Five easy pieces

Here’s my roundup of offbeat and essential gifts for your favorite food-junkie.

A microplane grater

Never before have recipes commanded cooks to zest as much as they do today, but to get that spike of freshness provided by the rind of lemon, you risk grating the skin from your knuckles – unless, of course, you have one of these: a microplane grater. This one from Williams-Sonoma grates in both directions and retails for $12.95, but check local kitchen shops like the Panhandler (927-4371) first to avoid shipping costs. Click here to search for microplane graters.

A mail order meal.

For those who love to eat, but can’t boil water, a foolproof turn at cooking comes from a mail order gift from Impromptu Gourmet. Dishes like mini-deep dish pizzas or Maryland crab cakes arrive ready to be put together with minimal effort. The Web site includes all sorts of menu options and wine recommendations for each dish. >>More

My favorite magazine

Of all the food mags out there, I must say Gourmet tops the list. It’s only $20 for a 12-month gift subscription and I’m never disappointed at the quality of writing or the topics covered. A few years back, former New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl took over as editor and since then, it’s been newsier, sexier, and more global. So what if the recipes are daunting for average humans. >>More

A Never-Go-Stale Cookbook

Forget PDQ cookbooks that make dinnertime a rushed amalgam of chicken stocks and frozen veggies. This year, invest in this one then follow it to the letter. Marcella Hazan is the Julia Child of Italian cookery and her Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking is part-encyclopedia, part easy-to-follow recipes for antipasti, soups, vegetables, meats, and about a million different pastas. Amazon features a discounted price, so pick it up now because those meatballs aren’t to be missed. >>More

A blank book

Finally, one of the best things you can give a cook is a nice sharp pencil and a journal for the kitchen. Even cooks who never write things down will get a kick out of jotting notes about spectacular accomplishments for posterity’s sake. It’s also a great place to record Aunt Edna’s famous apple butter recipe or little Johnny’s first taste of solid food. Pick one up at any bookstore.

Happy hunting.