If you’ve got a foodie on your holiday gift list or someone who wants to become one in the new year, here are some simple, affordable and fun suggestions in the culinary category. (I want the spiralizer!)
“The designers in the housewares industry are truly ‘building a better mousetrap or cheese knife’ every day,” says Mary S. Moore, owner and founder of Atlanta-based Cook’s Warehouse. “For instance, the tofu press has totally changed and has made effortless the process of removing moisture from tofu, from hours of squeezing to placing in a press and walking away. There are thousands of examples of this kind of ‘aha and/or duh’ innovation.”
Gifts for healthy cooking
Salad spinner: Create a gourmet gift basket and fill the salad spinner with olive oils, mustards and vinegars for making vinaigrettes.
Slow cooker: one of the best ways to tenderize tasty cuts of lean meat in stews packed with tasty vegetables
Non-stick pans: great for sautéing vegetables with just a little bit of oil
Microplane grater: for zesting citrus and grating hard cheeses and whole spices
Great gadgets: Make fruit and vegetable prep a breeze and a lot of fun with produce specific gadgets such as a jalapeno corer, cherry pitter, citrus juicer, strawberry huller, avocado cuber, garlic peeler and ginger grater.
Specialty spices: More expensive spices like cardamom, vanilla, saffron, smoked paprika and curry powders are elegant gifts to add flavor without sodium and healthy antioxidants with no calories.
Immersion blender: Make rich and creamy textured soups and sauces from cooked vegetables without the need for much or any cream.
Spiralizer: To make oodles of "zoodles," these great gadgets turn vegetables such as zucchini into pasta-like swirls.
Cooking classes: great gift for the gourmet or the kitchen beginner. Moore, who offers over 800 cooking clases per year, says, “Our most popular cooking class is Knife Skills 101. It’s a great building block and helps the student to become more confident in their abilities and feel more at ease in the kitchen.”
Fit for fitness
Fitness sensors: They just keep getting better and better and even talk to your smart phone! Wearable digital fitness bands keep track of activity, food intake, and sleep patterns.
Fitness gear: for an activity someone enjoys or wants to begin such as yoga or Pilates mat, hiking poles, or sports specific workout clothes and shoes
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