Gift Guide: From My Heart to Yours

The following special edition of “Kitchen Musings” by Rumni Saha appears in the Canton Citizen Holiday Gift Guide, available now on newsstands with the November 27 issue.

It’s funny how the meaning of the holidays has changed with time. The best part of the holiday season these days has shifted from unwrapping gifts to watching someone else unwrap gifts. There is something so joyous about gawking at a loved one opening a gift that was bought with love and they really like it. It makes me feel like the richest person alive!

Well, I must confess — I am not much of a gift card kind of gal. I know it works fine for many, but it is a bit too impersonal for me. To me a gift card spells last minute, one-stop shopping and one size fits all. And although we are stressed and often pressed for time, especially around this time of the year, we do need to stop and savor the true spirit of the holidays — viz. giving from the heart.

My all-time favorite gift is a gift basket that has been put together with some thought. The best part is that you can spend anywhere from a little to a lot on the contents of a basket. Another great advantage of a gift basket is that it can be customized to individual interests. So here are some ideas to experiment with this holiday season:

A movie night basket for the movie buff or kids on your list (DVD, popcorn, and movie theatre candy for a basic basket all the way to fancy headphones and wine); a baking/cooking basket for the baker or the budding chef (measuring cups and spoons, mittens, apron and utensils complete with a fancy baking mix or all the ingredients for your favorite recipe, along with the recipe on a note card made pretty); a pamper basket, especially for someone who never treats herself or perhaps needs a boost (luxuriant pajamas, a soft robe, cuddly socks, soothing lotion, fragrant hand soap, fancy chapstick); a pick me up basket (coffee, tea, cookies, crumpets); a take me up and away basket (wine, wine glasses, funky charms or beer, stein, beer bands), or a lazy man’s basket (soup, crackers, soup mug).To me, what makes ordinary gifts like these extraordinary is the cup, the mug, the glasses or the wine holder that you pick out that somehow captures the recipient’s interest. And if you are in a position to spend a little extra, it is always okay to slip a gift certificate in the basket, such as a manicure/pedicure session for a deserving soul or a sports massage for the hard to buy athlete.

Last year the everyday drab office supplies that we all need and have, stashed away in a kitchen drawer, became an inspiration for a fun gift idea. I decided to make my girlfriend a functional gift basket with everyday things — only dolled up. Her basket was filled with pretty paper clips, a colorful rubber band ball, a roll of leopard print tape, a high-heeled tape dispenser, a sparkly stapler, a bejeweled pen, some writing notecards, a girly thermal mug, a tin of hot cocoa, and an outrageous calendar that makes her smile long after the holidays are a distant memory. Each gift was wrapped in colorful tissue paper (which took only minutes) and stuffed into a nifty basket that she uses to this day as a recycling bin in the kitchen. I will never forget the smiles that emanated and the tears that flowed freely as each gift was opened one by one. Ahh the power of the homemade gift basket — it can’t get anymore personal than that!

For kids on your list, if you must give a gift card or money, put it in a wallet that they can use and remember you by, long after the money is wasted on another fleeting video game. And although we have managed to collectively commercialize the holidays and sucked its true spirit out by making it a give and take (not to mention a wicked stressful) endeavor, let’s try to remember that it should be about making connections and creating memories. And trust me, no matter how old we are, there is a little child in each one of us that likes to open gifts just as much as we did many moons ago!

Another favorite of mine is making a meal or baking something for someone who has everything but time. Here are two simple recipes that are easily made and will make a lot of folks happy. If possible, when giving a homemade treat, include a pretty plate, a tray or a casserole dish as part of the gift; otherwise the receiver often feels guilty returning an empty dish (I speak from experience)!

Lentil Soup (with or without Kielbasa)

1 lb. green lentils

¼ cup olive oil

2 large diced onions

3 cups chopped leeks, green & white parts (If you have never worked with leeks before, please, please wash them very well to get the sand and grit off. Cut into chunks to open each stalk, run each part painstakingly under water and immerse in cold water to let the sand sink to the bottom of a large pot or a sink. Do not use a sieve. Take the leeks out, then change the water, repeating the process several times — this is the only hard part of this otherwise super easy recipe.)

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and lots of pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

A pinch of nutmeg

2 cups diced celery (6 stalks)

2 cups diced carrots (6 carrots)

3 quarts chicken stock

¼ cup tomato paste

1 lb. kielbasa, chopped

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (optional)

Freshly grated parmesan for serving

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions, leeks, garlic, celery and carrots, pepper, thyme, chili and cumin until veggies are translucent. Add the chicken stock; mix in the tomato paste and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the lentils are tender. Check the seasonings and adjust as needed. Add the kielbasa and red wine vinegar and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Include instructions to serve with grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip: If you are feeling especially generous, include a loaf of crusty bread, a bottle of good olive oil, and a block of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano with your pot of soup. Lastly, if you are making this for a vegan friend, substitute chicken stock with vegetable broth and add pan-fried tofu in place of kielbasa.

Matt Stoltz’s Stupid Easy Toll House Pie

1 pre-baked pie shell

½ cup butter

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2 eggs beaten

½ cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter in mixer until fluffy and then add both sugar and cream. Add beaten eggs and vanilla and mix until just incorporated. Add flour. Stop mixer when flour is fully blended. Fold in chocolate and nuts. Pour into piecrust. Bake 45-50 minutes until “not jiggly” and golden brown.

Tip: Makes an excellent gift for that hard-to-please youngster or the hard-to-buy-for adult.

PS: Read December’s “Kitchen Musings” for more about the creator of this recipe.

And just in case you do not have the time to make a meal or put together a gift basket, go ahead and get gift cards. Who am I to judge you when I myself am guilty of doing the same on many a Christmas Eve?

Merry Christmas and happy holidays friends! Let us be kind and generous to one another — today and everyday!

Love, Rumni

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Nov 27 2013. Filed under Featured Content. Both comments and pings are currently closed.