South Philly Review

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It’s another holiday season and we’re all a year older. I have learned much from browsing and shopping this past year.

I learned the moral of “Miracle on 34th Street” does not embrace the spirit of a 21st century holiday season. The bottom line, according to my sister Sandy, is corporate greed. I don’t know why anyone would go shopping on Thanksgiving.

Walmart and Target television ads are degrading to women. If I see one more commercial for single serve coffee machines, I am going to throw my shoe at the TV. All those little white plastic cups filled with coffee pile up and are not green. I recommend an inexpensive Melitta drip coffeepot or an electric one that does not require filters.

Now that I have finished my venting, let’s turn our attention to gifts made in America or Europe the whole family will enjoy.

Please support local merchants is my mantra this year. Small Business Saturday was a success. The shops I visited were crowded and the merchants were hospitable and answered my questions. Customer service is a rare quality these days.

Fante’s is my go-to place for everything for the kitchen. Mariella, Steve and the knowledgeable staff are experts and will speak with you to determine exactly what you wish to buy. The website has each item listed with a photograph, a detailed description and country in which the product was made. There are many items made in America, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.

Gifts for cooks and bakers need not be high-ticket items. Snoop around the kitchen to see if cake pans, muffin tins, baking sheets and the like need to be replaced. I did just that last Valentine’s Day at Fante’s. I also bought an OXO salad spinner.

Consider a piece of American-made All-Clad Cookware. A high quality chef’s knife, bakeware made in France, Italy and Spain are fine choices and reasonably priced. I will buy a made-in-Spain paella pan from Fante’s.

Putting together a gift basket with ingredients from Di Bruno Brothers and Garces Trading Co. is fun and unique and adds a personal touch. I don’t know anyone who would not welcome a basket filled with olive oil, vinegar, imported pasta, a jar of fig jam and a bottle of Super Tuscan wine. By the way, the Beaujolais Nouveau is very good this year should you want to build a basket around French items.

I am a champion of Le Creuset. For my birthday last May, Edward and I purchased a 7-quart green risotto pot, which is truly all-purpose and not just for making risotto. We went to the Le Creuset outlet in Flemington, N.J. It retails for about $380, but was just $92. There is another location at the Premium Outlets in Limerick.

My advice is never buy a set of anything. Those on your list do not need 10 knives and a “batterie de cuisine,” which includes pots and pans that are too small.

Still, if someone you know loves to bake, a KitchenAid or Cuisinart stand mixer will be treasured for years and years. An inversion stick blender is another fine tool. Don’t fall for something useless like the Cuisinart hot and cold soup maker that is all over TV. A blender, a food processor and a good stockpot fills the bill nicely.

Here is a recipe for the holidays from “Dolci: Italy’s sweets” by Francine Segan.

Rustic Tuscan Apple Cake

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of butter
1-3/4 cups of flour
2/3 cup of sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of baking powder