Preparing for her first holiday, my niece discovers her kitchen is without two essentials: her chef father and a stocked spice cabinet. Here's my advice.
As the holidays approach or are here, depending on where you live and how far in denial you are...I've begun dreaming about my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving.
My niece guest authored a spot on my personal blog called You Are Your Spice Cabinet. She, like many recent grads, found herself setting up her first kitchen and a little overwhelmed. She's also bewildered at the thought of her first Thanksgiving meal. I love the holiday and have hosted many. I thought I'd offer my Thanksgiving Spice Rub recipe and introduce my Orphans', Refugees', and Procrastinators' Thanksgiving story.
Spice rubs, kitchen gifts and gourmet treats make terrific gifts for holiday hosts, or housewarming dinners.
In Toronto, the St. Lawrence Market offers many gourmet gift options and if you're looking for gifts to bring when you're invited to a holiday dinner why not bring your own handmade spice blend in a fancy jar?
It's also cooler now and gumbo is a perfect fall meal. My Cajun Spice Blend in a nice jar, with some dish towels inside a cast iron dutch oven would make a unique housewarming gift for your niece or nephew moving into their first apartment.
