Ten gifts for people who love to cook

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      Browsing a kitchen store for presents serves two purposes: you tick off a few names on your list and are reminded that you really need a decent pair of oven mitts to lift that heavy turkey roaster. One for you, one for me… Here are 10 gifts for people who love to cook.

      Danesco food-stacking kit
      For home cooks who like to play restaurant, this nine-piece stainless-steel set (above) will help achieve that professionally plated look. Spoon or stack foods such as rice or vegetables in the square or round moulds, use the pusher to pack them down, and voilà! Impressed dinner guests.
      ($22, Cookworks [1548 West Broadway and 377 Howe Street])

      The Kinfolk Table: Recipes for Small Gatherings
      Fans of Kinfolk magazine will enjoy editor Nathan Williams’s new tome, with its characteristically subdued portraits of hipsters in their kitchens. The book focuses on casual entertaining—the sort in which everyone gathers in the kitchen and contributes to the meal. It profiles individuals like musicians, coffee roasters, and fashion designers who embody a “balanced, intentional way of living” and have a “genuine appreciation of food and hosting friends in their homes”. Recipes follow each profile.
      ($43.95, Artisan)

      Snackbox subscription
      If you have a loved one in another city you’d like to nourish, arrange for these healthy care packages. Every month, Vancouver-based company Snackbox packs up a different variety of 10 to 12 sweet and savoury snacks and sends them off to its subscribers. The predominantly natural, gluten-free, and meat-free products are meant to offer a handy alternative to junk food and feature B.C. brands when possible. Examples include OrganicLives raspberry macaroons, Back to Earth Weeds and Seeds Survival Cereal, and Veggi-Go’s Sweet Potato Leather. One-, three-, and six-month plans include shipping across Canada.
      ($39.95 to $185.70, getsnackbox.com/)

      Cuisipro Splatter Screen
      You know how when you simmer spaghetti sauce it bubbles like an active volcano, constantly spitting up so you have to wipe red splotches off your stove? This stainless-steel mesh lid is designed to combat that mess.
      ($22.95 for 11.5 inches, $24.95 for 13 inches, Call the Kettle Black [2150 West 41st Avenue])

      The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation
      Mollie Katzen, author of the iconic 1970s Moosewood Cookbook, is eating a little differently these days, and her new book is indeed more likely to resonate with younger folks. The Heart of the Plate leans vegan, with many recipes free of rich ingredients like butter, cheese, and sour cream. Katzen describes her approach as “sharper, livelier, spicier, lighter, and more relaxed than it used to be”; dishes include orange rice with black beans, and buttermilk corn cakes with Peruvian potato stew.
      ($45, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

      Emile Henry Try Me Tagine
      This 1.1-litre, crimson, conical piece is perfect for stews, as the tall lid traps steam and the ceramic material diffuses heat slowly and evenly. The Moroccan styling inspires dishes such as chicken with olives and preserved lemons, and makes for a dramatic dinner-party presentation.
      ($89.98, on sale for $49.99, Ming Wo [various locations])

      Beta 5 white chocolate bar with candied olives

      Beta 5 Candied Olive Bar
      Inspired by the silhouette of the North Shore mountains, this angular chocolate bar will please sophisticated palates. Local producer Beta 5 uses chocolate from France’s Michel Cluizel (made with ethically grown cocoa beans) along with an intriguing ingredient: black olives. The addition is subtle and fruity rather than overly salty, which makes the combination work; in fact, the bar earned a gold medal at the 2013 Canadian National Competition of the International Chocolate Awards.
      ($12 for 75 g, Beta 5 Chocolates [413 Industrial Avenue])

      Alice Eats: A Wonderland Cookbook
      Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has inspired many a Mad Hatter’s tea party. This lovely new book features the full text of the original, interspersed with charming illustrations by Pierre A. Lamielle and recipes by Julie Van Rosendaal. The latter include pork and pepper soup in honour of the Duchess, the Queen of Hearts’ jam tarts, and an illustrated guide to tea sandwiches.
      ($34.95, Whitecap)

      Sous Vide Supreme
      The vacuum-packed, underwater cooking technique has long been confined to restaurants, but this machine lets home cooks have a go too. The sous-vide method is lauded for its precise, even cooking, but before you buy this, make sure the person you’re giving it to is enthusiastic about diving in; otherwise, it could end up in the gadget graveyard.
      ($539.99, Gourmet Warehouse [1340 East Hastings Street])

      A storage cutting board by West Elm

      Storage cutting board
      Made of solid acacia wood, this handsome cutting board has a hole in one corner so you can sweep your veggie peel out of the way as you work. A metal drawer hidden underneath pulls out when you’re ready to toss the trimmings.
      ($129, West Elm [2915 Granville Street])

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