This is the perfect time of year to expand your eating habits. With the time off for holidays, those stupid New Year's resolutions you have no plans on actually keeping, the dreary school bake sales, dismal office parties, and all of those family dinners, you're bound to be faced with a meal or two of surprises. While I used to dread the unwanted piece of fish, the overcooked vegetable, the alcohol infused cake, or the buckshot water fowl, I now go into the meal with an "eyes wide open" attitude. If I'm willing to try all this stuff, then it's up to my hosts to impress me.

Surprisingly, they sometimes do. It was last year at this time, that we were invited over for a small holiday gathering at someone's house. We'd never been invited over before, and the four couples mingled and drank before sitting down to a carefully crafted meal. The vegetable was Brussels sprouts, just about the only veggie I avoided, but these were special. The host had slow roasted them in the oven, after slicing them in half and drizzling them with olive oil. The Brussels sprouts went from cabbagy tough to an almost creamy texture, and the roasting brought out a mild sweetness, while tempering the sprouts' natural bitterness. I have now incorporated these Brussels sprouts into my every day meals at home.

I also like to use this time to introduce other people to some of my favorites. You can do this too, and this epicurean sharing does not need to be limited to what you cook for guests who are invited to your home. Try baking some of your favorite, most unusual cookies. This is the chance to bake those chocolate cantaloupe creations (really) that no one wants to try after you tell them the combination of flavors, but once they do...

You can also use this time to introduce friends and family to some of your favorite restaurants. And, let's face it; once the holidays are over, and all the parties have ended, there aren't a whole lot of reasons to go out to yet another special dinner. Well, if you give someone a gift certificate/card for a special restaurant, there suddenly is. Maybe you give them as presents, maybe you give them as late presents (me), or maybe someone you know has that January birthday. For whatever reasons, they are much appreciated and always used.

One note of caution, however. Last year I received a restaurant gift certificate, and was happy to get it. But, since the restaurant was so inconvenient to me, and would take some special planning to get to, I kept putting off making the reservations. When I finally did, I was informed that the owners had sold the restaurant, and while they enjoyed retirement, I was left with a gift certificate to a restaurant that no longer existed. So, even if it requires you to go out of your way to buy the gift certificate (many operations will mail it to you), pick some place that is convenient for the one you are buying for.

And, no matter how much you want to expand Granny's world, a gift certificate to Alinea isn't going to impress her, if she really just wants Steak 'n Shake and The Olive Garden. Save the Alinea gift card for me.