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Need some Christmas shopping help? Try these ideas

01.01.70

For many of us the most challenging Christmas preparation isn't decorating or baking, it's buying the perfect gift for our loved ones. Here is my third annual list of gift suggestions for the cooks in your family whether they are a seasoned chef, a novice in the kitchen or your favorite grill master.

Let's talk about a great new tool for anyone who is a fan of grilling and jalapenos. Sur La Table has a nifty little rack for holding 18 chilies upright on the grill or in the oven. You can stuff your peppers and keep them upright so the tasty filling stays inside. This Chili Pepper Grill Rack is a mere $20 and can be found at the store at One Pacific Place or online at www.surlatable.com .

Sur La Table has another gift that is an energy efficient way to bake for a small family or heat up leftovers when the family comes in and out of the kitchen at different hours. Earlier this year, our toaster oven went to that great appliance graveyard and I had to replace it. I wanted something that I could use for other tasks and after a lot of research purchased a Breville Stainless Steel Smart Oven. This appliance has 9 programmable cooking settings from toasting, to baking with convection to broiling. It holds a 13-inch pizza pan and is capable of baking cookies and pies to perfection. At $249, this is an expensive counter appliance, but we find that we rarely turn on our large oven for just the two of us and we are sure the energy we'll will save over the life of this little gem makes the price tag a little easier to bear. The Breville oven is also found at Sur La Table at the store or online. It is a great gift for someone looking for an efficient toaster oven that performs like a full-size oven.

Source: Fremont Tribune