Gift for Culinary Student?

[marilees]

Not sure if I'm posting this on the right board, but my best friend recently started a culinary program and is finally pursuing his dreams after years in the high tech business. His birthday is coming up, and I wanted to get him a gift that's around $50.

I've given him lots of wines in the past and also given him a bacon of the month subscription, and I'll be taking him to dinner, too. Any ideas on culinary tools or food essentials that I can get him? Thanks!

[almansa]

I'd suggest a high quality tourne (bird's beak) knife and a microplane.

http://www.jbprince.com/CB7B80E2EC9B4151A6774CFBA9BD480E.asp?p_key=639E4579629D4EC085F2399397A35A74&keyword=microplane&catname=&skeyword=1&ppage=1&pc_key=&nm=&spath=&path=&cat_id=545F96C713344B04AB9D91560F0D09B3&retpage=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jbprince.com%2F33962883CB4746D1BE511C0E1252C63D.asp&product_class=

http://www.jbprince.com/wusthof-german-cutlery/peeling-knife-275-inch.asp

or a subscription to "Art Culinaire"

http://www.getartc.com/

[salsailsa]

I second the knives. Nothing makes me happier than good knives.

Conversely, nothing pains me more than cooking in a kitchen with lousy knives.

[PAO]

We sometimes donate back issues of various food/cooking magazines to the local culinary school and the students are SO grateful and enthusiastic. For $50 you could get multiple years or multiple magazines.

[mrbigshotno.1]

"Herings Dictionary of Classical and Modern Cookery", unbeleivable and indispensible reference book for anyone serious about professional cooking.

ISBN 3-8057-0244-2

[Nyleve]

A really good bottle of balsamic vinegar; a 5 lb. hunk of Callebaut chocolate; a subscription to an organic food box for a few months; a lb. or so of vanilla beans - basically some lavish ingredient that he might not buy for himself. I wouldn't get any "tools" because I suspect he probably already has what he likes to use OR knows exactly what he wants when he's ready to buy it.

[stricken]

All Clad 10 inch sautee pan. It will cost a little more than $50 but it is worth it. You can never have too many pans.

[Michelly]

Or a gift card to the local restaurant supply store, gourmet store, or wine shop.
I also recommend a copy of "Heat (An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-makeer, and Apprentice to a Dante-quoting Butcher in Tuscany" by Bill Buford. VERY entertaining!!

[scubadoo97]

You can get a Thermapen for around $70. It's a wonderful tool.

[marilees]

Thanks, everyone, for all these great suggestions! I have a couple weeks to go, and I'll let you know what I decide on.

[Fritter]

A copy of McGee or Larousse.

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-Science-Lore-Kitchen/dp/0684800012/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243685818&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Larousse-Gastro...