Every year our elves scour the stores in search of festive finds for the season. For this year’s Holiday Gift Guide, we asked some of our favourite home cooks what they’d like to see under the tree and in their stockings this year. And they delivered! For the fabulous food-lover on your list, here are some great suggestions from those in the know!
Le Crueset 34 cm Cast-iron Paella Pan
The Le Crueset Paella Pan comes in Cerise, Flame, Blueberry and Oyster colours and, despite its specific name, can be a versatile addition to your home cook’s arsenal. A low and wide bottom is perfect for achieving a socarrat – a layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the paella. It’s also perfect for searing steak, pancakes and even baking pies.
Gift suggestion by Jeni Piepgrass
$300 | Special price on Cerise and Flame at Zest: $199 | Zest Kitchenware | 5005 Dalhousie Dr. N.W. | 403.286.5220
Souper Cubes
Freeze soups, stocks, sauces and herbs securely in this ingenious tray. Built of thick silicone, the tray boasts four one-cup compartments and a rim reinforced with embedded steel.
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
$29.95 | Zest Kitchenware | 5005 Dalhousie Dr. N.W. | 403.286.5220
Bespoke Oil and Vinegar Table Set (or maybe a tea set) by Starfishly Clay Works
Jeni requested a “fancy” oil and vinegar set and that got us thinking about all of the great ceramicists in the city. Wouldn’t a custom-made set be a great gift? We love the whimsical work of Linh Ly of Starfishly Clay Works. While a bespoke set could take several weeks to make, she does offer gift cards so you have something in the stocking. Or, her tea sets are gorgeous and would make a beautiful gift for the tea lover on your list.
Gift suggestion by Jeni Piepgrass
$149 | StarfishlyClay.com
Double-sided spatula
The only place we could find one of these locally was at a soap-making shop. But hey, supporting local rocks, so that’s where we’re sending you!
Gift suggestion by Jim Letourneau
$13 | Soap and More | 3830 7th St. S.E. | 403.217.2346
Pizza Dough Docker
Uniformly pierces pizza dough to aerate it, prevent it from blistering and minimize rising.
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
$57.95 | Zest Kitchenware | 5005 Dalhousie Dr. N.W. | 403.286.5220
iSi Gourmet Whip, Cold & Warm Dispenser
A great kitchen tool for a variety of uses including culinary foam, warm and cold sauces, whipped soups or whipped cream. This is the hot/cold application whip dispenser you never knew you needed. In order to run this tool, you will need the chargers below.
$150 | Various online retailers
iSi Mini Whip Charger, Recyclable, 10-pk
Don’t forget the chargers to keep your foamer foaming.
$20 for 24 | Various online retailers
Thermoworks Super-Fast® Thermapen® Classic
Know how hot your meat is in three seconds with a variance of only +/- 0.4 C
$109.99 | Barbecues Galore | Locations in north and south Calgary
Danesco Cooking Torch
Brûlée like a pro with this hot little number.
$24.99 | Cookbook Co. Cooks | 722 11th Ave. S.W. | 403.265.6066
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
Chef’n Zipstrip Herb Stripper
Take the task out of stripping herbs with this “why didn’t I get one of these sooner?” gift.
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
$22.95 | Willams Sonoma | 123a, 6455 Macleod Tr. S.W. | 403.410.9191
Peugeot Antique Coffee Mill
You know where to find the cheap hand-held electric ones, so we’ll point you to something a littler more unique at this Rockyview-based online retailer of kitchen goods.
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
$299.99 | KitchenNiche.ca
Phillips Compact Pasta Maker for two
The fully automated machine makes perfect pasta from scratch in just a few minutes. It comes with three discs for shaping spaghetti, fettuccine and penne.
$179.00 | Willams Sonoma | 123a, 6455 Macleod Tr. S.W. | 403.410.9191
Dash Egg Cooker
This compact egg cooker uses smart technology to cook up to seven eggs exactly how you like them with just the touch of a button. Plus, it’s adorable.
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
$29.99 | Canadian Tire | Various locations
Breville Tea Maker
Tea varieties require specific temperatures and steeping times to bring out their best flavour. This fully programmable tea maker provides pre-programmed settings for five popular types of tea as well as custom options.
$399.99 | Crate and Barrel | 100 Anderson Rd. S.E. | 403.278.7020
Cookbooks by Alberta authors
Eat Alberta First: A Year of Local Recipes from Where the Prairies Meet the Mountains by Karen Anderson
Prairie: Seasonal Farm-Fresh Recipes Celebrating the Canadian Prairies by Dan Clapson and Twyla Campbell
Best of Bridge: Done in One by Sylvia Kong and Emily Richards
Chef EATS: Recipes and Techniques by Alison MacNeil
A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook by Karlynn Johnston
Gift suggestion by Wanda Baker
Larchwood cutting board from Knifewear
This gorgeous, medium-sized board is handcrafted from larch wood, known for its strength and ability to neutralise bacteria. The smooth and resilient surface helps keep your knives sharper longer and every cutting board is a unique piece of craftsmanship bringing to the fore the beautiful grain of the wood. Soft rubber feet are attached with stainless steel screws on the bottom of the board to minimize sliding and prevent moisture from building up underneath.
BONUS STOCKING STUFFER: Include a tin of Knifewear board wax in your home cook’s stocking to start their new board off right and keep it beautiful for years to come.
Gift suggestion by Tim Martin
Board: $260 | Wax: $24 | Knifewear | 100A, 1316 9th Ave. S.E. | 403.514.0577
Old teacups for mousse For Crème brûlée
We love Jim’s idea of using vintage or repurposed china for crème brûlée, mousse, custard and who knows what else? We found a great, locally-based Etsy shop called Tea Wagon Vintage, where you’ll find dozens of beautiful cups and saucers. Look at that adorable Royal Albert Poinsettia cup and saucer, perfect for a Christmas pudding.
SAVOUR SPECIAL: Tea Wagon Vintage is offering Savour readers free shipping in Calgary and Okotoks when you use the promo code SAVOURCALGARY. Deliveries will arrive within a week of ordering.
Gift suggestion by Jim Letourneau
$29 | Tea Wagon Vintage
The Nomad Apron by Medium Rare Chef
We love this badass apron made of 100-per-cent cotton canvas in a neutral tan colour and navy adjustable neck and waist straps. It features a lap utility pocket with three compartments and a single chest pocket, heavyweight thread with bar tack stitching at stress points and reinforced seams to protect its shape. Plus, Medium Rare Chef is owned by local chefs Andrew Dillman and Cam Dombranski, so you know they’re good.
Gift suggestion by Tim Martin
$84.95 | Order online at mediumrarechef.com
Nut Chopper
This wonderfully designed chopper features stainless steel blades and a glass bowl with a 300 ml (1.25 cup) capacity which you can also use to store chopped nuts.
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
$24.99 | KitchenNiche.ca
Offset Spatula
Don’t drag your fingers through your perfect work! Use this offset/icing spatula to keep smooth things smooth.
Gift suggestion by Sue Turnbull
$16.95 | Britannia Kitchen and Home | 816 49th Ave. S.W. | 403.243.4444
Breville Electric 6-Quart Wok
The bowl heats up quickly and maintains its temperature. The non-stick coating allows you to cook with minimal oil.
$209.95 | Willams Sonoma | 123a, 6455 Macleod Tr. S.W. | 403.410.9191
Microplane Grater/Zester
This is the industry standard and comes in lots of great colours!
$24.95 | Britannia Kitchen and Home | 816 49th Ave. S.W. | 403.243.4444
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