High-quality Swiss cookware is a world away from supermarket style non-stick pans and traditional French copper.

Double-walled Durotherm pan. Photo courtesy of Kuhn Rikon.

I lived in France for many years, and swore by my French copper pans and Godin gas stove. On arrival in Switzerland, where many homes (at least ours) were long ago converted to convection cookers, I longed for my Godin and shiny copper pans, all shaped to meet the special purpose they were made for.

But since my philosophy in life is to “go local”, whether I’m in the Sahara or Geneva, Switzerland, I immediately started doing my research, and was more than pleasantly surprised at Swiss engineering and design skills when it comes to modern cookware. Their cookware is not only made to last a lifetime; it is made to conserve vitamins and is ecological.

So to get to the end of this long-winded tale, I would suggest the following gifts for any cook, whether gourmet or amateur. They will thank you every time they use it, and they will most likely use it every day for just about the rest of their lives.

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Great info on everything to do with cooking: Cooking Up A Story

Tips on cooking up fresh pumpkin and how to choose just the right pumpkin. As Americans and Canadians probably already know from experience, the water content of European pumpkins is often quite different from that of the North American varieties, which becomes a real problem when you’re using North American recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Photo courtesy of Michael Elliot.

Fortunately, farmers markets in the Lake Geneva region offer a wide variety of pumpkins, so you should be able to find the right variety so you can still make your family recipes. But I do forewarn you: pumpkin pie can be tricky, so it’s best to do a trial run before the Big Day.

And don’t forget to save the seeds. Larita’s pumpkin seed recipe is a bit too American, in that we tend to use more natural ingredients in Switzerland, but one could perhaps use Migros or Coop “Country Potatoes” seasoning and simply skip her American smoke flavouring. In this case, it would be best to leave out the other spices, since this seasoning is in fact a mixture of some of the same spices.

To launch the chasse or hunting season: Wild River Review – Wild Table

Warren Bobrow’s new blog is full of old-fashioned and traditional recipes with a modern edge, as well as tips on how to live the gentleman’s life in general. Try his pumpkin-filled pasta recipe.

For manifestos on the importance of buying local food, as well as traditional recipes and food ideas: The Slow Cook

Ed Bruske is really just a foodie who engages in the concerns of a hungry planet, so you will find a variety of food-related topics, as well as recipes. I particularly like his “I’m an Elitest” post, in which he addresses the “ravings of James McWilliams, the writer who argues that there’s something sinister about the local food movement,” because it gives you both sides of the story: Michael Pollan and Wendell Berry vs. James McWilliams.

For a homely English slant: Yummy Homely Food

Laure Moyle took a 3-month holiday, but has finally returned just in time for chocolate week. She creates original, yet somewhat traditional recipes, using traditional British ingredients. Since she grew up in France, they often have a touch of the French, and use the local ingredients she finds near her home in Sussex. Sometimes it’s nice to have simple, unpretentious, yet good quality, comfort food.

She puts a particular emphasis on getting Kids in the Kitchen.

The award-winning Cobb Grill is on sale online at Eboutic until 18  October.

Photo courtesy of Eboutic.

These grills are unique in that they are compact, lightweight, come with their own tote bag, and emit practically no smoke. They are only 12in/30cm high, 12in/30cm wide, weigh 8.5lbs/4kg, and are tabletop.

Although they should not be used indoors, they can be used on the balcony.

Cobb Grills are multipurpose. It would be more appropriate to refer to them as a cooking system than a grill, because they can be used to grill meat, fish and vegetables, as well as to smoke, steam, stew, bake, roast, and stir-fry. It is possible to cook an entire meal for 4 or 5 people all in one grill. Various attachments are available, such as a cast-iron grill for better searing, a wok and a steamer. There is a special system, referred to as the “flavor well” or “moat”, for catching the natural juices that are drained off.

Unique charcoal briquettes, made of recycled, crushed, compressed coconut shells, are used for heating up to a temperature of nearly 600F/300C. Since they are recycled, they are ecological.

The cooking system comes with non-stick surface components and can be put in the dishwasher.

Photo courtesy of Cobb Grill America.

The Cobb Grill is a good and environmentally-friendly investment for any household, thanks to its versatility for cooking food in healthy, fat-free ways. It is specially designed to drain off as much fat and grease as possible, and is endorsed by the South African Heart Association.

An economical, ecological, ergonomic cappuccino maker

Bialetti’s Mukka Express model is unique in that you can make a cappuccino or café au lait, with real espresso and foamy milk, all in one pot.

Photo courtesy of Cuistoland.

The Bialetti looks very similar to Bialetti’s traditional 6- and 8-sided, stovetop espresso makers.

It does not require paper filters, so it is ecological. It does not take up much space, so it is ergonomic. It is all metal and hard plastic, so I’ve not yet found a way to break it. It lasts for years, so especially when you consider its low cost as compared to an electric coffee maker, it is a long-term, economical investment.

Mukka Express: Difference in use as compared to Bialetti’s traditional stovetop espresso maker

Start by pouring the water into the bottom part, as with the traditional Bialetti. Then insert the coffee filter/funnel and fill it with ground coffee, just like with the traditional model.

Then comes the difference. Unlike when making a simple espresso, you pour milk into the top part. Then screw the pressure valve onto the tube built in to the top part of the coffee maker.

When the water in the bottom half of the pot gets hot, the steam it produces rises through the tube. The pressure valve then opens (rather like on a pressure cooker) and heats the milk. Afterward, the coffee comes up and mixes with the frothy, steamed milk.

And there you go, two espressos ready to be served, all in the space of 4 minutes.

Simplicity of use and simple design

The Mukka Express is indeed of simple technical design, but even so, every single aspect is extremely precisely calculated, and if you don’t follow the instructions to the letter, you can end up with coffee all over your new silk robe, the kitchen ceiling, soaking your newly coiffed hair, and running down from the stovetop into the drawers of the kitchen cabinet. This is definitely not the way to start the day, so I will give you a few words of advice drawn from my own disastrous experiences.

Tricks drawn from the experience of a coffee drinker who makes her coffee while still half asleep

I am not a morning person, so being precise before I have my first cup of coffee in the morning is quite a challenge, and one that I have not always managed to live up to.

Photo courtesy of Graeme Weatherston.

Never fill the coffee filter so high that coffee grains get into the screwthreads of the bottom part of the coffee maker. This makes it difficult to screw the top half onto the bottom half, and often makes it difficult to unscrew it after use.

Observe the filling level marks. They are precisely calculated and can bring on major kitchen catastrophes if not adhered to.

Never clean with soap. This risks giving your coffee a soapy taste. Rinse well with hot water.

Make sure all coffee grains are removed from screwthreads before reusing.

Always check that pressure valve is completely screwed on before putting coffee maker on heat.

If you are in a hurry and start the coffee on high, stand by it and as soon as you hear the water starting to rise in the tube, lower the heat.

If after use, you can’t manage to unscrew the top half from the bottom half, remove the pressure valve. Then run cold water into top half, letting it run down the pressure valve tube. This will usually disengage any stray coffee grounds that are making it stick.

Cleaning vinegar: an ecological, economical multipurpose cleaning product

White distilled vinegar is still a standard cleaning product in Switzerland. It can replace many of the more expensive, name-brand cleaning products with all their “new and improved” claims and hefty price tags.

It’s not new, and it’s not improved, but it serves hundreds of purposes around the house.

You can buy it in any supermarket in Switzerland. You’ll find it in the cleaning products section, under the name Vinaigre de nettoyage. In France, simply buy vinaigre blanc in the vinegar section of the supermarket. Any Carrefour, Super U, Champion or Casino carries it.

Cleaning vinegar is not only economical; it is also ecological and non-toxic.

You can easily pour it into a spray bottle for easier use.

To remove odors

Wipe down inside of refrigerator with vinegar to remove odors. Mix it with baking soda to remove odors from garbage cans. It can generally be used to remove odors of all types, including mildew and musty smells.

To remove build-up of lime or corrosion

Put vinegar on a sponge or soft cloth to shine chrome sink taps. Fill kettle with vinegar and let it sit overnight to remove lime deposits.

To remove stickers and glue

On windows or other spots that have the left-overs of an adhesive hook, price tag or sticker, use pure vinegar.

To clean windows

Use vinegar and old newspaper to clean windows. Newspaper works much better than paper towels, because it leaves no white paper traces.

To remove grease

Vinegar is also good for removing grease on exhaust hoods and oven grills.

General cleaning

Cleaning vinegar is good for removing the film that forms on kitchen cabinets, cutting boards, and stovetops. To remove tea or coffee stains from porcelain or china, soak in vinegar, mixed with either soda or salt. After cutting onions or garlic, clean your hands with vinegar to remove the smell.

WARNING: Vinegar is an acid, so it should never be used on marble.

When washing fruit, vegetables and other food, fill a basin or bowl of the appropriate size or the sink with cold water, and dip the food in it, instead of running water over it with the spray nozzle or holding it under the tap.