Ideas to delight all sorts of cooks!
Once again, I am focusing on the practical and affordable with this year’s gift suggestions. I hear often from people that kitchen counter and cupboard space is at a premium so they appreciate that I only recommend products that are truly useful. Whether your intended recipients are looking to add more flavour to meals, cook in a more healthy way or simply improve efficiency in the kitchen, one or more of these items just might work for them. For additional ideas, you can also check out previous gift guides on this site, including this year’s cookbook gift guide and my 2021 holiday gift suggestions.
Cuisipro herb keeper
A smart solution for extending the freshness of herbs, the Cuisipro herb keeper’s unique suspended tray system makes it easy to store and access multiple bunches of herbs or tender stemmed vegetables such as asparagus. Conveniently designed to fit most refrigerator doors, the herb keeper is an invaluable tool to make meals more flavourful and ensure that you get the maximum value from herbs you harvest or purchase. Available at most kitchen supply retailers.
Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons
Practical yet sure to be appreciated for decades, these measuring tools are heavy duty, attractive, accurate and easy to use. The spoons fit inside most standard spice jars and the cups have pouring spouts on both sides; all are marked both imperial and metric units. Each set of six spoons and cups are made from corrosion resistant 18/8 stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. Available at Lee Valley Tools.
Spyce Girlz seasoning blends
Founded six years ago by entrepreneurial food lover Lily Bond when she was just 13 years old, this company offers gluten-free, all-natural, preservative-free spice blends focusing on fresh, healthy combinations. From Old Montreal Steak Spice to Sunday Dinner Seasoning to Spyced Hot Chocolate, Caesar Rimmer, Taco Seasoning and more, each blend offers a big flavour boost even when used in small quantities; however, because they are balanced well, you can use a lot if you wish, without overpowering the dish. To find a list of Ottawa-area stockists, or to purchase online for shipping across Canada, visit spycegirlz.com.
Moso refrigerator and freezer odor absorber
This extremely effective air purifier made with moso bamboo charcoal actively captures and eliminates odors inside your fridge or freezer, and does so far more effectively than baking soda. It also works to help fresh produce last longer by absorbing ethylene, a gas released by some fruits and vegetables that causes produce to ripen faster; it absorbs excess moisture in the fridge as well. The bag can be rejuvenated by placing in the sun once a month for an hour and has a lifespan of up to two years; the contents can be composted after use. Available at Bed Bath and Beyond and online retailers.
Gourmia dual basket air fryer
Air frying is an enduring hot trend for plenty of good reasons – it’s an ultra-efficient, easy and healthy way to prepare lots of dishes. This 9.4L (10 quart) air fryer by Gourmia offers more than just a large capacity; it includes innovations such as the ability to cook two different types of foods, at different temperatures, in one appliance at the same time. With dishwasher-safe baskets and crisper trays, Gourmia’s GAF966 is versatile and easy to use, with seven one-touch cooking functions that set the best time and temperature for your preferred cooking method. The smart finish feature synchronizes the end time of both baskets so foods are ready at the same time and for large batches, you can use the ‘match cook’ feature to apply the same settings for both baskets. Available at Costco and other retailers.
Constantly Cooking with Paula Roy 