Its week three of my lists of favourite gifts for food enthusiasts. Week one was all about the long-term and sustainable, i.e. food subscriptions; last week featured the sweet treats; and, this week, its all about the gadget. Heres the thing to remember, however, when gifting gadgets: the gift should have immediacy. In other words, one should be inspired to use this gift over the next few weeks, as well as for the long term. Heres my pick of gadgets to make your giftee giddy.
Sparq Whiskey Rocks [1]
Hold the ice and chill the rocks instead. No more watered-down drinks for you, no sir. These smooth cubes are made from recycled soapstone, which is odourless, tasteless and non-porous. Throw in the freezer for a couple of hours, then into your dram it goes. Or, heat in the microwave for a minute to help your mug of mulled wine or holiday hangover coffee retain its temperature for up to an hour. $24.98 at Ming Wo. MingWo.com
Corkcicle/Chillsner [2]
Continuing the theme of playing hot and cold with ones beverages comes the Corkcicle. This faux-icicle cools your room-temperature reds in a jiffy or keeps your whites chill. $27.98 at Ming Wo. For the beer-enthusiast, there is the Chillsner, from the same company. Never drink warm beer again unless you care for that sort of thing. $26.99 at Gourmet Warehouse. MingWo.com | GourmetWarehouse.ca
Spiromat [3]
Know someone with picky kids? Or someone who loves to gussy up their gourmet dinner parties? Or maybe theres someone whose knife skills could use a little help? The Spiromat spiral cutter is the gift to choose. It will julienne, slice and dice, turn vegetables into spaghetti, and create fruit and veggie spirals that will tempt the snootiest of vegetable-haters. $80 at Cookworks. Cookworks.ca
PoachPod Egg Poacher [4]
Most people love poached eggs, but all the kings men cant help some poor souls make them at home. For the technically-frustrated egg poacher, this is as easy as it gets. Crack your egg into the silicone food pod, then let it float like a lily pad in a pot of boiling water. When the eggs are done, the soft silicone mold can be inverted with the push of a thumb, turning out perfectly poached eggs and happy holiday brunches. $15 for set of two at Cookworks. Cookworks.ca
Le Creuset Stock Pot [5]
For a gift that truly says I love younow make me some mulled wine, dammit. This enamel-on-heavy-gauge-steel wonder will make enough mulled wine or lamb stew to feed the ravening hordes with ease, and still have enough for leftover lunches. And its just so pretty. $140 at Gourmet Warehouse. GourmetWarehouse.ca
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for over a decade. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio Ones On the Coast, follow her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and catch up at FoodGirlFriday.com.
