Archive | December, 2010

The NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide for the Festive Foodie (Part 3: For the Winie)- WITH GIVEAWAY!

9 Dec

In case you missed it, the first 2 parts of this gift guide focus on fun cooking and baking gifts. Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2!  And don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY at the bottom of the posts.  This gift guide is specific to wine gifts, in case the Foodie in your life is more of a consumer than a maker.  And by consumer… I mean drinker.  Since food lovers are called Foodies, I’m going to call this one for the Winies.

We will start with my favorite wine opener.  I LOVE rabbit style openers.  They can be used with little/no hand strength, are pretty much idiot-proof (or rather… klutz-proof) and they’re just downright cool.  Mine is a complete set in a beautiful cherry wood box that I got from my awesome dad.

Since it was a gift, I have no idea where this one came from.  But when I did some browsing on Amazon, it looks like most go for about $50 if you want a full set, however, I found this 4-piece set with a stand for $20.

(This just in: A sale just landed in my inbox for Metrokane Wine Products going on for TODAY ONLY! If you are not an ideeli member, sign up with this link (www.ideeli.com/invite/smujwud) and then click on Metrokane.  They have some really nice gift items.)

Now that your wine is open, you want it to taste great, right?  Welcome The Vinturi.

The Vinturi aerates wine, which basically cuts down the time you need to let a wine sit out and open to nil.  I was a skeptic, however, my mother (who gifted this one to me) told me to do a side-by-side comparison of the same wine, one through The Vinturi and one regular.  She was right, The Vinturi just makes it smoother.  Plus, it looks pretty cool on your countertop (and gets covered in flour, as evidence from that picture up there!).  You can get a non-Vinturi brand online for about $23 and the brand name for $36. (Nerds rejoice… the mechanics are based on The Venturi Effect.  Oh Vinturi… your fun world play was not lost on me!)

Last, but not least, is what to do if you somehow don’t manage to finish a bottle of wine (I know… crazy, right?!  I’ll just assume you were cooking with it and want to drink it later).  Most of these items are called Wine Savers but it’s important to find one that vacuums (this one is done with a pump).

Wines will only last  a few days after they are opened since oxygen screws it all up, however, if you vacuum out the air and seal it, it can last up to 2 weeks.  Score!  (Though if you have wine left open for 2 weeks, you are obviously not the wine drinker I always assumed you were… yes, all of you).  Vacu Vin is a popular brand and is under $10.  Mine is Metrokane brand and is available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $13.

I hope everyone has enjoyed this gift guide!  I know I sure had fun running around my kitchen to find my faves to share with you.

And don’t forget… THE GIVEAWAY! I will be giving away a set of my favorite product of 2010, the Betty Crocker Baking Cups, to one lucky reader.  It will also come with a printed copy of the Super Secret Axelrod Brownie recipe (which you can make in the cups!)

Here are the rules: Leave a comment below about which product from the NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide (there are three parts, all posted on Thursday, December 9th,  including a special on wine products) you covet the most.  Please be sure to leave me your name and an email address.  (Limit: one comment entry per person… so no comment spamming!)  If you would prefer to email me, you can feel free to do so at sara@nycnomnom.com.

You can earn additional entries by posting a link to this blog on Facebook, Twitter, your website or just emailing it to all your friends (one entry per post).  Just send me a screenshot or link to NYC Nom Nom from the post/email (flex that “@” key!)

I’ll be taking entries through midnight, EST on Tuesday, December 14th and do the drawing on Wednesday, December 15th.

Happy Holiday Nomming!

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The NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide for the Festive Foodie (Part 2)- WITH GIVEAWAY!

9 Dec

In case you missed the first part, go back here to see the first edition of the first ever NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide.  And don’t forget about the first ever giveaway (information at the bottom of the posts).  Lots of firsts… I love it!

For Part 2, I’ll start with something I have owned since college and get a ton of use out of.  This 3-tier Cooling Rack doubles as a trivet and is great for putting under hot cookie sheets.  It is the perfect contraption for cooling cookies and you can find a set for $10 (and these are nonstick coated, which mine are not).

And I love that it collapses (since my cabinet space is limited).

Next is a gift that I literally received TODAY: a That’s My Pan personalized pans (Thank you, Kim!).  These make for awesome gifts because you can personalize them for your favorite foodie.

You can order them online and the I haven’t tried it out yet, however, it seems a sturdy, nice quality pan and it has a lifetime guarantee. Original 9×13 pan is $26 including engraving.  They also have cutlery, recipe boxes, pie pans, and tons of other things that you can personalize.  How cool! And you can personalize the pan cover, too!  (I love pans with covers… makes brownie transport nice and easy!)


I saw the WonderCup on a blog and knew I had to have it immediately.  I measure a lot of peanut butter since I make a lot of chocolate peanut butter bars and cups.  This solves the ridiculous problem of not only having to scrape it out of the jar, but then having to smush it into the cup  and then get it back out of the measuring cup and into your bowl (without winding up covered in the sticky mess).

This allows you to pull down the plunger to your desired measurement increment (in cups, tablespoons, etc), fill it with your desired sticky substance, and then plunge it out, cleanly.  It’s currently less than $6 on Amazon.  It’s perfect for basically anything you need to measure that’s sticky, including syrup and honey.

My next recommendation is a spice company that my aunt recently turned me on to, Penzeys Spices.  They make high quality spices and you can really taste the difference.  Their vanilla is sensational and I really like the two different cinnamons that came in my gift box (the Baker’s Assortment 9 Jar).  I never really realized that there were such contrasting versions of cinnamon!

They currently have a special on their mini gift boxes (which have Four 4 ounce samples on a particular theme:  general sampler, baking, or grill & broil) for $7.95 through the end of 2010.

Another gift suggestion is for someone who really loves to make (or eat) chocolate.  I bought these Mini Peanut Butter Cup Molds a few months ago and I now use them all the time to make, you guessed it, mini peanut butter cups (in all different types of chocolate)!

 

You just melt chocolate and put a little dollop in the bottom of the mold.  Then you take your finger and swirl it around and up the sides so you have a little hollowed cup.  Then you mix up some peanut butter filling (recipe here) and add a small dollop to the chocolate cups.  Then you just pour the melted chocolate over top of the filling, tap it down to smooth (and add a little kiss with your fingertip if you want it to look more homemade) and put it in the fridge to harden.  Fantastic, easy, and makes you look like a master candy maker!  They are a whopping $2.39 on Amazon.  Personally, I would much rather these be made of something that is dishwasher safe, however, these definitely serve their purpose.

While on the topic of chocolate, my final recommendation is a cocoa brand that I first sampled at the New York Coffee & Tea Festival, Best Friends Cocoa.  I have been meaning to write about them for months! I was honored to have the ability to interview the owner of this family company about cocoa and how one comes to own a cocoa company.  I will be posting the interview, and some highlights of the Festival, in the next few weeks!  What I love about this cocoa is that not only is it low-fat (since it’s real cocoa and not “hot chocolate”), it tastes great!  I LOVE their cinnamon twist flavor.

(And yes… I did take this opportunity to stage a countertop photo shoot with my favoritist hot chocolate mug/saucer set… thank you Wegmans,Ithaca, NY, circa 2002)

I’ve even made some great diet chocolate “shake” drinks by combining some almond milk, Best Friends Cocoa, and frozen cherries.  DELISH!  (Cocoa is not just a winter drink!)


So now back to the fun again… THE GIVEAWAY! I will be giving away a set of my favorite product of 2010, the Betty Crocker Baking Cups, to one lucky reader.  It will also come with a printed copy of the Super Secret Axelrod Brownie recipe (which you can make in the cups!)

Here are the rules: Leave a comment below about which product from the NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide (there are three parts, all posted on Thursday, December 9th,  including a special on wine products) you covet the most.  Please be sure to leave me your name and an email address.  (Limit: one comment entry per person… so no comment spamming!)  If you would prefer to email me, you can feel free to do so at sara@nycnomnom.com.

You can earn additional entries by posting a link to this blog on Facebook, Twitter, your website or just emailing it to all your friends (one entry per post).  Just send me a screenshot or link to NYC Nom Nom from the post/email (flex that “@” key!)

I’ll be taking entries through midnight, EST on Tuesday, December 14th and do the drawing on Wednesday, December 15th.

Happy Holiday Nomming!

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The NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide for the Festive Foodie (Part 1)- WITH GIVEAWAY!

9 Dec

I don’t know if you’ve noticed… but it’s the holiday season.  I have added so many awesome fun foodie finds to my kitchen this year and I wanted to share them with all of you, just in time to give that special foodie in your life a gift… even if it’s you.  I’m going to do a bit of digging for the best prices, however, they are only current as of December 8th, 2010. So act fast!  (Links to buy the products are within the descriptions)

Part 1 includes some of my absolute essentials (most of which are, curiously, made from silicone… Who knew?!)  And don’t miss the first ever NYC Nom Nom GIVEAWAY at the bottom!

Just around this time last year, I received a gift that changed my baking life forever.  Mike got me a KitchenAid mixer.  Life has never been the same.  I have had (and gone through) a few other light weight stand mixers and far too many hand mixers in the last few years.  But the KitchenAid can take on PEANUT BUTTER!  (Yes… that is a big deal.)  Unfortunately, they aren’t cheap.  But I look at it as a long-term purchase. It appears as though Amazon has it for less than $200.  Mine is cinnamon colored (to match the rest of the kitchen highlights) with a stainless steel bowl and a bowl cover/feed (or “powdered sugar cloud preventer” as I like to call it).

Also in the picture above are silicone spatulas.  I love these.  They stand up to heat and scrape cookie batter and melted chocolate oh so well.  I usually get them from William Sonoma (Set of 3 for $22.50.  I highly recommend the “Spoonula” for $10) but there are many different brands and types according to Amazon.

And on the topic of silicone, I picked up these handy egg poachers and I love them (mostly).

I poach a lot of eggs, which is one of the healthiest ways to eat eggs and one of the best in my opinion… but also one of the hardest to master with the swirl in boiling water method.   I can’t say I LOVE the ones I purchased, but they get the job done.  They are a bit hard to get out of the boiling water (since they have no handle on top) and can sometimes spill out of the sides, but they are AWFULLY cute!   All you have to do is bring about 2 inches of water to a boil, grease up the cups (I use pam), crack the egg in, place in the boiling water and cover for 4 minutes.  Voila! Perfectly poached eggs.  Since I can’t totally recommend mine, I found ones online that seem to fit the bill for you (just as cute but with a handle!) for just $5 each.

To further my obvious and newly recognized fondness for silicone kitchen products, we will move to what I think may be one of the best kitchen products EVER: The Silpat.

If you know a baker that doesn’t have one, you now have a perfect gift for them. And if you don’t have one, what are you waiting for?  They come in many sizes and range from about $10-$20.  You can use them basically any place that you would use parchment or wax paper.  I bake all my cookies on them so the bottoms don’t burn nor stick nor spread too far and use them below all the candy I make.  It is a life saver!  And in case you don’t remember the side-by-side comparison of Silpat vs Non-Silpat from the Black & White Cookies, check out this link and this picture:

(Note: I have heard rumor that the cheaper versions of Silpat don’t work as well.  I have not experimented myself, however, because why would I fix something that ain’t broke?)

Now onto my favorite purchase of 2010!  I never realized how much I would use these amazing Betty Crocker Non-Stick Reusable Baking Cups when I first bought them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond ($9 for a set of 12).  What’s funny is that I have used them for neither muffins nor cup cakes!  They make excellent peanut butter cup molds and I have started making the meringue cake in miniature in these.

I have also made miniature versions of a pumpkin cheesecake and squash souffle.

What is great about them is that they just simply work.  They do exactly what they are supposed to do.  And they also make great little mise en place cups!

So now onto the fun… THE GIVEAWAY! I will be giving away a set of my favorite product of 2010, the Betty Crocker Baking Cups, to one lucky reader.  It will also come with a printed copy of the Super Secret Axelrod Brownie recipe (which you can make in the cups!)

Here are the rules: Leave a comment below about which product from the NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide (there are three parts, all posted on Thursday, December 9th,  including a special on wine products) you covet the most.  Please be sure to leave me your name and an email address.  (Limit: one comment entry per person… so no comment spamming!)  If you would prefer to email me, you can feel free to do so at sara@nycnomnom.com.

You can earn additional entries by posting a link to this blog on Facebook, Twitter, your website or just emailing it to all your friends (one entry per post).  Just send me a screenshot or link to NYC Nom Nom from the post/email (flex that “@” key!)

I’ll be taking entries through midnight, EST on Tuesday, December 14th and do the drawing on Wednesday, December 15th.

Happy Holiday Nomming!

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