gift guide: for the cook (or the sir or ma'am who wants to become one)

1. no kitchen would be complete without a copy of martha stewart's cooking school. great for the beginning chef and the advanced! - $30

2. the ultimate santoku knife. there are many others out there that are cheaper that are just as fabulous, but if you truly want to pamper your chef-y friend, splurge on this - $80

3. cast iron skillets are an awesome addition to any kitchen or camp fire but i draw my hands to my mouth at the sight of these adorable mini skillets! {frolic!} blogger added these cute cards to put inside the pans. j'adorbs! - $4

4. a microplane grater - perfect for grating zests, spices, parmesan, the works  - $15

5. ever since i got into martha (12?), i knew that one of the most useful tools in a well-supplied kitchen was a silpat baking mat. tor, remember saying this aaaalllll the time?! it is indeed a fantastic gift for any chef: cookies bake evenly, sheet pan spills are easy peasy - $20

6. my absolute most favorite favorite latte bowls from anthropologie. they are the perfect size, come in a wide range of lovely colors and are the just right amount of funkyness for a bowl - $5 ** be an even cooler gift giver and include a set of these minis