Just discovered Luvocracy- Join us

We heard about this new site called Luvocracy. It’s that’s part pinterest-like and part personal shopper. Though we’re still learning, we’re all over it and adding cool finds to our collections.

Basically from what we understand, Luvocracy helps us gather all our favorite pins, tweets and products to recommend. We create collections of products that we love and make connections with people as we shop, give thanks, and earn trust. And from what we hear, you can earn a commission from your sales.

How perfect is this for the holidays? and gift giving? This is going to make shopping for the holidays so much easier because they come recommended from people we trust. We can’t think of a better way to hear what you all are sharing from your shopping list.

But it’s still new and you need an invite. So just click here and request and invite. Look forward to seeing you on Luvocracy.

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Coffee Toffee from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Diane would like to apologize in advance for anything I am about to say. She says I’m a coffee snob.

I don’t know whether to respond with a “Duh!” or a “Phbbttt!”- or however you spell sticking your tongue out. After all, she did first meet me in a coffee house almost 17 years ago.

Snob may not be the right word. I mean, I do love my coffee but I’m still polite about it in public. I’m not going to lambast someone for their personal choice in caffeinated beverage. When traveling I’ll drink what’s offered without a cringe or frown. Yes, even the cheap motel coffee.

However, when it comes to what I make for myself, I am … particular.

After all, this is a ritual which begins nearly everyday. It should be beautiful. Indifference to its quality is akin to not caring about the morning sunrise. Without seeing it, we probably wouldn’t even think twice about how it looked or made us feel. But if we stretch our toes out of bed and take in the morning sun, its beauty lightens the soul and changes the approach to the day.

So, for me, I make it important for I find comfort in it. Going out of my way to buy from the coffee roaster I like the best, and always seeking and experimenting with other potentially delicious beans from other coffee craftsmen. Last year we finally invested in the espresso machine I’ve been dreamy eyed over for the past decade, a manual press La Pavoni espresso machine.

Alluring, classic, simplistic yet difficult to master unless you pay attention to the details. And it makes a beautiful espresso. This is a machine created for loving ritual.

So as I was flipping through Deb (of Smitten Kitchen fame)’s new book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and I came across her coffee toffee recipe I had to pause. Coffee in a delicious toffee, this had to be good. As she rhapsodized about her near addiction to the little black beverage and translated those urges into baked goods, I knew I had to make this recipe.

Deb’s new cookbook is full of great recipes and inspiring techniques on how to make it from scratch. It’s a satisfying book that will have you busy cooking throughout the year with seasonal recipes as well. And as always, Deb’s witty, funny and personal writing keeps you engaged with every recipe that she brilliantly pens.

After running through the ingredients for her coffee toffee, I notice she calls for instant espresso powder. Um, that is something I don’t allow in the house. We actually do have it at the studio since we had a client whose recipes called for the stuff, but at home… No.

I struggle, for I vowed to remain polite in public about coffee matters, so I shall say no more. But for me let’s just leave it at; I think this ingredient is morally wrong.

So I went to work on Deb’s recipe, changing out the @#%& for a true espresso shot, used our preferred dark chocolate to top it, and went with her first choice of topping the toffee with hazelnuts (she mentions you can use another nut of your choice but the initial call for hazelnuts seemed divinely perfect). The end result was, as Deb put it “…grown-up toffee; … If a piece of candy could ever taste like a cup of coffee, this would be it.” Absolutely marvelous.

-todd

A beautiful espresso laden toffee, adapted from Deb Perlman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. You'll need a candy thermometer to know when to stop cooking the toffee.

1 cup (227g) unsalted Butter1/2 cup (110g) Brown Sugar1/2 cup (100g) Sugar1 1/2 teaspoons (11g) Molassesheavy pinch flaky Sea Salt or Kosher Salt2 oz. (60ml) Espresso1 cup (170g) Dark Chocolate Chips or chopped Dark Chocolate1/3 cup (40g) chopped Hazelnuts

Line a small sheet pan or baking dish with parchment paper (toffee will be less than 9"x11" in size)

Melt butter, sugars, molasses, salt and espresso in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, whisking occasionally over medium-high heat, until temperature reaches about 250°F. Now still constantly until temperature reaches 300°F.Pour onto prepared sheet pan (be very careful, a toffee or caramel burn are the worst). Spread evenly to your preferred thickness. Allow to set for a minute, then sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee. Let them sit for a minute or two to soften, then spread chocolate evenly over toffee.Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, and then set aside to cool and harden.After it is cooled, break apart toffee into chunks and store in an airtight container.

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Magimix 16-Cup Food Processor Giveaway

I am partnering with my friends at Magimix to giveaway a Magimix 5200XL by Robot-Coupe 16-Cup Food Processor. There will be one (1) winner whom will receive one (1) Magimix 5200XL 16-Cup Food Processor. The suggested retail price of the Magimix 5200XL 16-Cup Food Processor is US$650.00.

Robot-Coupe, the French company that developed the first food processor, applies the technology of its commercial models to this high-performance processor for home use. This versatile machine includes many components and accessories for a wide variety of uses.

Features:

Extremely powerful, extra-quiet motor.Trio of work bowls allows you to carry out multiple tasks in rapid succession, without stopping to wash a bowl.Small bowl is perfect for mincing herbs, chopping nuts or blending a sauce.Medium bowl is ideal for slicing and grating.Large bowl handles prep jobs like mixing batters, kneading dough and slicing a large batch of vegetables.Motor automatically adjusts power and speed to suit job at hand.Razor-sharp Sabatier stainless-steel blades and stainless-steel discs, strong enough for a variety of tasks including crushing ice.Extra-large feed tube eliminates need to precut most ingredients.

Eligibility: United States only. Closing Date: December 16, 2012, 11:59 pm PST. Winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email on December 17, 2012. The prize is proudly sponsored by Magimix. To enter, please follow the steps below.

Eligibility: United States only. No purchase necessary and subject to these official giveaway rules.

Step 1

Like Rasa Malaysia on Facebook. (Click on the Like button below.)

Step 2

Follow Rasa Malaysia on Twitter. (Click on the Follow @rasamalaysia button below. If you don’t have Twitter, skip this step.)

Step 3

Like Magimix on Facebook. (Click on the Like button below.)

Step 4

Fill in the form below. You can enter to win using this form every day.

You will be redirected to the “Thank You” page if your entry is successfully submitted.

ONE ENTRY PER DAY STRICTLY ENFORCED.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

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Stove Buying Tips: Revelations from Food Professionals & Salespeople

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« Asian Tofu Recipe #1 on Favorite List |Main| Stove Buying Tips: Weeding through Add-ons, Reviews and Deals »

November 19, 2012Stove Buying Tips: Revelations from Food Professionals & Salespeople

My husband has been nagging me to buy a new stove. He can’tstand “Mr. Click Click” -- the burner that won’t ignite without help. Everytime he reaches for the lighter stashed in the nearby drawer, he says, “Youdeserve a better stove. When will you buy a new one?” When it breaks down.

Last week, I went back on my word. I wanted abetter stove. My 4-year old, $650 Kenmore (on the left) still worked but was looking scruffyfrom my scrubbing off various kitchen disasters, including soy milk boil-overs.(Mind that pot and no emailing or texting!) The stove endured Asian Dumplings and Asian Tofu, and began showing its battle wounds. I spentseveral days shopping for a higher-end replacement. Yes, my husband was right: I deserved to step up!

I researched online, queried friends and chatted with salespeople – who werewell poised to share their knowledge and move merchandise, given the BlackFriday sales that are already underway; it’s no longer a post-Thanksgivingshopping frenzy.

Each time I buy a new stove, I have to get up to speed on the latest models and trends. My 2012 adventure in stove shopping included these basic reminders and revelations:

Buy for Needs, Notfor Looks  

I approach appliance salespeople by telling them what I dofor living and what I need. My hope is that they’ll be frank. This time around,I told them I could go as high as $2000 (yowza!). One salesman said that at that pricepoint, many people buy for status, not for actual cooking. As a result, theyhave high-performance, showroom quality kitchens that are rarely used. Occasionally,customers don’t take the appliance labels off after installation! Seriously? 

Because I do most of my cooking stovetop, my top prioritiesare burner output and grates. For recipedeveloping, I need at least 1 regular (9,100 BTU) burner to approximate whatthe average cook may experience in their kitchen. Wok cooking, a stockpot of pho,and volume cooking are easier with extra heat from a booster burner (15,000+BTU). I’d visited the test kitchens at Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Cooking Light magazines where relatively common stoves are theworkhorses. There was no point in getting too fancy.

It didn’t seem outlandish to get at least one booster burner,if not two, in addition to a regular burner. Turns out that mid-range homestoves these days often come with simmer burners (5,000 BTU), which I havelittle use for. (Shouldn’t all good burners be able to simmer?) Additionally, thereis usually an oval shaped griddle burner for pancakes, etc, which I rarely make;my comal for tortillas works fine on two regular round burners. I was stuckwith the simmer and griddle burners in the LG stove that I eventually bought. Aside from heating griddles, what can theoval burner do?

BTU output aside, the grates are key to efficiently heating potsand pans. I like relatively hefty ones that’ll conduct heat well, but that canalso be scrubbed with relative ease. I slide pots and pans around the stove and continuous grates help. At the store, I often pick up the gratesto imagine dealing with them on a regular basis. You can deal with them betterin the sink if they’re in 3 sections. I think about clean-up when shopping forkitchen appliances and tools.

Convection vs. Conventionalvs. Double Ovens

At the mid-range price levels, many stoves come withconvection ovens. I wasn’t interested in convection ovens but fellow authors and testkitchen pros Amanda Hass (Williams Sonoma, OneFamilyOneMeal.com) and Kate Leahy (A16, Preservation Kitchen, SPQR, ModernMealMaker.com) said thatthey loved convection ovens. However, for recipe testing and development, theirdefault was the conventional oven. Andrew Janjigian (Cook’s Illustrated, WorldLoaf.org) pointed out that you don’t knowwhat kind of convection oven cooks have (there are variations in the technology) so it’s better to stick with a regularoven for recipe development.

Gawd, I was worried that I’d be stuck with a convection ovenonce I stepped up from my beat up Kenmore. Alas, you can switch between thetwo, I was told. Fabulous.

Stoves with double ovens are pricier than single ovenstoves. What gives? If you have kids and have to cook different things forthem, double ovens are useful, I was told. Functionally, the broiler in adouble oven tends to be weak, a salesman told me. “Don’t get it for what you do,”he added. Love salesman straight talk.

Stainless Steel Upsand Downs

Kitchen appliances finished in stainless steel look fabulousbut they can be hard to keep clean, I’ve been warned for years. I didn’t carebecause I could never afford them. This time shopping for kitchen appliances,the price for stainless steel didn’t seem as scary. I may have adjusted mybrain to be willing to spend more but some stoves on the market are combiningstainless with black. The hybrid approach brings the price down. Nice surprise.

Nevertheless, appliance salespeople advised against a stainless cook top like the one above becauseevery scratch becomes noticeable. I don’t really buy that because every mark onmy black ceramic coated stove is visible. They’re culinary battle wounds thatmy stove wears with pride. But will I notice the stainless steelmars faster?  The first dent or scratchis always the most painful.

On the other hand, if you go the Full Monty and get a stainlesssteel cook top, you’re bound to pay more but not get better performance. Thelack of bang for my buck made going full stainless steel a moot point. "Stainless steel look" was more my speed. 

The stove is my best friend in the kitchen. After I got theskinny on the functional basics and appearances, I dug a little deeper. I realizedthat I didn’t need to spend $2000 on a stove. The next post delves into stoveadd-ons and tips for finding a good deal. Stay tuned.

Have savvy stove shopping experiences or tips to share?   

Related post: Stove Buying Tips: Weeding through Add-ons, Reviews and Deals

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Comments Stove Buying Tips: Revelations from Food Professionals & Salespeople

My husband has been nagging me to buy a new stove. He can’tstand “Mr. Click Click” -- the burner that won’t ignite without help. Everytime he reaches for the lighter stashed in the nearby drawer, he says, “Youdeserve a better stove. When will you buy a new one?” When it breaks down.

Last week, I went back on my word. I wanted abetter stove. My 4-year old, $650 Kenmore (on the left) still worked but was looking scruffyfrom my scrubbing off various kitchen disasters, including soy milk boil-overs.(Mind that pot and no emailing or texting!) The stove endured Asian Dumplings and Asian Tofu, and began showing its battle wounds. I spentseveral days shopping for a higher-end replacement. Yes, my husband was right: I deserved to step up!

I researched online, queried friends and chatted with salespeople – who werewell poised to share their knowledge and move merchandise, given the BlackFriday sales that are already underway; it’s no longer a post-Thanksgivingshopping frenzy.

Each time I buy a new stove, I have to get up to speed on the latest models and trends. My 2012 adventure in stove shopping included these basic reminders and revelations:

Stay Connected                    Asian Tofu in the News"Cooking with Tofu (Are You Serious?!)"
— Michael Rulhman on his tofu conversion

"This book should be a priority for anyone with the slightest interest in Asian cuisines."
— Anne Mendelson, Taste & Travel

"The most gratifying part about cooking from Asian Tofu is that all the recipes work the way they’re written."
— T. Susan Chang, Boston Globe

Book info, reviews, radio & TV . . .2013 EventsHands-On Classes @LoveAppleFarms, Santa Cruz

Sat, Jan 27, 12-4pm:Asian Dumplings (CNY is Feb 13)
Sun, Feb 24, 12-4pm: DIY Asian Tofu ++
Sat, Mar 16, 12-4pm: Get Into the Viet Kitchen!

More soon on 2013 classes...

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Dark Chocolate Gingersnap Cookies with Holiday Stencils

For the first time in my life I think I had a chocolate hangover. Maybe it was eating three additional pieces of See’s candy before I went to bed that threw me over the edge. I’m the savory-girl. The girl that hovers over the holiday buffet table where the cheesy dips are displayed and quietly dips my crackers in the pool of yummy calories in between conversations. But to make it clear, I’ll never double-dip. My table side manners are always in-check.

Offer me anything savory and I’ll eat till the plate is empty. But offer me some dessert and I’ll be happily satisfied with about 3 bites. My love of desserts runs deep and a slice of moist cake or thick-and-chewy cookies are what I crave. Even though I love being around desserts as well, those three bites are enough to end my day perfectly.

So how is it that a savory-girl can get a chocolate hangover with just three pieces of candy? You see, it started two weeks ago when we had a two day shoot at Terranea and the second day was “dessert day”. The chefs were bringing out the most incredible desserts, many of which had chocolate and one of which was the most decadent chocolate brownie I had ever laid my lips on. My fork and fingers had to make sure I had a bite of almost everything single dessert.

Next, these cookies. These dark chocolate gingerbread cookies had me sprung with holiday cheer. Oh my goodness, they’re so good, chewy, and full of fresh ginger and dark chocolate flavor that I swear I ate two in one sitting. For me, that’s a huge feat for savory-girl-me to eat two big cookies back to back.

We adapted these cookies from Alice’s fantastic new cookbook, Savory Sweet Life. Visit Alice’s blog and you’ll be treated to some incredible family recipes, including her spot-on dessert creations. After making her chocolate cookies, we had to re-visit another of her cookie recipes when the cravings called and her cookbook offered the perfect answer to our needs.

Alice’s original recipe is the soft chocolate gingersnap cookies. To make them extra chocolate-y, we added an extra-dark cocoa, along with some freshly grated ginger. What lies before you is a perfectly soft & chewy cookie that you can sink your teeth into.

To make them extra fun and holiday festive, we used sprinkled powdered sugar and Martha Stewart’s cookie stencils. This particular set is currently out of stock, but we were able to find a similar, possibly updated set, over here at amazon. This is the first time we’ve ever decorated with cookies and were curious how they’d turn out. The dark color of these gingerbread cookies provided the perfect base for the whole stenciling.

Each cookie became so much more festive with all the different holiday icon designs. Now these cookies had so much more visual interest and personality. That’s why it was so easy for me to eat two back to back. On top of that, we busted out the box of See’s candy to celebrate Thanksgiving so there you have it, the reason why I had a chocolate hangover.

I can’t wait till I sober up again from all the chocolate in the past week because the first thing I’m reaching for again are a few more of these terrific cookies. I’m addicted!

hugs,

diane

Yield: 24 cookies

Total Time: 30 min

Adapted from Alice Currah's Savory Sweet Life Cookbook. We used at special dark cocoa powder and used fresh grated spices when applicable. Alice's recipes are fantastic, especially her desserts. This is a great cookbook to have in the kitchen.

2 cups (250g) all-purpose Flour3 Tablespoons (16g) unsweetened Cocoa Powder (special or extra dark if you can find it)1/4 teaspoon Salt1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda1 Tablespoon freshly grated Vietnamese Cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon regular ground Cinnamon)1 Tablespoon freshly grated Ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground Ginger powder)1/2 teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg (or 1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg)1/2 teaspoon ground Cloves1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar1/2 cup (114g) unsalted Butter, at room temp.3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed Brown Sugar1/2 cup (100g) Sugar1 Egg1/4 cup (85g) MolassesConfectioners Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, spices, and cream of tartar for 20 seconds or until well combined. Set aside.In a mixing bowl cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (@2 minutes). Slow down mixer speed and beat in egg and molasses until combined, scraping bowl sides and bottom at least once.Slowly stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined. With an 1 1/2" cookie scoop, form balls and place 2 inches apart on lined sheet pans.Bake for 14-16 minutes or until set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on sheet pan, the carefully lift onto a wire rack to finish cooling.After cool, if using stensil, place stensil over cookies and dust with confectioners sugar or just dust with confectioners sugar.

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Beer-Braised Chicken with Sriracha

This beer-braised chicken with Sriracha is my Asian take on a French classic, coq à la bière. In Alsace, chicken and onions gets braised in a nutty brown ale until meltingly tender; I decided to apply the same cooking methods for this dish. Adding Sriracha hot sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil enhances the mild sweetness and nuttiness of the braising liquid. This is perfect hearty dish for cold winter nights!

One of the first dinners I made in my first Park Slope apartment two years ago was this beer-braised chicken. It was November, and unseasonably frigid weather and cold gusts of wind outside made  I crave something meaty, hearty, and comforting. Spiciness was a bonus.

Inspired both by coq à la bière and a Martin Yan recipe for beer-braised duck, I wanted to make a braised chicken with brown ale and Sriracha. I needed a robust sort of beer to withstand the Sriracha that will go in my sauce, so I stopped in Biercraft on 5th Ave., a little wonderland of craft beers. The guy behind the counter recommended Avery Brewing Co.’s Ellie’s Brown Ale, which has a lot of nuttiness, sweetness, and chocolate malt character. And, he added, it won’t become bitter when boiled down like some other brown ales. Turns out, it’s also great for sipping while you prepare the chicken.

The suggested amounts of Sriracha will result in a mildy spicy dish, which I like because the other flavors don’t get overwhelmed.  And the method to making this is similar to that for my other braised chicken dishes like Chicken Adobo and Vietnamese Chicken Curry: searing until the skin is crisp and golden, then braising until very tender. It’s an easy way to get your kitchen (and maybe even your entire apartment) nice and toasty, even as temperatures drop and winds howl outside.

______________________________

Beer-Braised Chicken with Sriracha

Serves 4

2 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks with skin2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced8 cremini mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered1/2 teaspoon white sesame seeds

Sauce:

1 cup dark brown ale (preferably a nutty one with a good amount of sweetness)1/2 cup chicken stock1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry2 to 3 teaspoons Sriracha1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce2 teaspoons sesame oil1 tablespoon sugar sugar1/4 teaspoon saltWith a paper towel, pat the excess moisture from the chicken on all sides (otherwise, watch out for splattering oil when you sear the meat.)In a Dutch oven, pot, or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the chicken skin-side down until the skin is light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.Mix together the ingredients for the sauce. Return the chicken to the pot and pour the sauce over the chicken. Add the scallion whites and mushrooms. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow everything to simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.Carefully transfer everything to a large serving dish and sprinkle the sesame seeds and scallion greens on top. Serve hot with rice or vegetables on the side.Recipe first posted Nov 4, 2010, revised November 26, 2012.

______________________________

Other delicious chicken recipes to try

Tagged as: Chicken, Recipes, Spicy

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Holiday Gift Guide 2012

This year, I have added quite many new kitchen gadgets in my kitchen, I even had a kitchen makeover with all new appliances. Anyway, here are some of my new kitchen toys that I really like. I use them a lot, if not on a daily basis, and they are my trusted brands for culinary inspirations. I recommend them as my holiday gift guide for this year. Happy shopping this holiday season!

Nespresso U Espresso Machine

Mr. Rasa Malaysia enjoys a good cup of espresso and coffee, and Nespresso U machine is our choice. I am not much a coffee drinker but I actually enjoy my cup of espresso from this machine. You can enjoy fast, streamlined one-touch brewing and superb espresso with this compact single-cup machine. It is ideal for small kitchens with limited space as the the U features a movable water tank that you can position on either the machine’s back or side plus a magnetic drip tray you can switch from the front to the side for the best fit in your kitchen. Nespresso U works exclusively with Nespresso’s premium coffee capsules (16 are included with the purchase) for locked-in freshness and convenience. If there is one espresso machine you buy, this is it.

 Anolon 10-piecce Set Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel

I have many cookware sets in my kitchen: non-stick, bronze non-stick, carbon steel non-stick, etc. Earlier this year, I have decided to stop using non-stick cookware set in my kitchen. The reason is simple: the non-stick layer of teflon coating eventually get scratched and come off. I switched to Anolon 10-piecce Set Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel and absolutely love the set. I don’t have to worry about getting teflon into our foods, especially my son’s food. What’s more, this 10-piece set will bring a look of elegance and style to every kitchen and the collection is also dishwasher safe. Anolon Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel cookware is beautiful and built to last.

Delonghi Stainless Digital Convection Oven

My two years old son loves his toast and waffle every morning as his breakfast. I have an old toaster but it is no longer reliable as I mostly burned the toasts or his waffle whenever I use it. So, I was looking for a counter top convection oven that I could use because he also loves pizza. When I was staying with my sister earlier this year, she raved about her convection oven for toasting bagel, heating up leftover food, bread, donuts, etc., so I got Delonghi Brushed Stainless Steel Digital Convection Oven. It’s slightly bigger but a great alternative to turning on the oven. It’s also easy to clean as it has a non-stick interior. The large capacity will accommodate pizzas, casseroles, or up to six slices of bread, bagels, or English muffins at a time! Sweet.

Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder

Mr. Rasa Malaysia is a coffee drinker so he needs a solid coffee grinder. Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder fits my bill as it is reasonably priced and sport a modern design. Its compact size is also perfect for my limited counter space. While we use it mostly to grind coffee beans, it doubles as an excellent spice grinder for me, for example: coriander seeds. What’s more, it comes in four (4) gorgeous colors so there is one that fits your kitchen.

Wusthof Classic Ikon Studio Knife Block Set 

One of the biggest complaints I get from my friends whenever they come to my house was that my Chinese cleavers are so blunt! They have told me repeatedly to get myself a proper knife set so they could use them whenever they come. So finally, I decided to get Wusthof Classic Ikon Studio Knife Block Set, which is a compact knife set with Paring Knife, Utility Knife, Cook’s Knife, and Kitchen Shears—the essentials that I need in my small kitchen. Now, my friends have some sharp knives to play with in my kitchen!

Blendtec’s Designer Series Wildside

I am a Costco junkie and I had seen too many Blendtec demos at the store. I am so happy that I now own one. One of my 2012's resolutions is to eat (and drink) healthy, and Blendtec Designer Series Wildside allows my family to do just that. The super-powerful motor allows me to make smoothie and healthy vegetable and fruit juice every morning. I used it to make organic soy milk, which is my favorite beverage for my family.

Magimix by Robot-Coupe 16-Cup Food Processor

If there is one ultimate food processor to get in the kitchen, Magimix 16-cup Food Processor is probably it. Created by Robot-Coupe, the French company that developed the first food processor, Magimix food processor is a high-performance food processor for home use. This versatile machine includes many components and accessories for a wide variety of uses: mincing, slicing, grating, chopping, blending, cutting, and even mixing batter and kneading dough! What I love about this food processor is the extremely powerful but extra-quiet motor, so using it in my kitchen doesn’t sound like I chainsaw a tree.

Now, you don’t have to splurge to buy a meaning and great gift. I love cookbooks and they are always a great gift, especially for home cooks who are constantly looking for new inspirations in the kitchen. If you haven’t yet purchased my cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes,” this year you ought to do that. Released about 15 months ago, “Easy Chinese Recipes” is currently the top-selling Chinese cookery book on Amazon. It has garnered 100 glowing reviews and close to 300 likes.

I love learning and reading about world cuisines and this year, there is a perfect book published by Lonely Planet called The Food Lover’s Guide to the World. Food Lover’s Guide to the World presents a lifetime of eating experiences that will lead you from one end of the globe to the other. Take your taste buds on a tour around the world and cook up your next great culinary adventure.

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