Now You’re Cooking!
When we’re this close to Santa’s arrival, it’s time to be a little more creative with your gift-giving. You have a few options – you can battle the mall this weekend, go for a gift card, or rush ship something. But another, more creative idea is to gift something that doesn’t need to be physically in your hands come December 25. Like today’s gift idea – The Missing Ingredient.
This Canadian subscription box service was created by Angie Quaale, owner of Well Seasoned, a Fraser Valley-area gourmet food store and cooking school. A certified BBQ pitmaster with gourmand flair, Angie’s vision was to shake off kitchen doldrums by delivering inspiration in the form of rare ingredients, must-have kitchen gadgets, and ideas that align with the latest food trends.
If you subscribe, you’ll receive a box from The Missing Ingredient monthly. Inside, you’ll find four to five full-sized items, including rare and artisanal ingredients that are harder to find on the grocery store shelves. They can be anything from baker’s delights to infused oils and vinegars to exotic spices. They also offer up recipes to transform those ingredients into incredible dishes, and additional recipes available on their site can help you take any leftovers and make them into even more yummy dishes. If you truly loved one of the items in your box, you can even contact The Missing Ingredient about getting more delivered right to your door. It’s also very much worth noting that they offer a gluten-sensitive version of their box, which sidesteps any gluten ingredients.
You’ll also often find a gadget or two to make meal prep a snap, a pro tip from one of the company’s professional chefs, and a Meet the Maker card, which introduces you to the people behind the products, including their practices, production methods, and what makes them so gosh darn special.
It’s a wonderful gift idea for anyone that spends time in the kitchen. Maybe they’re just learning, maybe they’re a seasoned pro looking for new inspiration, maybe they love experimenting but can’t get their hands on fancy ingredients. Whatever the case may be, The Missing Ingredient may indeed be what’s been missing from their kitchens. So how much does it cost? Well like with most subscription models, The Missing Ingredient costs less the longer your subscription is. For a one-month trial, it’s $56.99. Sign up for a full year and it goes down to $42.99 per month.
The boxes go out on the 7th of each month, so if you gift someone with one for Christmas, they could be receiving their first box from The Missing Ingredient in January. Plus it saves you the hassle of visiting the mall or diligently following your postal tracking numbers to see if your parcel will arrive on time. Simply print off the gift certificate from the site, maybe wrap it around a gourmet ingredient you pick up, and get set to enjoy the rewards of having amazing new meals come out from your home kitchen.
I’m very excited to announce I’m giving away a 3-month subscription to The Missing Ingredient! Want to win it? here’s how to enter:
1) First of all: you must be a subscriber to the Canadian Gift Guide to enter this giveaway. It’s as simple as finding ‘The Gift of Gab’ box in the righthand column and dropping in your email or clicking follow. Then leave me a comment below by December 28, 2015 telling me who in your life would love this subscription box – and what they love to cook or what their favourite ingredients are! You can certainly pick yourself, by the by.
2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 29, 2015 to select the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.
3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.
4) Bonus Entry #1: Follow @mingredient and Tweet about the giveaway, linking back to your Tweet in a separate comment below. Please tag @mingredient+ @cdngiftguide and link back to this post.
5) Bonus Entry #2: Follow @wellseasoned1 and Tweet about the giveaway, linking back to your Tweet in a separate comment below. Please tag @wellseasoned1 + @cdngiftguide and link back to this post.
6) Bonus Entry #3: Like The Missing Ingredient on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall about who in your life would love a subscription. You have no obligation to mention the CGG.
Canadian Gift Guide 
Wow! this is such a great idea and I’d love to receive it as a gift. New fun ingredients to play with every month would really spice up my cooking!
I subscribe by email. I love to cook but my husband loves to cook more. He would really love to try this package out. I stick to what I know and he likes to try new things and experiment.
dorcontest at gmail dot com
This is so cool- my cooking cold use some excitement i must confess!
Bonus Entry 1 – https://twitter.com/_Contention_/status/677846604657790976
I would love this package, help to expand my repertoire. My girlfriend would also love this, she’s quite the cook and is very experimental with cooking.
My daughter would like this subscription to try the spices
This prize would be right up my alley. I love cooking and try almost anything. I love trying new herbs, spices and sauces.
I would use the subscription myself – I love to experiment with new recipes, especially stir-fry dishes.
I would love the subscription for myself
I would love this for myself, but my 24 year old son who is and emerging cook would be really deserving. He has recently discovered the wonders of garlic!
My mom would love this. She’s an adventurous cook!
Thank you thank you – I have a b/f who loves to cook so this would be a great gift for her & her husband. PERFECT – This is what I am gifting – great idea 🙂 🙂
What a great idea! My hubby would love this. He loves experimenting in the kitchen, coming up with his own pasta sauces — almost always with garlic!
I would love this. I do most of the cooking in my house and would love to try some new ingredients.
I would love to try new types of gourmet adventures!
I would adore this for myself, I am always experimenting with new and interesting ingredients. I love amazing salads that have unique twists.
Love the idea. I’d love this box. I have been getting back into baking lately. So far only made the basics. Cookies 😉
This would be great for my husband. He likes to BBQ.
A fun box of goodies to try.
I would love this! What a terrific idea! I think that my oldest son would dig this too: he likes to experiment with his bachelor style cooking.
Both my hubby and I are foodies who love to cook and experiment in the kitchen! Thanks for the chance 🙂
Bonus 1 – https://twitter.com/canadacontest/status/677875436194390016
I like to cook Italian food. I would definitely like to receive this as a gift. It sounds like an introduction to many different types of cooking.
My husband has developed a keen interest in cooking and likes to try all the latest culinary ideas.
I would love this, so I’ll have hubby look into this!
Actually I would love this! I love to cook and bake. I also love trying new recipes and have been trying to experiment more with ingredients and flavours.
I would definitely pick it for…myself. (Sorry!), My favourite ingredient currently is herb de provence which I bought when I was in France. I love to cook curries and stews.
I think my husband would love this – he loves anything but especially experimenting with different spices on chicken. He specially loves anything with chili powder.
My sister in law would love this! She loves baking with healthy ingredients and Italian cuisine!
me! I would love this and i love to make mexican food
This would be a great present for… me! I love to cook all kinds of food and experiment with new ingredients!
My significant other might like this! It might inspire some interesting recipes!
My husband, Chris would love this subscription box. He loves to cook with lots of seasoning especially green stuff. He is part Ukrainian and loves to make some traditional stuff like perogies and cabbage rolls. Thank you
My boyfriend Brian would love this gift. He loves to experiment with spices and different ingredients
This would definitely be for me, the head and only cook in the family. I love cooking anything that, especially pad Thailand.
I would love this for myself. My favourite ingredient is demerara sugar.
I tweeted https://twitter.com/clutterqueen1/status/677910792059006976
I tweeted https://twitter.com/clutterqueen1/status/677911588540575744
Missing Ingredient doesn’the seem to allow posts to its wall, but it does allow reviews, so I reviewed the gift subscription idea https://m.facebook.com/valerie.gibson.733/activity/10156407063120046
I’m the cook in my family and I would love to receive new items to play with each month! Great idea. I cook a variety of foods and lean towards bold flavours.
My brother-in-law would love this. He has taken cooking courses, same as if you were going to be Cordon Blue trained. He loves to cook chicken and ribs.
Bonus entry 1. https://twitter.com/April_Lisa_C/status/677926690228731905
Bonus entry 2 https://twitter.com/April_Lisa_C/status/677926430353805312
My mother-in-law would love this box because she loves to experiment when she cooks.
I would love this for myself! I love experimenting with different vegetarian recipes!
This would be a perfect gift for my mom
Frankly I think I would benefit from this gift the most.
I would love it! My favourite ingredients right now are sea salt, cilantro, balsamic vinegar, coconut milk, kale, cream cheese.
Love,love,love this idea. I am the foodie in the family. I have been experimenting with infused olive oil and flavored balsamic vinegars. Currently I am trying to master the ultimate flaky pie crust.
I am the one who likes to cook in my family. I love balsamic vinegar, great new sauce ingredients to use for stir fries, and I have a sweet tooth so dessert stuff is great. I would definitely give this one to me.
My husband would be all over this!!! His favourite ingredients? Salts of all kinds. The more salt he owns, the happier a man he is!
I would like this, but I would give it to my daughter. She cooks a lot and is always trying something new from various countries.
I would love to give this to my son, who recently moved out on his own. He’s surprising me with all the new recipes he’s trying.
https://twitter.com/sherrykinnear/status/677994849811984388
https://twitter.com/sherrykinnear/status/677995713331089408
I’d love this subscription box. I love to cook Indian, Mexican and Greek food
My mum loves to cook — soups, stews, chili using lots of different ingredients
I would love this box-I enjoy trying all sorts of foods from different cultures-would like to try some unusual spices that aren’t readily available.
I would definitely be gifting this box to myself haha. I love cooking new recipes all the time…especially anything with beets!
My husband would love this box! He likes to prepare Mexican foods for us.
Thanks!
I’d definitely give this box to myself!! I love cooking anything with chicken and tangy flavors, such as tomatoes, vinegar, and goat cheese inspired recipes.
https://twitter.com/leaherhardt/status/678075989990072322
https://twitter.com/leaherhardt/status/678075120993210368
Interesting gift idea!
The person who would love this most is me!! I love food and cooking subscription boxes. I’ve subscribed to two different ones so far and have been immensely happy both times!! There’s nothing better than food, except having it delivered to your door!! I love cooking with fruits.
It would definitely be my husband. He has lately been very experimental in cooking (which isn’t always great) but hey i’ll take it . He really loves ginger, cheese and lots of spices.
I would love this subscription box and so would my sister!
tweeted https://twitter.com/VictoriaEss2/status/678122049592758272
followed and tweeted https://twitter.com/VictoriaEss2/status/678122346511732737
So cool that you are featuring a sub box!! I have bought several subs as gifts but this one… I would keep for myself, it sounds perfect for the foodie I am.
Tweeted https://twitter.com/BeaLawson27/status/678128812492759040
oops here is the correct link https://twitter.com/BeaLawson27/status/678420319665811456
Tweeted and followed https://twitter.com/BeaLawson27/status/678129400299184128
took me several tries to figure out all the links:-)
I am a subscriber. I would love to gift this to hubby who loves experimenting with new recipes, He loves using herbs, different oils and wine in his cooking.
I would be the one that would really love this box.
I’m the cook in our family and would love a subscription like this. I love trying new things and experimenting with exotic and unusual flavours and ingredients. No recipes in this kitchen!
Tweeted to Missing Ingredient: https://twitter.com/guelphwayne/status/678216648604577792
Tweeted to Well Seasoned: https://twitter.com/guelphwayne/status/678218347809398784
Posted on Missing Ingredient’s FB post: https://www.facebook.com/missing.ingredient/photos/a.377301105689833.95664.238890359530909/931725710247367/?type=3&comment_id=933854913367780&comment_tracking={%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22}
I love to cook, and especially using fresh herbs like parsley!
I would like this. It would provide some good meal ideas
I’d love to try this and see what I’m missing
My husband would love this — he loves cooking!
Wow -nice gift. But I think I’d keep it…I’m the best cook I know.;) I’m cooking all things Paleo at the moment.
My sister would love this!
This would be for my daughter in law who cooks a lot and loves to try new recipes and new ingredients.
I love to cook and trying out different ingredients, especially some of these which are difficult or near impossible to find on the grocers shelf.
Oh wow! I would love this for myself! That sounds greedy. To be fair I would share what I made with my family! 🙂 I love trying out new things. I’m don’t eat a lot of meat so I like to experiment with different spices and flavours. Anything spicy is my favorite!
Bonus entry #1: https://twitter.com/suekitty13/status/678398550653296641
Bonus entry #2: https://twitter.com/suekitty13/status/678399432610603010
tweeted https://twitter.com/Shellbran3/status/678400099488264192
Bonus entry #3: Commented on their post as Susan Terendy https://www.facebook.com/missing.ingredient/photos/a.377301105689833.95664.238890359530909/931725710247367/?type=3&theater
I would definitely like to receive these boxes as a gift as would my son who is even more fearless in the kitchen than I am. We both love to experiment with new ingredients & try new things. What a great idea this is.
My hubby would love this subscription box,,thanks for the chance!!:)
email subscriber also
I would love this box! I love to try new ingredients so would love the chance to try out this box.
https://www.facebook.com/missing.ingredient/photos/a.377301105689833.95664.238890359530909/931725710247367/?type=3&comment_id=934299749989963&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22%7D (comment for The Missing Ingredient)
My brother and brothers inlaw would love this because they all grill like chefs. They are masters at steak and just about everything else.
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/678468725708722176 (tweet for mingredient)
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/678468978491023360 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
my brother would love this, he loves to cook different meats
I’m a subscriber to the Canadian Gift Guide. My friend Denise would love this subscription box. She loves to cook spicy food for her husband.
@mingredient Twitter bonus entry: https://twitter.com/SoulSeeker0/status/678809093327470593
@WellSeasoned1 Twitter bonus entry: https://twitter.com/SoulSeeker0/status/678809568072343552
I’m already a subscriber. I think that the best person I know to give this gift to would be a friend of mine, because he is recently divorced, and needs cheering up, plus he is now trying to get into cooking more, because his ex used to do more of the cooking than him….so now he is getting rather excited about being able to get more into cooking. He especially likes to bake, and he also especially likes British cooking (scones, afternoon tea, etc).
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/678851775919591424 (tweet for mingredient )
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/678852177524228096 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
my wife, she loves cooking chicken. her favourite ingredient would be garlic
I would love this. I love to cook and bake with nutmeg. All of my brothers are cooking foodies too, and they like hot peppers and meat.
Facebook comment
My husband would love this subscription! He is definitely the best cook in the house! BBQ is his thing!
I’m a subscriber! My brother would love this, especially anything related to the BBQ. He’s a whiz, even pizza and cookies on the BBQ!
Following and tweeted https://twitter.com/Tracydeanne/status/678964788249145345
OMG I know of this company, would love to win this, this company offers high quality products, would be great to create and cook with this. Merry Christmas! (I’m a subscriber of the Canadian Gift Guide)
Following and tweeted! https://twitter.com/Tracydeanne/status/678965120765198336
My Husband does all the cooking. He loves to work with gourmet ingredients and create something really special for our family.
I would love the box. I’m always looking for inspiration in the kitchen
My boyfriend would love this! He’s a trained chef working in construction, so the new ingredients every month would be a real treat for him (and me!)
I would love this for me. I’m not the greatest cook but maybe some new inspiration from this box is what I need.
My stepsister would love this gift. She loves to cook all kinds of foods and love trying out new flavours although her favourite has to be Thai food.
i would love this as im the cook in my house
what a great gift to give someone…love my son and daughter in law
I would love to receive this for myself. My favorite ingredient is garlic and I like to cook Mediterranean style cooking.
I would definitely love this for my boyfriend. He loves to cook anything spicy so ingredients like hot sauce, chilli flakes, and various peppers would be ideal for his perfect meal!
I would I give to m y husband-he makes the best chicken dinner
I would choose this for my future daughter-in-law as she is just beginning to get into cooking and I think this would be inspiring.
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/679205568980979712 (tweet for mingredient )
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/679205986716946432 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
My husband would absolutely love this subscription to the Missing Ingredient. He would experiment with new ingredients as well as use his favourites garlic, ginger, and curries.
I would love to share this with my kids! Currently, they are enjoying experimenting with mussels, and with reinventing grilled cheese!
I would love to receive the box! It would be an amazing gift every month!
My sister would love this gift! She loves to cook and experiment with new ingredients and recipes.
I’d keep this myself. My husband and I like experimenting with food and cooking and often choose ingredients we’ve never heard of before.
My husband. He loves to cook. He never makes the same recipe twice always changing things up! His favorite ingredient is garlic!
My wife would love this
My Mom would love this subscription box. She loves to cook paella. Her favourite ingredient is saffron.
I would love to win this for myself; I love to cook with dill
My husband and I share the cooking, so we’d both love this! He especially like making breads and pizza, so all kinds of herbs or spices and various sauces are his thing. Thanks for the contest!
I would love to use these ingredients myself. It would be a great way to spice up my cooking!
I love this idea! My brother in law is a great cook who loves to experiment with new ingredients
I would definitely pick myself for this gift. Historically (so to speak), I love baking, but I’m starting to experiment more with savory cooking. I love avocado and garlic probably the most!
My neighbour would be all over this! She likes to make Italian food and I think her fave ingredient is basil, it seems
Bonus Entry #1: https://twitter.com/theponyhalf/status/679386079275847680
Bonus Entry #2: https://twitter.com/theponyhalf/status/679386762704121856
Bonus Entry #3: Danni- Pony – https://www.facebook.com/missing.ingredient/posts/935453623207909?comment_id=936080926478512&comment_tracking={%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22}
Thanks for the awesome contest, this would make a great gift for my sister-in law who is always cooking up new things.
Would love to win this, thanks. It would be a great gift for my sister-in law who is a cooking maverick!
Me or my boyfriend would love this. We love to cook together!
I would love to win this for my son-in-law as he loves to cook! He loves to use a lot of spices especially garlic and peppers! He tries a variety of different recipes because he loves new dishes!
This would be perfect for my hubby as he loves to cook!
This would be a gift I would keep for myself! I love to use spices in my cooking, I love trying new dinner ideas
Me! Cause I love to cook and trying new things. My fav ingredient is rosemary
My uncle would love this. He cooks just about everything, but one of his favourite cuisines is Mexican.
Would love to try this. Am always looking for new foodie things to try.
Would love to try new foodie items
I know I’d love it and I like making comfort foods with a twist! (Suzi)
My daughter, Jane would love this. She loves cooking EVERYTHING, but I think to name a favorite ingredient, it would have to be chocolate.
My mom would love it! She’s the baker of the family, she can make pretty much anything but pies are her specialty!
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/679585031996588032 (tweet for mingredient )
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/679585479256215552 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
I would have to pick myself since I’m the only one who cooks in the house, but I would be happy to receive the boxes, they’re awesome. I am especially intrigued by the infused oils, I love to add a bit of flavor to my salad dressings and that’s a great way to do it.
Although I like to cook, my father loves to cook – and experiment. Fortunately, he regularly invites me over to sample what he has been creating. His favorite ingredient – potatoes – or at least that is what it seems to be.
I love to cook, and especially new recipes with an international spin. But I would gift this to my sister. She is not a very good cook, but her resolution for the coming year is to perfect a few recipes and also branch out to new ones.
MIngredient Tweet: https://twitter.com/Rogue_Femme/status/679907840778059776
WellSeasoned1 Tweet: https://twitter.com/Rogue_Femme/status/679908622818672640
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/679908886162214912 (tweet for mingredient )
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/679909198004551680 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
Missing Ingredient FB: https://www.facebook.com/missing.ingredient/posts/935453623207909?comment_id=937115629708375&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22%7D
My husband would love this – he likes to cook meats of various kinds and loves to try new marinades.
I would like this I need to cook different things I always cook the same old meat and potatoes
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/680270237388771328 (tweet for mingredient )
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/680270773433438208 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
I would like to win this for my niece who loves to bake gluten-free desserts.
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/680680600752140288 (tweet for mingredient )
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/680680889605476353 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
I’d gift this to my hubby and myself – we both love the cook (I’m the baker)
My sister would love this-she’s always trying new recipes and she’s a great cook!
I Liked The Missing Ingredient on Facebook and commented https://www.facebook.com/missing.ingredient/posts/935453623207909?comment_id=938639619555976&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R8%22%7D
My daughter in law loves to try new things all the time this would help her create these new meals
was the only place I could find to post
I’d like this myself. My favourite things to cook are Thai and Indian, and Mexican dishes, and I think it’s because cilantro is one of my favourite things in the world. When I buy it at the store I have to inhale its scent deeply. aaahh
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/681000450771005440 (tweet for mingredient )
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/681003454039470080 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
I would love this myself! I love looking Mediterranean and Italian!
Followed miningredient and tweeted: https://twitter.com/VictoriaEss2/status/681164661035823104
Followed well seasons and tweeted: https://twitter.com/VictoriaEss2/status/681165013625737216
I think my hubby would love this. He loves to get in the kitchen and cook things from scratch. His favourite dish to make is deep dish pizza with a homemade bread dough crust. It’s absolutely delicious.
I would love this! My favourite ingredients are fresh herbs and spice blends. I’m presently making lots of salads with rice, lentil and pasta.
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/681373020594782208 (tweet for mingredient)
https://twitter.com/debbiewbd/status/681373486741372928 (tweet for wellseasoned1)
I pick me! I live with my daughter and her family and love cooking for them (luckily!) but as everyone usually wants something different, I am always finding myself missing something!
I pick me… I love to cook… this would be so much fun to try something new!
I would love this for me. I cook for the house, but, I think my cooking lacks excitment. This could really help in that department! Thanks!
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/irebecca/status/681648970918051841
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/irebecca/status/681649377887137792
I’d absolutely love a subscription to The Missing Ingredient. I love to cook Mexican and Greek food the most. Souvlaki is one my favourite recipes.
My whole family would be exited to receive this, and plan out a family meal to enjoy!