Well, it’s getting to be that time of year, the days when holiday food abounds.  I’m not complaining, per se, but this means a lot more time than usual spent planning and executing special dishes.  So I began thinking about the kitchen gadgets that make the job of cooking just a bit easier.  My top picks are:

1. My heavy-duty mixer.  Like most people, I make an awful lot of cookies during the holidays and it pains me to even think of the time before I had one of these!
   
2. The trusty wine bottle-opener in my cupboard.  (I love cooking with a little glass of chianti at my side…)
   
3. The food warmer gets a lot of use at family gatherings and holiday potlucks these days.  
   

Now for my wish-list…because even the Restaurant Guru doesn’t have the “perfect” kitchen:

1. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a nice countertop fryer!
                     
2. Bar stools.  I know this one doesn’t seem that helpful in the kitchen, but they’d make any holiday party just a little cooler.
     
3. A tortilla press.  I  l-o-v-e  LOVE Mexican food and really want to start making my own tortillas.  
     

 So…Santa, I know you won’t let me down!