• Los Tios’ biggest seller for take-out on game days is the fairly new PanchosParty Pack. It’s a perfect party package for six-10 guests. Costs are pick-upfor $65.00; drop-off: $75.
    Photo by Henry Thiel
  • Ooh La La can hook you up with custom-made Texans shortbread cookies for $4.50each and $48.00 per dozen.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Marene has been known to splurge on Oysters Rockefeller at a Super Bowl-watchingparty
    Brennan's Restaurant
  • Don't forget Jose’s Dip at Molina's, the original chili con queso topped withspicy taco meat.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Call in your order to one of Molina's Cantina's three locations and they’ll loadyou up with delicious fajitas with all the sides ($29.95 for two people).
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Aren't these just too cute? And yummy, too. Cupcake truffles, $2.50 each or$27.95 per dozen, from Ooh La La
    Photo by Kimberly Park

  • Pastry princess Vanessa O’Donnell of Ooh La La Dessert Boutique has beenwhipping up dozens of her adorable Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer cupcakes asgifts.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Chef Ara Malekian, owner of Aracan Catering and chef at the upcoming VolarePizzeria, is giving homemade white truffle oil, as well as wasabi olive oil madefrom fresh wasabi root. Yum.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Hawthorn chef Riccardo Palazzo-Giorgio is gifting his roasted carrot vinaigrettethat he uses on his beet salad.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • “For close friends, I often give gift certificates for a dinner party,” saysDamian’s executive chef Napoleon Palacios.
    Photo courtesy of Studio Communications
  • “I like to make culinary baskets,” says Marcus Leal, R&D chef with Luby’s.
    Photo courtesy of Studio Communications

  • Guess which chef wears a pair of adorable cupcake decorated Toms.? Here she issandwiched between her fur babies, Maddie and Bela. (See image 7 in thisslideshow for answer)
    Photo by Robyn Arounty
  • Who wears cowboy boots in the kitchen? (See image 8 in this slideshow for theanswer)
    Courtesy Photo
  • Who wears Coppa Keds in the kitchen? (See image 9 in this slideshow.)
    Courtesy Photo
  • Who's favorites are black Birkis (Birkenstocks)? (See image 10 in thisslideshow)
  • Guess who likes lace-ups? (See image 11 in this slideshow)
    Courtesy Photo
  • Who has a lot of running around a kitchen to do? (See image 12 in thisslideshow)
    Courtesy Photo
  • It's Vanessa O'Donnell, pastry chef who owns Ooh La La Dessert Boutique is theowner of the cupcake-emblazoned Toms shoes.
  • Chef Randy Evans is scootin' around the kitchen of Havein in his cowboy boots.
    Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
  • Naturally, it's Brandi Key of Coppa Ristorante Italiano who wears the CoppaKeds. "I'm Coppa from head to toe," she says.
    Brandi Key/Facebook
  • Birkenstocks are best for chef David Coffman in the Katsuya kietchen.
    Recipe4Success/Flickr
  • Chef Monica Pope of Sparrow likes lace-ups.
    Photo by Julie Soefer/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Branch Water Tavern's David Grossman is sporting Brooks Pure Cadence runningshoes ‘cause he’s running big time in that kitchen.
    Photo by Kimberly Park

  • Whatever your food porn faves are, you’ll want to catch PBS’s tribute to JuliaChild starting Aug. 5. Watch, cook and remember why we all loved her.
    The Monday Evening Club
  • Ziggy Gruber of Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen is a huge fan of the oldJulia Child PBS show.
    Photo by Paula Murphy
  • Shiva Patel of the Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen, doesn’t get to watch a lot of TV,but when she does food shows are her guilty pleasure.
    Photo by Karen Burd
  • Sweet Vanessa O’Donnell of Ooh La La Dessert Boutique has a personal connectionto some shows.
    Photo courtesy of Ooh La La
  • “I actually don't have a TV,” says German Mosquera of Roots Bistro and the newlyopened Roots Juice.
  • “Even though every chefs’ hours are long and free time is hard, I make sure torecord the series Chopped and Iron Chef,” says chef Roberto Castre of LatinBites.
    Photo by Renato Rimach

  • The Eatsie Boys, from left: Matt Marcus, Ryan Soroka and Alex Vassilakidis
    Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
  • Charles Nelson, right, with Bubba McNeely, recalls when a steel beam from thethen under-construction Apple Store next door crashed into his Sprinkleskitchen.
    Photo by Daniel Ortiz
  • Over at another sweet kitchen, Vanessa O’Donnell’s Ooh La La, the problem wasn’ta steel beam but missing kitchen utensils.
    Photo courtesy of Ooh La La
  • Michael Pellegrino, now of Max's Wine Dive, remembers an incident at anotherrestaurant where he worked when the kitchen was without fuel.
    Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchlightGroup.com
  • Ever wonder how chef Robert Del Grande came up with the popular tenderloin ofbeef with roasted adobado that reigned on his Cafe Annie menu?
    Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
  • The chapter by bad boy Anthony Bourdain about a New Year’s Eve service from hellcomplete with drunken guests, fist fights, coked-up cooks and spoiled food ishilarious.
    Photo courtesy of Society for the Performing Arts

  • Chocolate-covered strawberries and so, so much more at Central Market'sChocolate Festival.
  • Triniti's chocolates come in rosewater, champagne and cherry.
  • Think cupcakes are girly? Vanessa O'Donnell has a Guinness version for boys andother beer-lovers.
    Photo courtesy of Ooh La La

  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman
  • Photo by Kim Coffman

  • “On top of my wish list this Christmas is a Saeco Xelsis Espresso Machine,” saysVanessa O’Donnell, pastry queen of the Ooh, La, La Dessert Boutiques.
    Photo courtesy of Ooh La La
  • Ryan Hildebrand wants a smoker. But will that fit down a chimney?
    Photo by Shannon O'Hara
  • Ronnie Killen of Pearland’s Killen’s Steakhouse wants a centrifuge forChristmas.
  • “The kitchen gadgets at the top of my list would be a commercial grade Cryovacmachine and a plunger style hand crank sausage stuffer,” says chef Mark Clayton.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Soren Pedersen, executive chef and partner at Sorrel Urban Bistro, wants a blastchiller, a kitchen device that chills food fast without chefs having to messwith an ice bath.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Pastry chef Kristen Schafbuch just wants a marble slab for tempering chocolates.
    Photo by Michelle Eulene
  • A heavy meat cleaver is what chef Greg Lowry is dreaming of.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Jason Chaney, executive chef of The Barbed Rose Steakhouse and Seafood Co. inAlvin, wants Kuhn Rikon Swiss peelers.
    Photo by Kimberly Park

  • Pineapple upside down cakes are here again. Everywhere. Freaking. Where.
    Photo via Veronica's Cornucopia
  • Fresh from H-E-B
    Photo by Marene Gustin
  • Ooh La La's Piña colada cupcake
    Photo by Jordan Chan
  • The pineapple upside-down cake at BlackFinn
    Photo by Marene Gustin

  • Aisha Waliany
    Photo by Marene Gustin
  • Ricardo Molina
    Photo by Jordan Chan
  • Jason Chaney
    Photo by Roy Schneider
  • Vanessa O'Donnell
  • Ryan Hildebrand
    Photo by Shannon O'Hara
  • Randy Rucker
    Randy Rucker/Greens and Beans/Twitter
  • Soren Pedersen
    Photo by Kimberly Park

  • Sure, they look good, but can they survive the onslaught of the snickerdoodle?
  • Macarons are already being replaced by snickerdoodles in the ever-changing hotdessert picture.
  • Snickerdoodles

  • L.J. Wiley and his Brownie assistant add milk to the shortbread cookie granola.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • The chefs and Girl Scouts that participated in the Just Desserts competition.
    Photo by Sarah Rufca
  • Adding smoked coconut to the Amy's Ice Cream Caramel Delight dessert.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Haven's out-of-this-world Thin Mint moonpie display — solar system model notincluded.
    Photo by Sarah Rufca
  • Fluff Bake Bar's gingerbread cheesecake lollipops
    Photo by Sarah Rufca
  • Peanut butter and banana treats from Ooh La La.
    Photo by Sarah Rufca
  • Dessert Gallery's Lemonade creation
    Photo by Sarah Rufca
  • Smore-like treats from Choco Patisserie
    Photo by Sarah Rufca
  • Peanut Butter Patty ice cream from George R. Brown
    Photo by Sarah Rufca
  • And the accompanying ice sculpture.
    Photo by Sarah Rufca

  • L.J. Wiley turns to Indonesia for his secret ingredient.
    Yelapa Playa Mexicana Restaurant
  • Two Kings with Chinese black beans by Adison Lee. This Japanese chef turns toChina for his secret ingredient.
    Photo by Marene Gustin
  • Vanessa O'Donnell, pastry chef and owner of Ooh La La, claims butter as hersecret ingredient.

  • Rebecca Masson — aka the Sugar Hooker — appreciates a good burger too.
    Photo by Kimberly Park
  • Sweets have been Masson's life.
  • Masson doesn't discriminate when it comes to good cupcakes.