Our mothers have fed us from the time we were born until we moved out, and now they feed us on trips home. Everyone has a favorite dish made by their moms, and even famous chefs cite their mothers as the best cooks in their lives.
Some mothers show their love through food, creating meals for family and friends. And there’s an actual scientific reason we associate food with love. The brain itself equates the two, and studies show the dopamine receptors are activated the same way when we look at people we love or a favorite food.
Whether your mother is a fantastic cook, or just wants to be one, we’ve got some great gift ideas for Mother’s Day.
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Cookbooks How to Dress an Egg: Surprising and Simple Ways to Cook Dinner ($26.99; amazon.com)Chef Ned Baldwin, owner of Houseman in New York City, believes we should all learn to cook one thing and cook it well, and that will lead to more and more culinary successes. How to Dress an Egg, co-written with Peter Kaminsky, focuses on one key ingredient per cooking method, and teaches readers the hows of the recipe as well as the steps to create the perfect roast chicken or homemade mayonnaise.
I Dream of Dinner (so you don’t have to): Low-Effort, High-Reward Recipes ($20.59, originally $29.99; amazon.com)Author Ali Slagle develops recipes for The New York Times, among others, and has put together a cookbook for the rest of us using minimal ingredients to create “maximum joy.” The 150 recipes included are easy and fun to prepare, and most are ready in under an hour, which is crucial for busy families with little time to spare for meal prep. One reviewer loved the simple ingredients that pack a ton of flavor into every bite.
Food Enhancers Dario Ceccini Herb Salt Blend ($31.95; amazon.com)Yes, we did put salt on a gift guide for cooks, because it’s that good. It’s not just salt, though; it’s finely ground Italian sea salt mixed with a blend of herbs that basically put all of Tuscany in a bottle for you to use in your home kitchen. The marriage of salt with sage, lavender, thyme, rosemary, laurel, fennel and juniper is perfect for making your home-cooked meals — especially meats like chicken and beef — taste like they came out of a Michelin-starred kitchen.
TruffleHunter Truffle Oil Gift Set ($34.95; amazon.com)Truffles are highly valued by chefs for the intense flavor and robust umami they give to dishes, and now your favorite home cook can use that same truffle zing in their own kitchen. These three distinct flavors of oil can be used in recipes or as a finishing touch to pasta, pizza, and risotto to amplify the tasting experience. Black Truffle oil is earthy; White Truffle oil is garlicky; and English Truffle oil is nutty.
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Kitchen AppliancesNinja Foodi 12-in-1 Deluxe XL Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer ($159.99, originally $249.99; amazon.com)Everyone is talking about air frying their food, as well as using pressure cookers to create delicious meals. But all those different appliances can really crowd a kitchen counter, and who needs that? This miraculous machine is both a pressure cooker and an air fryer. It can also steam, bake, roast, broil, dehydrate, and sous vide food as well as act as a slow cooker. She’ll be able to give away all the other appliances, because this is the only one she’ll ever need.
Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender ($289.95, originally $349.95; amazon.com)The undisputed (in our opinion) king of blenders is the Vitamix. It may only have two switches and a knob, but it chops, blends, purees, grinds, and emulsifies just about anything. Smoothies are smoother here because the laser-cut, aircraft-grade stainless steel blades can grind ice down to a fine consistency. This edition has a 48 ounce container which is perfect for family-sized meals, but still fits in most cabinets.
Kitchen Comfort Mattitude Cushioned Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Rugs ($31.99, originally $42.99; amazon.com)If mom is going to stand in the kitchen making delicious meals for the family, the least you can do is provide some comfort and relief for her feet and back. This two piece set has extra thick padding for additional support while standing, is easy to clean, and has a non-skid backing for safety.
Sinceller Electric Jar Opener ($23.99, originally $24.99; amazon.com)We wonder how much time is wasted trying to open up stuck jar lids? Surely enough to warrant this electric jar opener from Kitchenmuh, we’ll bet. Just set this device on the jar, press one button, and voila! An open jar. Some other jar openers still require a bit of grip to use, but this one does all the hard work, and can open a variety of sizes.
Just for Fun Kitchen Items Personal Herb Window Garden ($29.99, originally $39.99; amazon.com)Many cooks agree that for some recipes, you just can’t beat fresh herbs. If your mother isn’t much of a gardener, or lives in a community without a yard, this window-sill sized herb garden is the perfect gift. It comes with everything she’ll need to start her own garden, from reusable pots and seeds to the markers that help organize your parsley, thyme, oregano, dill, basil, chives, cilantro, sage, and mustard.
OTOTO Spaghetti Monster Strainer ($24.95; amazon.com)It might look a little silly, but pasta is kind of silly if you think about it. This monster of a strainer from OTOTO is really cute and makes you giggle, but it’s also durable, heat resistant and dishwasher safe. OTOTO believes everyday tasks shouldn’t be boring, and your next pasta night will be anything but boring with this new googly-eyed friend.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.