"christmas gifts" news and stories

Last Monday we kicked off our 12 days of chef-inspired gift giving. Stay tuned every morning through December 24th for ideas from the pros on the best gifts for cooks. And see the links at the bottom of the post to catch up on days you've missed.

On the tenth day of Christmas, a molecular gastronomist gave to me...

Chef: Richard Blais

Restaurants and Shows: Flip Burger, Top Chef: All-Stars, Blais Off

The Gift: I always give out Moleskins to my chefs. Great tiny little notebooks that they can carry in their pockets to keep recipes, etcetera. New this year, I'm also sending a few people "Fruit of the Month" from Frog Hollow Farms. It sounds tacky, but trust me, it's an under-promise and over-deliver gift -- their products are spot on!

Where to Find It: Moleskins and Frog Hollow Farms

Find out the other chefs' suggestions:
The First Day of Christmas: Carla Hall, The Second Day of Christmas: José Andrés, The Third Day of Christmas: Wolfgang Puck, The Fourth Day of Christmas: Lidia Bastianich, The Fifth Day of Christmas: Gail Simmons, The Sixth Day of Christmas: Alex Guarnaschell; The Seventh Day of Christmas: Candace Nelson;The Eighth Day of Christmas: Nigella Lawson; The Ninth Day of Christmas: Richard Sandoval

• Why not make candy to give as gifts this Christmas?
• There's no reason to be afraid of baking.
• Lighter latkes.
• An interview with Simple Cooking publisher John Thorne.
• Who makes the best frozen french fries, McCain, Oreida, Goya, Alexia, or Stop & Shop?
• Restaurant reviews: The Select Cafe, Gulu Gulu, and Haru.
• More recipes: Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf, Potato Fritters, and Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Toasted Breadcrumbs.

If you order a dozen or so holiday cookies from a bakery, you don't expect them to be piled up on a plate and covered in saran wrap, although this seems to be a perfectly acceptable presentation for gifts of homemade cookies. It's true that it is the thought that counts and that good cookies will over come any packaging, but it doesn't take that much more effort to take that packaging to a new level, which will keep the cookies fresher and make a homemade gift a showstopper.

This week, along with their collection of eight great holiday cookie recipes that are all going to be a bit more impressive than your average batch of chocolate chips, including Coconut Orange Macaroons, Scottish Shortbread, Ginger Drops and Candy Cane Cookies, the Denver Post has some great tips for packaging. For kids, try packing up "blank" gingerbread cookies in a small toolbox with frosting, sprinkles and other things they can use to customize the cookies. For cookies that will long outlast the holiday season, giving an unbaked roll of cookie dough (choose an attractive one, like the Chocolate-Coconut Pinwheels the article includes) and baking instructions wrapped up in an elegant tube that will put any store-bought dough to shame. And for the baker, consider wrapping the treats up in or on a pan, so they'll have something to use when they want to bake a batch themselves.

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About.com says that this recipe for Cashew Brittle is perfect for Christmas, but I see no reason why we can't move it up on our schedule and make it for Thanksgiving, right? Though it does seem like a nice gift to give someone, in a cool tin with a ribbon around it, for Christmas.

But don't make it for Arbor Day. For God's sake, don't make it for Arbor Day!

The chocolate fountain is now officially the totem of faux-luxe extravagance and over-the-top pop materialism. Why? David Beckham bought one for his lovely wife, Victoria (a.k.a. Posh Spice). Evidently, though, it wasn't his idea - he used a personal shopper from Harrod's.

Victoria's chocolate fountain was stocked with Belgian chocolate and delivered with fruits and assorted sweets for dipping. No word on whether those Beckham boys - Romeo, Brooklyn and Cruz - got their own miniature versions.

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