From smoked turkey to high-tech, these gifts sure to please

Here are the expert's picks from Kiplinger's Personal Finance for this year's best holiday gifts:

Cook shanks and parsnips until they're succulent and sweet. Then uncover and brown them while you concentrate the pan juices.3. Tuck parsnips into pan around shanks. Bake, covered, until meat is very tender when pierced, about 1 hour more.6. With a wide spatula, loosen shanks and parsnips from pan. Transfer shanks with tongs to a platter and arrange parsnips and onions around them. Pour juices on top. Sprinkle with 2/3 of gremolata; serve with remaining gremolata on the side.PREP AND COOK TIME About 3 hoursLaptop PC:Nearly everything the typical tourist would want to see or do in Chicago (besides catching a Cubs game) is corralled in a cheerfully crowded downtown that borders Lake Michigan and also is home to Taste of Chicago.PER SERVING 571 CAL., 63% (360 CAL.) FROM FAT; 36 G PROTEIN; 40 G FAT (14 G SAT.); 16 G CARBO (0.8 G FIBER); 1,101 MG SODIUM; 147 MG CHOL.When we visited the 2007 Taste of Chicago, we stayed at the downtown Hampton Inn & Suites, just a few blocks from the lake, Grant Park and other attractions. That meant we could leave our car safely parked (in a lot that, in typical major-metro fashion, cost almost $40 a day) and walk everywhere. But if you don't feel like walking, taxis are plentiful and, in this small downtown, not too expensive.4. With 2 forks, tear meat into large shreds. Add to pan and stir in chopped cilantro. Season with salt. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve with tortillas and more salsa verde.Suvir Saran, author of "Indian Home Cooking" and the upcoming "American Masala," says that when picking pots, copperware is "the way to go. It's heavy, durable and can outlive any of us. It's a one- time investment." His recommendations: Mauviel's 3-quart saute pan for $350, 6-quart saucepan for $455 and 6 1/2-quart stew pan, which is like a Dutch oven, for $340.Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com."You can go to a garage sale and get a perfectly seasoned one that someone's grandma used for $5, or buy new ones for about $15 each," says Saran.Smart phone:5. While shanks are browning, skim fat from pan juices. Measure juices with onions; you need about 2 1/2 cups (if necessary, supplement with more broth). Set pan over 2 burners on high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in remaining 2 tbsp. sherry.PREP AND COOK TIME 4 hours3. Add wine and increase heat to high. Scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Add reserved beef, bacon, and onions. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and bake until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.We had spicy vegetable samosas still hot and crisp from the fryer, mango cumin-dusted french fries with rich and sour tamarind chutney and miniature versions of buffalo burgers and breaded Italian-style steak sandwiches.But we concentrated most of our tickets on the Taste items, which ranged from two to three tickets apiece for a small, two- or three- bite portion of a restaurant's specialty. This was a great strategy for us: Our tickets went further and we could try tons of different foods without getting too full.

Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com.

Author: Kiplinger's Personal Finance