Being a man I know how hard it can be to shop for gifts during the Christmas season. Without an Amazon.com wishlist it can be hard to figure out what to get for that special person in your life. What is really difficult is to buy for someone who has interest in an area with which you have little or no experience. As a service to all of my faithful readers out there I have put together a holiday gift guide to help you shop for your favorite cook. This is kind of like my "Oprah Favorite Things" list, except I'm not going to give any of this stuff away for free, so don't even think about asking.
2006 Holiday Gift Guide for Cooks
I'm Just Here for the Food by Alton Brown - From the man that created the ever popular Good Eats television show, comes what might be the best cookbook ever written. Most cookbooks are merely a collection of recipes, I'm just here for the food not only shows you how to cook, but also lets you know how your food is cooking from a scientific angle. If you like Good Eats you'll love this book. What I really like about this book is that it is a perfect gift for a first time or a tenured cook. No matter how much experience you have, you can learn from this book and be a better cook.
Lodge Logic 12 Inch Preseasoned Cast Iron Skillet - Sure it will cost about $72 to get the thing shipped to your house, but $17 for one of the finest pieces of American cookwear made is a steal. Not only is this pan versitile, but its something that can be passed down from generation to generation.
OXO Good Grips 12 Inch Stainless Steel Tongs - OXO makes some of the best kitchen products and continually improves thier offerings. I have owned a pair of these tongs for 5 years now and I literally use them every single time I cook. 5 years of hard usage and they are still in perfect condition.
Pyrex Digital Probe Thermometer - With a probe thermometer like this even a newbie can make perfect roasts every time. The thermometer is well built and will stand up to everything you throw at it. Plus, the batteries last forever.