"You know what would be great?" said my husband last summer. "One of those heavy grill press things that keeps meat and bacon from curling up when you're cooking it." You know what he's getting for Christmas? A heavy grill press thing that keeps bacon from curling up when you cook it. He never bothered to put it on his wish list, I just made a mental note and bought one, and I plan to pat myself on the back every time he uses it.

This, I like to think, exemplifies a crucial aspect of skillful gift-giving: listening. Another crucial aspect: remembering. Also crucial: time, money, and feeling some affection for the person you're buying for.

But what if it's December 22 and none of those aspects are in place, and suddenly you need to pick up a little something for the person in your office who invited you to cocktails Friday night? Or your husband's step-sister who suddenly decided to fly in from Norway? Or the sitter who's coming. over. right. now?

Tracy Morgan can be kind of a jerk sometimes. But I developed much more respect for him this week after I read an article in New York Magazine in which he revealed something very, very awesome about his home in New Jersey. Get this: The 30 Rock star has a hibachi grill in his house identical to the ones at Benihana (and other Japanese steakhouses). Can you even imagine? I'm picturing myself cooking dinner for 10 of my friends on it: I'd flip shrimp pieces into their mouths and light a volcano-shaped stack of raw onion hoops on fire while they all clap and tell me I'm the best cook ever. Oh wow! I'm getting way more excited than I'd like to admit.

So, it got me thinking: Which other restaurant "toys" besides the hibachi grill would I kill to have in my home?

Millionaire Matchmaker star Patti Stanger likes wieners. Quite a lot, apparently. So much so, in fact, that she's endorsing her own hot dog combo at the Los Angeles branch of Papaya King. The $4 combo features two gluten-free chili dogs topped with onions, mustard, sauerkraut, and chili, wrapped in butter lettuce and served with a medium drink.

Someone please tell me why sponsoring a hot dog would be good for a celebrity's image? Hot dogs aren't sexy. And hot dogs served in lettuce wraps are just outright ludicrous. Not surprisingly, Patti isn't the first celeb to get on the wacky food train. Check out these 5 other stars who have dabbled in the "weird food" business:

Sometimes I really, really miss living in Chicago, particulary when I'm thinking about food. Of course New York does many foods well, but there's nothing quite like a Chicago-Style Hot Dog. Here's what makes it so special: an all-beef hot dog, a steamed poppy-seed bun, loads of toppings, celery salt, and a dill pickle spear. Sounds great, right? So why not try to make one for something a little different this Labor Day?

Oh, and here's the most important thing to remember about a Chicago-style hot dog: Absolutely no ketchup!

Labor Day may signal the inevitable end of summer, but we've still got a few good months of grilling and cookouts left to go. We're here to make sure you don't waste them by slathering bad BBQ sauce on perfectly good meat. That's why we embarked on a blind taste test of eight different supermarket BBQ sauces to see which one is the most flavorful and deserving of your ribs, chicken, and pork. As it turns out, there was one sauce in particular that completely blew all the other competitors away.

Any idea which one it could be?

Dare I say it? A backyard barbecue is great, but without equally great sides, even the best burger lacks luster. And if I’m going to be brutally honest, I have to admit to feeling a twinge of competitive pressure when I’m invited to a grilling shindig like my friend Holly’s legendary summer potlucks.

She’s got a backyard smoker and makes what she calls “Texas Crack,” aka bacon-wrapped jalapenos, along with a mountain of assorted meats, and leaves the rest of the cooking to us. With that kind of bounty, I feel the need to bring my A-game side dish. No bag-of-chips or liter-of-soda for me. I need to see people loading up their plate and saying “ooh!” And if it happens that I can count a few plates with more sides than meat? Well, that’s just barbecue sauce on the ribs, ladies.

Lucky you, you’re about to learn my three favorite take-along side dishes -- easy to make, easy to transport, and guaranteed to be a huge hit.

It's a sad fact: 8 out of 10 Americans are grilling without the proper equipment. Every day people are walking out into their backyards and trying to cook food outdoors in a completely half-assed fashion. It's a wonder they don't injure themselves, or set the house on fire, or that any food gets cooked at all.

Okay, I totally made up that statistic. Probably most of us have the basics -- but there are some key grilling tools that can make the difference between grilled hassle and grilled bliss. Take a gander at our checklist and see if there's something you could add to your own arsenal for deliciousness.

Here's a fun way to add an element of surprise to your backyard barbecue this summer. In addition to burgers, hot dogs, kebabs, and other traditional grilled meat and veggie dishes -- grill dessert! Your guests will never expect it. Plus, you'll already have the grill fired up and ready, so why not make the most of it? Here are five irresistible grilled dessert ideas to give you some sweet inspiration.