Monthly Newsletter

We hope you have caught Part I of Gifts Galore for Wish Lists and Giving for our ideas and the brief origin of the tradition. Surely, we did not want to overwhelm our readers with gift ideas all at once. Part I covered gift giving focusing on tableware and gifts for the wine collector. And now, our suggestions, Part II --

For the Kitchen –

• An Espresso machine. We visited Williams Sonoma for an expert tour of the latest machines. The variety and price range is considerable, but everyone deserves to have one in order to serve espresso at the end of a grand dinner. We usually avoid "gadgets" and equipment for Christmas gifts, but this is an exception. Sur La Table is another great source.


• A Shun knife. We have been fascinated with the sharp and aesthetically-designed Japanese knives through the years. Williams Sonoma presently has a great price on the 6" chef knife.
  
  
  

For the Cookbook Library –

Every year there is a broad spectrum of new cookbooks in an already overcrowded field. We aspire to present only the best of the many as we have during the last nine months. We might suggest you also visit our archived newsletters and review the suggestions over the past months. Among the newest, which will endure to become classics, are:

• The Entrées: Remembered Favorites from the Past: Recipes from Legendary Chefs and Restaurants by Gail Monaghan. Celebrating a lost era of elegant dining, this stunning volume is evocative of other times and worlds, with recipes updated for today's palate. With recipes of glamorous bygone main courses, and packed with culinary history, this lavish cookbook features delicious and exotic favorites from around the world from New York's Gilded Age to the old-world elegance of Paris and London, The Entrées is illustrated with still lifes of these spectacular gastronomic creations that evoke the essence of old-time splendor. Gail Monaghan's earlier and equally spectacular book, Lost Desserts: Delicious Indulgences of the Past Recipes from Legendary and Famous Chefs, could easily be paired to make a very special gift to a friend. they are treasures, both from a culinary and visual standpoint.
  
  

        

• Decadent Desserts: Recipes from Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte by Countess Cristina de Vogue, Thomas Dhellemmes and Delphine de Montalier. As critiqued in Southern Accents: "Even if I can't live like a countess, at least with these recipes, I can entertain like one." These are fabulous photographs to show off one of France's most magnificent chateaux. Definitely a book for your Francophile friends. 
  
  
  

• Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. This is one you will want to have and give as gifts. It has debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List and then Amazon picked it as the #1 cookbook of 2010. We have loved her other books, such as Paris Sweets, and her collaborative efforts with Julia Childs, Pierre Hermé and Daniel Boulud on their books
  

• Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips by Ina Garten, which we wrote about in the November newsletter, is sure to be a holiday favorite gift.
  

For Hostess Gifts and Good Friends -

• A Greenberg turkey from Central Market. What a thoughtful gift for the corporate colleague or the hostess who will have holiday guests. These Tyler-grown turkeys have garnered a worldwide reputation for being the best. The New York Times has just written a large article on the famous birds. Here is the link to the article, which certainly substantiates our enthusiasm.
  
  
  

• Kent Rathbun's Elements available at Central Market, the Neiman Marcus catalogue and the Kent Rathbun web site. We believe in supporting the home team. Great gift for foodies! The sauces, salad dressings, marinades and dry seasonings are great shortcuts for cooks who want complex flavors without the fuss.
  
  
  

• Speaking of catalogues, the Neiman Marcus Holiday Entertaining catalogue is awesome in its food offerings for friends and self. Peruse the catalogue. Speaking of "outstanding meals." Perhaps one could "order in" from the catalogue on a daily basis.

• Food-related Christmas ornaments from many sources. We loved the boxed set of chef, cheese and wine ornaments and also the sweets ornament set seen at Neiman Marcus. The cupcake ornaments seen in several places are particularly au courant in this cupcake-crazed time. We love the ones we have seen at Sur la Table. We give each guest at our Christmas table a small gift. This year our gift will be a beautiful cupcake ornament to add to their Christmas trees.
  
  
  

• Macarons from Rush Patisserie. Samantha Rush is a stellar pastry maker and has mastered the ethereal French macaron, undoubtedly while she was a student at Paris' Cordon Bleu. Acquaint yourself with her Oak Cliff pastry shop and flatter your Christmas party hostess with a memorable treat for the holidays. (See our Source section on Sweets.)
  
  
  

• Chocolates from one of Dallas chocolatiers. Always in good taste and enjoyed by all, select a gift from one of our local chocolatiers. (See our Source section on Sweets.) We particularly like Dr. Sue's Chocolates, healthy and available at eatZi's Market & Bakery and Paper and Chocolate. A web site DrSuesChocolates.com, brings speedy responses. (Check our information in the archived June newsletter.)
  
  
  

We hope you will enjoy our lists, as long as it may be. Print them out, carry them around with you for inspiration!

Perhaps there is time to beat the crowds on the upcoming post-thanksgiving shopping frenzy so that you can concentrate on planning and enjoying your own holiday. And Happy Thanksgiving! Refer to our November newsletter, Family, Friends, Food and Football - Thanksgiving is Next, to catch up on what you might have missed.

Read Part I
For the Host and Hostess and For the Wine Enthusiast

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