KITCHEN GIFTS

GIFT GUIDE Durable kitchen gifts make for lasting memories

by Charlie Smith

One way to ensure that your holiday gifts will be remembered is to purchase something that will last for years. Here are five such products for use in the kitchen.

CLASSIC WHISTLING KETTLE ($120 to $180 at Le Creuset South Granville) Le Creuset’s eye-catching cookware makes for an ideal gift for any home chef. But even those who don’t cook will appreciate its Classic Whistling Kettle. The company likes to highlight the kettle’s premium carbon steel and its chip-resistant porcelain enamel, but the best reason to include this on your shopping list is how it looks. It provides the perfect background image for any loved ones who do regular kitchen Zoom calls.

EMILE HENRY CHEESE BAKER ($64.99 at Gourmet Warehouse) With this machine, it’s possible to prepare melted cheese toppings for veggie dishes or as spreads on crackers and breads that will impress any dinner guest. Toss in your own garnishes to add flavour, pour the baked results over pasta, and you just might feel like Lidia Bastianich. Better yet, give it to one of Lidia’s fans and savour the results while leaving the cooking to someone else.

JOYOUNG SOYMILK MAKER ($95.96 at Forum Home Appliances) Nowadays, climate-conscious consumers

A classic whistling kettle (top left) will call you from any room; make your own soy milk with a handy home appliance (above); a cheese baker (left) prepares melted-cheese toppings. are avoiding dairy milk in favour of more planet-friendly alternatives. Do you want to impress family members by making tasty soy milk within 20 minutes? Then pick up the Joyoung Soymilk Maker and create a drink that, unlike many storebought products, contains no preservatives. Making soy milk at home also makes it easy to control sugar content. It’s a great gift for the environmentalist or diet-conscious consumer on your list.

PANASONIC RICE COOKER ($559.96 at Forum Home Appliances) This highly rated kitchen device not only heats up rice to a perfect texture but it also cooks porridge and bakes a cake. The hardcoated diamond inner layers make it less likely to scratch. And the five-layer induction heater, with copper-plated outer layer, means the entire pot becomes a heating element. It will impress any rice lover on your list.

VITAMIX 48 OZ STAINLESS CONTAINER FOR ASCENT ($259.95 at Cook Culture) Stainless steel cookware has two desirable qualities: it’s durable and it’s a breeze to clean. All you need to clean this Vitamix container is soap and water and it will dish up healthy smoothies with the best of them. It’s ideal for those hoping to grow some muscles, lose some weight, or wanting to consume more fruit and vegetables. g

Made in Italy

Take a Hike gave me the second chance I needed to find a path forward in life

- PK, 2016 Take a Hike Alumni

1366 Nanaimo Street | 604.254.7020 www.sanmarcojewellers.com

It’s hard to be young. And with the arrival of COVID-19, it’s become even harder. Take a Hike empowers vulnerable youth to change the trajectory of their lives. Young people need you this holiday season.

Takeahikefoundation.org/changing-lives

We’ve finally made our way West and we’re eager to explore everything that makes Vancouver…well...Vancouver!

Seafood on the West Coast is, of course, a must. So first things first, save us a seat Joe Fortes! And as you might imagine, few things go better with pizza than wine. The wine-loving pizza people of General Assembly can’t wait to dive into your wine list, Chambar.

Our traditions are Italian, which means pasta is another one of our favourite things. We can’t wait to eat our way through Vancouver’s pasta scene - Cioppino’s, Autostrada Osteria, and Pepino’s, we’re coming. And as crust connoisseurs, we carry big love for all breads (especially ones made with freshly milled flour) so we’ll see you soon, Flourist Bakery.

Honey’s Doughnuts, we’ve heard so much about you over the years from our founder, Ali Khan Lalani. Fun fact, he used to work in your kitchen! You’re part of our history and we’ve been dreaming of your famous doughnuts.

Down Low Chicken Shack, we’ve been staring at your menu for DAYS, dreaming of that first bite feeling. We don’t yet know what “pizza dusted” chicken is, but you better believe we can’t wait to find out. We wouldn’t miss a stop by La Taqueria, we share the same passion for making delicious food with old world traditions. So call “Order Up!” on your famous tacos because we’re ready to dig in.

And then there’s the pizza….To all of our Vancouver pizza makers and lovers, we are so eager to meet you – we’ve seen the wood-fired oven at Via Tevere and it’s perfect enough to make a grown pizzaiolo cry. We’ll be hitting up Nat’s New York Pizzeria for that traditional NYC slice we’re always craving. Nook, in addition to perfect pizzas, we must trade playlists because we’ve heard your music taste is impeccable and we have our own pizza playlists we’d love to share. Thank You Pizza, let’s please exchange pizza memes over a world-class pie. And Pizzeria Farina, we can’t wait to drizzle some of your famed chili oil on our favorite pies. Our love for pizza is hot & spicy, and we know yours is too.

We’re honoured to be joining a community filled with fellow pizza lovers and flavour chasers. You see, Vancouver, we don’t want to be the only pizza you eat – we’re not even the only pizza we eat. We just want to be the best frozen pizza you eat. And we’re so excited for you to try us.

Warmly, The General Assembly Pizza Team