The villa I always stay at has a wonderful chef I have become friends with. I'm going in September and wanted to bring her a useful kitchen gadget that is not available in Italy. Any suggestions would be apprectiated. I was thinking of a set of Microplane graters, don't know if they are available there. I cook a lot and love them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,

I think the microplane is a great idea. I also use a rasp on a regular basis for grating cheese but the Italians probably have a better model! What about something to decorate the kitchen? I love getting salt & pepper shakers from around the world, garage sales, and flea markets. I see you're in California. Is there anything traditionally west coast that she might appreciate? A trade of California wine perhaps? My thoughts...

Kim

Definatly the microplane. We have never sen them in Italy and we brought this exact house gift to a great cook in Italy and it was gratly appreciated.

MICROPLANE!!!

My girlfriend is the rep that is just bringing then into Italy and France, so great gift!!!

I got to tell ya.. I love getting a box of See's candy, the nuts and chews!!! nothing like it here!

If she is young..and a chef ( instead of a cook) the chef ware pants are fun!!! or have an apron customized for her!!! that she can wear when cooking at the villa!

What a lovely thought, although, do remember the gift wrapping , as elaborate and colourfull as possible.

Another thoughtful gift is some gourmet food items from your area, especially for a chef. Small jars of something wonderful, preserves, sauce, marinade, candy - foods she would not get in Italy. I often send food gifts from Kentucky, with specialties that are unusual. People love the idea that it is from your hometown. I have some food gifts from friends that I just hate to open, as the jars are so pretty on my shelf in the kitchen......
Karen

Simply a couple bottles of good wine from the US would be nice.

When I lived in Italy, I asked a friend bring over two bottles of Kitchen Bouquet and a shaker of Wondra, neither of which had I found in either Sorrento or Florence. The KB bottles broke in her suitcase, on her underwear, I understand.

I was near tears when I heard, and it wasn't about stained lingerie.

Please enlighten this poor home cook and gadget freak: what is a microplane? Anything similar to a mandoline?



Letizia
www.incampagna.com

The microplane is a grater. They come in three sizes, fine mesh, for lemon and lime zest, medium, which is good for garlic, and large, for onion, carrots, etc. They are long skinny tools, with a rubber handle at one end. Made of stainless steel, they are VERY sharp, and work much better than the old-fashioned graters.Look at www.williams-sonoma.com, under Cooks Tools, and put microplane in the search box.
Karen

***URL fixed only***

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Colleen,

I was surprised to see there are many more than three!!!
I just got a nutmeg one at a food show in the states, it is a little holder with grater and place for the nutmeg!!!

Great suggestions from everyone. Now the question is which microplane graters would be the most useful. There have to be at least 20 different types: 3 different types of zester, spice grator, 3 different ribbon thicknesses, 2 different shavers, different thicknesses for graters, now they also make a several rotary styles, it's overwhelming. On Amazon you can see a good selection of all the microplanes. Which do you think would come in the most handy for cooking in Italy?

One more thing I forgot to put in my last post. This chef is crazy about Pam, the baking and the regular, they don't have it in Italy. Is it legal to put Pam aerosole cans in your check in luggage?

I own several microplanes and love them. My favorite is about 12 inches long including the handle and about an inch wide with a fine to medium grate. I usually reach for this one for most jobs from grating cheese,chocolate,or zesting citrus. I think they make a wonderful gift for any cook.I received mine as gifts in my christmas stocking.

Do you know if you can grate nutmeg with that one?

I just tried to grate nutmeg and it does do it but the grains are sliightly bigger than on the usual star grater.

I concur with Diva on the chocolates. On a last minute whim, I bought a box of Ethel M chocolates at LAX as a gift for cousins in Milan, and they LOVED them. Had I known, I would've brought more.

And my microplane is fabulous for grating Parmesan - I wind up with a heap of soft curls that melt the minute they hit the pasta.


chrisv

I think I'll get a box of chocolate and a couple of of the microplane graters. I'm not a chocolate lover so I didn't even notice what type of candy, if any, they had in Italy. If I was to get an assortment box would you recommend just getting nutty chewy kinds, and would you say "See's" would be the favored brand? I don't have that much time so these will be the quickest things I can pull together. Thanks for all of your suggestions you've been a great help.

I would get her one of the long stick orignal ones, great for zest and parmesan.. I also like my wider one... and the tiny nutmeg one that is a tiny box shape.. really turns nutmeg into a delicate powder!!!

Nuts and Chews!!! I get my see's at the airport to when leaving!
But any chocolate is fab!!! My friends also get a kick out of jelly belly's.. in the box so they know what the flavors are!

I have ended up knowing a lot of dedicated cooks and chefs. Here are some of the things I have bought them, some because they saw them in my kitchen and longed for them. It doesn't mean they will use them! I don't have the microplane, but wish I did.
Angelfood tin with American measuring devices and a translated recipe.
Instant thermometer that reads in both C and F temps. It is digital. This is better than my old regular one, and the giftee doesn't use it, so I'd love to steal it back. She asked for it and thinks it is a good idea. My cooking class was fascinated with mine, too, but the maestro, who kept telling us the exact safe temperature for everything didn't actually feel like he needed to take the temperature of anything.
Rubbery ice cube trays that make cute shapes-- these are from Ikea but Italians think "How American!" and then start thinking about what to use them for besides ice.
Chili mix of the less fiery sort. The resulting dish resembles chili in no particular, so far, but he did like it.

I have a friend who is a chef in Italy and I eat at their restaurant most days when I am in Florence.

I started him on a collection from the "Fat Chef's" line and he loves it! So far, he has the apron, oven mitts, towels and this time I found a plaque for his wall.

Also, I brought them a Cork Popper wine opener which they do not have there and they use it to open expensive bottles of wine. They think its terrific!

Alex

I love my microplane graters, so I'm sure your friend will be delighted with the gift. Can't remember, but do they have OXO goods in Italy? Those vegetable peelers are amazing, as are those little shrimp deveiners. The gadgets that have changed my life.

one more idea....freezable wine bottle chillers. These are plastic sleeves filled with freezable gel that wrap securely around a wine bottle. Keeps a white wine nice and chilled for over an hour. They come in packs of two from Williams Sonoma. I brought them over for all my friends this summer...they were a huge hit.