Holiday Shopping Guide: 10 Gourmet Gift Ideas for Foodies
Want to treat your favourite at-home chef to a unique and useful gift this holiday season? From simple hand-held tools to high-tech kitchen gadgets, here are 10 culinary must-haves from Donna Wadsworth and the Savoury City Catering team.
Citrus Press: Nothing beats the taste of fresh-squeezed juice, but heavy industrial-grade juicers can be expensive and take up a lot of counterspace in the kitchen. A handheld citrus press is a simple, low-tech tool that allows you to extract delicious juice from lemons, limes, and oranges with minimal effort. These affordable accessories are easy to clean and perfect for adding fresh-pressed citrus juice to cocktails or dessert recipes.
Grinders: “Every chef needs two high-quality electric grinders – one for grinding coffee beans, and one for grinding whole spices,” says Donna. Pre-ground seasonings are a convenient option when making a quick and easy recipe but grinding fresh ingredients as you go releases complex flavours that can improve the overall quality and taste of your food. When buying a grinder, look for a durable model with extra-sharp blades that can stand up to tough ingredients and daily use.
Microplane: From zesting lemons to shredding Parmesan, a sharp and efficient microplane is a real workhorse in the kitchen. This ergonomic tool is designed with a soft easy-grip handle, making it more comfortable to use than a basic box grater. In addition to shredding hard cheeses, garlic, nuts, and citrus fruits, a microplane can also be used to grate baking spices such as nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon into a fine powder.
Himalayan Pink Salt Slab: Mineral-rich pink Himalayan salt blocks aren’t just a novelty serving tray. These versatile slabs impart a delicate salty flavour onto your food and can be used to cure fish or heated up for cooking and grilling at high temperatures. “I have a small pink salt slab that I use to serve butter on when I have company over,” notes Donna. “It keeps the butter cold, gives it a bit of a salt flavour, and looks damn cool.”
Cast Iron Pan: A well-seasoned cast iron pan from a good-quality brand like Le Creuset or Staub is well worth the investment. These multi-purpose skillets are renowned for retaining heat, making them an excellent all-purpose pan for frying, searing, braising, roasting and sautéing. The resilient surface area also means these heavy-duty pans are tough enough to stand up to years of use and abuse. If you want to expand an existing cast iron collection, a ridged pan is a welcome addition for indoor grilling and can even be used as a panini press.
Vacuum Sealer: Meal prepping becomes a breeze with a vacuum sealer. Available in a variety of price points, these handy machines seal food in air-tight plastic to preserve quality and reduce food waste. “We love our vacuum sealer at Savoury City and these devices would make a great gift for at-home chefs who like to prepare and freeze meals in advance or cook for large groups” says Wadsworth.
Fish Tweezers: “A fabulous pair of fish tweezers is an incredibly useful tool when it comes to removing those nasty pin bones out of a piece of fish,” says Donna. Try to find a pair of stainless-steel tweezers with a sharp bevelled tip, which makes it easy to grip and extract even the tiniest of bones quickly and safely without too much mess.
Cocktail Shaker: “A solid stainless steel cocktail shaker is a necessity for any mixed drink enthusiast,” says Donna. These metallic tins keep liquids cool and contained prior to serving, and they also look super sleek when displayed on a bar cart. A standard cobbler shaker is a great option for beginner mixologists and is made up of three parts: a base, a small cap, and a built-in strainer that helps keep large chunks of ice, fruit pulp and other unwanted ingredients out of your freshly poured drinks.
Pastry Scraper: A classic pastry scraper (or ‘bench scraper’) is a must-have tool for handling pastry dough. The versatile instrument features a comfortable, non-slip handle for gripping on one end and a straight-sided plastic or stainless-steel blade on the other, which can be used to cut, turn, lift, portion and clean up sticky pastry pieces from your work surface.
Salad Accessories: Everyone loves a fresh bowl of greens, and a great salad starts with the right equipment. “A high-quality salad spinner is essential for washing and prepping your greens,” says Donna. “When it comes to servingware, you’ll want to go with a low and wide wooden bowl for easy, mess-free mixing and a nice two-piece set of tongs for tossing and serving.”