Looking for the perfect gift for the foodie in your life? Here are Chef Tom's suggestions:
Skoy Cloth is a high performance biodegradable and natural multi-use cloth that can be used in place of your sponge, wash cloth or paper towels. One cloth will replace up to 15 rolls of paper towels, is extremely absorbent, and easy to clean. In addition, the product is that it is 100% biodegradable. Retail for $7.99 for a 4 pack. Available locally at Harmon's and online at www.skoycloth.com
Guy Fieri Knives from Ergo Chef: Ergo Chef knives are a result of a classically trained chef that developed carpel tunnel syndrome from frequent knife usage. The Ergo Chef "Guy Fieri" knife combines the beauty of a Japanese knife, the brute strength of a German knife, and the arm saving ergonomics of proper design. The hollow ground blade reduces the amount of stick on your food. Available locally at Spoons and Spice, Love to Cook, and Dillard's as well as online at www.ergochef.com Santoku retails for $55, and paring knife retails for $35
All-Clad LTD2 Line: Most high end pans should never ever EVER be put in the dishwasher. Although these pans perform better than dish washable pans, the convenience of just shoving it in the dishwasher usually wins the performance vs. convenience battle. But with the LTD2 line, the exterior coating allows this line to endure the harshness of daily dishwasher use while maintaining its hard-anodized satin-black appearance. LTD2 has five alternating layers of stainless steel and aluminum to create even heating across the pan. It's a great way to combine performance and convenience.
Sous Vide "Demi": First, a little background on meat. As proteins in meat cook, they slowly unfurl as temperature increases. As they unfurl, they release moisture that eventually leaves your meat. This is why an overcooked piece of meat is so dry, the protein gave away all its juice as it was being strangled by high temperature. This is also what causes meat to shrink when it's cooked. Chefs the world over have embraced the Sous Vide (French for under vacuum) style of cooking as a way of controlling the temperature that your meat is cooked with the utmost precision, and keeping meat juicy. However, this method of cooking typically requires thousands of dollars of precise cooking equipment. Until now. The Sous Vide Demi water oven retails for $299, and gives you all the precision and control over your cooking that you might expect from a restaurant version, only a lot cheaper. It's available at online at http://www.sousvidesupreme.com
Thermapen Cooking is all about controlling time and temperature. Unfortunately, no two ovens, stoves, or pans will provide identical results, meaning a turkey recipe may turn out GREAT in someone else's oven, but be completely dry in yours. The secret is a precise understanding of temperature. This product is the Rolls Royce of temperature control. It's incredibly easy to use, and lightning fast at taking the temperature of your food. Understanding how to properly use it will make the lucky person receiving it a better cook. Retails for $96, available online at www.thermoworks.com
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