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Once upon a time, I *may* have sorta, kinda, burned up my non-stick wok. I think that’s the only time I’ve ever come close to needing or wanting a kitchen fire extinguisher, as previously suggested. We were going to repurpose it as a trophy for a street hockey tournament, which never transpired unfortunately. It would have made an awesome trophy with a coat of silver spray paint. That photo up there is the original Stanley Cup, at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
This is another unique wedding registry gift top up idea. Okay, maybe not terribly unique, but it goes the extra mile and shows some thoughtfulness on the part of the gift giver. Alternatively, you could throw in a gift card or a groupon to a local Asian restaurant, for those days the couple doesn’t feel like cooking. That said, it may be straying a tad too far from the registry or cash, yet it would provide a nice date night for a couple that is now financially drained after hosting a wedding.
Wok ‘n Roll
The wok is a more rare item on the gift registry, but they do show up occasionally. You should pounce. You can fill that puppy to the brim with thoughtfulness, for a nice, low price. Seriously, depending on what you choose, you could make a nice gift basket for maybe $10 worth of groceries!
The Non Edible Additions
Nice Chopsticks – Specifically not the super cheap type that come with take out. Get some nice ones and add them in. Maybe the camping ones from mec? [Note: they’re pricey]
Or some other ones from Amazon, maybe even the “learning” chopsticks:
A Wok Utilizing Cookbook – whether it’s specifically a Wok or stir fry cookbook, or one for a cuisine that makes a lot of use of woks, a cookbook is a good way to go. I recommend trolling the discount section at your local bookseller, your big box bookseller, grocery store, or Winners-equivalent. You should be able to find something on sale for $5-15.
Bamboo Utensils – Don’t go overboard here, as the couple may not have the storage space, but these are nice, wok-safe and very affordable. Check out your local Liquidation World, Giant Tiger, Walmart or equivalent, Winners, Home Sense, or IKEA. Alternatively, order online.
These ones are from IKEA – MIXA …. wait for it… $0.99. Yup. Affordable.
These are from Amazon:
The Edible Additions
Herein lies the best opportunity to make a thoughtful and oh-so-affordable wedding gift – stock up with groceries. I have tried to list things in a rough price order of cheapest to most expensive, but that all depends on a lot of factors like your local stores and the size of products.
Soba Noodles – Currently on sale for $0.88 cents a package where I live.
Udon Noodles – These are usually two or three for $1.00.
Rice Noodles – Big bang for buck, these are usually $2-$3 and come in a nice, huge package, to take up lots of space in that wok.
Sauce Packets or Jars – They will range in price a lot, but make for a very easy and delicious addition! $1-$8
Spices and Pastes – Tamarind Sauce, whole cardamom pods, whole spices, curry paste, curry powder, pureed ginger, garam masala $2-$10
Tins of Food/Drink – Think baby corn, palm hearts, water chestnuts, coconut milk, mango juice, coconut water and more. $2-$6
Dried Mushrooms – This is another big bang for buck item, they come in a huge bag to fill up your giant wok. ~$5
Sauces/Oils – soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, tamari, sesame oil, hoisin, citrus flavoured soy sauce – $5-$10
Wine/Beer –Pick up some rice wine, sake, or tsingtao to wrap this all up into a nice meal. $10+
A Giant Bag of Rice – you know the ones that come at the big box stores, or that sit on the very bottom shelf at the local grocery store because they’re so huge? Get one of those. This is mostly for comedic value, unless you’re giving it to someone from a culture where this is the norm. Assuming you’re not a suburban family, most folks don’t go all out with their rice purchasing. Make sure the recipient couple will think it’s pretty funny, not just “wtf is wrong with our friends?!” Whatever you do, don’t take the giant bag of rice to the wedding. Yes, it may be funny, but lots of venues forbid the throwing of rice. Other guests may think it’s a fantastic idea to shower the couple with rice, which may lead to the bride having a heart attack at her wedding, because she knows they’ll be fined a million dollars for breaking venue policy. Bad scene.
In summary, for ~$10 you should be able to get some rice noodles, dried mushrooms, pad thai sauce and a set of bamboo utensils from Ikea. Done and Done. Now add your very lovely card, with a nice personal message and you have one super thoughtful gift! Bonus points if you pick a recipe in a cookbook you’re giving and provide all of the necessary non-perishable ingredients (make sure you say which recipe in your card!).
I would like to leave you with another Entourage quote, but alas I cannot find an exact reference. Once again, Drama is talking about kitchens and says, “It has a built in wok. Very versatile.”
