Toys!

Xbox 360. A new bike. A laptop computer. Cold, hard, cash. A Sega Saturn.

These are all things I've asked foraround Christmastime past years. Some of them have worked out well (cash, Xbox360) and some of them not so well (damn my endless loyalty to Sega. I blame Sonic.)

But this time around I asked for something(s) that are not only in completely different leagues from my previous requests, but are guaranteed to supply endless amounts of happiness.

First up is the most important: a food mill. Potato mashers are sooooooo mid 90s. You want the silky consistency of instant mashed potatoes with the flavor and texture of yukon golds, and there's really only one option: a food mill. It's also the ideal way to make gnocchi (coming later), juice pomegranate seeds, and remove the seeds and pulp from tomatoes. Combined with my new chinois, everything I make will finally have exactly the right consistency. I had never actually seen a chinois in action, but decided to give it its first go by making a mirepoix for my old barbeque sauce recipe and leaving in the onions, parsnips, carrots, and celery as the sauce simmered. Then, finally pushed it through the chinois and enjoyed the smoothest, richest barbeque sauce I've ever made. Awesome.

I decided a spice grinder would be in order, since whole spices last longer than ones you buy pre-ground. Since I like to keep a couple score of spices on hand at any given time (but usually take about a year to go through them) it seemed a logical choice. It got its first use when I ground whole coriander seeds to make a crust for the seared ahi tuna I made last week. The flavor difference: worlds apart. I'm not sure if there will be a next time that I'll use pre-ground spices. Yow.

If you love wine as much as I do (unlikely) you'll understand why I so desperately wanted a decanter. Nuff said, really. It gets its first test with a bottle of new bottle of Malbec I'm pretty excited to open.

I'm still a way aways from my first purchase of truffles, but I have been pretty interested in learning how to use their flavor. To that end, truffle oil works as a good substitute. I've only used it thus far drizzled on fries, but I definitely hope to use it with proteins and salads in very soon. Mmmmm. Truffffflleeessss.....

And finally, the simplest of my Christmas gifts: a $5 patch of cheesecloth that can add an extra layer of smoothness to any soups or sauces, can go towards enclosing a bouquet garni, or give me my first experience using tomato water. While wikipedia says I can also use it for making my own cheeses or handheld torches and flaming arrows, these uses are slightly less likely.

But I'll keep you posted.