MOST modern kitchen machines are as ugly as computers, and just as single-mindedly dedicated to function rather than aesthetics. But, there are some exceptions, which make for perfect gifts ...
The Dualit Toaster: in photos of trendy kitchens, the Dualit sits ominously, confidently, conspicuous as a Titsio lamp or a Rennie Mackintosh chair, quietly exuding its classic status. For 50 years it has been the quintessential, classic, kitchen device, both extremely efficient and utterly adorable. For my money, the stainless steel two-slice toaster is the most gorgeous, but the Dual it shows a clean pair of heels to any other toaster, even the rather nifty Alessi designs for Philips. The two-slice costs from £135 at Meadows Byrne, Cork and Galway, Minima, Dublin & T&D Norton, Dublin.
The Waring Blender: as classic as the Dualit, and jest as gorgeous. This looks like it belongs in a soda fountain bar, and if you buy one in red it is lucky as all get out. Useful for crushing ice aa well as pureeing igredients, so just the job for brewing up Christmas cocktails. The blender costs from £149, again at Meadows & Byrne and Minima.
The Kitchen Aid Mixer: classic, classic, classic. If it did nothing but sit in your kitchen, the Kitchen Aid would bestow grace and timelessness, but it is also darn hard-working and endlessly useful. Pricey, at £295, and worth every penny. Again at Meadows & Byrne.
The Illy Coffee Cup, a different designer works on the illustrations of the Illy range each year, but a swirling, vivacious energy unifies the different styles.
The box set, which comes with some Illy coffee in a tin, is not only beautiful, but good value at £59. From Kitchen Complements and Minima.
The Habitat White Porcelain-Box Set: a classic starter kit of crockery for those setting out into that brave new bedsit. Timeless design, elegant and subtle, and cracking value at £69 for the set. Habitat, Dublin and Belfast.
The Teapot: teapots should be white, and kiddy-book cute, and Habitat have the best ones at £13, a steal of a price.
Le Chef Gear: these funky aprons, oven gloves and chef's gear are going to take the country, by storm, even if Garry Rhodes wears something similar. Being teflon-coated, they are also supremely useful, but it's the cool - smart design, in bold black and white, which is what counts. Aprons cost £14.25, oven mitts are loves are £7.95, and cafetiere covers cost £5.75. From Kitchen Complements.
The Chopping Board: along with the washing-up brush, a good chopping board is used each and every day, so buy someone a good one which will last and which is large enough, to be useful. In the Ballymaloe Kitchen Shop, Shanagarry, Wendy Whelan sells super blocks made by her son Sasha, with the best ones made from a single piece of teak. Prices run from £19.90 to £69 for an enormous platter board.
RETRO CHIC
WHY are we heading back to the 1970s? Search me, but whether you like it or not, it's retro food which is the hot ticket right now. Throughout the food world, 1997 will be spent extolling the virtues of the prawn cocktail (Simon Hopkinson, author of the brilliant Roost Chicken And Other Stories is hard at work on a book entitled The Prawn Cocktail Years), the black forest gateau, crepes suzette and other delicious things you imagined we had left behind. Wrong. So, to celebrate our backward step, buy someone a culinary blast-from-the-past.
The Fondue Set: the Ab Fab pressie to beat them all. You can start out simple - Habitat do nifty sets at less than £15 - and then head up-market to something like the set available at Meadows & Byrne, for £42.95. Whatever you choose, it is really about timed that we rediscovered the joy of a good cheese fondue one of the greatest meals.
The Chicken Brick, the dinner party classic has been smartly re-invented by Kiltrea Bridge Pottery, whose noble, surreal chicken brick is in the share of a nestling hen. Slightly daft, and very useful, and perfect post-modern 1970s. Widely available at about £40.
The Pepperball: the idea of crushing, pepper, rather than grinding it, is a modern idea, but there is something so gimmicky and over the top about Cole & Mason's Pepperball, with its ridiculous colours and self-consciously moderne styling, that it is already classic retro. Mega-fun, all for 10 pence less than a tenner. At Kitchen Complements.
STOCKING FILLERS
A cookery course token for John Desmond's Heir Island Restaurant.
John Desmond's uniquely intimate cookery courses - he teaches only a couple of students at a time were a big hit last year. Not only is Mr Desmond a fine teacher, but the pleasure of having a couple of days on Heir Island, off the coast of west Cork, absorbed in cooking and eating, is joyful. Prices and details from John and Ellmary on (028) 38102.
Cool Condiments: Christmas is the perfect time to give someone a taste of the many delightful preserves, oils and condiments made by talented artisans and sold in good shops throughout the country. One of the newest is Bronagh Conlon's Pure Living, whose aptly named foods seem wholly appropriate at a time of such relentless indulgence. Operating now from new premises on Railway Street in Balbriggan, north Dublin, there are baskets, hampers and their entire range of foods is available in the shop: blackcurrant preserve with rum, brandy butter, cranberry sauce with port, spicy chutneys and flavoured oils. Open Mon-Sat, tel (01) 841 5810.
Terroirs Christmas Tea: The neat little red tins of Benjamin & Barton Christmas Tea - flavoured with pineapple and sweet orange - which Sean and, Francoise Gilley sell in Donnybrook's Terroirs are only one of many terrific foodie pressies they stock.
If anyone gave me a bottle of Consorzio flavoured oil, or a box of those Quernon's d'Ardoise chocolates, or some Cluizal chocolate sardines, I should be as happy," as Larry. For something utterly special, check out the hand decorated sugar cubes, Les Sucrandises: delectable.
. Terroirs, 103 Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, tel. (01) 667 1311
Avoca Handweavers, Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow. This fab trove of good things in the Avoca shop simply gives us too much to choose from when its comes to edible pressies. Handsome flavoured oils, fine chocolates, special preserves and condiments. And all this before you even take a took at the geansais and the crafts.
Kim Condon's Indulgenza: "The sexiest product in my shop this Xmas", says Kim Condon of the Indulgenza, a mascarpone flavoured with brandy, made by Galbani. Slather some on the pud or the pies and, wow!