The Cow We Doin' Holiday Gift Guide
For those of you who are slacking in both the kitchen and holiday gifts!
Happy Friday, ladies and gentlemen! Hope the week has gone swimmingly. We’ve been dealing with some frosty temps here in the Great White North, and even had our first snowfall of the season earlier this week, so, as they say: “Winter is here.”
This would be a good weekend to brown a bunch of ground beef, bacon, peppers, and onions, toss in a few cans of beans, some chili seasoning, and a can or two of tomatoes and let that simmer for a few hours. When it smells too good to wait, slop it in a bowl (maybe made of bread??) and top it with cheese and sour cream and go to town.
But I digress, because, believe it or not, we’re not talking specifically about food this week. Instead, we’re talking about the reason for the season… gifts!
(Kidding. But seriously.)
Since it’s well past prime holiday shopping season, what with supply chain constraints, unreliable shipping providers, and general retail overload, I figured what better thing to do today than tell you what you should have bought two weeks ago! I’ll provide a few gift ideas (related to food, of course) that maybe you can use to salvage the holidays for your favorite wannabe chef. These are all things (or some iteration thereof) I use on a fairly regular basis, so I feel confident with these recommendations.
But of course, take them with a grain of (smoked Himalayan pink) salt.
Here we go!
TRUFF Hot Sauce. This stuff gets a lot of hype, and honestly, I wasn’t 100% sold on it until I tried it on oysters during Thanksgiving. I was blown away. Just adds that certain je ne sais quoi that a regular hot sauce doesn’t have.
NITRILE GLOVES. I use these all the time for handling raw meat, moving things around on the grill, and also for slicing and carving. Provides that dexterity that a fork or tongs just can’t provide. Any color will do, but black just looks cool.
CCM x YETI Tumbler. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the Carter Country branded one, but CCM is a cool company and it’s nice to support small businesses. The tumbler itself is great for coffee or cocktails and who doesn’t love a nice Yeti product?
MEATER+. As cool as it is to cook meat with your gut (pun?) intuition, sometimes it’s nice to have a real handle on your foods internal temp. The Meater lets you set a desired internal temp and walk away — the whole thing works via bluetooth and even gives you an estimated cook time remaining. Great when you’re trying to plan out a brisket.
HEDLEY & BENNET Apron. Aprons look cool (especially when you’re wearing black gloves), keep you from getting food all over yourself, and provide extra storage. Also doubles well for finger painting and feeding babies.
XTRATUF x HUCKBERRY Deck Boots. These aren’t really specific to cooking, but the Xtratuf deck boots are some of the most comfortable footwear I own. Great for throwing quickly during inclement weather, for walking the dog, and even for nature walking. If you wear them while cooking, you don’t need to worry about spilling grease or juices all over them either.
MESSERMEISTER Overland Utility Knife. I got this little knife primarily to cut up Baby CWD’s food, but honestly, I enjoy using it so much, I use it for most quick kitchen tasks. Doesn’t have the length of a full chef’s knife, but it gets the job done and looks cool. (Which, if you haven’t realized by now, is like 90% of good cooking).
YETI Tundra 45. I’m a sucker for anything Yeti, but this is really a solid investment. Yes, it will keep your ice frozen, your drinks cold, and withstand a bear attack — but it also is the perfect vessel to use when you need to rest your brisket or keep something warm. As the old saying goes: “Buy once, cry once.”
PURSUIT FARMS Wagyu. “I have very simple tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.” Enough said.
TRAEGER Ranger. If I knew about the Ranger three or four years ago when I was looking for an “electric” grill to comply with Boston’s draconian rooftop cooking laws, I would have bought it in a second. Now, since I have a full-sized Traeger smoker, I don’t really need one — but man, how cool would it be to throw this in the back of your FJ60 and head out into the wilderness to cook a freshly harvested elk roast??
So there you have it. Ten simple (relatively) gifts for the aspiring chef in your life. If you find success with this guide, please let me know!
Have a tremendous weekend, and cook something good.