For The Cook

Vintage or modern? High tech or country? Here's something for every kind of kitchen

By DEPARTMENT Monday, Nov. 21, 2005

    • • Keep It Fresh Melissa's World Variety Produce will ship all sorts of goodies--like Fresno chilies, dragonfruit, pomegranates and dried porcini--to your door from its L.A. warehouse and has gift baskets to boot. Go to melissas.com

    • Counter Intuitive Click Kitchen at chiasso.com to find these $15 illusion cutting boards, made of heat-resistant tempered glass. An extra $298 buys the sharp and swanky six-piece Boulud knife set. Find more cool gifts in the Entertaining section.

    • Weight Watcher Typhoon's old-fashioned spring scale, $40 at surlatable.com is made of painted steel with stainless-steel trim. The removable bowl is dishwasher safe. Shown here in tangerine, it also comes in blue, cream, pink and Buick red.

    • Buy a Nose For the cook who has everything: Alessi's Pino plastic funnel, $29.50 at forzieri.com The company, based in Florence, Italy, ships U.S. orders via UPS Express for a flat rate of $13.95. Spend more than $400, and shipping is free.

    • Grate Design The Todo stainless-steel-and-wood cheese grater, $65, stands 18 in. high, so it helps you maintain good posture while you prepare the Parmesan. Another eye catcher at momastore.org the puzzle wine rack, $60.

    • Hawaiian Punch Buckaroo's Mercantile buckmerc.com has loads of retro kitchen kitsch--like hula-girl-and-boy salt-and-pepper shakers, $15--and lets you create custom aprons, dish towels and other items using images from its gallery.

    • Frog and Puppy Show These colorful silicone pot holders, $12 each, can pull double duty: they protect your mitts while you slave over a hot stove and help you entertain the wee ones. Plumparty.com is also a great source for contemporary tableware.

    • Whisk Management You're less likely to scald the hot chocolate using the thermometer whisk, $25 at williams-sonoma.com For novices, the handle sports a cheat sheet on preparing cocoa and other heat-sensitive treats.