Top Picks

For the Love of Cooking

Add a dash of passion to your cooking with vibrant cookware, tools, and treats! Here are CF’s latest finds for enhancing the pleasure of cooking and eating:

This 7-quart, 11-inch cocotte (French oven) from Le Creuset will bring out the coquette in any cook. Paired with a bonus 9 inch, slope-sided skillet, it's a terrific deal at 30% off from Amazon.com. Le Creuset’s enameled cast iron is renowned for excellent for heat distribution and retention, cooking food evenly and gently without hot spots.

Put a little heart in your cooking with this 2-quart casserole also from Le Creuset at Sur La Table. Made of enameled cast iron, it bakes beautifully and evenly. Elegant enough to take to the table, it will please even the most romantic chefs.

Also from Sur la Table, these charming Heart Shaped Plates from Hungary are just right for serving cookies, desserts, or tea sandwiches. Use them anytime of the year to add color to your table.

These Silicone Pot Holders from Chef's do double duty—they work equally well as trivets.Two to a set, and they're dishwasher safe.

Mix to your heart’s content: cookies, cakes, breads, and more. A kitchen isn’t complete without a KitchenAid Mixer from
Amazon.com. Your choice of 33 different colors/models to go with every décor.

Serve salads and other dishes with this brilliant Wovo Bowl from Tabletools. More work of art than humble serving dish, this functional piece is actually made of dishwasher-safe, high-performance plastic.

Save almost half-price on the handy, go-anywhere Thermos Grill-2-Go Gas Grill by Char-Broil from Amazon.com. Perfect for picnics or small patio use.

With a deep red color and a distinguished flavor, this balanced, fruity and fine Merlot from Georges Duboeuf is an exceptional bargain at Wine.com.

Add some spice to your life (and to your dishes) with Pequillo Peppers imported from Spain by Tienda.com. These fire-roasted pimientos have a unique smoky, spicy flavor.

Fill your cupcakes and muffins (or even molded salads) with extra love with this special Nordic Ware “Heartlette” Pan from Chef's.

More Top Picks

Our staff thinks these products and services are worth special recommendation. Let us know if you have favorites you’d like to see in Top Picks.

Laura Werlin’s first book, The New American Cheese, profiles America’s great cheesemakers and complements their new cheeses with delicious pairings and recipes.

The All-American Cheese and Wine Book, Werlin's update on this fascinating and rapidly growing trend, with inspired pairings and luscious photographs.

I’m Just Here for the Food, Alton Brown’s cooking basics for geeks or anyone who just wants to know what’s really going on in the kitchen.

Fresh Ideas for 2004