12 Days of Culinary Holiday Gifts

Christmas Gift Lists

12 Days of Culinary Holiday Gifts

Are you one of those people that waits until Christmas Eve to go to the Mall to get Christmas gifts because you procrastinate or just don't have a clue what to get for your friends and family or those Secret Santa gift exchanges?  Do you break out into sweats just thinking about having to figure out what to buy for people?  Do you have Foodies in your life that you don't know what to get for them?  I can help you with this one and relieve some of your shopping stress.

Here are my picks for the 12 Days of Culinary Gifts that I think any budding Chefs or Foodies will love.  Prices go from $15 dollars to a few hundred dollars depending on your budget you can choose one of these amazing and drool worthy foodie gifts for those hard to figure out gifts.  To make it even easier I have chosen a few that you can order online and skip those crazy parking lots and packed malls.

Here are my picks for 12 Days of Culinary Gifts:


1.  AMAZING CLUBS  - You can choose a Gourmet gift of the Month from a whole list of different montly clubs like Chocolate, Cheese, Wine, Beer, Pasta and many more.  My pick would be cheese of the month so that I could always have different cheese to cook with, eat or entertain.

2.  FOODIE PAGES  - Foodie pages is a great Canadian company that curates great new products that you can have delivered to your door.  I have sent one to a grieving widow and have tried a couple of the Foodie Boxes myself.   The Foodie boxes start at $14.95.  You can get various sample boxes or choose specific boxes for your needs.   This is a one time delivery but you can probably set it up to get it every month.

Foodie P

3.  VITAMIX BLENDER in Christmas Red - This is the Rolls Royce of Blenders.  There are different models at different prices but I liked this Holiday Red version that you can order on Amazon.


4.  KITCHENAID Stand Mixer - This is the machine to get for the Bakers and Pizza makers in your life.  It can whip and knead and save your arms for hugging your loved ones.  I chose the Red one again to look good on the counter with the Red Vitamix Blender.  Make sure you get all the attachments.  The whisk, scraper and dough hook.  And if you are really nice you can get the pasta roller, meat grinder or ice cream maker attachments.  That's why this machine rocks.  Looks great, works great and does a whole lot of things.  I make cookies and bread dough with mine.



5.   LE CREUSET - Dutch OVEN in Cherry Red
My mom had this Dutch Oven for years and when she passed I kept it.  It is the most amazing pot.  It's a bit heavy but that's a great thing for cooking stews and even making things like caramelized onions which I used it for just yesterday.  You can put it in the oven and then right to the table.  It cleans easily and lasts a lifetime.  So instead of buying crappy pots and replacing them all the time invest in this quality Dutch Oven and pass it down to future generations along with the great recipes it makes.



6.  NESPRESSO Coffee Maker - This is one of the prettiest coffee makers that will look good with the rest of the items above but not only that it makes amazing coffees and has a separate frother that you can use with fresh milk.  This is the one that comes closest to the coffee house fancy coffees.   Cappuccino anyone?



7.  SUPER HERO APRON -  I found these Aprons on Amazon while searching for some things and I thought it might be a fun gift for that Wonder Woman or Super Hero in your life in the kitchen.  It's fun and not too expensive so it's a great gift for those Secret Santa gifts too.




8.  PROFESSIONAL CHEF COOKBOOK from the CIA - Culinary Institute of America's Professional Cookbook for anyone to brush up on great cooking techniques.




9.   DAVID'S TEA - HOLIDAY TEAS - Santa's Secret -  For the Tea lover on your list you can pick up one of David's Tea's Holiday Teas.  You can even order teas on their website and get Free Shipping on orders over $50.  To go with the red theme I chose this one.  It has peppermint in it which is a favourite during the winter months.

10.  CUTTING BOARD by Fred & Friends - OCD - OBSESSIVE - You need to have a solid cutting board to be able to dice and chop like a Pro.  Here's one for those people that want the perfect cut.





11.   CULINARY ADVENTURE from Culinary Adventure Co. OCTA - Book a Food Tour, a class or give a Gift Certificate for a Culinary Adventure like a Wine Tour or some other adventure in Ontario.   Run by a private chef and the owner of Cheeseworks.   A step up from just a gift, it's an adventure in food.




12.  GROCERY GIFT CARD from one of these premium grocery stores in Toronto. McEwan Grocery, Pusateri's or Whole Foods.    Let your foodie special person knock themselves out in the kitchen with premium ingredients from some of the high end grocery stores in Toronto.  Hopefully this will be the gift that gives back to you in a dinner invitation with a special menu prepared with the food from one of these great stores.


Happy Holiday Shopping... enjoy the fruits of your shopping labour.

Southern Accent Restaurant Cookbook Launch

Southern Accent Restaurant in Toronto is one of those hidden gem type of restaurants that is tucked away on Markham road or Mirvish village in the Annex in Toronto,  but has been around for 30 years.  Staying open 5 years in Toronto is a huge accomplishment but let alone a long standing career of 30 years is a miracle in this city where things that were around for a long time and are iconic are all disappearing.  That's why I am so happy that Southern Accent is still around and hasn't changed a thing except maybe adding a few recipes here and there.

 I received a special invite from Toronto Film Critic Richard Crouse to attend a secret Cookbook Launch.  I didn't know who's cookbook it was for but I was game to find out.  I knew it had to be something that Richard had a connection to because he was going out of his way to find the right people to attend the cookbook launch.    I used to do makeup for the Rogers show Real to Reel when Southern Accent.  We had filmed Real to Reel there a few times.   I would squeeze my makeup into some corner of the restaurant and try and put it on in the very darkened restaurant.  But it was always fun being there.  The restaurant has a certain energy.  Richard's connection to Southern Accent goes way back to when he was a bartender/server there.  At that time the now chef/owner was just a bus boy but his partner was still his boss back then.  Frances hired Richard after a 5 minute interview and he has been connected to the restaurant ever since then.
Richard Crouse, Geoff Pevere and Katrina Onstad were the hosts of the show so I have known Richard for a long time.   I have stopped doing makeup and have spent that time working on this blog instead.   I was happy to find out that the Cookbook Launch was for

This was no ordinary book launch.   It was a real fun event.  There were fresh oysters being shucked, a Nawlins  dixieland style band playing on the patio,  Beers on tap, Sangria and very tasty Bourbon Sours which is what I sampled.
Then the food started coming out.  Shrimp Po'boy sandwiches, crab cakes, brisket and mashed potatoes, hush puppies and there was a huge pan of Jambalaya being made just when you walked in through the patio.  Drinks were flowing and everyone was enjoying the food and the music.

Andrea, owner Frances and Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Then came the little desserts,  Bourbon glazed bread pudding and Pecan pies.   MMMM goood.

Like a trip to New Orleans.   And speaking of trips to New Orleans, this whole cookbook started 20 years ago when Richard went to Louisiana with Frances the owner and found some crazy locals including the Mayor that gave them some of the tried and true recipes that went into the restaurant and the end result of this cookbook.   Richard and Frances and the now partner chef owner have lot's of stories of their experiences in Southern Accent over the years.   Maybe Richard will write a book of the stories of working and hanging out at Southern Accent.  Although it sounds like it might be a good documentary.  If I had some cash and a good crew that would be something I would be interested in doing for sure.

And the bonus of the evening for me was a complimentary Tarot Card reading with Kim.  My life sound interesting through those Tarot cards so I will have to wait and see what transpires over the next 12 months.   In the meantime I will be flipping through the pages of the Southern Accent cookbook and reading some of the stories included in the book.

Check out the photos of the Launch.  It was one of the most fun Cookbook launches I have ever attended and the food was great too.

Drop by during Summerlicious and get your Cajun on and sip a nice cool drink and some spicy food.   

Follow them on Instagram @cajuncajun 

Chef Michael Smith chats about Fast Flavours

It was one of my friends birthdays this month so instead of buying each other gifts that just take up space we now give each other food related gifts like cooking demos or chef cookbook chats.  It was his birthday this month so I signed up to go see Chef Michael Smith chat about his new cookbook Fast Flavours at George Brown College.  My friend loves watching his tv show and so do I so we were really excited to go and see him.  

I saw him recently at the Word on the Street where I was surprised to hear him rant about how not feeding your kids proper food was like slow child abuse.  He got on a huge rant about feeding kids so much junk food that they are all developing allergies to everything these days.

So I had a feeling he would have really passion filled Q&A answers after he did his interview with Cookbook Store owner Alison Fryer.

It turned out that I asked him the last question of the night about what he thought about Mayors like New York's Bloomberg banning the 64oz soft drinks.   He agreed that kids shouldn't be sold that kind of excess and he thought it was good that he took a stand.   While I agree that kids shouldn't drink that much sugar in their drinks there isn't really anything to stop them from getting 2 - 32 oz drinks back to back either.   Is this enough to stop the obesity epidemic?  I don't think so.   He thought that junk food should be taxed like cigarettes.   My thought is that some of the toxic substances that are put into the foods at manufacturing should be banned instead, like high fructose corn syrup which is what is actually causing the obesity epidemic.    Here's a thought... what if they couldn't put it into products ...then people couldn't buy them...  hence... the people who can't afford to pay these taxes wouldn't have to pay for the burden of the healthcare system while the manufacturers reap profits.    

My thought is that if toxic substances or food additives that are known to contribute to obesity are changed to non toxic substances then maybe everyone wins....   people won't have to walk around supermarkets with magnifying glasses and dictionaries to figure out what's in the products they are consuming if they are actually indicated what it is.   Some ingredients are disguised as other things or modified to some other thing or are genetically modified without telling the consumer.

I don't think everyone in North America is going to give up convenience food in one day and switch to a 100% plant based diet so I think the answer is to make some of these toxic products disappear so that the only choice is to buy whole foods and start going back to eating real food and making things from scratch where you know what's in them.   You won't get 100% of the population to switch but we don't need a thousand toxic products tempting the exhausted media brainwashed parents into buying easy convenience food to get food on the table for their families.

As Chef Michael Smith said banning something like Foie Gras in Los Angeles because of cruelty to the  duck is ridiculous because other animals like cows and pigs are treated just as badly.  But that's real food.   What about banning toxic chemical filled products that can sit on supermarket shelves for a year without going bad.   Well because the big corporate manufactuers would protest and won't have subsidized jobs for people.

The whole thing is a political toxic soup and there is no simple answer but my thoughts are to start to rethink what is allowed to go into the products before it gets to the consumers to have to do detective work to figure out whether it's going to kill them to consume that product.

It seems I hit a nerve when I asked Chef Michael that question because he got really passionate about it and Alison thought he should run for Mayor of Toronto and everyone in the room seemed to agree.   i think he would make a great Mayor.   He knows right from wrong and has Integrity and passion.    I am not sure our current Mayor has those qualities but that's a whole other story.

One thing that was funny was standing next to him while taking a photo,  I am only about 5 feet tall while Michael Smith is somewhere around 7 feet tall.   Do I look short or what?

About his Cookbook. ....  it's a beautifully put together book filled with recipes that anyone with basic skills can make in their own kitchens which makes it a cookbook that will get used instead of sitting on a shelf.   The photos are large and beautiful and the recipes are written easy to read instead of fine print on colored paper it's clear black large enough print on white paper, making it easy to flip through the book and organize your kitchen accordingly.   I hope to make one of the recipes in the near future.

Rocco DiSpirito feels at home in Woodbridge, ON

Last night Celebrity Chef Rocco DiSpirito was on hand to sign his new Cookbook "Eat this now" Italian at the Chapters/Indigo Bookstore in Woodbridge, Ontario.

I have been watching Rocco on his own shows and on many of the daytime talk shows making lots of tasty dishes.   I decided to drop by and meet Rocco and pick up one of his cookbooks at his book signing.

Rocco was right at home with a mostly female and Italian background crowd.  Rocco spent the time before the actual book signing flirting with the women,  talking family with one woman and giving the men a call to action to be better boyfriends and husbands.   He circulated the crowd sharing stories, info and cracking jokes in Italian.   He is a very personable guy and seemed to enjoy entertaining the crowd and at one point said he loved it here and said he should move here.   I think he would be right at home in Woodbridge, ON and I am sure he would have a lot less hectic life than in New York.  He even mentioned how easy it was to get around here.   I guess in comparison to New York rush hour I guess you could say that.

The reason he was there was to promote his new book "Eat this now, Italian" where he travelled to Italy to learn from the Italian grannies on their techniques to making real Italian food.   He then deconstructed some of the recipes to try and lower the caloric values for each dish.  He called it a "labour of love" and I think this journey began with the influence of his Italian mamma whom he learned how to cook authentic Italian dishes from that started his career.

I didn't pick up that book because I am pretty much a traditionalist when it comes to Italian food.   Fresh, simple ingredients cooked properly and not overdone.   Less is more in most cases of real Italian food.   Something like a Caprese Salad,   (Tomatoes, Buffalo Mozzerella, Basil and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper)   that's it.   It really doesn't need deconstructing so I skipped that book but picked up one of his previous books that has a variety of recipes and other comfort foods like Mac & Cheese which is hard to make tasty and reducing the calories.   That's the recipes I need help with.   Or the things like chocolate chip cookies.    Italian food seems easier to me because it really is healthy if you just bump up the vegetables and cut the portion sizes and just modify a few things.

Once I finally got to Rocco to get my book signed he said "did I meet you before", I said "No" I don't think so".  He said "you look very familiar".  I said who knows...maybe facebook, twitter.    I know I have never met him directly before but maybe I have seen him at some food show or something in the past that I don't even remember.   But I think I would remember meeting Rocco don't you?  Maybe a past life thing.....  who knows.... maybe I look like someone or everyone is starting to look familiar after he has met so many people.   Either way... I suppose it's nice to have someone say that you look familiar as if they know you already.

If I ever run into Chef Rocco again I will definitely say we have met before and hopefully I will be able to tell him some of my favourite recipes from his book.

Chef Lynn Crawford's Pitchin In

Chef Lynn Crawford the star of Food Network's Pitchin In and Restaurant Makeover was Pitchin to the Students and Alumni and myself at a talk at George Brown College on a Snowy winter night. She was there to talk about her new and 1st ever cookbook from the recipes she has whipped up on the first 2 seasons of "Pitchin In". Lynn has been a chef for many years and has worked in the top Hotels in major cities and now has her own restaurant downtown on Queen St. East with a new little shop a few doors down. The restaurant is called Rubywatch Co. and the shop is called Ruby Eats. I think Chef Lynn had to be talked into finally producing a cookbook but from the looks of the cookbook it was worth the wait. It's a beautifully laid out book with photos of Chef Lynn at the farms she visited during the show and recipes that are beautifully photographed and drool worthy. Some cookbooks are sort of like coffee table books but this book looks like you want to cook all these recipes and that they are something that can be done at home with a little bit of basic skills and a great recipe.

Pitchin In is one of my favourite Food Network shows for a few reasons. The number one reason is that Chef Lynn is hilarious and passionate. She puts every ounce of her soul into her cooking and into the hearts of the people she meets. She has tremendous respect for the farmers and food providers and it comes across on her show. She loves people and respects everyone's contribution to what she does. She couldn't be a great chef without great food to cook with.

I also love the show because it really shows what local and organic means in food production. The show show almost a start to finish process on how food is grown and made for consumption. From the chicken to the egg process of what goes on the ground and what comes out of it. It's a full circle process with Lynn creating works of food art to reward the great growers and farmers that have demonstrated their skills.

Chef Lynn will try almost anything even with a fear of heights she soars in what she does.

I have tremendous respect for her because when she started as a chef there were few woman who would have been in the kitchen for her to look up to but now she is the Chef women aspire to be as good as. I admire her culinary skills as well as her personal integrity and passion.

I got a gift certificate for Rubywatchco for christmas and I am looking forward to finally tasting her food very soon.

Check out Chef Lynn Crawford's new cookbook "Pitchin In" or her show of the same name or drop into her restaurant RubyWatchCo or her shop Ruby Eats and see what Lynn can do.
I promise you will have fun.