Wednesday, December 18

Time to Panic

Perhaps two weeks ago you read our guide to homemade food gifts for the holiday season. As of today, however, there are six shopping days left till Christmas and you just might not have time to steep your own vanilla extract!

Therefore, what follows is our Last-Minute Non-Homemade Kind-Of-Food-Related Gift Guide. The six items listed below are sure to make anyone who likes to spend time in the kitchen happy, and hey, you can buy this stuff anywhere (including over the Internet, with rush shipping).

1. Microplane Zester-Grater (about $12.95; available at www.surlatable.com and other better kitchenware stores): This little gadget makes short work of zesting citrus fruits, mincing garlic, and grating hard cheeses like Parmesan. In addition, it's easy to clean, fits right into your utensil holder, and looks nice enough that you needn't be ashamed to put it right on the table. Other versions are available for a variety of kitchen tasks including grating spices and making vegetable ribbons.

2. Braun 430 Multiquick Hand Blender & Chopper (about $40.00; available at department stores and www.amazon.com): This is hands-down the appliance that I use most in the kitchen, and I have an older model that does not have the whisk and chopper attachments that are included with the 430. It purees right in the pot so you don't have to pour soup in the blender; you can chop up a mean salsa in seconds; and the work attachments all pop off into the dishwasher to be cleaned. What could be better? Oh, I know – it doesn't take up any counter space!

3. Double Mezzaluna (about $24.95; available at www.williamssonoma.com and other specialty stores): If you watch "Nigella Bites," then you know that Nigella says this instrument is "for the terminally incompetent" – a handy-dandy easy-to-use chopper for herbs, onions, garlic, and whatever else you can think of. Even if you have excellent knife skills, a mezzaluna makes quick work of chopping leafy parsley and sticky garlic without getting it all over yourself.

4. OXO Angled Measuring Cup (about $7.95 for the 2-cup capacity cup; available at www.crateandbarrel.com and Bed Bath and Beyond stores nationwide): My aunt first told me about the marvels of the angled measuring cup when we were in Canada this summer; I thought "What? A measuring cup you don't have to bend down to use?" It's true. This cup lets you see the precise amount of liquid you have poured from the top, so you don't have to hunch over continually to check. This is another winner from OXO's cutting-edge design team.

5. Michael Graves Stainless Steel Bar Set ($39.99; exclusively at Target and www.target.com): If you are searching for the perfect gift for a contemporary drinker, look no further. This is it: a set that includes a cocktail shaker, juice extractor, bottle opener, corkscrew, and shot glass, all rendered in stainless steel and black neoprene by one of America's leading architects for less than fifty bucks. Plus, everything stores neatly in a small tray in case your drinking buddy has limited kitchen space, and it looks cool enough to be kept out in the open. How can you go wrong?

6. "How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food, Special Edition with CD-ROM" by Mark Bittman ($39.95; available at www.bn.com and bookstores nationwide): Hands down this was the best general cookbook published in 2000 – it won both the Julia Child IACP and the James Beard Cookbook award that year – and I refer to it several nights a week. Now they've improved it by adding a CD-ROM which allows the user to create menus, make shopping lists, and search for recipes in a variety of ways. In addition, Mr. Bittman has recorded narratives for over eighty of his favorite recipes from the book. This is a great gift for the novice and experienced cook alike.

The recipe to the right of your screen, for potato-cheddar chowder, would allow you to use many of the above tools (though you can still use your old blender and four-sided grater and chef's knife, and it will turn out just as well). And, of course, there are thousands upon thousands of other gifts for cooks, foodies, oenophiles and eaters out there if the above ideas don't hit the spot. The websites listed above are good places to start even now, as they all offer rush shipping and have a huge variety of items from which to choose. Happy shopping – and happier eating!