Yesterday’s post about Carl Schroeder’s fabulous beet salad with mandoline-shaved Fuji apple ribbons got me thinking about that amazing gadget that turns ordinary food into artwork. It’s the perfect holiday gift for the home cook on your shopping list.
So, with all you last-minute shoppers in mind….here’s the info on my favorite mandoline, as well as four other gift ideas for the food-lovers on your list. If your idea of last-minute shopping is a box of Godiva chocolates from the local Walgreen's, then consider these finds for Valentine's Day or another special occasion.
The Zyliss Mandoline Safety Rail-Guided Slicer comes with four slicing blades and 2 julienne blades. It’s safe and easy to use, stores neatly, and delivers professional results with minimum effort. It retails for about $50 but can be found for less on Amazon.com and in mass merchandise stores such as Target.
**** Ken Onion knives are ridiculously expensive. They are also ridiculously beautiful and efficient and a total joy to use.
Yes, Ken Onion really is the name of the guy who created these elegant tools. And yes, you really DO want one in your kitchen. The Chef’s 10-inch Kitchen Knife, with its non-stick blade, ergonomic handle design and “unique blade sweep,” is a great holiday gift. So’s the 10-inch slicing knife. Their retail prices hover around the $300 mark but most stores have great deals on any given day and even bigger deals right now.
For example, Amazon.com has the 8” chef’s knife for $150, marked down from $250. The line of knives is also available at The Kershaw Store.
*** A less expensive but equally clever gift idea is the Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer. This contraption, available in stainless steel for about $20 or in brushed aluminum for about $9, allows you to add the rich flavor and silky texture of extra virgin olive oil to salads, grilled vegetables and the like, without adding a lot of calories.
Team it with a bottle of really good olive oil to please sophisticated foodies, health nuts and novice home cooks alike. The Misto sprayer is available at Sears and Bed Bath % Beyond as well as on-line at Amazon.com and Pfalzgraff.com.
*** It’s cute. It’s efficient. It’s indispensable to folks for whom multi-tasking is an art form. And it makes you look like you’re ahead of the curve in the trends and exotica of cooking paraphernalia. Just turn it upside down and the Trudeau Graviti Battery-Operated Pepper Mill gushes cracked or ground pepper. Look Ma, one hand.
It comes in an array of bright colors and black and costs about $22 at many stores, including Target.
*** No gadget gift list is complete without my favorite contraption of all time, the Froth au Lait electric milk frother that creates a mountain of thick, creamy foam from 5 or 6 ounces of fat-free milk. Prices range from about $60 to $90, depending on size of pitcher and features. (Some models make fabulous sauces while you watch.)
If there are latte or cappuccino aficionados on your gift list, this is the way to their hearts.
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