A mere gift certificate is more than just an electronic picture that sends best wishes.

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Finding a gift to show how much you care is much harder these days.

Cooks and chefs are pretty opinionated about everything they use, why not give them something that they can choose?

A gift certificate from ChefShop.com is a gift that says I trust you, I believe in you and I can't wait to see what you create.

A gift certificate is the ideal gift for the person who loves to Cook. Perfect for the chef in your life!

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Click Here To See Gift Certificate Options!

I bought too many bananas, on purpose. I was hoping for a little browning of the bananas because I have been thinking about fruit breads, specifically banana bread.

So now as life slows down I am looking forward to making banana bread next week and more importantly, eating it.

I am also looking forward to cheesecakes, making cookies and going to Ringo Curry.

See the Banana Bread Recipe here!

Like the stained glass of the Duomo di Siena, a slice of Flamigni Panforte Margherita positively glows. Unwrap the paper wrapping and find a foil bag with a packet of powdered sugar. Open the bag and you will uncover a panforte made in Siena.

Looking like a cake without it's frosting, you see every delicious morsel of candied fruit and nuts in plain sight. You "swaddle" in India Tree powdered cane sugar and then slice into thin, thin pieces. The first bite is better than you can imagine. Not hard, but soft, full of flavor and filled with holiday joy!

Made from September to February, we have panforte margherita for sale in November and December. This year we offer one from three brothers, Flamigni. The company was started in 1930 and they continue to produce their specialties in the traditional ways. Using the same ingredients and following the recipes that are now over 9o years old.

Where fruitcake, stollen and traditional panforte are similar in their use of candied fruit and nuts, the "feel" of each is wildly different. For me, I like all three, and no holiday is complete without these very special treats!

Feel the holiday with Flamigni Traditional Panforte!

From the first time I made it some 20 plus years ago to today, making this recipe correctly takes time and is truly therapeutic. The pace is slow and enjoyable. The end result is wow.

Be sure to get great sweet oranges and don't be shy of mixing it up!

See the Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe here!

Don't want to have the therapeutic experience of making the Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe? Just want cheesecake? Then this is the recipe for you.

See the Basque Cheesecake Recipe here!

Our friend, Don, was Chef Louis' Night Chef at The Bakery in Chicago. This homemade seasoned salt recipe is adapted from when Don was cooking.

See the Chef's Salt Recipe here!

With just four ingredients, the only skill you need is mixing (and a little melting) to make this drop dead delicious cake!

The best thing about this cake is that it is totally forgiving. Getting it perfect might not be possible, as there is no perfect. It is chocolate, butter, sugar and eggs! You can make it, most likely, right out of what you have in your pantry.

Remember to use only really good chocolate to have the best success in this extra rich chocolate cake recipe.

See the The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe here!

Chocolate is a very personal taste. One person's love is another person's, I like but....

A handful of these will satisfy almost every craving I have!

Shop now for Cru Sauvage - Wild Cocoa Baking Chocolate 68% - Bittersweet!

This is a classic Italian pasta dish - perfect for the early fall when the potatoes and beans are coming into the market. Traditionally made with Fettuccine, any long pasta will work.

The recipe calls for walnuts, as well as pine nuts. If the pesto becomes too thick, you can use some of the pasta water to thin the sauce. Be stingy when adding the liquid. Just a little bit at a time - after you have combined the pasta, pesto and veggies together.

See the Pasta with Pesto, Green Beans & Potatoes Recipe here!

We had these over the Thanksgiving holiday and somehow half of them disappeared before Thursday! And before midnight they were all gone...nothing but a few bits left in the dish....

I am making more for this upcoming week!

See the The Best Bar Nuts Recipe here!

There are two parts to this recipe. The curry chicken can stand on its own, the potatoes and vegetables are added later.

You can make both at the same time or make the chicken curry first.

Shop now for Kare Raisu - Rice Curry Chicken Recipe!

Do not over-beat and all will be good.

See the Easy Chocolate Cocoa Brownie Recipe here!

This frangipane filling recipe came from our friend and Pastry Chef, Jesse. Use this almond creme filling when making almond Danish, croissants, or fruit/almond tarts. This almond creme filling would go under the tart's fresh fruit topping before baking.

Frangipane, in culinary terms, is a rich almond cream made from ground almonds, butter, sugar, and eggs, widely used in European pastry. It is best known as the filling for classics such as the galette des rois, almond croissants, and fruit tarts, where it bakes into a soft, fragrant, and slightly custardy layer with a pronounced almond flavor.

The name "frangipane" traces back to the Italian Frangipani family of the 16th century, whose almond-scented perfume became fashionable across Europe. French pastry cooks adopted the term to describe an almond-based preparation whose aroma recalled that perfume, and by the 17th and 18th centuries, frangipane had become a staple of French patisserie, firmly linking the name to the culinary tradition we know today.

See the Almond Creme - Frangipane - Recipe here!

I asked, and lots of thinking could be heard, then Ann said she would love to share a recipe, "Let me think about it".

The next day she said "I know, I'll make cranberry bread, I have been making it since high school. Do you need it typed out or can I send a pic of the recipe?"

And then she made the bread that night and sent a pic in the morning.

This is the perfect holiday bread to make this time of year!

See the Holiday Cranberry Bread Recipe here!

This is one of my favorite mustards especially when combined with other mustards. It also has a great look. Try spreading Triple Crunch Mustard out across a nice slab of protein!

The smell is like mustard. What you notice is that packed inside the jar are whole mustard seeds.

I love the crunch. If you like seeds in your mustard, this is the one for you.

If it's not the crunch or the look of the seeds, it just might be the Canadian Whiskey that makes this a favorite.

Shop now for Kozlik's Canadian Triple Crunch Mustard!