You know that guy in your life who never seems lucky in love or in life, in general. I’m sure that you have such a friend; it seems that all of us do.

I probably should warn you in advance that you better like this friend quite a bit, because the gift tip I’m going to offer is a bit on the costly side, although worth every penny. Perhaps that nameless man is your roommate, your cousin or even your own son who you can seem to get to move out of your house.

Give the gift of a romantic dinner with the person of his choice–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 encouragementand supervision, 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.

Start with a gift of a selection of gourmet cheeses 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. This course can actually be a nice appetizer, before they are actually seated at the dining table.

For the entree, present him with a gift certificate for a gourmet lobster dinner or perhaps a surf and turf meal, if he is a beef addict. Since this man needs so much help, you will want to be certain that the lobster is as fresh as possible.

End the evening (at least the part of the evening you’re helping with) with a delicious, turtle cheesecake. Or, if he does not like chocolate, then select the more traditional New York cheesecake, decorated with a sprig of fresh mint.

If he drinks alcoholic beverages, do not trust him to choose the wine for the dinner. 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.

Now, sit back and wait for the inevitably coming wedding invitation. If it doesn’t arrive within six months, just find another friend. That will be much easier.

Related Blogs

• Turtle Cheesecake (Caramel, Pecan & Chocolate) – Island Dreaming in Oklahoma
• With A Gourmet Twist « The Duo Dishes
• Cookies and Chocolate Gifts | Easy Dinner Recipes

I am not a shopping enthusiast! Except around the holidays, I hate the parking problems, I don’t enjoy browsing aisle after aisle looking for something that would be honestly appreciated by Grandma or Uncle Arthur. I certainly do not like standing on line with frustrated people waiting for the lone employee to handle yet another exchange. During the holidays, I enjoy meandering through stores simply people watching, without being weighted down with bulky packages. The experience for whatever reason puts me into a holiday mood, but I do my actual shopping and buying almost entirely online. That’s a practice I developed in the very early years of the Web.

Online shopping didn’t save my life all by itself. Just because I started using the Web before any of my friends, I still had to make the decisions. And then, around five years ago, or so, I discovered food.

Of course, I actually discovered food when I was still an infant, but it didn’t occur to me as a great gift until I had suffered through many rounds of birthdays, baby showers, and countless other events that seem to always pop up. I received a gift basket of little sausages, spreadable cheeses and plain crackers. It was terrible! At the same time, though, I thought what a great gift this could have been. All they had to change in the gift was the quality of the contents!

Since then, I have been busy conducting research (that’s just my word for “sampling”). I have found online vendors who offer genuine quality for about the same price that you can get that synthetic stuff at the mall. (You know the one I mean, but I’m not about to open myself to a libel or slander charge by naming the brand.) Just like the mall kiosks, the online shops handle all the shipping, gift cards, everything. I know that my gifts will be exceptionally pleasant surprises for all of my gift recipients.

The wide selection of quality gift foods available is truly remarkable. It ranges from live lobster dinners to a gourmet fruit basket; from cookie bouquets to live lobsters; from wine gift baskets to imported caviar or fine Wisconsin cheeses.

I do keep gift foods around the house, beautifully or cleverly arranged, for my guests who come to my house or for those whom I visit in person during those gift giving times. The Internet provides assistance to me even in these cases, because it is packed full of great ideas for arranging and wrapping gift food.

So join me in thanking the Internet (maybe Al Gore?) for teaching me how to walk through an aisle of a store, empty handed, with a huge smile. I can do that, now, just to soak up the spirit of the season, whatever season it happens to be. I’m a tourist when I’m there instead of a harried shopper.