All I want for Christmas…
… is some marjoram.
Seriously, when a relative recently asked me what I wanted, I said “marjoram.” OK, I also said I wanted some cinnamon. Preferably from Penzey’s, my favorite spice company. I do think it was the Korintje Indonesian cinnamon from Penzey’s that put my pumpkin pie over the top on Thanksgiving. Fancy, fancy.
Ever year on the Fridge Magnet blog, we dream about the kitchen appliances, utensils, gourmet food products and other gastronomic gifts we’d like to find under the Christmas tree or around the Menorah or wherever gifts appear in your house. Think hard, because you never know who might be reading these comments (Santa reads this blog, just so ya know).
I don’t need much for the kitchen this year, other than some extra time to cook. I already have shelves in the basement stacked with appliances that won’t fit in my kitchen. Pressure cooker, turkey roaster, mandolin, electric griddle – that’s where they live. And I have my Kitchen Aid mixer, as well as a nice new food processor my hubby gave me last year.
So instead of listing more stuff that I need (besides marjoram), I’m going to list some of the most useful kitchen-related gifts I’ve received in the past. Maybe this’ll give you some idea of what to request or what to purchase for a foodie friend or family member.
* A 1/4-cup measuring cup. When I got this tiny measuring cup, I wondered what in the heck I would use it for. Turns out I use it all the time for small measurements, and it washes up in a jiffy.
* A really good pizza cutter. I’m talking about a huge Pampered Chef pizza cutter, not one of those junky little ones that wobbles when you try to roll it. I use it for quesadillas, too.
* An immersion blender. Yes, they really are all that. Perfect for pureeing soups, making sauces, making milkshakes and smoothies, you name it. Transferring hot soup to a blender is for the birds.
* A salad spinner. Hubby asked why I wanted something that takes up so much room in the cupboard. Now he knows, because I reach for it to wash and spin out lettuces, collard greens, kale, fresh herbs, etc. and it works like a charm.
* Glass storage containers. Just like plastic, except they won’t melt in the dishwasher and you won’t wonder what kind of chemicals are being infused into your food when you microwave it.
* A toaster oven. Everybody should have a toaster oven. Heats up leftover pizza, subs, sandwiches and the like to its original crusty glory. Doubles as a regular toaster. Actually revives cold french fries to a certain extent.
* A digital meat thermometer. You’re getting tired of hearing me talk about this, aren’t you?
* A cast-iron bacon press. Also great for making panini sandwiches and Cuban sandwiches. Plus, if it has a pig on it like mine, it doubles as kitchen decor!
* One of those automatic soap dispensers. I know it seems extravagant, but it’s great when your hands are covered in raw chicken juice and you don’t want to touch anything.
Those are just a few ideas. I will add more as they come to me.
Tell me, what food- and cooking-related items are on your holiday gift list? Is there a gift you’ve received in the past that you absolutely love?
November 28, 2012 - 6:38 AM
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I really want a set of those push-up measuring cups, like Alton Brown used on “Good Eats.” Perfect for measuring difficult ingredients like shortening and honey.
I’d like a clay tagine dish. Perfect for Moroccan cooking, but also useful for almost any dish that requires slow braising. Creates a natural convection, and holds in moisture.
I want some old-fashioned raw milk cultured country butter. Hand-churned, preferably. I realize that might be beyond even the most resourceful of Santa’s elves.
I’d like an electric meat slicer. Even as I ponder making my own corned beef and pastrami, or even roast beef for a myriad of uses (Chicago beef sandwiches, Phillipe-style French dips, po’ boys with debris gravy), it’d be nice to be able to slice it at home. Sure, I could do those thicker hand-cut Katz’s Deli slices, but sometimes, you just need it thin.
Living in an apartment, I can’t have one, but that doesn’t stop me from dreaming about a Big Green Egg. The ceramic kamado-style cooker can be used for both grilling and smoking. I can think of a thousand things I’d use it for. Well, 874, but that’s still pretty good.
I’m almost ashamed to admit I don’t have one, but I’d like a good mortar and pestle. There is no substitute for crushing and blending spices. I once had a molcajete, but it was too big to be practical in my little galley kitchen.
My digital thermometer changed my life!!!!
The best gadget I have is a jar opener. I have two kinds. One that looks like a giant “church” key, and works pretty much the same way except it breaks the vacuumn seal on wide mouth jars like salsa making them easier to open. The other is an antique I got from Lindsey’s grandma. I’ve never seen another like it but works like a wrench that tightens up around the lid and allows it to twist. With arthritis setting in my hands, I’m findiing it harder and harder to open even the simplest tops-even pop bottles!
I too love Penzey’s spices. My mother-in-law got me started on them years ago. The BBQ 3000 is my husband’s favorite. Pricy, yes, but well worth it. I just bought myself a salad spinner for Christmas – it flattens down to maybe 2 inches tall, which is great because otherwise they take up a lot of space. Another great gift I’ve gotten in the past is one of those great KitchenAid mixers. Other things I’d love for Christmas is real maple syrup and some butter from Amish country. It has a great sweet taste that I love with pancakes.
Ooh, I want a tagine and a meat slicer too, Jeff! More stuff to have to store in the basement, but I want it anyway.
Those were good ones.
@Tammy, we really like BBQ 3000, too. I find that some of the Penzey’s spices are expensive, but I’ve purchased some basics at the Penzey’s store in Richmond for a really good price.
Dear Santa, I’m in pretty good shape but my son could use a Kitchenaid stand mixer like the one his sister got last Christmas!
The Penzys store in Carytown is great.
Lindsey, seriously the best place to get old fashion glass refrigerator storage dishes is at garage sales.
You will love the Pampered Chef pizza cutter. I have one and it is great. Also if you don’t have a flex edge beater for your KA mixer, get one! I always buy my Christmas presents for myself before Christmas. I have gotten a Chicago Metallic tube pan, several Nordicware cookie sheets in heavy duty aluminum, and a bundt cake keeper.
A note on immersion blenders….if you put one on your wish list, make sure its stainless steel! My husband had one when we got married that was all white plastic. First time I made a curry it was stained yellow for life.
Last year I got a Cuisinart immersion blender with all kinds of attachments and I love it. I use the chopper attachment all the time — it’s amazingly easy to clean unlike some I’ve used in the past.
And I agree about the toaster oven. When you’re only cooking for 1 or 2, it’s fantastic.
Lately I’ve been eyeing the Cuisinart Griddler. It’s like a George Foreman, but you can lay the grill flat or press things in it. Plus, the grill pans can be removed and put in the dishwasher.
No kitchen items on my list so far this year. I think the handiest/most used item I ever rec’d was a super thin spatula that’s great for flipping over-medium eggs! Sandy, I have an old jar opener that I got from my Father-in-Law, it’s kind of like an open ended wrench. All is says on it is “Ekco U.S.A.” It works great but can be a little awkward to use w/o help. Lindsey, we use our toaster oven as much or more than the microwave! It’s much better to reheat food that has bread; pizza, sandwiches, etc. And we make open faced/toasted sandwiches, too.
@Kristen, that is an interesting idea. Some friends of mine have a nice set of glass bowls with rubber lids that I like. Those are more modern but I like the rubber lids because it’s easier to transport in the lunch box.
I have never had a problem with my white plastic immersion blender but then I haven’t used it in anything that might stain it, like curry or beet soup. Mine also came with attachments, Rebecca, and I like the little chopper.
Another plus for glass containers: they don’t discolor when used to reheat tomato-based sauces. I got tired of the grungy looking red-orange ring on all of my plastic containers…
Personally I don’t find myself needing a toaster oven much, but then I tend to avoid bread products these days (and when I do eat pizza, there are rarely any leftovers…).
Everything seems to go at once. Probably b/c I got it at the same time. A new food processor (the grating circle) broke. The blade still works, but, I’d really like a new one. A new blender. If you don’t put it on the dock just right it just spins. And yes to the digital meat thermometer. It is the best. I have one that you can insert into the meat before it goes into the oven. Just set it to the temp you want and your dish turns out perfect everytime. Wish I would have known about the colapsible salad spinner…maybe next year.
And almost forgot. Last year I bought both of my kids a set of glass pyrex storage containers with the plastic lids. 2 rectangle, 1 lg round and 2 sm. round. Only $20 at Macy’s and free shipping.
As sad as it is to say I want a rolling pin, or something close to it. I wouldn’t need it often but having to flatten biscuits this past weekend with a spoon was enough to put it on my wish list.
jbx, try turning a tall water glass on its side and rolling it over the dough. It works in a pinch.
A larger kitchen.
Ours has a ton of square footage, but it’s awkwardly shaped – there’s no room for an island, not enough counter top space, and nowhere near enough storage. Of course, that’s why bookcases and creative-thinking husbands were invented. 
Last year for Christmas, Leo and I got ourselves a meat slicer as our “gift to ourselves.” I can honestly say that it was $100 more than well spent. It’s already paid for itself in meat that didn’t go to waste, health benefits, etc. We make a roast, eat on it for a night or two, then slice the rest down into slightly-thicker-than-deli slices for lunch. The other gift “I” received for Christmas last year was the meat grinder attachment for the Kitchen Aid – yet another thing that paid for itself. Now, the “I” was in quotation marks because the gift was on my wishlist and Leo, my darling husband, got it as part of my gift. It is, without question, his favorite gift in the whole wide world. In the weeks after Christmas, the cats would hide because he was grinding and slicing everything he could get his hands on. The grinder is WONDERFUL for things like homemade ground beef. Leo will find the right cut on sale at Kroger and bring it home, trim it down, grind it up and freeze it. Better than paying $4+/lb at the store for ground beef! I will warn, though – make sure to read the INTERNET before using the grinder. I just followed the directions that came with it and oh, boy. My kitchen looked like a scene from “Night of the Living Dead.” Unless the meat is partially frozen, it won’t grind correctly, and you’ll be left with a bowl full of pink slime and connective tissue. It almost put me off meat for life. Of course, Leo took that mess, got it nice and cold, and put it through the processor a second time (recommended in all cases). It came out looking like an ad for a butcher store. Picture perfect ground beef.
Somewhere I found online that has amazing quality products, decent prices (for some things) and incredible customer service is Marx Foods out of Seattle (http://www.marxfoods.com). They’re more of a bulk-type store, but they have some hard to find locally items and USUALLY good prices on vanilla beans. Oh, their vanilla beans. I could write sonnets to them.
We love Penzey’s as well – the Carytown store in Richmond is a must-visit every time we’re out that way.
Another thing I think I’d love to have is a good storage rack for the olive oils we get from Oliveto. It’s a Saks Fifth Avenue for foodies. Sometimes the bottles get lost in the pantry – and something that good? It’s criminal to let it go to waste!
@Lindsey – I have some of the glass bowls with plastic lids mentioned earlier – never used and looking for a good home. I just don’t have the storage space for storage containers! If you (or anyone else) would like them, they’re free to a good home.
Pyrex is always a great gift, and really inexpensive. It’s not fancy, but it is indestructible. I saw a similar deal to the one Kim mentioned, only it was for a stack of round mixing bowls. Four of them, I believe, all with lids for under $20.
Pyrex is one of those iconic brands. It lasts forever, and is designed as well and is as functional as any out there.
I’ve never even thought of an automatic soap dispenser! That’s a great idea.. I’ll have to use some of our wedding gift cards to get one!
Hey Jeanna!
Clever, eh?
They sell those dispensers at the grocery store and they’re somewhere around $11, I think, but you can sometimes find coupons.
The thing that gets you is you have to buy their special soap bottles for refills, and those are kinda pricey. But my friend drilled a hole in the top of one of the bottles and just refills it with cheaper stuff.
jbx2…you can also use a wine bottle as a rolling pin. Even better if it has wine in it!
@ jbx2, Kristen: The water glass doubles as the biscuit cutter!
A grinder and a flex edge beater for my Kitchen Aid mixer and an eight quart pressure cooker with two handles. When I was a young bride and didn’t have a rolling pin or a biscuit cutter, I used a glass 16 oz. Dr. Pepper bottle for rolling and a tin can with two punches from a “church key” on the end opposite the open one. I used those for years and I don’t think my son ever saw me use anything else while he was growing up.
Other great food gifts, I find, are: good olive oil (as someone mentioned), wine, chocolates, favorite sauces, capers, good cheese (if logistically possible), local or homemade jams and jellies. One year I made my dad a basket of interesting products from local ethnic markets. It was inexpensive and went over well since he is an adventurous cook.
I like the idea of the local basket of goodies for a gift idea. Keeping it local and great eats!
Two things…
I get my pyrex at thrift stores – for cheap.
My Mom has one of those automatic soap dispensers. The sensor is super strong, as soap will come out every time you walk by the kitchen!