Christmas gift guide: here’s some kitchen essentials

Need a Christmas gift, fast, for the food lover in your life? Here’s some things I’ve bought, and can recommend.

Happy Christmas: it’s the thought that counts

I know what you’re thinking. It’s Saturday, the sun’s shining, the birds are singing and you have the day to yourself. Or at least not in the employ of others.

I know what you’re thinking because I’m thinking exactly the same thing. Summer. Imminent holidays. Champagne and pudding. What I’m not thinking is: Holy Mistletoe, Batman, this time next week I’m expected to give presents, and I’ve done nothing about it. Deadlines have a way of forcing you into some expedient decision-making, and yet I never learn.

Never mind. Let’s just say there are people in your life for whom food and the kitchen are zones of erogenous pleasure, and narrow it down from there. There are things you can rush out and buy today that will stuff the stockings of your food lover in a meaningful manner. Here is a small list of things I have bought and can recommend.

Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo meat thermometer. There are more sophisticated thermometers on the market but for most of us, this one is just about perfect. Work out where to jab your joint/steak/burger/chook, ascertain the temperature you’re aiming for, and Bob’s your uncle. It’s a game-changer for any barbecuer. About $73.

Akorn Junior kamado-style charcoal outdoor cooker/BBQ. A budget alternative to the Green Egg, this thing is sensational value for money if you like to cook with charcoal. And I love to. A well-known hardware “warehouse” now carries decent lump charcoal, and it’s surprisingly affordable if you shut down the air valves right after cooking. Very versatile. About $270.

Looftlighter fire-starter. No chemicals, no flame or gas. Simply scrunch up newspaper in your cooker, cover it with charcoal, point this plug-in electric device (like a powerful hairdryer) at it and within a minute you can walk away knowing your charcoal is up, up and away. What a toy. About $110.

Mutsumi Hinoura all-purpose kitchen knife. I’m not an expert, but using a high-end handmade Japanese knife is very special. It’s ritualistic. It’s a step up from those fine-but-utilitarian Germans and Frenchies you’ve been chopping and slicing with all your life. And tax deductible, surely. About $480.

Fusionbrands YolkR yolk separator. I’ll never understand why these things didn’t take off. Maybe because they really only work well with freshly laid eggs. But when you’re doing a batch… Brilliant. About $16.

Dreamfarm Ortwo Lite spice grinder. I find Dreamfarm products a bit hit-and-miss, but this grinder is truly essential. Buy supplementary jars and swap white pepper for black, coriander seed for… you name it. About $44.

Riedel Ouverture beer glasses. An urbane mate introduced me to beer in a proper glass. It was game over. For someone who appreciates the role of a good wine glass… but wants a beer. About $22 each.

A food book. From the category “no brainer”… but which one? An extraordinary volume of food books gets published in this country, and as regular readers may know, I love the things. (Mostly; there’s a fair bit of pulp, too). But I’m leapfrogging all the excellent new titles sent to me by publishers to recommend an older one I actually bought: Jerusalem (Erbury, $55) by the ubiquitous Yotam Ottolenghi and his far less celebrated sidekick Sami Tamimi. You can’t have too many Ottolenghi books, and the older you get, the more you need this kind of food in your life.

KitchenAid gadgets. If, and only if, you have someone on the list with a KitchenAid stand mixer, the accessories rock. The pasta roller/cutter is outstanding but the meat grinder kit has possibly more utility. Mince meat, stuff sausages, repeat. Mine was a birthday gift, and what a gift. About $160.

K-Mart large mixing bowl (non slip). This is possibly the best $7 gift in Australia today. For your foodie anyway, or maybe your pooch. Grippy black silicon base, spun aluminium 1.4 litre bowl, ideal for mixing; as any enthusiastic cook knows, you simply cannot have too many of these things. Caveat: they’re awkward in the dishwasher.

Have a great festive season; thanks for reading this past year. We’ll be back with columns and reviews in 2022. What a gift.

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