‘Tis the season of giving, and there’s no better time to spread happiness and kindness than during the holidays! The holiday season is my favorite time of year – and gift giving is one of my favorite things to do!

Ah…having the opportunity to shower those I care for with gifts. Everybody knows that giving gifts is a great way to express your appreciation for others. Not only does it make the gift receiver happy, but it makes the gift giver happy as well. Giving gifts during the holidays also promotes greater connections with your loved ones. Gift-giving is something that comes from one’s heart. It does feel great to be on the receiving end, but there is a feeling of satisfaction when you are the one giving the gifts. 

Christmas at my house was always a big event for our family. My mother’s family was very big, and we all traveled to each other’s houses for the holidays. Christmas day would always begin at our house opening gifts, and afterwards traveling to each cousin’s house. We all lived within five miles of each other, so it was not a long drive to get to each one. As I remember, there would be six stops that ultimately ended at my Uncle Woofy’s house. My mother’s family started in Sicily with the birth of my Aunt Ma’am Ma, who was ten years older than my mom (who was born in the USA). My aunt was the self-appointed head of the family, and my mom wasn’t happy about it. To me she was a wonderful aunt because I was her favorite. To my mom she was a bit bossy.

Every Christmas, my mother nervously awaited the arrival of her sister. There was a bit of a cooking competition between the two sisters. If you have been reading my articles, then you’ll know that my mom’s meatballs were legendary. All the cousins and other aunts and uncles’ families would stop over on days she made meatballs. However, this would not go over well with my Aunt Ma’am Ma. She would arrive with a lot of fanfare and people helping her carry in the gifts for the kids and - a 30qt stock pot - full of her meatballs. On the stove (of course!) was my mom’s 30qt stock pot full of her meatballs. When my Aunt Ma’am Ma would arrive, she would proclaim to everyone, “Here, get these heated up.” She would take my mom’s pot off the stove and put her stock pot in its place. As you can imagine my mom, by now was gritting her teeth and rolling her eyes.

What was my Irish truck driver Dad doing at this point during the meatball competition? He would have a huge grin on his face every year and divert the focus to opening the gifts for the children. I was always first and I can still remember the first year of my Aunt Ma’am Ma’s special gift for me. It was an Avon aftershave cologne glass car! Remember the company Avon? As I opened the gift, I would excitedly say “Wow, it looks so cool!” I was six years old at that time, and my aunt said I could now shave. I immediately found a mirror and began my shaving gestures splashing the Avon cologne all over myself. Every Christmas for six years in a row, my aunt would give me a new Avon Cologne car. She would say, “Hold on to them Johnny, they’ll be worth something someday.” 

Looking for that unique gift idea?

The best gifts for foodies often involve a gift that they would not often splurge on for themselves. If you need help with what to wrap up for the holidays, we’ve got some ideas that will please even the most discerning gourmands on your list.

Knives: Give the gift of high-quality knives during this holiday season to someone special. Gifting knives isn't just about cutting, it's about creating lasting memories in the kitchen. Whenever they use it, they will remember you with a smile. Surprise your loved one by gifting some amazing knives. A knife set is truly the ultimate gift for a friend or loved one. Barbecue and home-cooking aficionados alike can make use of a lovely, hand-forged knife set as a treasured kitchen tool for many years. From smaller chef’s knives to massive meat cleavers, we have a variety of beautiful options for the loved one who you want to honor with something special this year. 

Cookware: Cookware might not seem like a glamorous gift but to anyone who loves cooking, a well-made, artfully designed piece of cookware is a dream gift. Cooking with exceptionally well-made tools is a transformative experience in every way; they speed up cooking time, cook things evenly and are endlessly durable. Treat the chef in your life to one of our cookware gems, you’ll reap the tasty rewards later.

Just a love for gadgets: Can’t decide on a gift for your favorite foodie? Perhaps a needed gadget such as a micro plane zester, a peeler, a whisk, mixing bowls, an electric tea kettle, pepper and salt mills, a mortar and pestle, cutting boards, BBQ tools, thermometers…the list goes on!

Not sure what to give this holiday season? Let us help you find that unique, unexpected gift for the person who already has everything at Compliments to the Chef; your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. We have a great assortment of kitchen accessories to get your young Foodies started. It is a gift worth giving. Stop in and ask me any questions you may have.

Oh, and I checked online what my aunt’s gifts are going for these days and they are selling for $29.99 but to me they are priceless. Also, I finally got the courage to ask my dad why he didn’t stick up for my mom’s meatballs when my aunt brought her meatballs knowing that my mom already had them. He said, “Son, who was number one and who was number two didn’t concern me because you never come between two Sicilian sisters when there is food involved. Besides, I was looking at 60 quarts of meatballs!” Each year when we froze the leftover meatballs, I ate like a king all winter.

Remember my Foodie Friends:
“Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care & Happy Holidays! Treasure the memories.
- John & Paula