There is nothing like fresh cheese

This simple kit will give you all the tools you need (except the milk, of course) to make your own cheese. It includes instructions on how to make ricotta and mozzarella. Tyou can easily veer from these examples and make your own chevre or other types of cheeses. Apparently it only takes about a half an hour from start to fresh cheese.

Imagine the awesome pizzas you could make. The rigatonis. Mmmm.

Contains enough for 30 batches and includes cheesecloth (it’s called “butter muslin” but I’m not sure what the difference is), dairy thermometer, vegetable-based rennet tablets and cheese salt.

$25

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Not for the uncool

No, despite it’s appearance this device will not take you to the moon or beyond. However, it will give you some fresh-squeezed citrus juice for drinking plain or mixing with your cocktails. And it will do it with more style than you probably deserve.

Er. Speaking for myself, that is.

Designed by Phillipe Starck, this is a signature Italian design from Alessi – so Italian that it was in fact first sketched on a pizzeria napkin during an Italian sea vacation (in the 80′s – proving how good design holds up). It became a Euro icon of home product design in the 90′s. And then people started getting serious about discussing this juicer. The Web site (buy or image link) goes on at length about semiologists and the decorative veil as well as the notion of functional approximation, not to mention the epic battle between Form and Function.

Again – it’s  not something we deserve and certainly nothing we can talk about at length.

But it sure is purty. And we might buy one anyways because it will look so cool in our kitchen.

$96

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Whatever you call it, it’s the process of making gels, foams, freeze drying, carbonating, doing all kinds of crazy cool stuff that hopefully makes for interesting dinners.

Here’s a list of everything an aspiring molecular gastronomist can’t do without:

Agar – makes a gelatin-like substance. But don’t mix with fruit, use beef broth (grass fed organic, of course) to create thin beef sticks, or hot pepper sauce or indian spices or good boozes.

What you need to play with your food

Methylcellulose – dissolve this stuff in hot water and it becomes a syrup or a gel. But when it cools, it becomes a liquid again. Use to make cool hot solids. Try a HOT vanilla hot cream (opposite of ice cream) that is hot, but dissolves in your mouth as it cools. Also a very good soluble fiber.

Soy Lecithin - A bonding agent that makes things stick together that shouldn’t. This is what the pros use for asparagus, milk/turmeric and other crazy foams.

Xanthan Gum – helps keep oil and water emulsified for long periods.

Tapioca Maltodextrin – make any fat or oil into a powder that releases its juicy goodness when it dissolves on the tongue.

Activa RM (meat glue) – This stuff will make proteins stick together. Use it to clue different cuts of the same meat together. Or to make a literal surf and turf with a lobster tail seared to a filet mignon.

Sodium Alginate & Calcium Chloride – This is how they make the “caviar” of weird things like wine and chai tea and carrot juice and whatnot. Simply mix a liquid with sodium alginate and immerse the droplets using a syringe.

Or…buy a ready-made kit that includes a lot of these ingredients – and more not mentioned. Either way, have fun!

Also of note, there is one cookbook set which is the DEFINITIVE GUIDE. Definitely read our article about this one…

It's really not crumb-y.

My wife insists that this is the French way to cut your bread. Of course I have no way to verify this, save flying to Paris and breaking into random homes (which could be nice if they provided dinner). So I guess I will have to take her word for it. I will admit, however, it is quite a handy way to do it. I will also admit that if the French were to take anything seriously it would be the manner in which they cut their baguette.

It works like this: you cut on the board, the slats in the board allow all the messy crumbs to fall into the bottom, thus saving the mess and making for a clean way to cut your bread.

We had one of these, but it was made of wood and the cats knocked it off the counter. The result: kindling.

Fortunately, this one looks much more well made and is even bamboo so my green conscience can be at ease.

$35

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Ahhh.

We aren’t promoting drinking your way through the holidays, but we aren’t not promoting it either. Think how much easier it will be to deal with the familial guilt and shortcomings, the awkward work party conversations and kisses from your mustachioed aunties when you’re half in the bag!

And as an added bonus: you will be the envy (and newly coveted friend) of all the alcoholics in your family when you pull out this stainless flask. It’s Mad Men in styling, but eco in nature (it is made from recycled scrap steel). Fill it with your choice: schnapps for the cold climates, rum for spiking the punch or good old cheap vodka to speed up that downward spiral you’re on. Or maybe just a little wine or brandy might be nice to have on hand now and again.

OK, but seriously, this is pretty cool and would be handy on the slopes or for kitch cache…fun gift for the stylish, eco-conscious nipper in your life.

Just $25 (on sale now for $15!)

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Carbon Steel Deli Slicer + 13 pounds of meat = Best. Gift. Ever.

Oh. Yeah.

Seriously. What more can we say? The carbon steel slicer so you can slice up  your cured meats nice and thin, plus a man-ton of meat. And Creminell is the good stuff too: Lardo, Cotto, Calabrese and Finnocchiona. And not just buts of them, but the whole damn sausages.

This is good.

But not for the gout.

But what the hell.

$1,200

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The French, zay know zair cheese...

We call it a “gift set”, but we just might buy it for ourselves. Why? Seriously, do you need to ask?

OK. Well, because…

Coulommiers’ awesome soft-rind truffle-ish yumminess.

Petit Ardi Gasna Lait Cru and it’s dry nutty slightly sweet, melt in your mouth goodness.

And the soft-rinded goat, Picadine Pico Affine, with complexity and a buttery tang.

Good for entertaining, too.

$55

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Best One Click Espresso/Cappuccino/Latte Maker Yet...

I just got back from a trip to Hawaii and wow, my love for coffee is as strong as ever. The coffee shops littering the highway all serve fresh roasted Kona and it’s GOOD. There is nothing better than a fresh shot of espresso with a steaming crema, or a made-to-order cappuccino. I’ve held out purchasing a home espresso machine because, frankly, the home machines mostly suck – or the good ones are up around $1000, I’ll stick to having them made for me at $4 a pop.

The new Nespresso Lattissima Plus delivers. With 19 bars of pressure (8 bars is minimum to get the crema…and pressure is usually the limiting factor in home espresso makers), this one delivers. Plus, it steams the milk accurately with it’s special container. I should mention this does it all with one click, so you don’t need to go through barista training. Click and ahhh.

Earlier editions of this machine retailed for more than double the price…we love when coffee technology comes down in price.

On sale now for just $360 including free shipping and $75 of coffee…

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Wabi Nabe Cast Iron Pot

We love the one pot meals here – so simple, and so delicious when you get all the integrated flavors working together. This hand-poured cast iron pot is produced by ODLCO and done through kickstarter.com – pledges to purchase fund the purchase (you can even just pledge to support the Wisconsin-based company). So contribute to the economy by producing jobs helping this startup get this great little design made. Works indoors or out.

You choose how much to pledge – $150 or more will get you your very own pot.

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Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking

This book, Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myrvhold is nothing short of amazing. Essentially, a successful and technical obsessive compulsive decides he wants to figure out how to make the best…everything. From french fries to burgers, braises and more. Myrvhold worked with chefs Chris Young and Maxime Bilet to determine the science behind cooking just about everything. What is it that gives steak that juicy sear and how is it best attained? How to make the best pasta. What causes color change when cooking? What are the best pots and pans (answer: the cheap ones). All of these he takes on with a scientific mind and the wherewithal you’d expect from a former Chief Technology Officer for the largest software company in the world.

What Myrhvold has created is nothing short of a bible for how to cook and prepare food of all kinds. Sure, he uses a lot of what is referred to as molecular gastronomy. Sous vide and whatnot, but really it’s all in the cause of determining what makes the most tender _______ or the most juicy ________ or the most flavorful _________.

Even better, this book is illustrated (as in the image here) with amazing photographs that explain the concepts in a clear, concise and visually appealing manner.

Is this a glowing review? Yes, it may seem like we are going off a bit. But we are not alone: this book has been praised by just about every celebrity chef out there from Ferran Adra to Wylie Dufresne as well as food writers like Tim Zagat himself.

We think this is a must for every serious home (and professional) cook out there.

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