GIFTS
For the Host
NINE GREAT IDEAS THAT BEAT A BOTTLE OR BOUQUET
nothing over $25
SEASONAL SPATULAS
Serve up holiday spirit with these candy-swirl and snowflake kitchen tools, $12 each; williams-sonoma.com
CANDLE SNUFFER
When the party's over, this nifty little accessory will put out the flame. Bella candle snuffer, $9.95; zgallerie.com
CLOISONNE STOPPERS
These dragonfly and butterfly stoppers add a whimsical note to any celebration, $19 for set of 2; potterybarn.com
MONOGRAMMED SOAP AND TOWELS
Dress up the guest bathroom with this personalized set, $22.95; zgallerie.com
POT HOLDER & OVEN MITT
Help your host cook in style with a Stockholm flora pot holder and oven mitt, $12 each; anthropologie.com
CHEESE TOOLS
Never have the wrong knife for Brie again with this wood-handled set, $20; globaltable.com
MONOGRAM CANDLE POT
Vanilla-scented wax delights the senses, while an initial makes the gift more personal, $25; potterybarn.com
WHITE BUD VASES
Simple and chic ceramic patterned vases are a foolproof present, $20 for four 5" vases; Mxyplyzyk, 800-243-9810
NOTEPADS AND PEN
A pair of pretty pads are matched with a bamboo-style pen, $25; iomoi.com
GIFTS
Eco-Friendly
GIVE GREEN WITH RECYCLED OR ORGANIC GOODS
SIX-PACK COASTERS
Inspired by soda cans, these colorful pop-out coasters are made from recycled rubber, $18; branchhome.com
SOAP SET
These handmade, all-natural soap cubes are available in two heavenly scents, lavender and rosemary, $16 for a set of 9; westelm.com
FLOWER-SHAPED SALAD SERVERS AND CUTTING BOARD
Bamboo kitchen tools, $16.95 for the servers, $19.95 for the board; catchingfireflies.com
SERVING TRAY AND BOWLS
Dishes in renewable and sustainable bamboo are ultramodern as well as ecologically sound. Bambu lacquer ware, $18.95 for the tray, $11.95 for each mini bowl; bambu.greenfeet.com
RICE TOTE
Go fashionably green with this Vietnamese rice sack turned messenger bag; $26; serrv.org
ORGANIC VODKA
Toast Mother Earth with vodka made from certified organic grain. It comes straight up and in vanilla- or lemon-flavored varieties, $29.99 per bottle; hitimewine.net
POP-UP PAPER PLACE MATS
Charming images pop up to delight children (and their parents) with these recycled—and recyclable—place mats, $25-$27 for 10; publiqueshop.com
SUNBURST BOWL
This flower-shaped bowl doubles as a serving piece and a centerpiece—and it's made from recycled glass, $59; vivaterra.com
GIFTS
Cook Books
TASTY PICKS FOR BEGINNERS OR PROS
CHEF JEFF COOKS
Following his prison-to-posh dining memoir Cooked, Jeff Henderson—now giving a leg up to novices on his Food Network show—shares homey dishes. (Scribner; $30.00)
THE FLAVOR BIBLE
For cooks ready to go beyond recipes and improvise, married food writers Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg offer an inspiring glossary of foods and their natural flavor partners. (Little, Brown; $35.00)
CHOCOLAT
The U.S. edition of Stéphan Lagorce's sweetly packaged French title is now here, with decadent ideas from wine and chocolate pairings to chocolate waffles and "intense" brownies. (Octopus Books USA; $21.99)
URBAN ITALIAN
After leaving his job at a top U.S. French restaurant, chef Andrew Carmellini lived in Italy, then devised recipes with wife Gwen Hyman in their tiny New York apartment kitchen. The result? Great ideas for the home cook. (Bloomsbury; $35.00)
A DAY AT EL BULLI
"Head and shoulders above any other chef," raves Gordon Ramsay of Ferran Adrià. There are recipes in this 632-page visit to his avant-guard eatery, but even Adrià himself warns against trying most of them at home. (Phaidon; $49.95)
For looking, not cooking
HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING
Mark Bittman fully revised his book for its 10th anniversary. The four Top 100 lists solve most what-to-make conundrums. (Wiley; $35.00)
MADE IN SPAIN
The companion to José Andrés' PBS show is a fine introduction to the cuisine of the moment—and a gorgeous travelogue of the Washington, D.C., chef's home country. (Clarkson Potter; $35.00)
RACHAEL RAY'S BIG ORANGE BOOK
Missed her last, oh, thousand books? Catch up with the 30-minute queen in a comprehensive tome of all things "yum-o." (Clarkson Potter; $24.95)
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