What should be in your Christmas stocking?

[sueatmo]

Just wondering--what cooking gadget or gizmo would you really like to find in your stocking on Christmas Day?

[optimal forager]

Santa has had very strict instructions-a kitchen scale.

[sueatmo]

Good luck. In my experience Santa sometimes gets confused. Does the scale fit into your stocking?

[optimal forager]

Santa didn't get confused so much as wait until the last minute so Internet shopping wasn't possible! So I got a (perfectly good) Salter from Williams-Sonoma, instead of the Tanita I requested, under the tree (I have a lamentably small, unstretchy Snoopy stocking).

[Gio]

It's time to get/buy/make your incredibly vast, gorgeous Christmas stocking for future stuffings. Do it.

[sueatmo]

I bought 2 gifts and gave them to Santa with instructions: put the Fleur de Sel in my stocking, and wrap up the Henckels twin chef's knife and put it under the tree. (I found the knife at a deep discount at Home Goods and couldn't pass it up.) So, Santa could not be confused on those. I agree that it might be time to upgrade that stocking!

[flourgirl]

Just yesterday I found the cutest stocking stuffers at a little housewares store in New Hope PA. One of them was a little tea house shaped tea infuser with it's own little drip tray,

http://www.venalicia.co.uk/en/catalog...

and a beautiful long, hand-carved wooden spoon with a small spoon end that I'm going to use strictly for sweet stuff. (Yes, I bought my own stocking stuffers - who knows me better than me?) I bought one of the tea infusers for my SIL too. :)

[sueatmo]

Exactly. I think I might start buying my own as well.

[gabby29]

If Santa really wanted to wow me he'd deliver a Jura Capresso unit. However, I'm content with the Le Creuset for the moment.

[sueatmo]

What is a Jura Capresso? I'm guessing coffee?

[jujuthomas]

Ha. I was just thinking again about this thread - and it caused me to wonder what useless kitchen gadgets my MIL dug up at the dollar store for our xmas stockings. one year it was a plastic shrimp deveiner, last year some piece of rubber that was supposed to take the peels off garlic. we laugh over them, then toss them into the bag to go to charity.

[sueatmo]

Well, at least she has noticed that you cook!

[Mother of four]

Yes, I had one of those rubber things for the garlic too! What a joke!! It's somewhere in no mans land!!

[Westy]

It would be hard to find a better gift than a few bottles of bbq sauce. I know everyone says to make their own, but I do love to see what is out there.

[greglor]

I make my own for everything except brisket. We used to live in Houston, and the best bbq sauce on the planet is made by Goode Company BBQ. You can get it here: http://www.goodecompany.com/detail.as...

For a while I tried to replicate it. Now I just order it. The sad part is, the sauce doesn't cost much, but the shipping is murder.

[coney with everything]

LOL, Greg. I had some cheap wine shipped to my dad for Xmas and it ended up costing 3x the price of the wine!

What kind of sauce do you make for brisket? Sweet or vinegary?

[danhole]

greglor,

I have the recipes for the Jim Goode's BBQ mop (sauce), and the rub he uses. It was published in 1995, in the Parade magazine. If you are interested I can post, if that is allowed!

[sueatmo]

Are there "artisanal" saurces out there? Sort of like hot sauces?

[foodseek]

Ok my list includes the silipat for cookie sheet, wooden spoons, and a new garlic press. Nearby stocking I am hoping for cookie sheets and a new bundt pan from W/S-are you listening Santa?:

[danhole]

Instead of that garlic press you should check out the Garlic Twist. It looks like an amazing tool to have, and no I do not work for them! LOL! There is an article here on Chow about it.

[foodseek]

Thanks I missed the article before but it seems like a good gadget for me to try. I use a lot of garlic and it says it minces 6 cloves at a time. That would be great. ok -change the press to the garlic twist Santa. Thanks again.

[sueatmo]

You know I mince a lot of garlic, but I find smashing cloves a bit and then mincing works fine for me. For smashing I use a large round flattish rock. Fits in my hand just right. What does the garlic twist do, anyway?

[Gio]

A "round flatish rock".....How inovative. But why not the broad side of your chef's knife? Just wondering.

[sparkalina]

Ahhh.... chef's knife plus wine = danger will robinson! I always use a can of crushed tomatoes.

[jujuthomas]

HA! that's why I have a wooden mushroom shaped gizmo for cracking mine. I'd probably lose a finger! ;-)

[sueatmo]

I don't know. I do like the feel of the stone in my hand. It fits my palm perfectly.

[foodseek]

The technique I have been using to date is my broad knife and hand as the tool smashing garlic to remove peel. Then mince on cutting board finely after which I run fingers against a stainless knife to remove garlic odor from hands or use lemon which doesn't work as well. Do I wish there waws an easier way to do this-yes I do. Anyway after reading about the garlic twist I want to try it because it can hold 6 large cloves at a time-
peels and minces the cloves then can be used to store the garlic. It is supposed to wash up easily also. I like to try gadgets sometimes they are a waste of money but there are those gadgets I don't want to do without in the kitchen. That makes the search worthwhile although at times it does junk up my kitchen drawers.

[sueatmo]

OK, I'm convinced. I need to check out the garlic twist.

[danhole]

They even say that you smack the clove with the flat side of the twister, instead of your chefs knife, or whatever, so that isn't a real plus, but I liked the fact that you could grind it to the consistency you want. Sometimes I want mush and sometime not. Also, I get pain in my arm with a lot of chopping, so this sounded like a good alternative. It has gotten some really good reviews.

[Mother of four]

I can't believe that there is something out there that I really must have!! A garlic twist, never heard of it, but I just googled it, and it looks interesting!

[Gio]

Ya think a new 4 burner gas range, a new fridge, and a new dishwasher is within Santa's capabilities? Just wondering.

[sueatmo]

I think it would have to be a magic stocking.

[flourgirl]

I'm hoping I have a magic stocking that can fit a new 4 burner gas range too. (It's not going to happen, but I keep dreaming for now.)

[Mother of four]

If so, sent him to my house with the same request!!!!!! To Gio!!!!

[sueatmo]

I visited Penzey's yesterday, and bought a jar of Fleur de Sel. I gave it to "Santa" with instructions to put it in my stocking.

[jujuthomas]

I think my sister is getting me several pampered chef bamboo serving pieces - including a couple new spoons and spatulas, and a silicone coated whisk. yipee!

[danhole]

I want one of those Garlic Twists that was featured here on Chow!

[sparkalina]

An orange at the toe!

[Mothership]

My mother always used to put an orange in the toe of the stocking too, because when she was young and living in the Tennessee countryside, fresh fruit in winter was a special and wonderful treat.
As for my stocking - a new microplaner. I've used mine to within an inch of it's life...

[sueatmo]

Do did mine. Apparently in the Depression, lots of kids got oranges and little else for Christmas. At. least that's what my mother said.

[hollerhither]

I still get one. ;)

[Pat Hammond]

A small off-set spatula

[sueatmo]

I wonder what an off-set spatula is.

[Pat Hammond]

It's a nifty spatula, usually narrow and thin, with a bend near the handle. They're great for getting into a crowded pan to flip items, and especially for frosting cakes or brownies, and smoothing batter in its baking pan. Here's a picture: http://www.amazon.com/7-5-Ultra-Offse... Cute, right?

They come in different lengths.

[sueatmo]

OK, I've seen these. I agree it looks like a nifty tool. I think you should definitely talk to Santa.

[King of Northern Blvd]

Wooden spoons

[MMRuth]

A mandoline. I'm giving silicon spatulas to some people who don't have them. Another set of tongs.