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[Cooking] thread 2: 2019's 2020's revenge

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Posts

  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    Enamel cookware is nice.

    They aren’t expensive but a good digital scale if they don’t have one is excellent (Americans for some reason don’t often own one, but if he bakes he may already, you could look at buying a baker’s scale)

    Thermopen came out with the thermopen one last year which can do a reading in a second which is a nice luxury.

  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    Oh, or a bespoke cutting board.

  • SimpsoniaSimpsonia Registered User regular
    edited April 2022
    A gift card is probably your best bet for hobby specific tools/goods. For someone who is very much into cooking (or any hobby really) and the tools surrounding it, receiving tools that aren't what you'd have chosen can be very frustrating, especially if they are expensive ones. For example, I'm very much into my kitchen knives, but specifically Japanese blades. An in-law had plans to get us a big fancy German knife set for our wedding, but luckily was talked out of it. I'd probably have just returned them, as even as nice as some German knives can be, I don't like the blade geometries and would only have been frustrated with them.

    That said, if you also understand the hobby and know what, if any, holes they have, you might be able to get away with something. For example if the baker is into pastry, maybe they need a marble pastry board, which can be a little more of a luxury item. Or a big end-grain cutting board.

    Simpsonia on
  • DrZiplockDrZiplock Registered User regular
    I dig Blake's idea of a really nice cutting board.

    Big, end grain, maple... something that someone made.

    Or if he really likes to cook, then find out a favorite meal and ball out on the ingredients and the bottle of wine to go with it. Put it all in a nice basket and present it that way. Truffles, caviar, etc.

  • m!ttensm!ttens he/himRegistered User regular
    A nice baking cloche would be a nice gift within your budget for someone into bread baking. I use my Dutch oven when baking sourdough but a more purpose built device (basically the same shape but upside down: a shallow bottom with a large lid) would make things a little easier and I could use both at once to make two loaves together.

  • MillMill Registered User regular
    Simpsonia wrote: »
    A gift card is probably your best bet for hobby specific tools/goods. For someone who is very much into cooking (or any hobby really) and the tools surrounding it, receiving tools that aren't what you'd have chosen can be very frustrating, especially if they are expensive ones. For example, I'm very much into my kitchen knives, but specifically Japanese blades. An in-law had plans to get us a big fancy German knife set for our wedding, but luckily was talked out of it. I'd probably have just returned them, as even as nice as some German knives can be, I don't like the blade geometries and would only have been frustrated with them.

    That said, if you also understand the hobby and know what, if any, holes they have, you might be able to get away with something. For example if the baker is into pastry, maybe they need a marble pastry board, which can be a little more of a luxury item. Or a big end-grain cutting board.

    Yeah, my experience when buying gifts for people that have hobbies. Is that you run into one of three problems if you try to do the whole "look I do pay attention and know you well approach. They already the item you buy them and it just didn't get noticed because it's not used often. Your gift ends up being a duplicate because either someone else had the same idea or if they buy gifts for themselves, they go out and buy it as their gift to themselves. Finally, maybe you do get the item that isn't an unneeded duplicate, but you find out that either they didn't want it or they really don't like the brand, could be for a personal reason or if you're not into the happy, it's easy to pick up the "meh" brand.

    A gift card bypasses all of that and let's them get what they want and need for their hobby. Also has the plus, that in the event that they either have a solid inventory that has little room for more or get a glut of items to the point where some stuff is being exchanged. It means less exchanging and fungible money for things outside the hoppy. Hell, fungible funds can be a proverbial god send for most adults because sometimes shit just happens and even if you want fancy X thing for your hobby, you kind of need some series scratch to fix your car, house or just replace a major critical appliance that died.

  • PinfeldorfPinfeldorf Yeah ZestRegistered User regular
    You could go the next step and get him a flour mill and some raw berries to grind. I'm not sure that's a good play for this particular fellow, but one of my neighbors (a hobbyist home baker) got a gift like that for Christmas and will only grind his own flour now.

  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    Or! Rather than an expensive knife or whatever piece of equipment, you get them some expensive ingredient(s)? Like some real deal balsamic vinegar or some botargo or a jar of top quality saffron something of that ilk? You can pretty easily spend a couple hundred bucks there.

    One year I bought my brother a fairly complete set of vacpacked mexican chiles (they're really not a thing here and I got him about 11 different kinds) and a nice box to keep them all in and he was super pleased with those. He also made some sensational chili burgers.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    the nice thing about expensive ingredients is even if you double up with something they already have, that's fine because by definition it will get used eventually.

  • JedocJedoc In the scuppers with the staggers and jagsRegistered User regular
    Or you can buy a whole bunch of a really cheap ingredient. Just start shopping around for bulk nacho cheese and let your imagination run wild!

    GDdCWMm.jpg
  • MillMill Registered User regular
    Eh, depends on the ingredients. If they have a substantial shelf life or freezer life and you know person well enough. It'll probably work. On the flipside, they are going to be annoyed if you get them something they don't like or worse can't eat because that's usually not an easy exchange. Like if I get a fancy, expensive knife and I don't want it, the seller is probably going to let me exchange it for a different item, in store credit or the money because they can easily and safely sell it to someone else. Caveat being that the item needs to be in pristine shape. Ingredients, they likely aren't going to be as willing to take back because they may legally have to dispose of it, if it's not in a seal tight package and even some might be reluctant because there is always the risk they get a real special asshole that opens the contents and has the means to reseal it in a way that can't be spotted.

    Finally, it gets worse with ingredients that don't have a good shelf or freezer life because now you are saddling them with something they may have to use during a time when they really didn't want to make something with that ingredient.

    As for, but expensive stuff will eventually get used. Only if it's something they actually would like to use because you can easily saddle someone with an expensive item, that they view as crap. Even if it is something they would use, that "super expensive knife I was gifted," can sometimes become obnoxious. If there isn't a need for it and it's likely to sit around for a prolonged period of time, then it just becomes clutter and no price tag is going to fix that.

    Honestly, best advice I can give outside of gift cards. If you really don't want to do that. Just ask said friend what items they'd like and probably coordinate with other people that are getting gifts, if you have reasonable concerns that people might overlap without it. Sure surprises are fun, but only if they work out. Sometimes it's just better to not have the surprise, if it means ensuring that you give the person something they really want or need.

  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    It can also be fun to get a person an experience. Like when I was really into brewing a couple friends took me out for a brewery tour and tasting. It was real fun. A nice experience that relates to a hobby can be a good time too, without getting into getting someone something they might already have, or don't want.

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  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Public Service Announcement

    All Clad is having it's factory outlet sale of factory seconds

    https://homeandcooksales.com/?cjevent=ae6ef65ebd9011ec804001230a82b82c

    Decided to finally get a five ply copper core pan I've wanted forever

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    I don't want to type in my email address just to see the prices

    I do kinda need a new skillet...

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    I don't want to type in my email address just to see the prices

    I do kinda need a new skillet...

    For what it's worth it just signs you up for their newsletter and I don't think these sales are well publicized.

    Everything starts at 50% off. Most of it is "packaging damage"

    My workhorse 12 inch saute pan is nine years old and it was "Semi Clad" with a three layer ply. Over the last month the bottom has rounded out so you can actually rock it back and forth on the burner so it's been unevenly heating.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    If you use Gmail, when you sign up for something you don't actually want emails from, the trick is to change it from username@gmail to user.name@gmail and then have a spam filter to block emails sent to user.name@gmail

  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    I just went to the restaurant supply store by my parent's house and there's almost no store I love more, I could have spent so much money. So much

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Peen wrote: »
    I just went to the restaurant supply store by my parent's house and there's almost no store I love more, I could have spent so much money. So much

    I spent ten dollars on six plastic red and white bowls (I think they were labeled as "fruit bowls" and I use them for mis en place and I think they are my dearest cooking things.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    I got a new jigger, a biscuit cutter, a new fry oil/ candy thermometer, and cake decorating tools, all for a cool $30. I love that place!

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    I use a little graded espresso cup as a jigger currently

  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    edited April 2022
    Just my wife and I for Easter so I smoked a Pork Tenderloin, made up some wild rice, roasted potatoes and roasted cauliflower tossed with garlic. Only like 15 minutes of prep work too.

    webguy20 on
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  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    made an apple matzah kugel tonight.

    wayyyy too much sugar in the recipe.

  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    Woke up at about 1:30 am to finish off my pork loin that's been in the slow cooker for almost 12 hours.

    There is nothing like fresh pork carnitas while all the fat is still rendered into juice and it's just so savory and fragrant.

  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    Made a couple of quick tacos with my carnitas, some feta and sweet pepper relish.

    Aw yeah

    Oh dang

  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    Accidentally got a dehydrater.

    So I'm doing overnight Apple slices and some mandarin segments.

    I legit love apple slices.

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    "Accidentally"

  • PinfeldorfPinfeldorf Yeah ZestRegistered User regular
    Accidentally got a dehydrater.

    So I'm doing overnight Apple slices and some mandarin segments.

    I legit love apple slices.

    I thought about getting a dehydrater so I could try my hand at making fruit leathers out of (blended) salsa. That way I could just wrap up some chicken in a burrito, toss one of those in and get all the flavor with none of the mess.

    Which one did you get, and how much do you like it?

  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    It's a sunbeam brand. Cheapest one available. And I guess ok?

    And accidentally because we bought it for some friends add an anniversary gift (I promise it makes sense) but they already had one.

  • JedocJedoc In the scuppers with the staggers and jagsRegistered User regular
    I'm making SPANAKOPITA! for lunches this week. It's delicious and easy and you get to repeatedly shout SPANAKOPITA! during the prep process.

    GDdCWMm.jpg
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    SPANAKOPITA!

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    PANKOPITASA!

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  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    PANOPTICON!

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
  • sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    I bought crème de violette and maraschino. Now I need to find a gin I like so I can make aviations, but also now I want to buy all of the things and start having cocktail parties because I don’t actually like drinking that much any more.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    I was gonna say, give Barr Hill a shot if youre not into traditional dry or floral gins, but it's from the US and idk if you can find that one in Taiwan.

    Australia has a huge gin industry which exports a lot to SE Asia, so if you can find Aussie gins I can advise.

  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    sarukun wrote: »
    I bought crème de violette and maraschino. Now I need to find a gin I like so I can make aviations, but also now I want to buy all of the things and start having cocktail parties because I don’t actually like drinking that much any more.

    Try this one when you have gin:

    2oz gin
    .25oz creme de violette
    .5oz lemon juice
    .5oz pineapple juice
    .5oz orgeat

    If you have fresh sage, muddle 2 sage leaves. Or don't, it's fine either way.

    It is very good.

  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    I was gonna say, give Barr Hill a shot if youre not into traditional dry or floral gins, but it's from the US and idk if you can find that one in Taiwan.

    Australia has a huge gin industry which exports a lot to SE Asia, so if you can find Aussie gins I can advise.

    Seems like everywhere has a huge gin industry these days

    Everyone all 'bout that gin

  • sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    I was gonna say, give Barr Hill a shot if youre not into traditional dry or floral gins, but it's from the US and idk if you can find that one in Taiwan.

    Australia has a huge gin industry which exports a lot to SE Asia, so if you can find Aussie gins I can advise.

    This sounds like a great idea, I hope “Australian Gin” is a sufficiently deep rabbit hole down which to dive for the next week or so!

  • LuvTheMonkeyLuvTheMonkey High Sierra Serenade Registered User regular
    edited May 2022
    Speaking of gins, I just bought a shitload of syrups & cordials and will be making runs at Singapore Slings and Saturns this week.

    LuvTheMonkey on
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