get started, you will need an immersion circulator that will both heat the water and circulate it, ensuring even temperature distribution.
To effectively sous vide, as much air as possible needs to be removed from the plastic bag. You can accomplish this with a vacuum sealer, or you can upgrade to a vacuum chamber.
Going Beyond Sous Vide - Christmas Gift Suggestions
Go one step beyond sous vide with a precision cooktop or combi oven! These are expensive tools but they are well worth it if you want to achieve precise results over and over again.
Why do we recommend the Breville Polyscience Control Freak as the best induction burner?
Incredible temperature control! Whether you use a probe to control the temperature of the contents of your food or the pan sensor to control the temperature of the pan
Programmable temperatures; don't need to remember a large list of temperatures
It will revolutionize the way you cook; we use it everyday
Breville ClaroSwiss water filters protect your machine from hard water, but they are expensive compared to simple charcoal filters. Fortunately, there are alternatives!
Who doesn’t love to barbecue? Up your BBQ game by bringing your entire kitchen outside with these mobile outdoor prep kitchen solutions! A review of outdoor kitchens by Keter and Everdure.
Traditional Neapolitan pizza requires a wood-fired brick oven that reaches temperatures of 800-900°F. This is well beyond the capabilities of a home oven. But with this simple hack, you can mimic the conditions of a wood-fired brick oven in your own home!
Who doesn’t love to barbecue? Up your BBQ game by bringing your entire kitchen outside with these mobile outdoor prep kitchen solutions! A review of outdoor kitchens by Keter and Everdure.
I highly recommend Breville espresso machines for home espresso; however, if you aren’t extra careful, you will end up with coffee grounds all over your counter and floor. Luckily there is a solution.
No oven? No problem. This easy delicious chicken dish from the Southern United States is cooked entirely on the stove top. Inspired by Craig Claiborne’s Smothered Chicken recipe.
Calgary ginger beef is a regional dish that has expanded outwards. The dish is a combination of sweet and spicy flavours; each restaurant develops its own balance. This recipe tilts towards spicy, thanks to generous amounts of ginger used. Feel free to play around the proportion of ingredients to come to your own balance. Enjoy this Calgary ginger beef recipe!
This is a quick and easy broccoli side dish that you can use to accompany a main dish. All-in-all, this dish will take less than 15 minutes to get to the table. You can adjust the heat by varying the amount of red pepper flakes, and you can add more garlic if you like it garlicy. The combination of frying and steaming results in enhanced flavour and texture.
Peru and Chile fiercely contest the origin of this drink, but I was first introduced to it during my visit to Peru in 2014. Pisco, a brandy produced from distilled fermented grapes in the winemaking regions of Chile and Peru, is at the base of this drink. This recipe uses an easy-to-remember 2-1-1 ratio that ensures a balance between all the ingredients.
Calgary ginger beef is a regional dish that has expanded outwards. The dish is a combination of sweet and spicy flavours; each restaurant develops its own balance. This recipe tilts towards spicy, thanks to generous amounts of ginger used. Feel free to play around the proportion of ingredients to come to your own balance. Enjoy this Calgary ginger beef recipe!
It’s a thermometer. But it’s not any ordinary thermometer. The Combustion Inc. thermometer is wireless, contains eight temperature sensors, and claims to be able to “predict the future!”
It’s a thermometer. But it’s not any ordinary thermometer. The Combustion Inc. thermometer is wireless, contains eight temperature sensors, and claims to be able to “predict the future!”
