Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 14, 1994 TAG: 9412140093
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
To quote Mrs. Jackson in award-winning author Gloria Naylor's novel "Mama Day," "Only the present has potential, sir."
The 11 days left until Christmas give "present potential, sir."
During the past few weeks a lot of potential present suggestions have crossed my desk. Here are a few of the most intriguing:
The MicroBuddy Cooking System. In case you missed its mouth-watering infomercials, the system combines moist heat and microwaving to cook foods so they retain their natural colors, aromas and textures. A complete meal, such as real steak and potatoes or real chicken or fish and vegetables, plus dessert, can be prepared in five to eight minutes.
The l9-piece set, 20-page cooking guide and $50 worth of name-brand grocery coupons cost $29.95 plus shipping and handling. Call (800) 792-1133.
The Presto PowerPop microwave popcorn popper uses a special plastic base and replaceable paper "concentrators" to focus microwave energy for optimal popping. In other words, up to three quarts of unscorched, unburned popcorn in 21/2 minutes with hardly any unpopped kernels remaining.
You can regulate or eliminate the amount of oil and seasonings used or create your own personal favorite taste. Suggested retail is under $25, and if you comparison-shop you'll find a lot of variation in price on this one.
The fourth annual Discovery Kitchen catalog contains 64 pages of hard-to-find, reasonably priced food items made the old-fashioned way by more than 60 small (many two- and three-person) enterprises nationwide. How unique, how reasonable? Offerings like nine ounces of shagbark hickory syrup for $13.95; one pound of honey from the Hawaiian Christmas Berry plant, nestled in a pretty gift box, for $8.50; five ounces of jalapeno- or
garlic-stuffed hand-picked olives for under $5; or Ozark smoked hams and bacon.
Product suppliers are chosen based on the character and quality of their products. They do not pay to advertise. The catalog and periodic newsletters are available free of charge by writing Discovery Kitchen, P.O. Box 6325, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91367; (800) 367-6865.
"Of-the-month" clubs deliver year-round Christmas. The Great American Beer Club and Beer Across America bring monthly samples of microbrewed beers from across the country. Microbreweries brew small, limited batches of beer using only barley, hops, yeast and water, hence, no preservatives, fillers or foaming agents.
Membership, which does not require a set commitment, brings by mail 12 beers per month, Great American's comprised of three breweries' selections; Beer Across America's of two. Costs average $15 to $20 per month. Call Great American at (800) TRY-A-SIP (879-2747). Beer Across America is at (800) 854-2337.
The Venison of the Month club delivers everything from roast to salami for from $375 for two people to $1,500 for eight people per year. Call (800) 774-DEER.
Not an "of-the-month'' club, but certainly willing to make monthly deliveries upon request, Frieda's Specialty produce will gladly whip up combinations such as horned melons, blood oranges and cherimoyas, or dried porcini mushrooms, pignolias, Colavita extra virgin olive oil and pasta in decorative wicker baskets. Call (800) 241-1771.
At $399 per bottle, one month may be as often as you want to give 70-year-old Augier Extra Rare cognac. Or, for that matter, 50-year-old Augier Royale at $299 per bottle or 35-year-old Augier Special Reserve at $199.
The spirits, from the family that founded the world's first cognac house around 1643, are canted in hand-blown glass bottles, each individually numbered, hand-waxed and presented in hardwood boxes. Request them through regular liquor outlets.
For some slightly more affordable presents, from the American Institute for Cancer Research comes an A to Z listing of suggestions to make preparing, cooking, serving or eating healthful foods a daily pleasure: air-popping popcorn makers; bread-making machines; choppers (mini food processors); defatting gravy makers; electric can opener; fish poacher; garlic braids; herb mill; ice-cream maker; juicers; kettle; "Lighthearted Everyday Cooking" by Anne Lindsay, $16.95 to AICR, Dept. CB5, Washington, D.C. 20069; microwave oven; nonstick pans; olive oils; pasta machine; quinoa; roasting racks; salad spinner; terracotta casseroles; unsalted snacks; vegetable steamers; wok; ``xtra'' spices; yogurt makers; zester.
by CNB