I know there was a thread on this earlier - wedding gifts....

[music-city-missy]

A friend's daughter is marrying a professional chef and yes they put down plenty of kitchen/cooking stuff. I never go strictly by the registries though and just put together unique 'baskets' incorporating some of the items on their list.

For instance, when a coworker married a line cook earlier this year - I bought a big ceramic bowl, lined it with colorful plaid/solid dishtowel set, used an omlet pan to form my back, worked in spatulas, fresh (hours old) eggs from another coworker, and other breakfast items since it was a hour of the day shower and I had one pm (I was thinking a late Sunday brunch/breakfast after a late night on the line).

Well, for this couple, I don't know him quite as well and while he's nice, he is a little more 'snobby' because he got his degree from the CIA. He wants a spider, some stainless steel kitchen things like spoons, etc., tea ball, knives, hotel napkins, chinois, etc. So I know I am going to the restaurant supply to get the spider and hotel napkins since they will be MUCH cheaper than WS. Know I am going to order some smoked paprika from La Tienda. Want to find some things, especially ingredients, that aren't readily available around here and trust me, there are LOTS of those. I always throw in some wine, maybe a cheese that I think most people aren't familiar with or won't treat themselves to.

Any good idea on a theme or other items? Spices (like P**** blends or specialties?)?

 

[joe]

There are some things a cook can't have too many of.....

pocket thermometers, heat-proof rubber spatulas, tongs, and wooden spoons--particularly those wedge-shaped French wooded spatulas.

 

[clofthwld]

Even CIA chefs like shortcuts. My brother loved it when he received...

homemade items. One X-mas I gave him a huge basketful of harissa, dry rubs, beer bread mix, mochachino mixes, cookie mixes etc. all dry mixes and I bottled them in sterilized brown beer bottles, made my own labels, and capped them myself.

He said it was the best gift he'd received because when he had guests over he could concentrate on the main courses and use the mixes to top everything off.