For Cooks Everywhere

• For the person who loves to cook, but has little time, consider giving a custom slow cooker "basket". Start with the slow cooker of your choice as the "basket". Then add a roasting rack that fits the slow cooker, a cookbook with recipes geared towards slow cooking (we chose Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes from Publications International), and some choice spices to add some zip to slow cooked meals. All that will remain to be done is some shopping for ingredients!

• Need a gift idea for a coworker who loves to cook? Try putting together a Seasoned Greeting! Choose any recipe (or group of recipes) from the Seasoned Cooking recipe index and print them out on festive cards. Pair the recipe(s) with an appropriate herb or spice from the ingredient list and a special holiday card.

• A simple cook's basket can be enjoyed by any cook -- especially when you customize it to the recipient's tastes. Start with a woven basket of an appropriate size for holding the goodies of your choosing. Then, fill it with a wide array of cooking treats and helpers. Our basket includes The New Joy of Cooking (although any cookbook will do), a selection of specialty marinades, and an assortment of spices that are bound to inspire a masterpiece or two.

Gift Certificates For Cooks

For the person who loves to cook, but might be hard to shop for, gift certificates are a sure bet. They let the recipient know that you appreciate their love of cooking while allowing them to choose their gift. And, because they choose the gift, you just know it will be perfect! Some of our favorite places to look for gift certificates include:

• Cooking.com
• Amazon.com
• Bed, Bath & Beyond
• William Sonoma
• Cost Plus

Whatever gifts find their way under the tree this year, we at Seasoned Cooking would like to wish you all a joyous and festive holiday season and many more to come. Happy Holidays ... or, as we like to say here, Seasoned Greetings!