Perfect Gift Ideas for Cooks

Alla piastra is the Italian method of cooking on a griddle stone over a hot fire. This beautiful granite piastra from Mario Batali is great for cooking seafood and flatbreads on the grill. Flat on one side, with a raised grill surface on the other. About $50.

If you love roasted garlic, you will love this little garlic cooker. I usually roast my garlic in foil in the oven, but if that's all that in there it wastes a lot of energy. This thing is extremely simple: cut the top of the garlic, add a little olive oil and salt, turn it on and its done in 30 minutes. Well constructed and easy to clean. Available in white, black, Terra Cotta, or stainless steel. About $30, except for stainless steel which is about $55.

Cook perfect eggs every time! The Cuisinart Egg Cooker holds 7 eggs which you can cook from soft to hard. Or you can make 3 poached eggs at a time. Comes with a beaker marked with the exact amount of water for each method and an egg pin for piercing the shells so they don't crack. About $40.

Made of cast iron, this apple peeler mounts to your counter and is great when you have to peel a lot of apples. I resisted using one of these for years but was pleasantly surprised when I finally tried one. They work very well, are well made, and cheap! Plus they have an old-timey feel to them which is kind of fun. Great for getting the kids to help in the kitchen. About $20.

More than just a blender, the Back-to-Basics Blender Solution has a separate smoothie blade base with dispensing valve. A power 500 watt motor and 48-oz glass jar with a flatter base make this a great choice crushing ice for smoothies, margaritas, and daiquiris. About $70.

These beautiful handcrafted solid wood salt cellars are perfect for keeping sea salt or other gourmet salts as fresh as possible. Made from oak and walnut by Jan Huff, each one is unique and bears Jan's signature. This is a gift that will last a lifetime. $18-$30.

I love paninis but don't really care for the big bulky panini machines. I don't need another appliance sitting around my kitchen. Batali's Panini Grill is actually a piece of cookware made from enameled cast iron. It looks beautiful and works on any range. Great for making panini sandwiches, pork chops, or vegetables. About $90.

Tarte Tatin is a classic upside-down apple tart. This beautiful dish with flat handles on both sides is great for cooking Tarte Tatin in and flipping over onto a plate. This 2-quart pan also works great for making deep-dish pies and quiches. Or use it to sauté vegetables. About $100.

A hand held immersion blender is a great tool to have in the kitchen. You can use it right on the stove and blend your soup or sauce without the trouble of transferring your mixture to a food processor or counter blender. I like this KitchenAid model because it has variable speeds so you can start slow if you have large chunks of food. It also has a lot of power and a long 5-foot cord which are both huge positives. About $60.

Cheese knives are not a necessity but they sure are nice to have. This set from Wusthof is as beautiful as it is functional. The set includes a 5 1/2" soft cheese knife, a 5 1/2" hard cheese knife and a 2 3/4" Parmesan knife. A waiter's corkscrew is also included. Presented in an elegant bamboo case perfect for gift giving. About $ 230.