Holy moly, Christmas is less than two weeks away! I’m in a bit of denial about the situation. And if you’re like me, you’re probably in the same boat. Don’t worry though, I’ve accumulated some pretty cool thing over the year that I think would make swanky gifts for your loved ones (or you know, maybe yourself). Presenting the 2013 Eat the Love Holiday Gift Guide. Plus, stick around, as I’m giving away the Swiss Diamond 5.8 Qt sauté pan! Details at the end of this post. [This giveaway is closed!]
When I received this Wustof Grand Prix II 9-inch double serrated bread knife, I was a little bit scared of it. The thing looked beautiful but in a sort of crazy surgeon type of way. Thankfully once I started using it I realized how awesome it is. Super insanely sharp, not only are the tiny little teeth great for slicing crusty bread (which I happen to have a fondness for, I mean I DO live two blocks away from Tartine Bakery) but it slices tomatoes without smushing them and works on angel food cake and chiffon cake without tearing them. Mmmmm…angel food cake. I need to start baking more angel food cake.
I seriously live in the best neighborhood. About three blocks away is a small batch chocolate maker named Dandelion Chocolate and they make all their chocolate (bean-to-bar) in their shop. Seriously. The chocolate is awesome, and it’s so cool to watch them pick through the beans and hand wrap the chocolate. Luckily you don’t have to live in my ‘hood to get their single source origin chocolate, you can just order directly from their website.
Speaking of neighborhood treasures, the fine people over at Creativity Explored put out the coolest hybrid cookbooks/art book. If you’re not familiar with Creativity Explored, they are a nonprofit based in San Francisco (again two blocks away from me – are you sensing a pattern here?) that encourages and help develop artists with developmental disabilities to create, exhibit and sell their artwork. It’s a pretty amazing place and every time I walk by their studios, the have gorgeous art in their windows. Collaborating with restaurants in the mission district of San Francisco, this hybrid cookbook and art display piece titled Arts & Eats features 25 recipes from such great restaurants like Bar Tartine, Frances, Mission Chinese Food, BiRite Creamery and Delfina as well as 25 different art pieces inspired by food.
The holidays can be a stressful time for most people so I know that a bottle of Casa Nobles tequila would be a welcome gift. Their Tequila Reposado is triple distilled and aged in French white Oak barrels for a year (well, actually it’s aged for 364 days but I’m calling it a year). But you can ignore all that because what you should care about is the fact that it is incredibly smooth and comes in a really pretty bottle. Well, ok, maybe that’s all I care about. Check out their nifty store locator to find a place to buy it close to you.
I was super excited to get a new sauté pan as my old one was dying, and let me tell you the Swiss Diamond 5.8 qt sauté pan is a DEFINITE step up from the last one. I actually look forward to cooking food in it (you know I’m a baker more than a cook)! Super heavy duty with even heat distribution the nonstick coating is pretty awesome. Plus it’s made of diamonds. Well, the nonstick coating is made of diamonds, but I’m going to say it’s made of diamonds. Because that’s just so much cooler to say! I’m totally cooking with a pan made of diamonds. How bad ass is that? Scroll down to the end of this post to see how you can win one!
Everyone loves something unique, especially us food bloggers that hoard our plates and silverware. I found out about Fifty-One and Half’s unique plates through my friend Gaby over at What’s Gaby Cooking. Her mom, who is the person behind Fifty-One and Half, hand-throws and finishes some gorgeous plates and platters and they are reasonably priced for one-of-a-kind pieces. Check out what she has to offer on her Etsy store.
I don’t do a lot of pre-made foods, as I try to make things from scratch around the house but I have to say that I was impressed with Nudo’s pistachio pesto; basil and tomato pesto; and capers and anchovies pate. Made with real ingredients (no weird chemical preservatives) each bottle not only would make a great gift but also an easy meal or appetizer for a party for those unexpected guests that stop by. Just make sure to refrigerate any leftovers and use them up within a few days, as they really don’t have any preservatives in them!
I’m currently obsessed with making potato chips and French fries the cold oil method but I’ve been cutting my potatoes by hand. But now I don’t have to because Microplane came out with an adjustable slicer with julienne blade which will do all the hardwork for me. I’ve been coveting high end mandolin slicers, but they always seems like more work to use and clean up (and more space in my tiny little apartment). This slicer seems like a good compromise, with a pretty nifty price point too.
Normally I would put books in my cookbook round up (of which I did part one last week and next week part two) but this book isn’t your typical cookbook. A Commonplace Book of Pie has a handful recipes in them, but that’s not the focus. Prose poetry about pies, along with beautiful illustrations pretty much makes this book a great stocking stuffer or bedside book for those who are obsessed with pies.
For those who are camera hounds, you probably already know about the Joby Gorillapod. If you don’t though, you should go check them out. A small, portable tripod, the Gorillapod bends and twists for uneven ground and surfaces. Better yet, it also is small so you don’t have to carry around a huge tripod with you. Most people own the small point and shoot capable gorilla pod, but I also own the dSLR capable GorillaPod, which is sturdy enough to hold my Canon dSLR 5DMkII (it will hold up to 6.6lbs). We took it on our roadtrip across the country and it came in hand on our hikes.
Vanilla paste and vanilla extract is awesome but when you want to add a different dimension to a baked good, check out Rodelle’s chocolate extract. Not only will it give baked goods an added depth of chocolate, but it disappears into the baked good, much like vanilla extract does, so you won’t see it. I like to add it to my blondie bars, making them seem as if they are more chocolatey without adding chocolate to them.
Every time I bust out my iPhone lenses, people start talking. No serious. I’ve had completely strangers walk up to me and ask about them, and I’ve had bloggers at conferences squeal with delight when I show them the results. The little secret about these lenses (which also work for iPads and Android phones) is they are dirt cheap. For less than $10 you can impress your friends, and take some pretty nifty photos. The macro is hard to use, especially outside with a slight breeze but I’ve gotten some pretty cool shots with it. And the fisheye is perfect for selfies. Who doesn’t love a good selfie?
I’m not a huge fan of chemicals in my food, though I do occasionally do it (especially when it comes to red velvet cake). But when I can pick the real thing over the fake thing, I’ll obviously reach for the real thing. Which is why I love the truffle salt. It’s salt and specks of ground truffle. TartufLanghe makes some great truffle salt, which I sprinkle over eggs, popcorn or over chocolate ganached covered cake. Yeah, I’m fancy that way.
[Sorry, this Giveaway is Closed!]
So now about that giveaway! Swiss Diamond has generously offered me the 5.8 qt sauté pan for one lucky reader of this blog! It’s a great pan, retailing at $214.95. I mean, it’s a pan made of diamonds folks! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me what you want for Christmas! It can be specific (a new iPad!) or it can be vague (a cookbook!) or even conceptual (for happiness!).
For an additional entries:
Go to the Swiss Diamond Facebook page and like them.
Go to my Eat the Love Facebook page and like my page.
Sign up for their email mailing list.
Make sure to come back here and let me know with a comment about EACH entry. That’s a total of four ways you can enter – just as long as you leave four comments ok?
The fine print – PLEASE READ
By leaving a comment below to enter, you are agreeing to the Official Rules.
▪ NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
▪ VOID WHERE PROHIBITED
▪ You must be over the age of 18.
▪ This contest is only open to U.S. Citizens. Sorry non-US people!
▪ The contest starts as of today, and will run until Saturday, December 21, 2013, 9am PST.
▪ The retail value of the sauté pan is $214.95.
▪ The winner will be chosen by a randomly selected comment. All comments will be numbered and I will use Random.org to pick a random number.
▪ The number of eligible comments below determines the odds of winning.
▪ If there’s a problem with contacting the winner, I reserve the right to award everything to someone else randomly chosen. So in other words, make sure you type in your correct email address if you want the membership and respond within a week to me when I contact you or I’ll give everything to someone else.
▪ This sauté pan will be coming directly from Swiss Diamond, which means, I can’t guarantee that I’ll get it to you in a timely fashion. If you haven’t gotten the book from the publisher in a few weeks, please email me again and I’ll check with them. Sometimes things take a bit of time.
Special thanks to Swiss Diamond for making this giveaway possible. Special thanks to Casa Noble, Chin Music Press, Creativity Explored, Dandelion Chocolate, Microplane, Nudo, Rodelle, Swiss Diamond, and Wustof, for providing samples for me to try. Even though I was provided samples for this post, I wasn’t monetarily compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.
Claudia says
All I want for Christmas is family harmony. Wishing everyone else the same.
Katherine says
I want one of those thermometers that I can leave in my bubbling caramel that will beep at me when the caramel gets to the perfect temp!
Stefanie E. says
I want to be able to spend time with family and friends!
Kelly S says
I too want family harmony for Christmas.
Rebecca says
I’d love a FitBit Force. I’ve been pretty obsessed about tracking my calories and activity lately. I actually find it fun!
The Suzzzz says
I want a week off from all my jobs so I can clean and organize my house from top to bottom and spend a little time reading and napping.
Rebecca says
I like your Facebook page. 🙂
Jay says
I need a new pair of slippers, mine are falling apart
Annie says
All I want for Xmas is the perfect pair of boots. You know, a pair that fits great, is slipper-comfortable, and looks good with every outfit. And that lasts for years and years.
I would be happy to have my family back together again, harmony or no. My parents are gone and us “kids” are all grown and scattered across the country…
Annie says
And who knew you had a FB page? Not me. I just finally got around to putting you on my feed so I don’t have to remember to check for updates.
Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat says
A unicorn! And world peace.
Marcella @ BroadAppetite.com says
I would like a leather camera bag for my dslr for Christmas.
Rian N. says
I just want to go home to California, because there is no San Francisco in Virginia. Though this pan is looking really tempting, too…
Tyler says
I need a new pair of tennis shoes, mine are getting beat up.
Eileen says
Dandelion chocolates are so good! I’ve only had one once, but it was just amazing. And a pan made of diamonds? Sign me up! 🙂 My holiday wish list is always so practical that people don’t believe I actually want what’s on it. Case in point: a queen mattress pad. Yeah, I had to buy that one myself after a couple rounds of “no, seriously, what do you REALLY want?” Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
itzia says
I want a pizza peel
wendy r. says
in order of feasibility I would like a new iPhone cover, a gift pack of massages, a piece of personalized jewelry from my better half, a trip to our retirement dream destination and a kitchen remodel!
Lisa F. says
I want a Nash Metropolitan, but with the environmental impact of an electric car.
N says
I would want a Vitamix blender so that I could give it to my sister.
Vicki f says
I want a keyboard for my iPad so it would be easier to type comments like this (and I would REALLY enjoy cooking on a new Swiss diamond pan!)
Vicki f says
“Liked” Swiss diamond
Vicki f says
“Liked” eat the love” !!! Thank you !
N Jo says
GEE WHIZ!
All I want for Christmas is to visit YOUR HOOD for a week! Oh,
And I really like your photo…how do you get your hair to do that?
libby says
I want a Ninja Cooker
libby says
I like you on Facebook
Leslie says
I love spending time in the kitchen with music playing this time of year!
Kristie says
All I want for Christmas is for it to stop snowing!! Western New York got hot hard the past couple days!! Also, maybe a trip to visit your neighborhood! Bread and chocolate? Yes!!
Brad G says
I’d like a new iPad! And cookbooks! And happiness!! Can I get all 3?
Brad G says
+ Facebook page liked
SusanO says
I just want people to be nice to one another.
Christyna says
All I want for Christmas is to figure out how to be more organized, disciplined, and overall structured with my time, so that I can finish my dissertation while still being a good wife, and mom to my two little ones, while also getting to the gym, and hanging with my good friends, and reading books that don’t involve academic jargon, and baking all the stuff on my baking to-do list. Too much to ask?
Reta Goldman says
Peace, health, and universal compassion…
also to win this pan!
Happy holidays!
Koko @ Koko Likes says
I want a candy thermometer!
Megan says
What I want is to make it home safely for Christmas with my family in Cleveland. Thanks for all of the gift suggestions!
Megan says
I liked Swiss Diamond’s facebook page!
Megan says
And I liked your facebook page!
Megan says
And I signed up for their newsletter. Can you tell I want to win? ha
Denise GP says
I wish everyone would buy a child’s gift for their local Salvation Army or Rescue Mission working with children. I just remember how special Christmas was when I was young, that feeling of getting something special on Christmas Day, and find it so sad that can’t happen for all kids. It’s a cause dear to my heart.
Yas No says
My holiday gift desire: I simply want to spend time with family and close friends. I genuinely do not need much more than that.
Jeannine DiBart says
I want baking gadgets!
scott williams says
All I want for Christmas is a nice pan, kinda like this one.
edward ang says
My family and I got our Xmas present early this year – dad will be home for the holidays. He had major surgery, made it through, and will be discharged tomorrow. Peace.
Kristine says
All I want for Christmas is a happy, healthy family. Doggies and kitties, too.
Merry Graham says
All I want for Christmas is safe travel from California to Texas to celebrate with my granddaughters. Here is to hoping the weather will be good for traveling! of course, all I want to do for Christmas is to make, bake, and decorate cookies with Hadley and Olive.
Corisa says
I’d love a spa gift card!
Erin R. says
Wow, great list. What I’d like for Christmas (and probably will get!) is two entire days off. I’ve always had to work on Christmas Eve but I think my boss is closing up shop this time since it’s just the two of us in a brand new office. Yay!
Kathy Beaumont says
I truly wish I knew what I want for Christmas. I have so much already. I do kind of wish that retirement day would get here without having to get any older, but who can give me that?
Linda K. says
I want a new job for Christmas.
Linda K. says
I like Swiss Diamond on Facebook.
Linda K. says
I like Eat the Love on Facebook!
Lenore Espinosa says
I would like to be able to spend a Whole day with my two daughters at a Spa. Massages and facials and time to just be together.
Sarah says
I would like peace and harmony for my three girls.
Sarah says
I like you on Facebook!
Sarah says
I liked the FB page…and I’m salivating over the pan! Naturally non-stick. Right up my alley.
Sarah says
Liked you on FB…bookmarked now for future viewing!
rayraycartucci says
For Christmas this year I want a new coat(red) and new boots with a nice tall heel and some fancy earrings! YAY!
rayraycartucci says
facebook like as jackson crisman(my son’s name)
rayraycartucci says
facebook like 2 as jackson crisman
rayraycartucci says
subscribed too! Thanks a bunch and have a great week
lori says
All I want is a nice relaxing holiday surrounded by friends, family and loved ones. Liked you on FB.
DV says
I want/wish I could see my mum for Christmas.
DV says
Swiss Diamond fb page liked!
DV says
Eat the Love liked, too!
Laura W says
I just want to spend some happy time with my family and do some yummy baking! Keep those sweet recipes coming Irvin!
Laura W says
I already like your FB page 🙂
Hillary says
I would love a trip home to see my family. Or better yet, I would love to be able to fly them out to Maui so I can show them how awesome it is to live here!
Linda K. says
I subscribed to the email mailing list!
Leslie Cislo says
All I want for Christmas is a new puppy! I need a bundle of fur in my life : )
Patti says
I wish for peace to those struggling with something, happiness to those who cannot find it and love to those whose hearts are broken.
Patti says
Oh, and I liked your Facebook page….you’re a busy guy!
CS says
For Christmas I want everyone in the world to put down their distractions, breathe deeply for an uninterrupted five minutes (I’d settle for two), and then conjure up some loving good thoughts for someone who needs it (and lord knows, that should be easy). Whipping up a batch of these fab snicker doodles is optional, but highly recommended.
JoannaW says
I would like some free time to nap and play with art supplies.
JoannaW says
…Facebook page liked, too!
Leah says
I want my grandchildren, who are in Japan, to have a wonderful, happy and safe Christmas. I miss them.
april b says
I would really like a job
Harrison Hamada says
I’d like a Tojiro DP Damascus Gyuto or a New West 9″ CPM chefs knife. And I’d love to try the Swiss Diamond
Harrison Hamada says
Like Swiss Diamond
Harrison Hamada says
subscribed
Harrison Hamada says
liked Eat the Love.
Rocki Dean says
Along with a great day with family I would love a new camera and a photo expedition.
Rochelle Dean says
Lots of inspiration on the Swiss Diamond Facebook page. A new Swiss Diamond pan will lead to great adventures.
Rocki Dean says
I have doubled the love with Eat the Love on Facebook and eatthelove.com My go-to resource for the anything but average cookie, brownies or sweet.
Carmen says
I really want the entire set of I Love Lucy DVDs. And a LeCrueset pan. 🙂
Chrissy says
I would like a new kitchen for christmas. It doesn’t have to be finished… Just an envelope of funds under the tree! Also, some warm cushy slippers.
Chrissy says
Liked the Swiss diamond page as Chrissy Ann.
Cindy S. Martin says
I’d love a piece from Le Creuset and this pan of course!!
Sara says
All I want for Christmas is to spend time with my husband and kiddos…and a LeCrueset pan wouldn’t be too shabby either.
Debra says
Sign me up Irvin! All I want for Xmas is a new job and maybe a pair of x-c skis
Happy Holidays! Xoxo
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe says
If you were a genie, my Christmas wish would be just one more day with my Dad. 🙁
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe says
I “like” Swiss Diamond on Facebook as Hye Thyme Cafe
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe says
I “like” Eat the Love on Facebook as Hye Thyme Cafe … and why does your site keep thinking I’m a bot even when I click to confirm I’m not a spammer? 🙁
Ralph Sciutti says
I would love a Magliner Gemini Extra Large…XL what you ask? Now get your mind out of the gutter as it’s actually a heavy duty convertible hand truck for all the photography gear I am now hauling around from job to job. Oh yeah and World Peace!