2000-11-9 - 24:00 MST

November 9, 2000

Wish Book

I dallied with an adult catalog tonight for a few enjoyable hours. Not a macho book though. Travis of "A Moveable Feast," http://feast_beast.travisasha.com/journal/ gave me a hint of what a cook wants for his domain. So I called and got the Catalog of "Sur La Table." Oh such splendor and elegant tableware, utensils and culinary articles galore.

Prices are high, but quality and endurance are supposed to be tops.

the Cuisinart Toaster Catalog number 39594 4-slice (Whoopee, our breakfast toast in just one loading !) looks like what I want to get Heather as a surprise Christmas gift this year. Seems to have all the bells and whistles -- Wide enough for English Muffins and thick home made bread. Small pieces of toast are easy to remove with the extra-lift key. Features defrost and reheat controls with LED indicator lights. Has a slide out crumb tray and a cord wrap to avoid entanglement on the counter top. All that with an 18 month warranty.

I have been extremely satisfied with Cuisinart appliances, we have one of their coffee pots which has been doing heavy duty coffee making for quite a long time and doing it very well and also have a Cuisinart food processor. And -- yunno, to me, most toasters leave a lot to be desired -- even for a man.

She wanted a new wrist watch for Christmas, so we went out to Costco and picked her out a nice one and bought it. She got it home and after a day or two, she began to think it was too big. So, even though it has a wrist band that will not come apart and drop the watch where ever -- she took it back and got a credit. Then back we went and she showed me a more expensive one that was smaller, but after getting a clerk to unlock the case so we could take a look we found that the clasp on the wrist band was not fool proof. In a day or two she (with me in tow) will go back and see if the first one is still available. She has had several watches drop off, two of which happened without her feeling it and were totally lost. Several years ago I got her a watch with a secure band and it is getting pretty seedy so therefor the companionate shopping. She wanted one in time to wear to Oregon for Christmas and has been known to get stuff for me ahead of time.

This Christmas she will have from me, a toaster surprize, a wrist watch and a Partridge In A Pear Treeeeeeeee ! That is if I can find a ceramic one that is not horribly expensive.

Any way an evening was well spent looking in the Sur La Table catalog as I have seen some things that are so beautiful they boggle my mind. Elegant napkin rings to grace a table for the most important of guests. Super classy fondue sets. I saw a set of shiny ice tea spoons, delicate and as an extra, the handles serve as straws. There is a Cheese grating box with a slide out drawer and a holder above for the grater - - - - wish there had been one here on the the days when I did the grating duty for family gatherings. Marrow spoons made of horn, caviar spoons -- these kind of things I had never heard of.

They've an Expresso Machine (minus wheels and horn) which looks as if it would need an expert operator. They have the best of electric appliances Krups, Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart and more.

There is a section of things for the tyke who wants to be a chef at home and things to delight a child at table, like the "got milk ?" glasses and tray.

One of the things I like the most is a set of six sushi plates, two designs, dahlia and peony shapes, in three beautiful colors -- which can be used for anything, they're delicate, graceful and Japanesely beautiful.

Pots, Pans, skillets, cookware of all kinds that a cook could need. Of course the finest in cutlery.

I am not a cook, never will be, but am a tool man forever, and this catlog has cooking tools for the gods.

If anyone is interested, their website is www.surlatable.com and you can order a catalog from that site. No this is gratis - pro bono - no fee received or goodies given to me.

Next week, traveling on memory lane once more I'll probably be into the Sears Craftsman catalog or maybe the Snap-On tools book. As a very young child the most important books were The Montgomery Ward and The Sears Roebuck catalogs, where I would spend hours building a mental kingdom and furnishing it, inside and out. Where could I ever be without a Wish Book . . . . . . ?

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