Gift idea: A new cookbook with a side of onion goggles
Oprah Winfrey says in the introduction to "O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook":
" I definitely believe in the mystical, magical, healing power of a good homecooked meal."
The cook book is bursting with an inspiring collection of 175 diverse recipes and tantalizing photographs.
If Winfrey is speaking a language you can relate to, you'll find a lot in common with the more than 60 distinguished chefs, food writers and food photographers who brought this exquisite cookbook to fruition.
Her book would make an exceptional gift, as would the newly released "Home Cooking with Charlie Trotter," a cookbook created for "casual home cooks who appreciate top-quality cuisine."
Trotter, an eight-time James Beard Award winner, presents gorgeous photographs to accompany many of book's 130 recipes, along with menu samples that include helpful preparation tips.
If giving a gift that may be helpful sounds like an appealing idea, consider presenting someone with a pair of Onion Goggles. This new gadget could be perfect for the cook who has everything, aside from the ability to peel an onion without crying.
Santa says, even if Onion Goggles aren't everyone's idea of a good holiday gift, gifts that actually work -- through purpose and function -- are. And, continues the perceptive Santa, those are the gifts that never go back.
Sue Ade, a Lowcountry resident since 1985, is a gourmet baker and collector of vintage cooking utensils and cookbooks. She can be reached at sueade@aol.com or (843) 683-0375.