What a Cook Wants, 10

Chocolate Babka
My West Coast friends have rarely heard of babka, unless they're Seinfeld fans. But for those raised in the Northeast, even us gentiles, chocolate babka is a magical treat. It looks like a loaf of bread, but inside is a magical, sweet eggy bread-mine with veins of rich chocolate. It's dessert pay-dirt.
It's a thoughtful gift for your Hebrew pals, but who wouldn't like their very own loaf?
Chocolate Babka, $10, serves 6-8 (but who are we kidding, it serves 1 just fine) and is Parve (dairy-free). In cinnamon also, but why bother?

What a Cook Wants, 9

A Cheese Cave in Your Fridge
This paper is designed for storing cheese. According to the manufacturers, it recreates the conditions of a cave for cheese-aging right in the cold cut drawer of your refrigerator, and keeps other odors from invading your sacred wedge.
I haven't tried it, but I do love cheese and it's a good gift for your favorite fanatic. I'll admit I'm a little heartbroken each time I pull out the drawer to discover the last tasty morsel has turned a hostile shade of blue. Save the cheese!
Formaticum Cheese Paper, $9 gets you fifteen 11x14-inch sheets and labels.

What a Cook Wants, 8

Clean Water *Without* Killing the Earth
This isn't technically a cooking thing, but it relates. I've noticed most cooks have a better sense of the cycles of nature than the average non-cook; we know (and anticipate!) when certain fruits and veggies come into season, and have perhaps a deeper appreciation for an orchard's beauty. We also feel the pain when swordfish is over-fished, or farmed salmon pollutes the waters and we have to give them up.
Good cooks have been selfishly green-minded way before it was hip: veggies just taste better when they haven't traveled 1,000 miles to the dinner plate.
So what's the next sustainable step? Enough with buying and tossing all those water bottles! Here's the solution: the a self-filtering water bottle. It's the last bottled water you'll ever buy. There's a built-in Japanese-inspired water filtration system, and the exterior is made of those plastics that won't kill you. Once a year you replace the filter. That's it.
The water tastes great, one bottle is cheaper than a year's worth at the store *and* you can sleep better/lord your green superiority over your friends.
Wellness H2.0 Enhanced Water Bottle, $50. Yearly filter, $20. Saving the earth? Priceless.

What a Cook Wants, 7

Serious Salami
This salami makes me want to cry. In a wonderful way~ kind of a watered-down version of how I felt the first time I kissed my husband-to-be. The first taste wiped out all memories of salamis past; in that transcendent moment I was tasting salami for the very first time.
Armandino Batali (yup, Mario's dad) has been turning out the Lord's salami in Seattle for the last 6 years with delightful results. And though perhaps his initial splash was fueled by the name, the success is because of the old world love and luscious umami in each succulent slice.
I love the lardo for its decadence, the smoked paprika for its gentle heat and the mole for its exuberance, but any of them will astonish your palate.
Salumi Artisan Cured Meats, 1 12-inch, 1.25-1.4 lb. gorgeous salami in a variety of styles, $15/lb. They also sell other cured meats.

What a Cook Wants, 6

A Rainbow of Cutlery
Throwing a great party comes down to the details. What I delight in at any shindig are the small, thoughtful touches. Sure there may be a taco bar, but the embroidery on the edge of the napkins? Fantastico!
That is why I love love love this festive cutlery. It's made by an Italian company of super-sturdy plastic and was inspired by some baroque flatware from the 19th century. The colors sing, and best of all? You can throw it in the dishwasher. Fabulous and eco-tastic? Let's get this party started!
Pandora Design's Baroque Plastic Deluxe Cutlery, $20 for 4-piece setting in a rainbow of colors.