For the Home Cook, there are some awesome gifts to give this Christmas. If your looking for something small, and under $50, a nice bottle of vinegar, olive oil or truffle oil. Truffle oil is a great gift because it can be use in multiple ways. I actually got my dad that last year as one of his gifts and he loved it. It makes a great addition to sauces, dressings, and even soups. It they are a mushroom fan then this is the direction to go. If you are not too familiar with Truffles. They are a rare wild mushroom which grow in the wild in various regions of Europe, mainly in France. They are extremely high in price and are held in the highest esteem by chefs.
If your looking for a larger gift. My item of the year is a sous-vide machine. This is a vacuum sealer for foods. It not only keeps meats fresher for a long time, but you can also use it to cook with. When you cook sous-vide your essentially cooking the meat or fish in its own juices while being sealed. This means no added fats, oils or charring. To cook sous-vide you do need to have a water oven, but you can also just use boiling water. This cooks the food slow at a low temperature. This is really the future of cooking because it is most efficient and makes everything taste amazing. You can find a good vacuum sealer online for around $200. It is the perfect gift for a home chef who already has everything.
Here's a recipe using truffle oil. Try this for your salads during your holiday, or drizzle it over your vegetables, you won't be disappointed.
White Truffle Vinaigrette
2Tbsp Shallots - chopped
1/4 C Sherry Vinegar, or balsamic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp White truffle oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place vinegar, shallots, mustard in a food processor, blend until smooth, then with the blade still spinning drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Add truffle oil and salt and pepper and blend for a few more seconds.
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