Buy her a couple of bottles of Fini Ltd. Ed. Balsamic Vinegar (Four Leaves).
This is my all time favorite, but too pricey to use other than for sipping.
Some put it over ice cream.
Fini has a lower priced vinegar that's great, but this one is aged 24 months and costs much more.
Last I paid was ~ $32/bottle.
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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1363302148.jpg
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http://www.acetaiafini.it/our_products_limited_edition.php

Funny that you mention clogs - I saw a pair in her Amazon wishlist so I picked them up, they arrived last night. She does have her uniform already. Cliff, she does have a nice canvas carrying case for her knives and the knives are getting personalized ASAP.

The plot has thickened a little bit - she just found out - rather accidentally and in front of a TV news crew - that she has been selected to be the captain of the team chosen to represent the region at a national level competition. The grand prize hasn't been announced yet, but traditionally it has been a pretty high-stakes affair. Very exciting stuff!

Keep the suggestions coming for the gifts - I love the idea of the balsamic vinegars.

San Pellegrino has a chef competition and award ceremony thing. You might look into getting her into something like that. Or a gift certificate to one of the CIA courses, or a meal at an interesting restaurant.

Last year, the grand prize at this competition, was a semester of study abroad at a renowned culinary institute. The place she's studying now is similar to CIA (she's not in the USA).

That must be some kind of vinegar if you're sipping it. Wow! :eek:

One small tip to pass on;
Most culinary students' chef coats look like they have been in a paintball shootout by the end of the first 6 months. To keep a coat clean and fresh looking, soak it overnight in a solution of equal parts Oxyclean, dishwashing liquid, and laundry detergent before putting it in the washing machine. There are different enzymes in each that attack stains and you end up with much cleaner coat. You look much more professional that way, and when you look good...you feel good.

i have a bottle of balsamic from Tuscany. we stopped in at some hidden vineyard. drinking and yucking it up with the owner's kid. he asked me if i wanted to taste their balsamic..YES! he took out a few small plastic spoons, and put a drop in each. one taste, my mouth felt like it was on "music"..like a stupid choir of angels were singing a perfect harmonic note on my tongue. i just blurted out.."i'll take it!"

my sister and brother, followed me over the cliff. the tiny bottle was $88 dollars. i kept that thing in my luggage like it was nuclear bomb material. i still have half of it left. my sibling blasted thru theirs. it is amazing drizzled over vanilla icecream.

good lordie.. a choir of angels..seriously.

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Sing out, Brother. Hallelujah! ;)

I know this is an old thread, and this is a bit OT, but I saw an episode of Anthony Bourdain where they went to an area that made a lot of Balsamic. One family would put a cask away to start aging every time a boy was born. I think they had some stuff that was 150 years old. It didn't look like anything that you get in the US. I'd love to try some of the good stuff, but wouldn't know what to buy if I wasn't over there getting it.

That good, huh?

IT's good. It's nothing like the watery crap you get here and it's used in a different manner. Here's they throw it into salad dfressing. There, they drizzle it on chunks of parmesano reggiano, on strawberries, etc.

If you want the real deal, look at the label. It comes from the area near Modena and there will be the words "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale" on the label.

JR

old thread but after reading it had a idea-
Make one for her-
not terribly hard-
Perfect Chef Blade Blank - Elmax Stainless - .10"thick x 13.5" Long x 2" wide - Knife Blanks - Kit Knives & Blade Blanks

Here's the segment on No Reservations.
No Reservations | The Real Balsamic Vinegar

You can buy the vinegar from the place that he visits for 230 euros for a 100ml bottle. :eek:

Since we're on the knife subject, I really like these as my knife block. I don't like sets of knives, I pick up all kinds of individual knives at swap meets, discount stores, etc.

Amazon.com: Kapoosh Dice Knife Block, Bamboo Wood: Universal Knife Block: Kitchen & Dining

Knife by Cut Brooklyn, watch the video very cool, makes you want to go out and make something with your hands.

Made by Hand

great story in that video!

Really enjoyed this! Thank you for sharing. And though on the "low end" I really love my Victorinox/Forschner kinves, as a couple of others have pointed out. Have had very expensive knives in the past, but the Forschners just work for me. YMMV...

still hoarding some of that balsamic..

:D

and my taste in knives has transformed to vintage high carbon..amazing.

next stop? i'll try a japanese gyoto. in high carbon.

Nice.

So you've got a bunch of old knives laying around that you don't use any more? Send me your old junk. ;)

I've read some of your posts from going vintage and high carbon.

i'll send you my "training wheels" japanese high carbon knife. it is a santoku style..which i kinda hate. it is soooooooo sharp. effen scary. i used it to learn how to use a waterstone. it isnt expensive at all, but did i mention sharp?

Shun.....