Hot stuff for the cook

Ever since my friend parked a Big Green Egg grill in his backyard and effortlessly smoked a pork butt for 12 hours into barbecued silk, I've had a serious case of "egg envy." It's a major splurge, the charcoal-fired equivalent of a Viking range. But it's the ultimate gift for a serious all-weather griller, with a heavy ceramic dome shape and precision temperature controls that can hit thermal-nuclear heat (for that major steakhouse sear), or a low, slow smoke that can make a pit master out of even me.

BGEs come in a range of sizes, but large is the most popular, big enough to cook a holiday bird or five racks of ribs. BGEs are always priced "a la carte," with larges beginning in the high $600s. Fully loaded with accessories, expect to pay closer to $1,100 or more with tax. There are numerous online sources, but a West Chester dealer, Halco Grills, will assemble and deliver it to your door. Halco Grills, 1151 McDermott Dr., West Chester, 800-368-0803; www.halcogrills.com (1)

There's a reason why Dizzy Pig spices have become a cult favorite among the Big Green Egg community. These MSG-free spice rubs deliver some of the most distinctive and naturally vivid flavors I've found, from the Asian-scented Tsunami Spin (great on salmon and tuna), to Dizzy Dust (an all-purpose pork pixie), to the peppery Cow Lick, which turns up the flavor volume on steaks.

Order one or several in a gift box, for example, a five-pack that costs $41 plus shipping from www.dizzypigbbq.com. (2)

I'm a dedicated cast-iron man, and have always been at peace with the frumpy dullness of my well-seasoned pans. But those with a need for cookware bling can finally channel their inner frontiersman, too, now that Lodge has added gleaming stainless-steel handles to a Signature Series of its classic black vessels. The massively heavy preseasoned 12-inch skillet cooks about as well as my beloved $28 basic model - which is to say great. But its rugged good looks won't take any more guff from that rack of shiny All-Clad.

Lodge Signature Series 12-inch skillet, available for $110 at Foster's Homeware, 399 Market St., 215-925-0950. (3)