Each year we offer a couple of gift suggestions for the cooks and foodies on your list.

The food that we eat and live by has been written about a great deal in the past year, so this season we present one book gift and a cooking equipment selection.

One well-known "secret" of successful cooking and baking is the accuracy of the measured ingredients. This is particularly true in the case of all baking formulas. In cooking, an experienced cook can use their imagination to fine tune a recipe. A little more pepper, vinegar or Angostura bitters can make a sauce or soup a touch more flavourful without changing the texture and the consistency.

This creative freedom is not recommended for bakers; measurements must be accurate.

Each year there seems to be even more improvements in kitchen gadgets used for measuring weight and volume. Happily, because of digitalized technology, less expensive and more accurate scales and meat thermometers can be purchased.

Our top gift pick for 2009 in kitchen tools is a great digital scale, the Salter Aquatronic Glass Scale. Priced at $49.90, it is a fine investment in precision equipment.

Well-built and easy to use it can hold up to 11 pounds of weight, or 5,000 grams. It has a liquid measure feature and comes with lithium batteries. There are less costly scales but their accuracy can be questionable after some use. Look for this in larger drug and department stores, the scale is worth your consideration.

Our book selection this year is the highly praised volume from Marion Nestle titled Food Politics: How the food industry influences nutrition and health.

This book is the expanded reprint of the successful 2002 edition of the same title. A recommendation of note is proudly printed on the front page from Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation who says: "If you eat, you should read this book". There is even a positive comment from Julia Child (in 2001) who calls it: "A courageous and masterful expose."

Nestle is the professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at Paulette Goddard, and professor of sociology at New York University. She has written several highly regarded books on nutrition and on food safety matters.

The author is very clear about the objectives of her book. She says: "I hoped that Food Politics would help shift attention from the personal to the societal changes needed to influence food choice, food marketing among them." The very well-researched and documented volume is a handful of 390 pages with 100 pages of references and foot notes. In 15 chapters the author discusses "functional foods," the massive political lobbying in the US capital, school meals, the practical intrusion of the Food and Drug Administration in all aspects of food marketing, production, and safety.

For me, the description of the role of food additives and their declaratory accuracies was especially interesting. Food Politics is published by the University of California and sells for less that $30, it's an excellent Christmas present.

Not to leave the practical cooking (and tasting) component out of this column, here are two winter recipes for your files.

Mediterranean Shortbread

2 cups butter at room temperature

? cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp brandy

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

- cup rose water

1* cups icing sugar

Measure and line up all ingredients. Select large bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, brandy and vanilla. In a separate bowl stir together the flour and baking powder; blend into creamed mixture, using your hands to 'bring' the dough together. Shape the dough into one-inch sized balls and place on a baking sheet one inch apart. Stud each cookie with one whole clove. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle the cookies with a few drops of rose water and dust with icing sugar to coat. Repeat this process once again. Rosewater can be purchased in specialty food shops and delicatessens. Approximate recipe cost for about 45-50 cookies: $ 10.

CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

1 pkg. active dry yeast

- cup lukewarm water

? cup scalded milk cooled to lukewarm

- cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 large egg

- cup butter

- cup slivered blanched almonds

- cup chopped walnuts

- cup candied lemon peel

- cup candied orange peel

1 cup seedless raisins

1 tbsp grated lemon rind

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp melted butter

? cup icing sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Candied cherries and sliced blanched almonds for decoration

Measure and line up all ingredients. In a bowl mix the warm water and yeast with one tsp. sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, egg, butter, slivered almonds, nuts, and lemon peel, orange peel, raisins, lemon rind and 1* cups all-purpose flour. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in enough of the rest of the flour to make semi-firm dough. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put in an oiled bowl, brush the top with a little melted butter, cover, and let proof until it doubles in bulk, up to two hours. Punch down and roll out to 12 x eight- inch oval. Spread with one tablespoon of melted butter. Fold in half lengthwise and shape into a crescent. Press edges firmly to hold together. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet and brush with a little melted butter. Let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. While warm frost with a special frosting and decorate with slivered almonds and cherries.

STOLLEN FROSTING

2 cups icing sugar

Boiling water as needed

Almond extract to taste

Sift the icing sugar. Slowly add the boiling water while whisking to make a smooth spreadable consistency. Spread on the warm stollen as desired.

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