Main Line Today's dining blog

Dec 16, 2008

02:16 PM

Buy and Conquer

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The countdown is at nine for how many shopping days you have left until Christmas (six until Hanukkah and 10 until Kwanzaa). And if you’re like me, you’ve still got some loose ends to tie up in a pretty scarlet- or gold-hued bow.

I’m usually pretty good at making suggestions for receivers of all ages and interests (in another life, I’d actually enjoy being a professional gift buyer), but as you’d expect, I’m a bit more savvy when it comes to culinary gifts—simply because whenever I walk into Williams-Sonoma, Viking or Kitchen Kapers, it takes me about five seconds to start in with “I want this. I want that.” Which is exactly what happened to me when I wandered into the Strafford outpost of Kitchen Kapers, a store I hadn’t been to once since researching an article last Christmas season!

I was pleasantly surprised by the eye candy—most specifically, the vivid and oh-so-adorable miniature Le Creuset covered cookware and mixing bowls. (I’d like to find a few of those items in my stocking ...) After chatting up a very enthusiastic salesman named Wayne, I was able to compile a pretty fun list of last-minute items for the culinary guru in your house.

I could go on and on, but my guess is that once you step inside the store (they have multiple locations), you’ll come up with plenty of must-have items on your own.
 
And voilà:
 

Fun, Nifty and Just Got to Have

• Picnics may not be on your mind today, but summer will be here soon enough—and you’ll be ready with lots of new recipes and the ultimate picnic knife. Big, sharp and curvy, the Shun U2 cuts, spreads and, to put it bluntly, looks bad a$$ in your picnic basket. $99.99

• For the lazy oenophiles, Peugeot offers the Elis Rechargeable Electric Corkscrew, which effortlessly uncorks a bottle before you can say “sommelier.” $119.99

• Any drink will taste better when chilled with Fred’s whimsical, silicone ice trays—practical for the ability to pop out one cube at a time. You’ll dig the cool shapes: guitars, kabobs, perfect squares, dentures, bones and “Gin and Titanic.” Fred products range from $6.99-$9.99. And SiliconeZone’s set of two ice trays for bottles ($11.99) is pure genius and comes in handy when trying to chill water bottles for a long day of fun in the sun during the summer.

• Also on the hot list is Shun “Ken Onion” knives, in a range of “cuts” and prices. The countertop chef’s knife features Shun’s coveted clad VG-10 blade and ergonomic handle design, and comes with a natural bamboo stand that suspends the blade in midair. Pretty tricky stuff. $199.90
 
• Here are two goodies: High-end toasters for bread and bagel snobs, such as the T-fal Avanté Deluxe 2 Slice Toaster in the $60 range or the tech’d out Breville Die-Cast 2 Slice Smart Toaster for $129.99 that has cool “smart toaster” settings like “Lift and Look” and “A Bite More,” which allows you to regulate your toasting more closely—great for people like me who live and die by “lightly toasted.”

• Chop like the pros with Epicurean’s sleek, natural or slate (natural wood-fiber based) cutting surfaces that won’t dull your knives and are dishwasher safe. $11.99-$36.99
 
• If you’re obsessed with taking water (or a discreet toddy) everywhere, Sigg’s enameled aluminum bottles are fun and eco-friendly, and won’t taint the flavor of your precious beverage. Various sizes are available. $15-$25
 

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