If you're shopping for a cook, chances are he or she already has at least some of the items pictured above, but maybe not all. This Food for Thought is all about (somewhat) cheap stuff to give cooks.
Nancy suggests most of the stuff up there in the picture. I come out for slightly more exotic fare, like a kitchen torch so I can make chef Maria Hines' porcini creme brulee even though Nancy couldn't get it to come out right.
Some other suggestions include (The a-AMAY-zing) Ginsu steak knife—really. I also suggest microplane graters, or even a set of them. These things are super-sharp and make for very easy grating. I've had one for several years now, and wouldn't be without it.
What cook's gift have you given that's gone over well for you in the past? Conversely, what would you really, really like to get?
"The Christmas season has come to mean the period when the public plays Santa Claus to the merchants." ~John Andrew Holmes
