Foodie finds: Gifts for the cook
It's time for our second round of foodie gift finds. Some are local. Some are just great pieces that our editors love or are lusting after this holiday season. Here are a few ideas for the home cook.
For the home cook:
The cast-iron skillet is making a comeback (if it ever truly left at all). So ditch the nonstick and stainless steel pans and gift something a little heartier like a Lodge enameled cast-iron skillet ($63) from the Cookware Sorcerer in the Short North.
The "Prune" ($27) cookbook by Gabrielle Hamilton (if you haven't read her autobiography, "Blood, Bones & Butter" it's a great read) is written for cooks by a cook. The recipes are practical or easy, but it is fascinating with handwritten notes copied onto the pages.
After hearing Reykjavik chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason speak in the fall, we've been plotting a trip to Iceland to try his inspired Nordic cuisine at Restaurant Dill. Until then, we'll happily settle for the beautiful photography and intriguing recipes in his new cookbook "North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland" ($26).
We love the smartly designed Michael Ruhlman-branded kitchen utensils-from his acacia wood paddles, offset spoons and perforated spoon. Bonus! All Michael Ruhlman utensils are 50 percent off for today only. Here's the deal.
For the home cook who has every gadget imaginable, here's one more to add to the arsenal: the Searzall. It's a sort of blowtorch that'll sear dishes with a controlled, shallow flame and without the propane taste.
Upgrade your knife set with one of these beauties from Afortiori Tools, a Columbus-based, boutique knife maker. From wood handles to steel blades, each knife can be crafted to perfectly fit the user.
If you're home cook wants lessons from the pros, consider gifting a cooking class from The Commissary-the new shared kitchen space on Dublin Road. Keep an eye on their event page for upcoming classes with local chefs and bakers, like bread baking with Matija Breads and a lesson in dumplings with Helen's Asian Kitchen.
Finally, if you're looking for a place to browse for kitchen finds, swing by the newish Cosecha, a culinary-themed shop in Grandview that's run by the same owners of nearby Objects for the Home. They've got all kinds of food-related goodies, from cookware and bakeware, to serving pieces and linens. And then there are these stunning salt and pepper copper mills.
