For the cooking enthusiasts on your gift list, hone in on each person's style of cooking and entertaining to find the perfect match from today's ever-widening array of culinary tools and equipment. To help streamline your shopping this season, here are some new and recently launched products that are sure to get lots of smiles and good use in the kitchen.

 

Back to Basics Cooks

 

The "back to basics" cook is always on the search for no-nonsense equipment that will 

help get meals on the table faster with minimal fuss and fanfare. The elegant, utilitarian design of the new Anolon Wood Tools ($7.00-$13.00 retail) will please the cook who craves simplicity and convenience. These natural beechwood tools will not scratch delicate cooking surfaces, and the modern, light-colored wood tone pairs well in both contemporary and traditional style kitchens.

 

Another winning gift for the no-nonsense baker is the new gourmet-quality BonJour Bakeware, which includes 8 basic pieces, as well as 3 specialty items ($10.00-$25.00 retail). Designed for years of rigorous use, BonJour Bakeware is constructed of professional-weight aluminized steel with wire-reinforced rims for additional strength. The interior nonstick surface is the best quality available to home cooks, and the lighter exterior nonstick prevents over-browning and makes clean up super fast and easy. Best of all, each piece includes an imprint of its exact measurements and dimensions for fool-proof results.

 

If you're looking for a gift that will add sparkle to someone's everyday cooking, consider the new vibrant red hue offered in the popular Rachael RayTM Porcelain Enamel Nonstick Cookware ($160.00 for the 10-Piece Set). Grippy silicone handles in matching red are comfortable and oven safe to 400*F while tempered glass lids allow for monitoring of foods without lifting the lid.

 

Slow oven roasting, a hallmark of "back to basic" cooking, is one of the easiest ways to prepare affordable cuts of meat, as well as tease out sweet and robust flavors of winter vegetables, such as pumpkin and acorn squash, sweet potatoes and parsnips. The retro-style KitchenAid 13x15 Covered Dome Roaster with Flat Rack ($70.00 retail) features a bright red porcelain enamel over stainless steel exterior, and can be used with or without the rack and lid for all types of oven roasting.

 

Locavore Cooks and Entertainers

 

Sophisticated foodies are becoming increasingly keen on using seasonal, locally grown and produced ingredients, whether purchased from the supermarket, farmer's market or picked from their own backyard. Encourage their dedication to preparing fresh and delicious meals from scratch by shopping for holiday gifts that are top-notch in quality and performance, and built to last.

 

For example, Anolon Ultra Clad Cookware ($400.00 retail for the 10-Piece Set) provides all the benefits of professional-style clad metal cookware with added convenience features. It's made with three permanently bonded layers of metals for optimum cooking performance, including a thick core of aluminum for fast and even heating and a stainless steel cooking surface that won't react with acidic foods. A portion of the exterior layer of stainless steel that is stripped away and covered with a handsome black band to keep the cookware from getting too heavy and difficult to lift. It's also dishwasher-safe and compatible with all cooktops, including energy-efficient induction burners.

 

For cooks who are partial to using traditional culinary tools, there's the new BonJour Mezzaluna and Cutting Board ($40.00 retail). A staple in European home kitchens for centuries, the mezzaluna has two extra sharp blades for dicing and mincing fresh herbs, nuts and other ingredients with precision and speed. The updated and contemporary beechwood cutting board includes a concave basin to corral ingredients for chopping, and the reverse, flat side can be used to slice bread. For safe storage, the mezzaluna slips over the handle of the board and remains securely in place with magnets.

 

Heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil is a favorite ingredient of Food Network star Rachael Ray, who coined the phrase "EVOO." Her new Rachael RayTM EVOO & Vinegar Set ($25.00 retail) adds a dash of fun and color to kitchen countertops, while keeping this prized ingredient within handy reach. Available in red, orange, blue and yellow, the artistically sculpted and opaque ceramic bottles feature a tight fitting, stainless steel pouring spigot to keep delicate oils from spoiling. The set also comes with a funnel for easy filling.

 

Healthy Foods First

 

With First Lady Michelle Obama's "Lets Move" initiative to fight back against the rising tide of obesity among children, more families are adopting a healthier cooking style.

 

Asian style stir-fry dishes are among the fastest and most flavorful ways to sneak in lots of healthy vegetables into the dinner menu. Make it easy for anyone to enjoy this healthy cooking method with a gift of the new and generously sized Circulon Elite Platinum 14-inch Open Stir Fry ($50.00 retail). The heavy-gauge, hard-anodized pan has a durable nonstick cooking surface that prevents foods from sticking, even when little oil is used -- a bonus when trying to trim calories. The elegant platinum hued nonstick exterior keeps the cookware from staining and is pretty to look at, especially when displayed on a hanging rack.

 

Bakeware is not just for desserts. Cookie pans and jelly roll pans can be pressed to do double duty for healthy, oven-baked "fries," oven-roasted chicken breasts, meatballs, salmon steaks, and more. The new Circulon 25th Anniversary Bakeware Set ($25.00 retail) combines two 10x15-inch cookie pans with a cooling rack that can also serve as an oven roasting rack to elevate foods and allow fats from beef and other ingredients to drip down into the pan. Constructed from heavy gauge carbon steel, the cookie pans will not bend or warp. A high-quality silver-colored nonstick surface, coupled with Circulon's signature Total(R) Nonstick System with Hi-Low wave technology, releases food easily -- even those prepared with little or no fat -- and makes clean up a snap. Circulon celebrates its 25th anniversary this year as the first made-to-last, gourmet brand of hard-anodized nonstick cookware.

 

Being healthier today is also about avoiding materials that may be detrimental, such as the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) commonly found in plastic food containers, linings of canned goods, and more. The new BonJour Ami Matin BPA-Free French Press (3-Cup size $15.00 retail, and 8-Cup size $25.00) features an unbreakable, heat-resistant carafe crafted from Tritan(R), an innovative new BPA-free material favored for its durability, lightness, and shatterproof properties. This French Press is ideal for coffee lovers who enjoy brewing rich, smooth-tasting coffee without any worries of BPA, or breaking a delicate carafe.

 

Tea delivers healthy antioxidants, many flavor options and a soothing respite. The perfect stocking stuffer for tea lovers, the new stainless steel Bon Jour Single Cup Tea Infuser ($13.00) is compact and simple to use. Just fill the infuser chamber with loose tea leaves and immerse into a cup of hot water for brewing. The matching stand provides an elegant place to hold the infuser without messy drips.

 

Comfort Food Connoisseurs

 

Classic American dishes, such as hearty casseroles, meatloaf and "mac and cheese" are the most satisfying and appealing to "comfort food connoisseurs." In the dessert category, quick breads like cranberry orange nut bread and sour cream coffee cake are perennial favorites. This season, bake a loaf of your best recipe as a gift for that special neighbor, tied with a printed recipe card, and present it in the new Rachael RayTM Stoneware 9x5 Loaf Pan in red ($15.00 retail). Dishwasher, microwave, oven and freezer-safe, the loaf pan features a high-gloss, festive red exterior that's perfect for the holiday table.

 

Mixing up a batch of holiday cookies -- the ultimate comfort food for kids -- is one of the easiest ways for little ones to learn basic baking skills and share in all the fun that can be had in the kitchen during holidays. The new Paula Deen Signature Kid's Seasonal Cookie Mold Pan ($17.00 retail) makes a great gift idea for families or budding young chefs. The easy clean non-stick, carbon steel pans feature seasonal Snowflake, Tree and Gingerbread Man designs that imprint onto the baked cookies.

 

The Entertainers

 

Culinary enthusiasts who like to entertain enjoy collecting well-designed serveware and accessories that make their hosting talents look impeccably smooth and effortless.

 

One of the best tricks to entertaining with ease is to use oven-to-table stoneware that goes straight from the oven to the kitchen or dining table. For beautifully presented casseroles, tarts and quiches, new BonJour Stoneware ($20.00-$50.00 retail) is available in two exterior color glazes, Rouge and Chocolate. Practical and hard working, the collection is oven safe to 450*F, and can be placed in the microwave, refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher.

 

For the entertainer with a knack for baking, a gift of Paula Deen Signature Stoneware ($13.00-$35.00 retail) in new Robin's Egg Blue will inspire countless invitations to casual coffee and dessert get-togethers. Featuring a unique swirl pattern and a reactive glaze finish, each versatile and durable piece in the collection -- which includes a stunning Sunflower Fluted Mold for a very grand bundt cake -- will get everyone's attention at the table.

 

For a fun twist to southern tradition, the Paula Deen Signature Cast Iron Cornbread Mold ($20.00 retail) features an embossed corn ear design. The cleverly shaped mold is crafted of heavy-duty cast iron and makes eight individual pieces of golden cornbread.

 

Finally, for party hosts who enjoy playing "home barista," there's the new and sleek BonJour Triomphe French Press ($70.00 retail). Crafted of polished stainless steel, the double-wall insulated, 8-cup carafe keeps coffee piping hot longer. For easy tableside pouring, a hollowed stainless steel handle keeps it cool to the touch. Triomphe includes BonJour's signature "Flavor Lock" shut-off filter to eliminate bitter-tasting coffee, and a patented stainless steel filtering screen to keep sediments away from the cup.

 

For more information on these holiday gift ideas, visit the following Web sites: www.anolon.com, www.circulon.com, www.kitchenaidproducts.com, www.bonjourproducts.com and www.potsandpans.com.

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