EW ’s
gift guide 2007
cookin’ up some gift ideas
HARTWICK’S
GIFTS FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO GRUB By Katie Cornell
A
h, ’tis the season of excessive
food and wine consumption.
During the wintertime, it’s
harder to resist things like big, buttery
cookies lathered in cavity-sweet frosting
and obnoxiously cute sprinkles. True, after
holiday parties, you might wake up one
morning with resolutions never to drink
wine again nor eat to the point of suffoca-
tion — but those feelings quickly fade.
How do you figure out how to incorporate
an American holiday pastime, serious
grubbing, into your gift-giving agenda?
Here are a few of the hot holiday items
from two popular kitchen stores in
Eugene. Let’s get chubbified.
Hartwick’s boldly takes the leading
spot on a bill of retail stores in the Fifth
Street Public Market (296 E. 5th Ave.).
The name Hartwick’s seems intimdating.
Is it a chain? Is it overpriced? Is it too
classy to go into when you are bathed in
anxious sweat after a trip to a crowded
mall full of holiday shoppers? The answer
to all of these questions is, simply, no.
Hartwick’s is a local kitchen supply store
owned by Eugenean Lisa Hartwick. As
you walk in, warm lighting bounces off a
variety of colorful KitchenAid products
and different cooking utensils suspended
from the ceiling. You can see a logical
labyrinth of culinary supplies; it’s just a
matter of where to start your journey.
While you’re there, make sure to check
out some of the more light-hearted cooking
gifts such as the Bonjour Hot
Chocolate Maker ($29.99). The antique-
inspired ceramic contraption whips up
creamy, battery-charged hot chocolate that
doesn’t taste like residual particles of powder
and fake marshmallows. The dishwasher and
microwave safe device is a great gift to give
to a chocolate lover on the go.
As for the wine enthusiasts in your life,
you may consider wrapping up a Pek
Preservino portable wine pre-
server ($39.95). The travel friendly
device uses high-purity argon to keep
wine tasting fresh. It’s a great way to save
some leftover vino from a holiday party
for a few days and sometimes even a few
weeks. Just inject the Preservino needle
into the provided cork and remove. And
there it will be, waiting for you, when
you’re ready to get your drink on. Lastly,
there’s the RSVP Squirrel Nut
Cracker ($17.95). Everyone should
learn to incorporate a silver-plated critter
into home décor. One online review of the
product describes it as “unique, decorative
and whimsical.”
Unique doesn’t
stop there. Don’t
miss out on the
ambience of Kath-
leen Campbell’s
local store hidden in
the
Southtowne
Shops (28th and Oak).
Cooks, Pots and
Tabletops equips
you with the neces-
sary cookware and
specialty foods to
host a memorable
dinner party. This November marks the 11th
anniversary of the store that’s dedicated to
providing the community with innovative
culinary classes and exclusive cooking
accessories. For instance, Emile Henry
Flametop Cookware can’t be found
anywhere else in Lane County. The bright
red (or black) collection is dishwasher safe,
microwaveable and specially adapted to
stand direct heat from electric and gas
sources, the oven or stovetop. As for you car-
nivores, check out All Clad Cookware’s
stainless-steel roaster ($199.95). It’s serious-
ly heavy and just asking for a slab of juicy,
red meat.
Another option
at CPT is a gift
certificate for a
fun
cooking
class ($65-$85).
The kitchen, a
2007 International
Association
of
Culinary Profes-
sionals
(IACP)
Cooking School of
the Year finalist,
hosts cool courses
with globally inspired
menus. After learn-
ing knife techniques,
recipes and profes-
sional serving tips,
the gift recipient will
emerge as a creative
and worldly food connoisseur (and hope-
fully get the hint and invite you over for
some dinner). In 2008, the Cooks, Pots
and Tabletops kitchen will hold classes led
by Portland chef Cory Schreiber; Japanese
cookbook author and instructor Hiroko
Shimbo; Nancy Oakes, the chef and owner
of Boulevard Restaurant (San Francisco);
and Napa-based author Hugh Carpenter.
Marché and Lane Community
College also host cooking classes. Their
schedules are not yet available, but keep
on the lookout for more hands-on fun in
the kitchen and a gift that just keeps on
giving.
■
HARTWICK’S
COOKS, POTS AND TABLETOPS
Eugene Weekly’s Gift Guide 2007
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