for the foodies: a 2024 holiday gift guide.
Back with day two of my holiday gift guides! This time, it’s for the foodie and cooks in your life. I LOVE my time in the kitchen, and I’ve got some treasured gifts that change the game. From stocking stuffers to splurges, i’ve got you covered for any of the foodies in your life.
one: Since getting married (and actually before), I have LOVED cooking homemade meals. Two of my all-time favorite cookbooks are from Alex Snodgrass (aka The Defined Dish) and I use them weekly. The Comfortable Kitchen has some of our favorite recipes including Crispy Chicken Milanese, Mexican Pizzas, One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta. Dinner Tonight has Chicken Piccata Meatballs, Mojo Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Enchiladas and Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry. I LOVE THESE COOKBOOKS. They’re gluten free, can be made paleo and they all slap in the taste department. Look out for a buy one get one (either free of 50% off) at Target. That’s where I scored mine!
two: This might sound kind of random, but this dough splitter/food scrapper is one of those gadgets that you don’t realize how much you use until you have it at your disposal. This is great for dough scraping/splitting, but I mostly use it for gathering chopped vegetables from my cutting board to add to a bowl or pan.
three: Something else I use almost every day is my cookbook stand. I have one from Hearth & Hand and it’s not only a cute kitchen display, but it’s also very functional.
four: Next up, MY FAV DUTCH OVEN. I make soups, one-pot pasta dishes, stews, etc in this dish. Many people love the Le Creuset dutch ovens (which run ~$300 - wild), but this one is very reasonable and I’ve had it for years. It’s also been dropped (thanks to my food-snoopy dogs!) and it’s still working great, isn’t chipped and it also just looks really nice on my stove.
five: This next gift makes me giggle — many of my friends have been recipients of the infamous, ‘as seen on TV’ Ove Gloves! These are the new, better and irreplaceable in my kitchen oven mitt. Made from firemans jackets or something, these ove-gloves are the best for removing anything mega-hot from the oven. One is great, but two is better (for things you have to grab with 2 hands).
six: Are you kiddddding with this copper bowl? Obviously, a kitchenaid mixer is a kitchen iconic splurge item to own. I bought a white one a few years ago when I bought my first home, and not only is it a kitchen-counter staple, it’s also a bakers dream mixer (though I also use it to shred chicken — rad hack!). You can always keep your eye out for deals or sales (like the one happening at Target now!), but I HIGHLY recommend this. I love mine, and if I were to ever get to upgrade, this french linen color with the copper bowl is ICONIC.
seven: Okay, I actually inherited this favorite item from Taylor (my husband). He has this exact meat thermometer and I use it anytime I’m cooking chicken, pork, meatballs, etc. The best part about this is the cover has convenient standard temps for poultry, beef, etc, and I refer to the little guide just as much as I use the thermometer!
eight: This item was kind of viral on tik-tok for a hot minute. This chopper is AMAZING for chopped salads, and also for chopping/dinner prep of veggies like onions, carrots, peppers, lettuce, etc. My MIL got this for me for Christmas last year, and it’s a staple! Sometimes for lunch when I’m in my salad phases, I make salads using it, and then just eat the salad right out of the chopper bowl at the bottom.
nine: Rounding out my list is a funny, but honestly elevating kitchen necessity. From the old Rachael Ray days, remember when she always used to add some “EVOO”? I have upped my olive oil game to this olive oil from Graza is my newest favorite. It’s got a higher smoke point, and it is fresh, never blended and is picked in Spain. It’s got a strong olive-oil flavor, has the RICH green-yellow-EVOO color you look for, and any foodie will know this is the good good.
Here’s to the cooks and foodies in our life! 🥘
