Holiday Gift Guide: Ten Stocking Stuffer Ideas

When I was a kid, in addition to whatever little toys and trinkets Santa placed in my stocking, on Christmas morning I'd always find a Tobler dark chocolate orange (now sold under the brand name Terry's), a Toblerone bar, mini candy canes, unshelled peanuts and an orange.

The orange would always work its way to the bottom of my stocking, and I'd dig it out to peel and eat while the whole family took turns opening presents. Then I'd get to work on my Toblerone bar, letting each triangle dissolve on my tongue until the chocolate was gone and the crunchy nougat bits remained. I continue this tradition today, because it's just not Christmas without these little pleasures.

Here are some more ideas for stuffing the stockings of people who like to cook, bake, eat and even talk about and photograph food.

1. Porcelain Measuring Spoons, $15

These blue rimmed spoons are one of my favorite and most used kitchen tools.

 2. Zester, Grater or Peeler, $4 to $8

I love my citrus zester ($8) for removing fine ribbons of citrus peel for garnishing, cooking and baking. And do you see that brilliant practice of putting zest in ice cubes pictured below? Do it.

I firmly believe in world peace, being nice and grating my own nutmeg. The potency and flavor are unbeatable, and a few grates stirred into mashed potatoes is the bomb. This Microplane Premium Spice Grater ($10) does the job perfectly.

Kuhn Rikon Swiss Peelers are my favorite because they're only $4, fit in the palm of my hand and stay sharp for a very long time. They're also great for lefties and come in a variety of colors.

3. Microplane Cut Resistant Glove, $15

Long ago I lost track of how many times I've grated and cut my fingers. This cut resistant glove from Microplane is exactly what I need (hint, hint).

4. Cookie Dough Scoop, $13

A cookie dough scoop is the secret to making uniform cookies. Every baker should have one.

5. Thermometers, $8 to $13

An oven thermometer ($8) is essential for ensuring you're baking at the right temperature. You'd be surprised  by how inaccurate oven temperature gauges can be. 

An InstaRead Meat and Poultry Thermometer ($10) is a must for anyone who prepares meat and poultry, because nobody likes Salmonella poisoning.

And a Candy and Deep Fry Thermometer ($13) comes in handy for tempering chocolate, making popcorn balls and frying up apple cider doughnuts.

6. Biscuit, Doughnut, Pie and Cookie Cutters, $1 to $15

I use my Biscuit and Doughnut Cutter set ($15) for the obvious, and also for cutting scones and venting pie crusts.

Speaking of pie, a set of mini cutters in festive shapes ($4 for 6) is just the thing for decorating pie crusts.

Not only are cookie cutters great stocking stuffers, they're also perfect for adorning wrapped presents and homemade gifts. 

7. Fran's Gray and Smoked Sea Salt Caramels, $12.50

I don't have words for how delicious these caramels are. Creamy with a bit of crunch, they're the perfect combination of salty and sweet. My in-laws are seriously addicted, and apparently I do in fact have words for how good these are.

 8. Bacon Jam, $14, or Blaak Onion Jam, $10 

This delicious caramelized onion and bacon spread from Skillet Street Food is fantastic on burgers, sandwiches (especially grilled cheese) and, well, everything.

For vegetarians, Blaak Onion Jam from Beekman 1802 is a perfect savory-sweet blend of onions, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.

9. Foodie Flashcards, $10

I hate/love these. I hate the term foodie but I love that these flashcards allow anyone to poke good natured fun at pretentious foodie terminology.

10. Camera Air Freshener, $4

A fun stocking stuffer for food bloggers and anyone who snaps photos of their food.

 If you celebrate Christmas, what are your favorite stocking stuffers and traditions?

Roasted Baby Tomatoes

For me, few foods -- save for blackberries and watermelon -- conjure summer (or childhood) like tomatoes. Although the growing season in California is nearly year round, I associate tomatoes' cheerful skin (and shape!) and sweet-tart flavor with summer months. And something about their salty/mineral fragrance reminds me of evening rain on sun-warmed soil.

Summer won't officially be here for a few more weeks, but I like knowing I can get a taste of it (almost) anytime. So I keep baskets of cherry and grape tomatoes on hand for snacking. I just pop them into my mouth -- no need to dress them up or fashion them into sauce or pie (though making tomato tarts is on my To Do list).

But let's say you do feel like doing something a little more glamorous with them, or perhaps the tomatoes in your area haven't yet reached their peak flavor. Roasting them in the oven with a little olive oil and salt is just the thing to jazz them up without making too fine a point of it.

They're a great topping for fish, pasta, bread and vegetables. But be careful. You just might find yourself plucking them from the baking sheet and popping them into your mouth.

Oh, and another thing: your house will smell like a tomato patch that's been warming in the sun all day and it's just begun to rain.

Or am I overselling it?

Roasted Baby Tomatoes

1 pint cherry and/or grape tomatoes, rinsed and dried

About 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

About 1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mound the tomatoes in the center of the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Using your hands, toss the tomatoes with the oil and salt to coat evenly, and scatter the tomatoes on the baking sheet. Be sure not to crowd the tomatoes together, or they'll steam instead of roast.

2. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to wilt and wrinkle. Using a spoon or spatula, gently stir and toss the tomatoes around on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have a slight char.

Thanksgiving Dishes

Have I mentioned Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? We cooked and ate our little hearts out at our beach-themed table. Below are highlights; I'll post recipes and details in a few.*

*Hopefully before Christmas.

We noshed on goat cheese and triple cream Brie with fig jam, pecans and walnuts.

I made crackers with extra pie dough, a trick I learned from my mom. After cutting the scraps into cracker shapes, I brushed them with egg wash, pricked them with a fork and sprinkled them with coarse sea salt.

Later we feasted on roast chicken (Laird doesn't have a taste for turkey, which generally isn't available in South Africa), roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon cider vinaigrette, mashed potatoes, gravy, sourdough dressing, cranberry sauce, Georgene's Fluffy Rolls, and spinach salad with goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and shallot-walnut vinaigrette.

We made a toast to our friends and family here and abroad, for whom we are so thankful.

I made three desserts: Flour Bakery's Super Pumpkiny Pumpkin Pie, Mile High Apple Pie and Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Bread Pudding. (Because I'm cutting back on sugar, remember?) Laird's Applejack brandy featured prominently in all three, which I love because a) my grandfather always served "Apple Jack Surprise" cocktails at holidays and celebrations; and b) Laird. (Don't ask me what an Apple Jack Surprise is. I have no idea.)

Speaking of Laird & Company:

Gemma looks a bit concerned about what The Headless Hound might be whispering in his ear, don't you think?

How was your Thanksgiving? Any kitchen disasters? I made a mess of my sourdough dressing. More about that later.

Ma! The Meatloaf!

Nobody requests meatloaf quite as convincingly as my husband. I do believe his exact words were, "Ma! The meatloaf!"

So meatloaf he shall have. If you'd like to have meatloaf, too, here's how it's done.

Meatloaf

Makes two loaves (recipe can be halved)

4 slices white bread

1 large onion, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 stalks celery, cut into large chunks

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup milk

3 lbs lean ground beef
2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup ketchup, plus more for tops of loaves
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper*

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread slices in food processor to form medium crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. Pulse the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in the food processor until chopped medium-fine. (Be careful not to over process, or the mixture will become watery.)

2. Add milk to the bread crumbs and stir until moistened. In a large bowl, gently combine the ground beef, eggs, bread crumb mixture, vegetable mixture, ketchup, paprika and salt and pepper. Be careful not to over work the mixture, or it will toughen.

3. Spoon into two ungreased 9-inch loaf pans. Smooth the tops and coat lightly with ketchup. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in center reads 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

*I don't measure salt unless I'm baking. For this recipe I probably used two teaspoons sea salt and one teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

Serve with mashed potatoes, a sprinkle of parsley and a few too many proclamations of "Ma! The meatloaf!"

Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass with Cheeky Zucchini Ribbons alla Marinara

Sometimes I blow my own mind with my culinary brilliance. And sarcasm. And cheekiness. ("Cheeky" is probably my most favorite of my husband's South Africanisms. I also love when he says I "chirp" and "cluck." And that he pronounces "hooves" like "WHO-vz.")

What also blows my mind is its unfailing tendency to daydream about cooking and baking all.the.time. Especially at work. Here's how last night's dinner came about.

Meeting, 9:24 a.m.

I need to make something with the rest of the zucchini in the fridge. Should I make zucchini muffins? Pleh. I don't want anything sugary. [I notice a colleague's grosgrain ribbon necklace and it reminds me of the butternut squash ribbons in Sunday's lasagna.] Hmm. I'll bet the zucchini would be good peeled into ribbons and sauteed with the end-of-summer tomatoes and basil from our CSA box. Like a pasta-less pasta alla marinara.

Conference Call, 11:49 a.m.

I'll flavor the sauce with the remnants of the shallots, onions and garlic that are hanging around. And that Basque olive mix left over from whoknowswhen we last had people over. And a splash of the sauvignon blanc Laird opened last night. I'll let everything simmer and reduce, then add the zucchini ribbons at the end to steam and soften for a few minutes.

Staff Meeting, 2:32 p.m.

So this dish is going to be enough for me for dinner, but not for Laird. He's going to need protein. Steak? Salmon? Hmm. [Boring rundown of protein thought process deleted.]

Whole Foods, 6:44 p.m.

I'm not feeling the steak. The salmon looks icky. The black sea bass looks amazing. I'll season it with salt and pepper and either poach it with the tomato sauce, or pan roast it in olive oil and butter. [Mmm this cheese sample is delicious. I think I'll buy a wedge of it to put in my fridge and forget.]

Yep. I think about food all.the.time.

It helps me get through my days.

And here's a recipe to help you empty your fridge (or CSA box or garden) and summon the last bits of Summer.

Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass with Cheeky Zucchini Ribbons Alla Marinara

Makes two generous portions

Note: I honestly didn't measure anything that went into this dish, but I do know the weights of the zucchini, tomatoes and sea bass, so there's that. Everything else about this recipe is an (experienced) approximation. You should also know that when I cook, I season with salt and pepper throughout. However I don't really address this until the end of my recipes, when I usually instruct you to "season to taste with salt and pepper." So all I can say is, season as you wish.

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium shallot, minced

1/4 medium onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, such as plum, cut into large dice

1/4 cup olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1/2 cup chiffonade (of?) basil

1 1/2 lbs zucchini, sliced into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon butter

2 pieces black sea bass, about 1/2 lb each

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet. Add the shallot, onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives and basil. Saute over medium heat until mixture softens and begins to form a sauce, about 7-10 minutes. Add the zucchini ribbons, toss to combine, and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the zucchini begins to soften. (The zucchini releases quite a bit of liquid, so I removed it from the pan to a dish, then simmered and reduced the sauce for about 5 more minutes.

2. Meanwhile, season fish with salt and pepper. In another large pan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with the butter until the butter solids begin to froth. Add the fish and cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Shhh, don't disturb the fish except to turn it over after the first side is cooked, otherwise you won't get a nice crust.

3. Pile zucchini ribbons in a pasta bowl or on a plate, arrange fish on top, and spoon marinara over.

4. Season to taste (at whatever point you wish) with salt and pepper. (See? Cheeky!)

P.S. Tony, this fish bone is for you.

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

I haven't done much in the way of creative cooking, baking or food blogging since the dreaded five blog posts worth of Chocolate-Malt Cake craziness, nor have I eaten any sweets. (Apparently Chocolate-Malt Cake cures sugar addiction. Yay!) I've been gazing at heaps of gorgeous plums and pluots and apples at the farmers market and dreaming about making a clafoutis or Dutch bébé, but I just haven't been feeling it.

So for the past week, my husband has been eating lots of comfort and pub food -- bangers and mash, homemade chicken pies from the freezer and the like. But yesterday I was able to muster up enough motivation to make a butternut squash and mushroom lasagna. I had intended for it to be vegetarian but as far as my husband is concerned, a dish without meat does not a meal make, so in went some lean Italian turkey sausage. Paired with a simple green salad, it was a perfect Sunday supper.

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

Makes 8-12 servings

Note: Most butternut squash lasagna recipes call for pre-cooked and mashed butternut squash, but I think using uncooked strips, cut from the squash with a vegetable peeler, is easier and much less soggy. Plus you can substitute the squash strips for lasagna noodles if you wish to make this dish pasta/gluten-free. Confession: I wasn't sure the squash strips were going to work, but they're brilliant (and I do say so myself).

1 1/2 lbs lean sweet Italian turkey sausage (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium shallots, minced

1 lb crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 lb oyster mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped

Coarse kosher or sea salt

Freshly-ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Juice of 1/3 lemon

2 15-oz containers low-fat ricotta cheese

4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

3 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

1 medium (approximately 1-1/4 lb) butternut squash

1 9-oz package no-boil lasagna sheets

1. Remove sausage (if using) from casings and saute in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into small chunks and draining liquid as needed. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add olive oil and shallots and saute just until the shallots begin to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and season with about 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper (the salt helps release the liquid from the mushrooms) and the thyme. Saute until the mushrooms begin to soften. Turn off heat and add the lemon juice, stirring to combine. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 3/4 cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley and lemon zest (if using). Set aside.

4. Using a vegetable peeler, remove and discard the tough outer skin from the butternut squash, then peel the flesh into long strips. You will need enough strips to line the lasagna pan with two layers of squash (five if substituting squash for the noodles).

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Assemble the lasagna: spread about 1 cup ricotta mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared dish and place three lasagna noodles horizontally on top. Spread another cup ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, then arrange squash strips on top. Arrange half the sausage and half the mushrooms on top of the squash, then sprinkle with about 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Repeat with 3 more lasagna noodles, another cup ricotta, another layer of squash strips, the remaining sausage and mushrooms, and another 1 cup mozzarella. Top with 3 more lasagna noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. (Lasagna can be covered tightly and frozen at this point.)

6. Cover lasagna with foil and bake on middle oven rack for 25 minutes. Remove foil, rotate pan front-to-back, and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling and brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Please forgive my less-than-stellar photos with inconsistent camera angles. That's what you get at 9 p.m. on a Sunday.