The Perfect Gift Combination for a Hapless Single Man

We all have at least one friend who is totally worthless in the kitchen.  Actually, if you don’t have a friend like that, read on, because I have enough friends who meet that description to share at least one of mine with you.

I probably should tell you in advance that you better be very fond of this friend, because the gift tip I’m going to offer is a bit on the costly side, although worth every penny.  Maybe it’s your son, or nephew, or uncle or your roommate who just refuses to leave.

Give the present of a nice romantic dinner with the person of his own choice–right there in his own home.  When you get right down to it, nothing impresses an unsuspecting date more than an intimate dinner that the host has prepared himself (with your encouragement and careful guidance, of course.  Now, the friend I’m thinking of needs all the help he can get in this regard.  You may need to be very specific when you give him your gift and the instructions to go with it.  Remind him to light candles, choose the music for him and suggest he pick up his dirty socks.

He can begin the evening with the first part of your present, a gourmet cheese for the beginning course  Suggest that he consider serving the cheese with ripe apple slices or pear slices, but only if you trust him to handle a knife.  He can serve this course as a finger food or at the dining table as the formal beginning of the meal.

The meal’s next course should be a gourmet dinner of lobster or perhaps a surf and turf meal, if he is a beef addict.  As noted, this guy needs plenty of help, so the fresher the lobster the better.

Tell him to cap off the evening with a magnificent, New York cheesecake or a turtle cheesecake, if he is a fan of chocolate for dessert.  Whichever cheesecake option you choose, tell him to spruce up the serving with a few fresh berries or a sprig of fresh mint.

You might also recommend a fine wine, if he consumes alcoholic beverages.  Lobster is very hearty fare, so don’t be afraid to suggest he pair it with a bold wine such as a Merlot or even a Burgundy.

Once you’ve done your part in the affair, relax until you receive the engagement announcement.  If you learn that the perfect evening didn’t work, just give up on him, and next time you can enjoy the delicious meal with your own favorite partner.  Oh, you also might want to look for a different friend.

Gifts for Someone Down on His or Her Luck

A few days ago, I talked with a family friend who recently learned that his huge manufacturing company was closing his plant. He is actually more fortunat than most of his co-workers. He very recently reached the magic age at which he qualifies for early retirement, so he will continue to have a steady income. Those who did not reach that milestone of the specified number of years with the company will get a small severance package and be left to search for a job in that difficult market. That caused me to think about giving gifts for special occasions to those people who are experiencing difficult economic situations. I came up with a few suggestions that make more sense than a piece of home decor or a new tie. Here are some of them:

A fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, yummy and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and then fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your neighborhood specialty store. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered directly to the person’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill that month.

A unique meal is another way to remember a special occasion. One alternative might be to take the friend to a special restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to suggest some of the pricier entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering whatever they prefer. For example, you could say something like, “The crab legs are perfect here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.) Or you might send a gift certificate to a special place in their town.

You might also consider a tasty dessert. No person should have too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves an opportunity to indulge a sweet tooth. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a freshly baked pie or turtle cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.

You may observe that all my recommendationinvolve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, that’s just a bonus.