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Fill A Stocking With A Kitchen Gift

Photo by LYNN KESSEL

Cookies are one of the easiest homemade goodies. Crispy and flavorful, these star-shaped treats are made with a surprising ingredient of red wine or sherry.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 10, 2008

Frankly, I don't normally enjoy shopping. I know it's not politically correct, but I'd probably outsource the whole thing if I could.

But on Black Friday weekend I was out there schlepping along with millions of others - not at the big-box stores or deep-discount outlets, though. And I wasn't looking for Christmas gifts for my family: I was shopping for you.

As your personal shopper, I selected a few stores to find presents for the food enthusiasts in your life. Here are some suggestions that should help you select a gift that will be appreciated and useful.

My first stop was the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon. I think I spent nearly two hours wandering up and down the aisles. And just in case I missed something, I retraced my steps for a second look-see.

Stocked floor to ceiling, the store has nearly every culinary tool imaginable, including the largest selection of aprons and kitchen gadgets I've seen.

If you're on a budget or don't know a pizza stone from an olive stoner, Rolling Pin offers two lists - one with gift ideas under $25 and the other with suggestions over $25. Each item on the list has a color photo.

One gift that won't get returned the moment you're not looking is a cooking lesson. The Rolling Pin has a beautiful sprawling kitchen area that offers hands-on courses for children and adults. The Kids in the Kitchen Cooking class for children age 6 to 9 is only $25. Adult cooking classes start at $35 per person. There's even a Winning Wine Series that includes samples and food pairings.

Personally, I do enjoy shopping at restaurant supply stores. They are a wonderland of surprises and great cooking stuff, which is usually less expensive than the culinary stores you find at the mall. Every metropolitan area seems to have at least one. So I took a drive to Tampa to check out Louis Wohl & Sons. Along with stock pots the size of small bathtubs, its showroom also includes things such as grilling accessories, cake decorating kits, tongs, ladles, whisks and cutting boards.

"Most cooks love knives or knife gadgets," said showroom manager Vicki Garcia. "But sometimes it's very hard to choose a favorite gift because you never know what that gadget or accessory is," she said.

For that reason, Garcia recommended purchasing a gift certificate. That way, if you do succumb to that 80-quart stock pot, you or the recipient can return or exchange it within 30 days.

Fox Restaurant Equipment & Supply in Sarasota is one of my favorites. It has a back room filled with used equipment and serving accessories. My daughters and I shop there whenever they're in town. We've found some good bargains on dishes, some of which I use for my food photography.

How about used book stores for cookbooks? One year I received a cardboard box filled with slightly used cookbooks. I was thrilled!

Here's another possibility. Get your cook's knives professionally sharpened - a blatant suggestion to my significant other. Ask the chef at your favorite restaurant about his knives and where he gets them sharpened. I know most Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts stores offer professional on-site sharpening once a month.

The fear of buying the wrong gift is unfounded. The gift needs only to be useful, not prestigious or expensive.

WINE STARS

1/2 cup soft unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons red wine or sherry

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, and then beat in egg. Stir in almonds. Sift together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to butter-sugar mixture along with wine or sherry and almond extract. Chill for 3 hours.

On a floured board, roll out dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut into stars with a 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter. Scantly dust with sea salt. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from sheets and cool on wire racks. Store in an air-tight container.

Source: Adapted from The Gift-Giver's Cookbook by Judith Choate and Jane Green

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com or P.O. Box 913, Ruskin FL 33575-0913. For more of her recipes, visit southshore .tbo.com and enter the search words: Lynn Kessel. Readers are encouraged to send in their favorite recipes, comments and suggest

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