< Blame it on the Food » Foodie Gifts
 

Foodie Gifts

...now browsing by tag

 
Bars Beer Breakfast brunch Cocktails coffee cookies CSA CSA Box dessert Drinks Eating Out Farmers Market Foodie Gift Foodie Gifts Greens Home Cookin' home cooking Ice Cream Japanese Los Gatos Lunch Main Dish Mexican Oakland Out of Town Pasta Pizza Ramen recipe Recipes Salad San Francisco San Jose santa cruz SF SF Bay Area Day Trip Side Dish Silicon Valley Soup Tacos Vegan Vegetable Vegetarian Wine
 

Spoon, could you give me a hand?

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

We are addicted to Pinterest and have found it possible to find the coolest Culinary Utensils around.

$16.50 on Amazon

Posted in Foodie Gifts | No Comments »
Tags: , ,

2010 Cheapskate Foodie Gifts • 20 Under $30

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

For the Photo-Foodie:

  • The Camera Lens Mug (for Canon or Nikon lovers) $24-30 + Shipping – For the Photo & Coffee Geek by Photo JoJo OR Give the foodie photographer or blogger a Studio Photo-Tent Dome for their plated foods too (OK, just a bit more than $30, range from $35-100)!

For the Mess-in-the-Kitchen:

- Hand screen printed using color-fast ink in red. Washing machine/dryer safe. Absorbent flour sack is 28″ x 29″. Colors: Dark Blue , Arctic Blue (light) , Sweet Pea Green , Clementine , Red Raspberry , Chocolate Pudding Brown

For the OCD-Kitchen Cook:

-Slice your veggies or any food item precisely and more quickly than pulling out your big-old $200 Mandolin.

For the Wine-Lover:

- James Beard Foundation Book Award Beverage Winner 2010 – Written by visionary California winemaker and founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard (from Santa Cruz!)

- 12 Zodiac Animal Head Choices

For the Sweet Tooth:

For the Fashionable Foodie’s Stocking:

For the Herb Lover:

For the Bacon Lover: Are we still loving Bacon Stuff? YES!

- This is a savory jam cooked down with onions and spices. – Serve it on sandwiches and such

  • Bacon Explosion - 1/2 Bacon Explosion – $17.99 Full Bacon Explosion – $29.99 + shipping

- Quilted Bacon (retains all of the fat, so watch out) with sausage, BBQ sauce, BBQ rub and it is then smoked – Put it on toothpicks to serve because it has a pretty intense, rich flavor

Posted in Foodie Gifts, Store Bought | 2 Comments »
Tags: ,

Thanksgiving Foodie Supplies

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Need a gift for a Thanksgiving host or do you need to make sure your kitchen is stocked for your “Guest Thanksgiving Chef” aka your Mom is in town for Turkey Day.  Here are few beloved finds.

Decorative Pie Crust Cutters:

These make your pies look professional & cute.

Heavy Duty Brining Bags

Seriously handy if you want a moist bird. I’ve looked into alternatives to buying the Brining Bags such as using garbage bags (don’t suggest it when they say, not food safe on the box) or a cooler. One of the best alternatives I have found is the culinary bucket bought at a food supplies store.  Or, you know what, just get one of these bags and call it a day.

Oven-Proof Probe Thermometers

Convenient, especially when many folks are relying on YOUR big bird and you’ve never made one before.

Oh, Last thing - Pie Crust Beads

Are you a Store-Bought or Homemade Pie Crust Chef?

Posted in Foodie Gifts | No Comments »
Tags: , ,

Fry em’ up hot: Homemade Potato Chips

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

We made Homemade Potato Chips both fried and baked last week.  Which one do you think was better?

You’re so smart!

Fried Potato Chip Recipe from this cookbook: Jam it, Pickle it, Cure it and Other Cooking Projects

  • 1 lb Russet Potatoes (about 3), scrubbed & dried
  • 2-4 cups vegetable oil
  • Kosher Salt

Most important Tools: Food Mandolin & Frying Thermometer

Platform Mandolins range from $20-$200.  They are a great investment for slicing vegetables, fruits, and other foods with expert precision and speed.  We actually have a cheaper version and it works really well.  Be careful not to slice your fingers off!

—-> to Recipe Click to continue »

Posted in Home Cookin', Vegetable Side Dish | No Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Wild Kenai Red Salmon from Alaska

Friday, February 19th, 2010

A cousin of ours has a family salmon business up in Alaska called Wild Kenai Red Salmon.  They actually shipped us these beautiful frozen and  smoked salmon fillets to try after hearing about our food blog in an annual family Christmas letter.   The fillets were delivered overnight via fed-ex in a Styrofoam cooler, arriving cold and fresh as ever.

We grilled the salmon fillet on a cedar plank with a mild soy-based glaze.

It looks like they have some nice recipes for salmon on their blog too: http://www.wildkenaisalmon.com/blog/

Zach: I have never been a fan of cooked salmon (I prefer it raw).  Nor have I ever had sockeye salmon before.  This fillet knocked my socks off.  It was dense and tasted like a clean ocean spray, not fishy at all.

John: It was amazing how fast the salmon was delivered to us.  The freshness was palpable.  The fresh salmon was better than most cooked salmon I’ve had at restaurants.  The skin was actually edible and did not have that fish-sitting-on-display-all-day taste.

Les: What struck me most about the fillet (delivered frozen) was the amazing color.  I think these fillets would be an amazing foodie gift for friends and family who have it all and love fine foods.

Posted in Foodie Gifts, Home Cookin', Store Bought | 1 Response »
Tags: , , , ,

Cheapskate Foodie Gifts for 2009

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Wine Thermometer – $7.95 @ Sur La Table

• Requires no batteries and it lists the name of the wines and what temperature range they should be in when served.

San Francisco Bay Area Food Wheel - $12.95 @ Online

• Be an informed farmer’s market shopper and support local farmers rather than always hitting the supermarket. This local food wheel tells you which foods are grown regionally and the time of year that they are in season.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade – $12 @ NapaStyle

• Made from California Meyer Lemons.

Mo’s Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix - $12 @ Vosges Haut Chocolat

• Buttermilk pancake mix sprinkled with smoked bacon, sea salt, and milk chocolate candy bar chunks.

Rice Hull Pot Herbs – $13 @ Sonoma Living Green

• Heirloom lavender, mint, lemon basil, garlic chives, or oregano in 100% biodegradable containers that will last indoors or outdoors up to five years.

Sprinkles Cupcake Mix - $14 @ William Sonoma

Chocolate, Red Velvet, Spice, Vanilla, Lemon, Banana, & Pumpkin Flavor

• Sprinkles cupcake bakery originated in Beverly Hills and they now have a bakery in Palo Alto. Their cupcakes are really good!

Revival: Tassajara Bread Cookbook – Used $10-15 @ Amazon Online

• Classic baking cookbook perfect for a young foodie’s collection.

Revival: Chez Panisse Desserts – Used $10.99 @ Amazon.com

• This is another classic cookbook for a new or young California cook’s shelf. What I like about this cookbook is its use of local fruits in the creation of a defined approach to simple but elegant deserts that can be altered seasonally emphasizing fresh and local ingredients. It includes such recipes for meyer lemon soufflé, wild plum sherbet, as well as quince and apple recipes.

Cuisipro Herb Keeper – $20 @ Amazon

• Do your fresh herbs always dry up or go bad before you get to use them?

Truffle & Salt - $22.12 @ SaltWorks.com

• This salt is great on buttered popcorn, mac & cheese, and scrambled eggs.

Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year in the Life of a Restaurant - $26.40 @ Amazon

• This is my favorite new cookbook of this year because of its recipes that utilize local produce and seafood. Now I need to get down to Big Sur and check out the restaurant.

Posted in Foodie Gifts, Store Bought | 4 Comments »
Tags: