Christmas Gift Ideas for Foodies: Gift Cards
This one almost writes itself. With Hanukkah in full swing and Christmas just around the corner I know some of you may be wondering what to get that food obsessed relative. The problem is that you are not obsessed with food so you don’t know what they might want.
Well I have a solution that will help you out with that foodie and anyone else on your gift list that is hard to buy for – gift cards. Some complain that gift cards are impersonal but I believe they can be some of the most personal gifts you can give. When someone gives me a gift card it is like saying, “I really want to give you exactly what you want but I don’t know what that is so here go get it; it’s on me.” That’s cool.
I order my gift cards from eBillme.com because they have a great assortment of shops and, admittedly because I have a friend who works for them who turned me on to how neat a service they have. They have a dozen vendors to choose from and you can pay for everything at the same site. Three of those shops are perfect for your freaky food obsessed friend – Amazon, JC Penny’s and the most obvious, Omaha Steaks. Amazon and Penny’s have all kinds of cooking equipment, appliances and toys to choose from while Omaha Steaks has, well steaks.
And while you are there you can get cards for those other hard-to-shop-for folks on your list because they also have cards for Zappos, Tigerdirect, Dell, Circuit city, Champs and Foot Locker. These email gift cards never expire and can be redeemed for millions of products. And best of all you can get cash back when you buy hunting, fishing & camping gear as well as clothing, computers, books & home improvement products!
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes!
Originally posted on Edible TV on October 30, 2008.
After winning the second Next Food Network Star, Guy Fieri has done something no other NFNS winner has done… actually become a star. First there was his grand prize, his own show (Guy’s Big Bite), then there was Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives, Ultimate Recipe Showdown, guest spots on Dinner: Impossible, NFNS, and finally Off the Hook. Guy also wrangled an endorsement for fern bar chain TGIFriday’s. He now has five restaurants in his home state of California. So what’s next for the guy named Guy?
His first cookbook. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes!, has a title as big as his bite. For years now, Guy has been running the roads in his ‘67 Camaro tasting (and apparently writing down the recipes to) the best grub in the country. Fieri’s offering is co-written by Ann Volkwein who has written or co-written several books about regional food including The Arthur Avenue Cookbook. The Triple “D” book features some of the best recipes that Fieri has sampled on his romp through the back roads of America.
Wednesday morning Guy was a guest on ABC’s Good Morning America talking about the book and preparing his “Mac Daddy” Mac & Cheese:
Yield: 8 servings Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 45 to 50 minutes
Inactive prep time: 1 hour Ease of preparation: Easy
Ingredients:
2 shallots, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta, cooked
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. In a large sauté pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third.
