Gift Yourself

T'is the season to give lush food gifts and fun gadgets.Everyone deserves a culinary treat , whether it's a favorite food or a something that will make cooking and baking easier. That includes yourself a reward just for getting through this harried holiday season.


It was David Tanis piece on strip loin in Wednesday's New York Times Food section that got me thinking and drooling. It's one of the things.that I would love to gift myself with - a tender strip sauteed in a blend of olive oil and Kerrygold butter (another Christmas gift to myself).Mr Tanis serves his infused with herbs such as rosemary and thyme along with roasted potatoes and horseradish along with a bunch of watercress. Mine would be French bistro style, with crispy homemade pomme frites and crusty French bread to sop up the juices. Another treat - lobster at Bahr's in the Atlantic Highlands. This is the ultimate Christmas gift to oneself. It's a plump boiled lobster with butter sauce and a side of rice. Of course their home made biscuits alone are worth the ride down. If you can, you can make your own lush seafood dinner at home.Treat yourself to some scallops in white wine or sole meuniere. If you;re craving simple fare then head to your favorite Wendy's or Jake's Wayback for a burger or dog, fries and a soda/or malted.Need a refueling of sugar? Indulge in Godiva or Rocky Mountain chocolates. Treat yourself to some homemade walnut fudge, or a plate of just from the oven Pilsbury Slice and Bake chocolate chip cookies with a tall glass of cold milk. To destress from the season's craziness, think a hot cup of herbal tea, pajamas and your favorite book. Sometimes the best self gifts are the simplest ones.

Home chefs are always on the cutting edge and front line . There are some interesting gadgets out there that should be in everyone's kitchen. A good set of knives is one of them. If you feel like your old set is getting dull or you don't have the complete set, get a new one .These usually have everything from deboners to filet knives. Many places such as Williams-Sonoma and Target have them on sale right now too..You can also get yourself a fun gadget  such as a Sno-Cone maker or a cotton candy machine.If you have the room then think about a taco shell warmer. This does come in handy for Mexican food lovers.Pizza lovers would swoon at the Cuizen Pizza Box oven which looks exactly like a delivery box with a cheesy cartoon of an Italian chef on it.It has revolving plate that ensures a perfecctly crisp and even hot crust. A fun for yourself gift is the breakfast sandwich maker that cooks everything, meat , egg and English muffin together for a tasty morning nosh.The best thing about it is that the parts disassemble and everything can be thrown into the dishwasher or kitchen sink for easy cleaning.I would love to treat myself to the space age looking Fago Spoutnik microwave. It's a new kind of round quick cooker that looks like that roly poly little robot from the new Star Wars movie.. The lid is a purple see through dome that allows you to watch your food get nuked. It has four cooking modes , a revolving turntable for even cooking and a light that changes from white to blue signalling the food is ready. Heck, forget all that. It just looks so darn I must have it cute. Unfortunately it's only sold in Europe right now but hopefully it'll come to the states soon.

This is the season to give. Give yourself some luxurious food or a fun appliance or gadget. You know what you want. Go for it before it sells out!.