I was making a list and I thought I would share it with you. You might be stumped as to what to give a friend.
1)
A simple cruet for holding canola oil. This thing makes it easy to apply oil to all things you grill without dirtying up a brush or your hands. Just put your target over the sink and drizzle away! Especially good for oil sponges like eggplant. I have two of these, one for olive oil and one for canola oil.
Where can you get one? Bed, Bath, and Beyond or just about any kitchen goods store.
How much did it cost? $4-5 for this one, it is a plain jane model. You can find them in a very pretty ceramic design which looks like it came from Tuscany for about $40 at Sur la Table. The latter is nice but you can’t see how much oil is left in the cruet and I don’t think that is real practical. Also, it’s easy to see which oil I am using, olive oil is darker than canola. Get the clear cruet; heck, get two of them at this price! He will reach for it every day.
2)
A grilling basket is essential. You cannot grill things like string beans and whole heads of garlic without one. I liked this one best from Sam’s Club. It was a shiny chrome when I first got it but now it’s fire cured to perfection. Nothing sticks to it’s dark brown surface and all of my vegetables are cooked with a nice brown grill indication on them. Don’t let your dinner get away from you and jump through the cracks of the grate!
Where can you get one? A place like Sam’s Club or Costco carries them all year long. Also, try looking around your local Ace Hardware Store, that place is a treasure trove of great grilling gear.
How much did it cost?This one was $14 but you can get them in just about any price range and any size you want. I really like the smaller version which lets me cook little things and then take them up to the warming shelf.
3)
A steel serving platter with a rim. This sounds like a no brainer, ho hum and stupid suggestion BUT trust me, it is a life saver. When I am preparing food, I often put the food in it’s pierced basket, put the basket on the steel platter and sprinkle with oil. Then I just pick up the whole thing and bring it out to the grill. If oil drops through the basket it just lands on the platter and the rim keeps it from running off and onto the floor. Great for carrying out meat, too. No juices in the wrong places. Easy to clean. Pop it in the dishwasher if you like. Great for carrying back in all of your victuals, too.
Where can you get one? At any food service store, like Gordon’s Food Service. I got mine when a catering company left it behind by mistake at our house years ago.
How much did it cost? I don’t know but I would be surprised if it were more than $10.
Please forgive any faux pas re: the images. I am new at this kind of BB.
